The Book of Judges – Jephthah

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Jephthah, the unwanted judge. The tribes west of the Jordan refused to be dominated by anyone from the east. His family labeled him the illegitimate son of a prostitute. But Jephthah was a survivor. He was a competent seasoned warrior, a resourceful charismatic natural leader with great potential and diplomatic skill. When he fled northeast to the land of Tob, a place where those without community assembled, he gathered and led a band of plunderers. This article tells his story.

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The Book of Judges – Interim Leaders

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Abimelech is gone, but the people are weary from the disastrous upheaval he caused in the heartland of ancient Israel. The twelve-tribe alliance is on the verge of falling apart. Most no longer even call Yahweh their God. Things look grim despite there being no immediate outside threat. Here comes the judge Tola (translation: worm). Who was he? What do we know?

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The Book of Judges – Gideon

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The Deborah episode in the Book of Judges left us with hope. Certainly now after God’s direct intervention, Israel will remain faithful. But no; for the fourth time the cycle repeats. “The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight.” Again a threat emerges. Again the people cry out. Again God responds. Again the oppression lifts. Again rest comes to the land. But there are differences. Israel faces a stormy future.

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The Book of Judges – Deborah

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Othniel, Caleb’s nephew, defeated the foreign king who was imposing heavy tribute. Ehud wiped out the Moabites who conquered the area around Jericho. Shamgar was not an Israelite, but he put a limit on the growing Philistine threat. All should be well. But no! “The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight (Jdg 4:1).” The fourth deliverance episode begins.

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The Book of Judges – Early Deliverers

2 Comments / Biblical Commentary, Uncategorized /

During Joshua’s time and that of the tribal elders, Israel was dedicated to Yahweh. Not so for the next generation. They abandoned their God and forgot their history. Perhaps they were tired of war. It made sense to coexist rather than fight. They began to worship Asherah the queen of heaven and confuse Baal with Yahweh. Canaanite rituals replaced or supplemented Levitical requirements. All was good in the short-term. There was peace. Not for long. The true God withdrew his support and protection, and this lead to a downward spiral of oppressions and rescue. This article focuses on first three of these episodes.

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Joshua – The Sun Stood Still

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The book of Joshua records an amazing astronomical sign. The Sun stood still in the middle of the sky about a whole day. This is one of the most controversial and most debated passages in all of scripture. Some insist that God demonstrated his power through this amazing one-time sign. They often go so far as to create pseudoscientific theories to prove their case. Meanwhile, those with scientific backgrounds recoil. Forced literalism causes many to dismiss the Bible altogether. This article attempts to work through this issue.

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Joshua and Morality

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Archaeological digs sprinkle the promised land in the quest for historical clues. Other than at the sites of Hazor and Bethel, no significant Late Bronze Age destruction layers appear. Most scholars agree: a Joshua led genocide never happened. Careful readers of the book of Joshua generally come to the same conclusion. But then, what do we do with some of the language which seems so violent? That’s the subject of this article.

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Joshua – Conquest, Coexistence, or Genocide

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The book of Joshua provokes much criticism . To some, it is full of nonhistorical legends composed centuries after the fact. Others insist on super-literalism. To them, Joshua’s account exposes God’s wrathful, bloodthirsty, jealous nature. Even more mock the book as ridiculously unscientific; no way can the sun physically stand still without disastrous orbital repercussions. This article addresses these charges.

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