Judges 19-21 today....... Ruth 1-4 tomorrow......

Read it... catching up on the commenting... we will be reading the whole book of Ruth tomorrow, just an FYI... kind of exciting! :)
sandJ

Chapter 19: ok, I had some great stuff typed here, but the stupid blog wouldn't post it again... I'm going to try to remember the important stuff, and hopefully it will work this time...
verse 1... this is the second chapter, at least, that has started with the words 'in those days Isreal had no king'... is this because the things are getting worse, and this is like a way of adding to that point?... will things be any better when there IS a king?
vers 2-3... surprised the Levite wanted her back since she was unfaithful to him
verse 4-10... was the dad trying to persuade him to stay so he could spend more time with his daughter? because he wanted to help reconcile the relationship between the priest and his daughter? becasue he was worried about his daughter's future since she had been unfaithful? or ??? the study notes say the priest wanted to leave so he could get back to his work in the house of God at Shiloh
verse 11-13... kind of ironic how the Isrealites looked down on the 'pagan' towns and refused to stop at them... like they thought they were better than the 'outsiders'... reminds me of how the Jews went the long way around Samaria and hated them and refused to spend any time with them, but how Jesus reminded us that none of us are better than anyone else (John 4:1-44, Luke 10:25-37), as we are all sinners and fall short of God's glory (Romans 3:23)... the preist's desire to pass by the pagan cities made me think about how often we, who are supposed to be bringing the Good News to the 'pagans' now a days, often prefer to skirt by their 'dwellings' and instead, gather ourselves in the 'dwellings' of other believers... do we think that we are too good to associate with non-belivers? Jesus went straight to those kinds of people, like Zaccheous the tax collector (Luke 19:1-27), or the Woman at the Well, who was both a Samaratan and a woman of multiple husbands (John 4:1-44), or the lepers (Luke 17:11-19) or any number of other disreputable people... why? because, as Jesus reminds us, it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick (Mark 2:13-17)
verse 15... first sign that there is something not right in the city, when a priest can't get a place to stay... were the people unhospitable? were they irreverent to God? were they too selfish? were they too scared?... what is our reasoning for not inviting people into our homes and our lives?
verse 16-21... interesting to note that the only one who gave them a place to stay was an old man who was not from that town... it is interesting that he was an old man, because he might have likely been old enough to remember the ways that people were supposed to treat others, before all the lawlessness and idol worship took over... it is also interesting that he is an old man who was coming from working in his field... makes me wonder why he didn't have someone younger than him doing the hard labor for him? was he too poor? that makes his sacrifice of hospitatily all the greater, I think.
verse 22... my first thought of this was of disgust, and I wanted to hurry on and get past this chapter... then, I thought about how this same thing had happened to Lot and the angels in Genesis 19... if that had been in Sodom and Gomorrah, and those towns had been destroyed because of their sinfulness, this story really illustrates how far the Isrealites had fallen since the days of Joshua and Moses.... as I was thinking about that, my mind moved on to the idea that these men might have been acting upon their confusion of worship, in addition to their sinful nature/desires... we have read many places within these past chapters where it talks about how the pagans had temple prostitutes (both male and female) as part of their worship ceremonies... so, although this might have been how they greeted all the newcomers to town, it might have also been in light of the fact that the man was a priest, and that was how they worshipped their gods... this thought brought me to another way of seeing these men... yes, they were hideous and disgusting, but they were also sad and lost... it made me think about how when we just look at people through God's eyes, we can see hurt, confused, disillusioned people, who are desperately in need of the healing and cleansing truth of Jesus Christ... when we see people as God sees them, we can look past the disgusting sin that surrounds them, and instead, love them and desire to help them find the love of God... and I'm am so glad that God did this for me, too, so it is the least I can do to do the same for others (Romans 5:8)
verse 25-28... there are many parts of this story that upset me, but this part angers me the most... maybe the priest was just paying the woman back for what she had done to him in verse 2... but regardless, how could he even think of sleeping, let alone get a full night's sleep, all the while knowing what was happening to the woman outside... yet, he doesn't even concern himself with her well-being... she has crawled back in hopes of help and care, but he offers her none... in fact, he sleeps in in the morning, and plans to take off on his way without even the slightest concern for her needs or care... he doesn't even pay her any respect in her death.... it makes me wonder how anyone can be so heartless, especially when they are in the service of God... yet, as I think about this, I wonder how often I have driven by a hitch-hiker without stopping to pick them up, leaving them to the mercy of some other less friendly driver?... how often have I ignored the plea of someone begging for money, or even thrown unkind words their way?... how often have I thought about a homeless person and judged that they 'deserved' their fate?... how often have I turned the other way when a 'smelly' or 'dirty' person was headed in my direction... or maybe just the 'uncool' guy?... how often do I think of drug addicts or prostitutes or anyone in jail... not very often... and when I do, do I just go on about my way, and not give a thought to their care or needs?... do I help the old man when he struggles with his shopping cart?... do I offer help or kind words to the tired mom with the unruly kids?... do I listen to my own children when they just want to share their joy with me?... makes me wonder how someone, who is in the service of God can be so heartless...
verse 29... assuming she is dead at this point, but no confirmation from the text... I think a note might have been a more preferrable option to convey the message.
verse 30... were the people saying this about the acts against the woman's body that led to up to her death... or the acts against the woman's body that were taken after her death... both equally as horrific, I think... where is the identifying actions that distinguish God's people from the pagans! are they clear today in our lives? I pray they are.
sandJ

Chapter 20: verse 1-2... I find it interesting that the people can all come together during a tragedy, but they will not come together to worship... same today, though, I guess... how many people flocked to the church right after 9/11, but now havent' gone back in years? how many people sent aid relief to Haiti right after the earthquake, but how long will it last? according to some, the relief is already tapering off even now... yes, we should rally when something important needs our attention, but why do we take those times to look to God... why can't we discipline ourselves enough to see God and live for Him in even the regular times of life?
versr 3, 12-14: I surprised that the other Benjamite towns, since they heard what was going on, didn't come to try to straighten and smooth things out with the rest of the tribes, instead, it appears they are backing up their brother city, I wonder why.
verse 5-6... i'm annoyed that he didn't tell them that he pushed his concubine outside and gave her to the men knowing what they'd do... he's equally as guilty of her death, I think.
veres 15-16... sounds like the Benjamites were pretty good fighters... wow!... still wondering what the significance of being left-handed was, though?
verse 18-28... this series of events reminds me of times in my life... I ask God what to do, try to follow His leading, and then I appear to have failed somehow, as things don't go as I had expected... then, I might try to give myself a pep talk but ultimately I'll cry about it and ask God what went wrong... eventually I'll pull myself out of my self-pity spot and redirect my questioning back to what God would have me do (but each time, I assume that His direction will be to my benefit... I forget that His ways are not always my ways or that the benefits He seeks do not always come with immediate victories)... I follow God's leading, but again I will fall into discouragement when things don't go as I had anticipated they would.... the funny thing is that the whole time, God is working towards achieving His ultimate goal, and all the good and the bad, put together are bringing about the ultimate victory... it is sometimes so hard to see that though, and I can become so defeated in my thinking and doubtful in my direction because I forget that the outcome is in God's hand, my job is to obey His directions, I am not responsible for the ultimate victory... if I could be, then Jesus would not have needed to come (Galatians 2:21, 1 Corinthians 15:53-58)
verse 34... i find this part interesting: 'the benjamites did not realize how near disaster was'... it makes me think about how many people do not know Jesus, and yet, they are on the verge of eternal disaster and do not know it
verse 35... if I'm calculating right, there were only 1,600 benjamites left after that day of battle.
verse 36-46...is this a repeat or second telling of the previous verses (29-35)?... why? was this book, or at least this part, written by two different people and then put together so each account (maybe one from the ambush side and one from the field side could each have their say in how the battle went, so a complete picture was given?)... just curious
verse 46... i think it interesting that the author states that those that fell were 'vaiant swordsmen'... were they honoring the benjamites, or themselves with this phrase? and why?... maybe honoring the benjamites because they were 'brother Isrealites'... although, maybe honoring themselves by showing that they, themselves, were more 'valiant' since they were victorious?... or maybe expressing an underlying glory to God in how it was He who gave them victory of these otherwise very good fighters (see verse 28 'I will give them into your hands')?... just curious as it stuck out to me.
verse 47-48... if those men had not stayed hidden, the tribe of Benjamin would have been wipe out and future important people (like King Saul in 1 Samuel 9) would not have been born, because their lineage would not have existed... interesting to think how each thing hinges on the last, and how God's hand is orchestrating it all so that it all is just right... makes me think how if we were left to ourselves how we would surely have destroyed the world and everything all ready... that right there is surely a reason to believe in God, just the sheer continuity and completeness and perfection of everything.

the study notes make a good point that the Isrealites did not consult God on the matter of fighting the Benjamites until after they had already desided to do so... interesting that God did not tell them no... maybe that is part of the reason why they were defeated the first two days, so that God got their attention back and they were refocused again on really desiring to follow His lead instead of rush out on their own accord?
the study notes also point out that this is somewhat of a fulfillment of the blessing Jacob gave Benjamin in Genesis 49:27
sandJ