June 29-July 2, 2009

You have taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Your bottle.
Are they not in Your book?
Psalm 56:8

Judean Wilderness

How many of you find our two-year journey a bit difficult? Have you found it hard to keep up? Are there some passages that feel more like a mountain and you can’t wait to get to the other side? Are there some days that seem a bit dry and you wonder if you will ever find water? I doubt you’d get much sympathy from David. Our trek requires about fifteen to twenty minutes a day. We can sit in our favorite chair with a refreshing beverage in one hand and our Bible in the other as we take this mental journey with this future shepherd-king. I don’t know what the word “wilderness” conjures in your mind, but if it’s anything short of “demanding,” you’ve got the wrong picture! Its barren mountains provided plenty of hiding places, but not a great deal of creature comfort! The terrain would be enough to test a man’s mettle, but David’s hardships were far greater than physical exertion.

As we begin our week, we can only wonder at the pain David must have felt when he is betrayed by the very ones he rescued. Here David is, longing to do only what God tells him to – should he go and protect the citizens of Keliah from the Philistines – only to have them disclose his whereabouts to Saul. Sometimes life just doesn’t seem fair when we look at it from a human perspective. What if God had just allowed David to live comfortably in some city far from Saul’s scrutiny? Would David have been the same man in the end? How many of the Psalms that have brought comfort or given us something to identify with were written in the dark times of David’s life? God was not just looking at David’s life for the moment, He was seeing the effect he would have on our lives hundreds of centuries later! I have no doubt that if David could come and speak to us today, he would have no complaints regarding the path God had him walk in. Each time David was confronted with overwhelming difficulties, he had the privilege of experiencing God as his fortress, his deliverer, his shield and buckler, his place of refuge… and the list goes on. Would David have been the man of faith that he was if his path would have been down an easy road? I am sure the difficulty of the wilderness strengthened far more than his physical man!

We can only imagine the sadness David must have felt when he received word that Samuel had died. It certainly wasn’t a funeral he would be able to attend. Although Saul had caught up to David and because of David’s integrity, Saul’s life was spared, David knew better than to trust Saul’s promise to do him no harm. He’d heard those words before! And so David has to say his good-bye to the man of God, his mentor and friend, from a distance.

On Tuesday we are introduced to Abigail, one of the greatest intercessors in the Bible. She is a woman with great discernment and who speaks the truth like it is. Although there are the obvious events in this account, ending with David taking Abigail for his wife, there is a more subtle point that causes me to ponder David’s wilderness existence. David had collected two wives during his wilderness exile. I’m sure David wasn’t the only one who had his wives with him. How many other men of his 600-man army were also married. Do you realize how many people were actually in David’s camp? That’s an awful lot of mouths to feed EVERYDAY! It would have been difficult enough with just the 600!!! David had quite a flock to take care of as he wondered the desert mountains of Judea.

No wonder he appreciated King Achish’s gift when he gave him Ziklag!!! Perhaps it was the permanency of David’s settlement in the city that caused the warriors from Saul’s family to join them. We see the same thing happen with churches. Often, while the “flock” is in a wandering stage, it functions with only the faithful, but when there is a sense of permanency, more are willing to join in.

On Wednesday we observe Saul’s greatest low. God refuses to respond to Saul’s inquiry! There are some who preach that God answers every prayer, but those who say such things must not be reading the whole counsel of God! The Word tells us that sin separates us and that there are times He will not answer. Saul had killed the priestly family who had unwittingly helped David escape. What kind of priesthood was left? Obviously, God wasn’t speaking through them either. You have to ask yourself, “Why would Saul look for a witch, a medium, to call Samuel back from the dead, and why would God allow Samuel to go to Saul?” Perhaps Saul felt he had the right to call on Samuel. Hadn’t God said, “He will walk before my anointed always”? And perhaps God was willing to allow Samuel to declare Saul’s end according to his prophetic words. Saul’s reign began with ministry of Samuel; it would end with the ministry of Samuel!! God was not showing Saul favor; even the witch of Endor knew that; He was bringing judgment! What Saul does after he hears the words of Samuel shows how far Saul had fallen – he eats at the witches table!!!!!!!! The very thing he once despised and took action against is now the very thing he becomes an active part in. How sad is that? How sad it is when we see people who allow compromise to slow erode their values until they end up doing the very things they KNOW to be sinful and unrighteous. If we remember the Law, God had commanded that the king should write the Law with his own hand. Daily he was to make the Law of God a part of his life. Obviously, Saul had ceased doing that a long time ago, if he ever did!!!

While God is rejecting Saul, the Philistines are rejecting David. His reputation causes the commanders of the Philistine army to distrust him. I am sure they were wise for doing so! Achish was determined to have David close to him. If David had been there when Saul and Jonathan were killed, what would his reaction have been? I doubt he would have been filled with joy as the Philistines had been. I don’t think he could have seen Saul’s head on a pole, or the mutilation of Jonathan’s body and stayed calm. And if David had been moved by the anger of the moment and reacted, would he have survived in the midst of the Philistine army. Little did David understand at the moment that the rejection of the Philistines was truly a gift from God!

Psalm 56 gives us great insight into David thoughts and feelings during the whole ordeal. Take time to savor his situation, his symptoms and his solution. His conclusion is an anchor for our souls: God is on my side! What can mere mortals do to me?

And what about Saul’s death? You begin to wonder if this man is ever going to die! First he is wounded in battle. That would be a noble way for a king to die – but he doesn’t! Next he falls on his sword to rob the Philistines the joy of torturing him to death. That would be considered noble in that day – but still he doesn’t die! Instead, he dies at the hands of an Amalekite slave who is fleeing the Israelite camp. Nothing noble about that!!! God saw to it that Saul’s death would have no place to hang a badge of glory. With God there are no dangling details. Everything He does has a purpose and a reason. May we be encouraged on our journey, knowing that there are no random happenings in our lives, good or bad. Just as God worked out the details to ensure David would receive glory, He ordered the events to strip Saul of his. Although the reasons may be hidden for a season, God know how to bring them to light. Just remember, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.” (Proverbs 25:2)

June 22-26

“The Lord will be between
me and you,
and between my descendants
and your descendants
forever.

I Samuel 20:42b

Michael W. Smith has written a popular song that, I'm sure, would have been on David's top ten. The words of the chorus say:

And friends are friends forever
If the Lord's the Lord of them
And a friend will not say "never"
'cause the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long to live as friends.

This week we have the privilege of looking into the heart of true friendship. If David could preach a sermon on the blessings of loyal friendship, there is no question that he would showcase his friend Jonathan. We meet Jonathan before we even meet David. He is the son of the king and next in line for the throne. He is a fearless warrior and has been with his father in battle, so he is aware that his father is not the wisest man on the planet! He is a man of integrity and fears God. We see this in his relationship with his father. The Law says a man is to honor his father and mother, and, although his father is ready to kill him for eating a spoonful of honey, Jonathan remains true to his father and honors him with life and his service.

The very first introduction to Jonathan reveals his great ability as a warrior and his faith in God’s word plan. Is it any wonder that Jonathan’s heart is knit to David when David kills Goliath? They were of kindred spirit!!!

It is interesting to compare Jonathan and Saul’s relationship with David.

Jonathan admired David’s ability as a warrior.
Saul admired David’s ability as a warrior.

Jonathan loved David.
Saul loved David.

Jonathan recognized David’s relationship with YHWH.
Saul recognized David’s relationship with YHWH.

Jonathan recognized the anointing of a king on David.
Saul recognized the anointing of a king on David.

Here are two men who see the same things about the same man, and yet their reactions are totally opposite! How can that possibly be? The answer is found in their hearts.

Saul saw David’s accomplishments as competition. – “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” David wasn’t the one who started the chant, but Saul didn’t like David getting that kind of recognition.

Saul was paranoid and projected his weakness on David. Saul knew God was going to rip the kingdom from him and he clearly sees God’s anointing on David. Saul’s assumption is that David will try to kill him to gain the throne. Why would he think that? Because that it is what he would do! We see this even clearer when we watch him chasing David in the wilderness, constantly telling people that David is trying to kill him!

Saul was jealous! He was jealous of Jonathan’s love for David. He was jealous of Michal’s love for David. It was okay that he loved David, but God forbid that others should!

Saul refused to accept the word of God that Samuel had given him. Samuel had made it quite clear that his kingdom would not be established. Therefore, David became his enemy. Saul had said to Jonathan, “For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Therefore now, send and bring him to me, for he must surely die.”

Why didn’t all these things affect Jonathan as they did Saul? The answer is found in the words Jonathan spoke to David a bit father down the track, when David is fleeing Saul. Jonathan tells David, “Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my father shall not find you, and you will be king over Israel and I will be next to you; and Saul my father knows that also.” Jonathan knew God’s will and he embraced it. He wanted David to fulfill God’s call on his life. He understood that, although his father wanted him to be king, this was Dad’s call and not God’s! He knew David for who he was and not what paranoia made him out to be. Jonathan was secure in David’s love and therefore, didn’t have to compete to secure his place.

How many good friendships are destroyed when any one of these attributes begins to gnaw away at the foundation? Love and admiration are soon reduced to dust when competition, paranoia, jealousy and the like are thrown into the relationship. How often are attacks made out of jealousy, or to preserve faulty positions that have no real enemies? Jonathan’s loyalty was a result of his unselfish love and his desire to see his friend reach his highest God-given potential. Why don’t you sing along with me and let’s let the words of the song really sink in!

And friends are friends forever
If the Lord's the Lord of them

June 15-19

The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. I Samuel 8:7




Once upon a time in a land far away lived a good king who was honest, righteous, fair, loving, giving and powerful. All the people in his kingdom were healthy and happy, so they loved and served him all of their days and lived happily ever after. What a shame!!! That doesn’t even work in fairy tales!!!!

This week we begin our adventures with Samuel. On Monday we are introduced to his family. We don’t even get 10 steps into the story before we discover that the family he was born into was quite dysfunctional. Sometimes our greatest battles are fought within the walls of our own home. Why did Peninnah feel she had to ridicule Hannah? I believe the answer is found in the words, “…he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters; but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah…” A woman does not merely want her husband’s respect; she wants his love. Like Rachel, Hannah understood the desire to manifest the fruit of her husband’s love and to bear his children. What sets Hannah apart from Rachel or Rebecca is that she did not depend on her husband to find the answer for her dilemma; she sought the true Giver of Life. Now there is good council for anyone who is dealing with bareness and deferred dreams in their life.

What an amazing childhood Samuel had! His bedroom was at the very entrance of the court of the Lord. It is here that Samuel learned to hear the voice of the Lord. No wonder that later we hear the Psalmist say, “I’d rather be a doorkeeper in the house my God than to dwell in the tents of the wicked!” Although the sons of Korah wrote this Psalm, its inspiration is attributed to David, and Samuel’s life is directly related to David’s! It is as though you can hear Samuel himself speaking the words!!! What must Samuel have felt when the ark was taken into captivity? What anguish must he have endured when Eli’s dying daughter-in-law named her son “The Glory has departed?” All these events shaped Samuel’s life. To understand them, is to understand the heart of the man of God.

Although God orchestrated the Ark to be captured, He also conducted its homecoming. But its reappearance did not return things to the way they were. No longer was Shiloh the resting place for the Shekinah. The Ark finally came to rest in Kiriath-jearim. The people of Beth-shemesh thought just because the Ark was back, life would go back to business as usual, but they quickly learned that God’s presence without a lifestyle of understanding and walking in His ways brings trouble! Unfortunately, rather than drawing closer to God to understand His ways, it was easier to push God farther out of their lives. That’s an all-too-familiar story even today!

On Wednesday we get to know Samuel the warrior. He had an amazing way to combat the enemy. When the Philistines gathered to attack, Samuel prayed and sacrificed. God’s thunderous response sent the enemy into a tizzy! Not only did it give the Israelites the edge in battle, it caused them to regain territory they had once lost. It’s not that the Israelites did not have to fight, but Samuel knew how to intercede so that the Lord would lead the conflict and prepare the way.

As righteous of a man as Samuel was, he was not beyond feeling the pain of rejection. He had been a faithful judge in Israel. He had led them into victory and held them together when the nation was falling apart. And what thanks did he get? The people looked at Samuel’s sons and just assumed they would be their next leaders. How quickly they forgot that God has a way of raising up leaders in His time! No matter how desperately Samuel urged them not to settle for less than God’s best, their ears were closed. When we become bound and determined to have things our own way, often God will not only step back and allow us to fall into our own traps, He will give us a shove to get us there.

Of all the tribes God could have chosen from, He chose Israel’s first king from the tribe of BENJAMIN. And not from just any place in Benjamin; he was from GIBEAH!!! Take a moment to connect the dots. You remember when we were getting ready to leave the pages of the Judges? Remember those lowlife men in GIBEAH who ravaged the priest’s concubine? What a sad tale that was!!! You would have thought the leaders of Israel would have back down when they heard that their new king would be from the least honorable tribe in all of Israel. Saul wasn’t kidding when he told Samuel, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin?” Do you remember how they became the least tribe? And Saul’s family was one who was the most affected by it. Not much of a pedigree for a king!!! But none of that deterred Israel from wanting a king! They were voting for “Change” and they got it!

I cherish Samuel’s words of commitment to these stubborn, insubordinate people. When God thunders from heaven to affirm His displeasure and the people are terrified, Samuel tells them, “Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.” What a committed servant of God! Whether the people would listen or not, Samuel was going to be faithful to his call to pray and to teach. After all, he God’s servant, not their! If that lesson would just sink into our hearts, we would save ourselves much grief. May we keep our eyes and ears open as we traverse the pages of this amazing book!

June 8-12, 1009

Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and braced himself against them, the one with his right hand and the other with his left. And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he bent with all his might so that the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he killed in his life. (Judges 16:29-30)


Have you ever noticed that God will sometimes put people in leadership positions that we would vote “NO” on if we were given the choice? Samson would definitely have been one of them. Right from the start, Samson’s choices seem contrary to righteous living. His values, desires, and actions would unquestionably keep him off the list of potential leaders in our church. And yet, in God’s evaluation of the times, Samson was the perfect person to lead Israel. Why? Because God had an ultimate plan and He knew what was necessary to bring it to pass! If I were to sum up Samson’s life into one word, it would be “revenge.” Samson took revenge out on the Philistines for burning his wife whom abandoned. He tore off the gates of Gaza to show his displeasure for their assassination attempt. He tore down the Philistine temple to revenge the loss of his eyes. And each event was precipitated by his desire for a woman who didn’t love him like he loved them. If there is one thing I can learn from the life of Samson, it’s that God’s ways are not my ways! I tend to just look at the moment; God looks at the whole scheme of things. I would have been as disappointed with his choice for a wife as his parents. And like his parents, I would have found it difficult to understand that his desire was from the LORD. What a dichotomy we find in this man! On one hand, he consistently desires women that the Law forbade Israelites to marry, and on the other, he faithfully embraces his vow as a Nazirite, a separated one. As a matter of fact, in Hebrews 11, the chapter of whose-who in the category of faith, Samson’s name is mentioned in the same breath with Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, David and Samuel and the prophets!

We are told that Samson killed more Philistines at his death that he killed in his life. Perhaps we can consider the facts. When was Samson’s faith the strongest? 1. When his eyes were no longer able to look with desire at what was forbidden. 2. When he’d experienced the reality that his amazing strength truly came from his relationship with the LORD. 3. When he realized that it was better to die to this world than to live in the presence of God’s enemies. Now that’s true faith!

It seems like our journey through the pages of the judges takes us from bad to worse! We no sooner say goodbye to Samson than we meet Micah. Here we meet a thief who ends up having his “reward” stolen from him! It’s enough to make you dizzy!!! The Word tells us, “There was no king in Israel. The people did what was right in their own eyes.” The closer we come to the end of the period of the judges, the more clearly we see the truth of those words. By the time we get to the last two chapters, we are eager to see something wholesome take place!

The conclusion of our trek through Judges is the saddest yet of all tales. It is a clear witness of God’s hatred of homosexuality! This abomination not only affected the lives of the Benjamites, it took its toll on the whole nation! In the first two days, 40,000 warriors of Israel’s army lost their lives. We are not even told how many died on the third day, and this number doesn’t include the number of warriors from Benjamin who died. And so we leave the book of Judges with great grief.

What a welcomed relief to turn the page and meet Naomi and Ruth! We quickly learn what dedication is all about; but I doubt Naomi would be asked to speak at very many schools of evangelism! Some may question why she kept trying to talk her daughters-in-law out of going with her. Why would she send them back to their old, pagan ways? A closer look will show us that she didn’t. The wisdom of Naomi when speaking to her daughters-in-law would be a powerful guide to any conference geared toward reaching the loss. Let’s take a moment to look into her words.

1. “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. May the Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.”

Did you notice that Naomi told them to return to their “mother’s house?” You may recall that when Judah sent Tamar home, he sent her to her father’s house. What’s the difference? The father’s house speaks of the God or gods of the family. In both Old and New Testament, YHWH is referred to as “the God of our fathers.” In carefully selecting her words, Naomi confronted them with the truth that if they went back, they would not only be forsaking her, but also her God. She also cleverly reminded them that this was also the God of their husbands who had died.

2. “Have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Return my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I sad I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons, would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying?

To truly perceive Naomi’s tactic, we must remember to whom she was speaking. These were Moabite women! Although the law only prohibited male Moabites from entrance into the Jewish fold up to the tenth generation (Moabite women could be married by a Jewish man only after proselytization), Naomi knew that prejudice against them could be very strong. She gave them no guarantee that they would ever marry again if they came with her. If they chose to come, they had to be totally dedicated to YHWH as their God. She had nothing more to offer them! And with that, Orpah chose to return, but Ruth remained.

3. “Behold your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”

Once again, Naomi chose her words very carefully. To follow the steps of her sister-in-law would be a blatant rejection of YHWH! What a powerful answer Ruth gave Naomi. Clearly she had counted the cost and was ready to face life with YHWH as her God! POWERFUL!!!

“Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may YHWH do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.”

Ruth’s words were not merely a statement; they were an oath! There is soooooooo much we could glean from the story of Naomi and Ruth that I could write a book. Who knows, maybe someday I will.

***

TRAIL STOPS

Monday
What are the weapons of Samson’s vengence?

Tuesday
Find the territory of Dan on the map.
Find Laish on the map.

Wednesday
Before the war with the men from the tribe of Benjamin, where did Israel gather?
What city did they attack?
Where did they regroup when the first day’s battle was unsuccessful?

Thursday
Where does Ruth confront Boaz regarding marriage?
Why did the nearest kinsman turn down the offer to buy the land?

Friday
What are the names of David’s sisters?
What are the names of David’s cousins who were born

June 1-5, 2009

Barak told her, “I will go, but only if you go with me.”
Judges 4:8

Do you remember when you were a child and your parents told you to go get something in the room just down the hall? You wouldn’t have thought twice about going during the day, but it’s night! What could possibly be lurking in that room that you couldn’t handle? But the thought of going alone is just too much, and so you ask your sibling, who is only an inch taller and not much stronger, to come along. Somehow their presence brings you the courage you need to face the unknown. After all, they have more knowledge and experience in discerning the hidden foes of darkness. And so it was with Barak, the warrior from Kedesh in the land of Naphtali. Obviously, God knew that Barak was capable of handling the Canaanites, the foes of Israel, and called him to lead the army to fight against the troops of King Jabin. But Barak was not courageous enough to head down that “dark hallway” along, and requests Deborah to go with him. What was it that Deborah would do that he couldn’t do? Would she fight the Canaanites for him? Would God say anything through Deborah that He hadn’t already told Barak?

Although the victory that God ordained was a sure thing, Barak’s apprehension and need for the moral support of Deborah had certain consequences. The nation would have the victory, Barak would be the recognized leader, but the prize “trophy” would go to a woman. Was there anything wrong with Barak wanting Deborah to come along? Why was this such an issue? The answer is that all too often we put more trust in the person who speaks God’s word, than we do in the God who spoke the words. As a result, the honor God intended for Gideon went to a descendant of Moses’ in-law, not even to an Israelite.

As we continue to meet the judges of Israel, we are constantly reminded of the times the people lived in. We read on several occasions that, “There was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Although this is not stated in the account of Gideon, we see the truth of it in the lives of Gideon’s family. Gideon is told to go and tear down the family idols and altars. Gideon wisely makes sure he is hearing from God before he attempts anything this risky. But once he knows he has heard from God, he fulfills YHWH’s request. Don’t you find it interesting that God tells Gideon to deal with his family first, and then sends him to go fight the Midianites. How often do we find it easier to deal with those in the world, than to deal with those we are related to? Gideon’s actions in dealing with his family can give us wisdom in our difficult family matters. Rather than confront the family head on, Gideon dealt with the root of their actions. He tore down the altars and Asherah poles, builds an altar and sacrificed to God. Although none of this was done in the eyes of his relatives, it soon became known that it was Gideon who was responsible. May God teach us how to deal with the “idols” of our families at the altar of God! I have no doubt that, like Gideon, it will be our Father who stands in our defense.

As we continue our journey with Gideon, we see him grow into the role God intended – a mighty warrior! Gideon was quick to learn that the power of God is much more to be desired than the strength of man. As he prepared to fight the Midianites, God orders him to reduce his army to 1.36% of its original size. Can we even comprehend that? How many pastors of a 1,000 member church would be willing to reduce their congregation to 13.6 prepared individuals to go fight the battles? (I’m not quite sure how you get six tenths of a person) Although the rest of the warriors he left behind were there to help with the extended battle, only 300 soldiers armed with the sound of the ram’s horn and the revealed light could declare “A SWORD FOR YHWH AND FOR GIDEON!”

Through Gideon’s victory, a deep-seeded root in the tribe of Ephraim is revealed, which continued to be problematic through the existence of Israel. When Gideon went to war with the Midianites, he called the tribes of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali to come join the battle. A quick look at our maps will tell us why. But Gideon didn’t invite Ephraim to the fray. Could it be that Gideon was aware of the Ephraimites “take-over” attitude, and didn’t want to deal with it? As it was, he had to diminish his army to 1.36% of its original size. What would he have done if the warriors from the tribe of Ephraim had come? This pride in the tribe of Ephraim caused problems in Israel for centuries to come! We see Gideon placate the anger of the men of Ephriam and ward off civil war, but three judges later, when the warriors of Ephraim once again raised their pride-filled protest, the outcome was not a peaceful resolve!

On Thursday, we find ourselves in the city of Shechem. Isn’t it interesting that, although many years have gone by since Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, had annihilated the men of Shechem, Gaal stirs up the people of Shechem to turn their allegiance back to the descendants of Hamor? I am sure you remember that Hamor was the father of Shechem, the one who had raped Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. But in all actuality, it is not at all surprising! The danger of terrorism in the world today goes back to the argument of the right of property ownership that is much more ancient! Those of the mid-east embrace inheritance with a stronger understanding than that of our western modern concept. Today people think it is clever to spend their inheritance and leave nothing of their lives for their children. If only we truly understood God’s view of inheritance, right of ownership and legacy!!! I’m sure we would approach the battles of our lives with greater tenacity.

By Friday, we have watched the deterioration of Israel’s judges. We wonder why God ever chose Samson to be a judge of Israel! Here is a man who brings no glory to the call of God on his life. He loves the women and the ways of the world around him. He holds on to his Nazirite vow by the skin of his teeth! In spite of his waywardness, God still used Samson to bring judgment on Israel’s enemies, but it was only when Samson was stripped of his flesh-filled eyes and was willing to die to himself, that he knew his greatest victory.

By the end of the week, we long to see this roller-coaster ride of unfaithfulness and deliverance end. Obviously, the leadership of the judges only brings temporary respite to the Israelites’ waywardness, and we end the week looking for the better way.