Day 91: The story of Gideon

One quarter of the way through the Bible today. Yay! Today we hear about little Gideon’s hour of glory.

Gideon’s army reduced
Judges 7:1-8
Gideon encouraged
Judges 7:9-15
The defeat of the Midianites
Judges 7:16-22
The Ephraimites take Oreb & Zeeb
Judges 7:23-25
Gideon pacifies the Ephraimites
Judges 8:1-3
Succoth and Penuel are punished
Judges 8:4-17
Gideon avenges his brethren
Judges 8: 18-21
Gideon gives occasion for idolatry
Judges 8:22-30
Birth of Abimelech
Judges 8:31
Gideon’s death
Judges 8:32-35
Abimelech made king
Judges 9:1-6

The unusual aspect of Gideon’s army is going to be its small size. “Too many people!” God keeps saying, “send them home!” Eventually he ends up with an army less than 2% the size he started with, only 300 men. Finally God lets him fight with this tiny number, and throws the Midianites into confusion.
Gideon is covered in glory, and although he resists being made into a king, he nevertheless slips up by allowing an object of worship to be made - a golden ephod. A little like the golden calf? Why didn’t he rebuke people for what they did? Perhaps he enjoyed the reflected glory.
One of his sons wanted that glory for himself, and after his father’s death, even got himself set up as king. I foresee trouble tomorrow!

Day 90: Israel - a world power

My first reaction on reading the title for today is scepticism. Israel a world power?

Sisera put to death
Judges 4:17-24
Praise and glory ascribed to God
Judges 5:1-5
The deliverance of Israel
Judges 5:6-11
Some commended, others censured
Judges 5:12-23
Sisera’s mother disappointed
Judges 5:24-31
4th apostasy and servitude (Midian)
Judges 6:1-6
Israel rebuked
Judges 6:7-10
6th Judge, Gideon, sent to deliver Israel
Judges 6:11-24
Gideon destroys Baal’s altar
Judges 6:25-35
Gideon’s fleece
Judges 6:36-40

Number 2 in the list of unusual deaths comes in a gory story, worthy of the Bourne Ultimatum, where another woman murders the enemy general in humiliating fashion, pinning him to the ground with a tent peg through his head.
This leads to a time of rejoicing. Like Miriam after the crossing of the Red Sea, Deborah sings a song giving God the glory. Her song tells the story, rebukes those who lacked faith, and praises Jael for her cool despatch of the enemy general. It also has some of these overtones of grandeur that perhaps prompted the title for today - Israel a world power. But.. it’s a song, do we need to take it seriously?
But after 40 years of peace, Israel’s faith falters again, and this time the Midianites give them grief. God calls his next judge, a craven-hearted man called Gideon. Like Moses, he is too scared to follow orders, but God persists, even to the extent of performing contorted miracles to convince Gideon that he’s serious. Will Gideon rise to the challenge?

Day 89: Ruth and Boaz

It’s strange to think that in the middle of the bloodthirsty and depressing story of Judges, there is a heartwarming tale going on at the same time. But it’s good to remember that the cycle of apostasy, oppression and repentance isn’t the whole of the Israelites’ story.
Ruth gleans in Boaz’s fields
Ruth 2:1-3
Boaz’s kindness to Ruth
Ruth 2:4-16
Ruth returns to Naomi
Ruth 2:17-23
Naomi’s instructions
Ruth 3:1-5
Boaz acknowledges the duty of a kinsman
Ruth 3:6-13
Ruth’s return to Naomi
Ruth 3:14-18
The kinsman refuses to redeem Ruth’s inheritance
Ruth 4:1-8
Boaz marries Ruth
Ruth 4:9-12
Birth of Obed
Ruth 4:13-17
Deborah and Barak, the 4th & 5th Judges
Judges 4:4-9
Sisera defeated
Judges 4:10-16

Here we see the laws of Israel in action - Ruth is able to survive because of the law of gleaning, and there is hope for her future because of the law of the kinsman-redeemer. When there are no children to continue a family’s inheritance, the nearest relative has the duty to marry the widow and provide children. Also, the law commands people to welcome the foreigner living in their land - a welcome antidote to the wholesale slaughter we’ve been witnessing in recent weeks.
Ruth (encouraged and guided by Naomi) seizes the chances the law offers to her with both hands. Boaz is a model Israelite, and he does the right thing by this foreign woman. Good for you, Boaz.
Back to Judges, and we find a surprise - a woman is in charge of the Israelites, and what a woman! Deborah is an exceptional person, and it’s a shame we don’t hear more about her. She is fearless in the face of Israel’s enemies, and her faith in God is unwavering.

Day 88: Ruth and Naomi

A contrast today - the bitterness and evil of civil war, set against the wonderfully heartening story of Ruth. An example of how bad and how good life in Israel could be.

How the Israelites won
Judges 20:36b-48
Mourning for the tribe of Benjamin
Judges 21:1-25
Third judge, Shamgar
Judges 3:31
Third apostasy and servitude (Canaan)
Judges 4:1-3
The death of Elimelech and his sons
Ruth 1:1-5
Naomi returns home
Ruth 1:6-13
Ruth goes with Naomi
Ruth 1:14-18
Ruth and Naomi arrive at Bethelehem
Ruth 1:19-22

There is a strange mixture of behaviour and attitudes in chapter 21. One the one hand, there is mourning, because of the loss of virtually an entire tribe. Together with that there is a sense of outrage, and a desire to punish, leading to an oath that no women shall be given to Benjamites in marriage. No one wants to associate with this tainted tribe. But there is also the desire to repair the hole in the fabric of the nation, to lead Benjamin rebuild itself, and for the clans and families to grow and multiply again.
But to do that, there must be breeding, and they’ve taken an oath not to let that happen. So a weird compromise is suggested, whereby the Benjamite men are allowed to steal women to be their wives. Honour is protected, the oath is not broken, but Benjamin begins to be restored. All fine - except for the way in which women are regarded as commodities. But then, that’s the way it was.
Now the focus turns to something very different - the story of Ruth. It begins with an Israelite family that has gone to live with the enemy. Not long ago we were reading how the Moabites with their fat king, Eglon, were oppressing the Israelites. One family took advantage of the fatness of Moab - escaping a famine in Israel to live in Moab. But it all went wrong for Naomi when her menfolk died, and she started back to Israel with one Moabite daughter in law, Ruth. Will Israel welcome an enemy?

Day 87: Civil War in Israel

Israel has been on a war footing for generations. So perhaps its not surprising when their forces turn inwards. But it does sound like God’s chosen people, meant to be a blessing to the world, are unravelling.
The Danites rob Micah and invade Laish
Judges 18:16-31
A Levite and his concubine
Judges 19:1-13
The wickedness of the men of Gibeah
Judges 19:14-30
Israel prepares for civil war
Judges 20:1-17
War against the Benjamites and their defeat
Judges 20:18-36a

So first, the people of Dan seem to have declared independence. Micah’s little crime in setting up a private religion has now been overtaken by a tribe. Once an individual has thought what should have been unthinkable, it isn’t long before a group come and steal it off him.
The writer of Judges makes it clear what the problem is - Israel has no king. Things are breaking up. A dreadful atrocity takes place - very reminiscent of the evil of Sodom. It seems that all respect for the law is being lost. It seems that one tribe, Benjamin, has no shame. The others attack, and in a battle of intensity and bitterness, there are huge losses on both sides before the Benjamites are defeated. The battle is described in detail, much like some of the campaigns against the Canaanites. But now it is Israel fighting against Israel.
I suspect that the bitter taste of this conflict will endure for a long time.

Day 86: Micah’s idolatry

More details on the anatomy of idolatry.

Some Canaanites remain
Judges 1:27-36
Israel’s backsliding
Judges 2:10-15, 20
Some nations left
Judges 2:21-23, 3:1-4, 11
Second apostasy and servitude (Moab)
Judges 3:12-14
Death of Eleazar
Joshua 24:33
Second Judge, Ehud, delivers Israel
Judges 3:15-30
Micah and his mother
Judges 17:1-6
Micah hires a Levite to be his priest
Judges 17:7-13
The Danites seek to enlarge their inheritance
Judges 18:1-15

The basic problem is that the next generation do not remember the commitments made by their parents. They have to learn the lesson again that obedience = peace, idolatry = defeat.
Judges is a book with heroic deeds interspersed with disappointing lapses. So, left-handed Ehud dispatched evil King Eglon in a bloodthirsty way, and “the land had peace for 80 years.” (3:30)
Number one in Judges' list of unusual deaths.
Then there is the strange story of Micah. It begins halfway through, it seems - with a conversation between Micah and his mother, which had me searching back to see if I’d missed a bit. At this point I found the chronological reading irritating - why have we jumped 14 chapters? - and this story seems totally disconnected from what has gone before. The themes, however, are familiar - a man seeking to make himself safe from misfortune by privatising religion - installing his own gods, and hiring a priest for himself. Funny to hear him say at the end, “Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest.” (17:13) it just shows how people can happily hold contradictory ideas in their head - how can the LORD be good to him, since he’s set himself up with his own idols? Hasn’t he heard anything that Moses and Joshua said?

Day 85: The Death of Joshua

So the end of another hero. Joshua hasn’t been as important to us as Abraham or Moses, but he is vital to the story of the Israelites. Without him, the Promised Land would have remained nothing but a dream.

Joshua’s final exhortations
Joshua 23:1-10
Joshua warns the people
Joshua 23:11-16
God’s benefits to their fathers
Joshua 24:1-14
Joshua renews the covenant
Joshua 24:15-28, Judges 2:6-7
Death of Joshua
Joshua 24:29-31, Judges 2:8-9
Joseph’s bones buried
Joshua 24:32
Battles of Judah & Simeon
Judges 1:1-9, 17-19
Joseph attacks Bethel
Judges 1:22-26
Establishment of the Judges
Judges 2:16-19
First apostasy and servitude (Mesopotamia)
Judges 3:5-8
Othniel, the first Judge, delivers Israel
Judges 3:9-10

In familiar sounding language, Joshua uses his final speech to extract a promise of commitment to God alone. All seems to be going well, further battles are won, but then we begin to hear about Canaanites not being driven from the land completely. Before long, people are beginning to worship other gods, and before long, we are into what is called the cycle of the Judges. Israel falls away from God, starts losing battles to the other nations round about, they reponet, God sends a Judge - a powerful leader - they defeat the enemy and peace returns.
There is a constant jockeying for position going on. This land of milk and honey is desirable, and the other nations round Israel would love to throw then out and take it for themselves. This will be the story for generations to come.

Day 84: Misunderstandings arise

Strangely I have no recollection of reading this bit of the Bible before. I know I must have done, but I haven’t a clue about what’s coming today!

The Lord’s promise fulfilled
Joshua 21:43-45
Reuben and Gad sent to their homes
Joshua 22:1-9
Altar of testimony built which offends the Israelites
Joshua 22:10-20
The Reubenites’ answer
Joshua 22:21-29
The Israelites are satisfied
Joshua 22:30-24

Back on 12th January, I read Genesis chapter 12, in which God said to a childless pensioner, wandering far from home in a country called Canaan, “To your offspring I will give this land.” Today, for the first time, it is recorded that God’s promises were fulfilled. (21: 45) It’s been a long, long journey.
There is dispute about a magnificent altar that the tribes east of the Jordan built for themselves. The rest of the Israelites fear that they are turning away from God to worship other gods. (Moses’ voice still dinning in their ears!) But the eastern tribes reassure them that it is only to remind them to worship God and God alone, and that so far, they are utterly faithful to the Lord.
Now Joshua says his goodbyes, his work is done. He is the last of the wilderness generation, and he testifies to God’s faithfulness in his final speech. Everything seems to be set fair - how long will it last?

Day 83: the cities of refuge

The rest of the land is parcelled up and handed out. How does it make you feel? Me, I feel awkward reading this.
The lot of Zebulun
Joshua 19:10-16
The lot of Issachar
Joshua 19:17-23
The lot of Asher
Joshua 19:24-31
The lot of Naphtali
Joshua 19:32-39
The lot of Dan
Joshua 19:40-48
Joshua’s portion
Joshua 19:49-51
The cities of refuge
Joshua 20; 1-9
No inheritance for the Levites
Joshua 13:14,33
Cities allotted to the Levites out of other tribes’ inheritance
Joshua 21:1-42, 1 Chronicles 6:54-81


It all sounds very calm and orderly as you read it on the page, and it’s possible to forget that this is a record of conquest, and that there were losers as well as winners.
In post-colonial Britain, it’s uncomfortable reading this. We were responsible for just this sort of activity in large swathes of Africa, and even now, if you see a straight line on a map of the world, it’s highly likely that a British man drew it.
With the benefit of hindsight, we can see the damage we did.
On the other hand, this sort of fighting over good territory has always happened. No doubt the Canaanites who were living in the land before Israel arrived had  displaced someone else, and they in turn had done the same to others. There is nothing new under the sun.

Day 82: Division of the land

The handing out of the territory continues. There seems to be little fuss over it - enough for everyone, perhaps?

The cities of Judah
Joshua 15:48-63, Judges 1:21
The portion of Joseph’s sons
Joshua 16:1-10
Manasseh’s portion
Joshua 17: 1-6
The boundaries of Manasseh
Joshua 17:7-13
Joseph desires a larger portion
Joshua 17:14-18
The tabernacle set up
Joshua 18:1
The remainder of the land divided
Joshua 18:2-10
The lot of Benjamin
Joshua 18:11-28
The lot of Simeon
Joshua 19:1-9, 1 Chronicles 4:28-33

Interestingly, as I read through the lists of names, there are a few people who could not be dislodged, and continue living among the Israelites. God had commanded that everyone should be driven out, but perhaps the Israelites didn’t have the stomach for the fight. In the case of Jerusalem, it was a heavily fortified city, and could hold out against a siege indefinitely. It seems that in several cases the Israelites reached an accommodation with the people already living in the land. Interesting. When modern day Zionists use these passages to claim that Jews should have the entire land of Israel, are they overlooking these?

Parish Magazine, April 2011

This is my leading article in this month's magazine.

Dear friends,

As I write this article, the world is anxiously waiting to see if Japan's nuclear reactors can be kept safe after the terrifying earthquake and tsunami of 11th March.

Less than three weeks before, shocking pictures of Christchurch in New Zealand showed us the devastation wrought by another earthquake.

Back in December, a 26 year old man by the name of Mohammed Bouazizi, who made a living selling vegetables in Tunisia was asked for a bribe by officials because he lacked the necessary permit. He refused, had his stock confiscated, and was beaten. A simple example of the casual cruelty and corruption that is commonplace the world over.

But Mohammed's reaction was not commonplace. He doused himself in petrol and set himself on fire. People's anger at what happened to him sparked the protests that led to the fall of the Tunisian government, and, seeing these events, protesters in Egypt, Libya, Bahrain and several other countries have followed suit. Some regimes have toppled, others have fought back with brutality.

So the political world has been convulsed, just as the earthquakes shook the physical crust of our planet.

At the moment perhaps, our world feels more fragile and vulnerable than it did before. We're seeing things through different eyes.

Jesus saw the world of his day in quite a similar way – beneath the goodness and kindness that was undoubtedly there, he saw sickness, jealousy and hatred. “A crooked and perverse generation,” he called it. What would he say about us? I hardly think we are any better. Looking ahead to the future he said, “When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth-pains. You must be on your guard.”

Be on our guard? How? Against what?

Against the tiny sparks that set a forest on fire.

Against the small cruelties that cause a man to snap, and commit suicide.

Against the cracks in the earth that shiver and jolt, spilling our glasses of wine, spilling the cooling water around our nuclear reactors, spilling terrifying waves over our coasts, picking up our boats, our cars and even our houses, and tossing them into a heap.

Let's be on our guard. Let's live lives of honesty, fairness and compassion.

Let's avoid trusting entirely in ourselves, because we are not big enough or strong enough to cope without help.

Let's turn to God.

Day 81: Caleb & Joshua

Caleb is a wily old campaigner - together with Joshua he was one of the spies who turned in a minority report that the Israelites would be able to conquer the Promised Land, whilst the majority were filled with fear and wanted to give up. Today he receives his reward for his faith all these years - a choice place to settle.

Kings defeated by Joshua
Joshua 12:7-24
The land not yet conquered
Joshua 13:1-6
The division of Canaan
Joshua 13:7, 14:1-5
Caleb obtains Hebron & his daughter receives a blessing
Joshua 14:6-15, 15:13-19, Judges 1:20, 10-16, 1 Chronicles 6:56
Judah’s portion
Joshua 15:1-12
Israel’s First Sabbatical Year: 1415BC
The cities of Judah
Joshua 15:20-47

There’s an impressive list of 31 kings overthrown by Joshua. But in his old age, there is much still to be done, that he will not be able to achieve. Meanwhile, Caleb is honoured with his allocation of land and, curiously, his daughter is given her own inheritance together with her new husband, Othniel. Her story is told twice, why, I’m not sure.
Then there follows a detailed list of the inheritance of Judah - beginning the spelling out of exactly who will live where. It reminds me a little of the Domesday Book - the English equivalent in a way - when the Normans had completed their conquest of this country, they divided it up in much the same way. It’s all written down in Domesday: “so-and-so (Saxon name) used to own xyz, now owned by such-and-such (Norman name).”
It’s the conqueror’s privilege to make lists like these.

Day 80: Continued victory in Canaan

I was a bit wrong-footed yesterday, when I read about Gibeon doing a deal with Israel. I was steeling myself for nothing but annihilation from the Israelites, and to find them having mercy on a people who tricked them was a little strange. The whole business of conquering the Promised Land has of course caused many people huge problems, and ages ago I promised I would do a post on these issues. I still intend to, when I find the time.

The angel of the Lord rebukes the people
Judges 2:1-5
Five kings attack Gibeon
Joshua 10:1-6
Joshua aids Gibeon
Joshua 10:7-15
The kings’ armies are defeated
Joshua 10:16-27
Other victories
Joshua 10:28-43
The kings at Merom
Joshua 11:1-9
Hazor is burned
Joshua 11:10-14
The country is subdued
Joshua 11:15-23

An alliance of local rulers decide to attack Israel’s new friends, the Gibeonites. But Joshua and his army are triumphant, wiping them out. Chapters 10 & 11 are a long catalogue of victories, their pages dripping with blood. No mercy.
At last, at the end of chapter 11, we are told “the land had rest from war.” (11:23) It’s all over rather quickly. After 40 years of dallying, Joshua has conquered all Israel’s enemies in 11 chapters!
Just a word about the strange happening in chapter 10 - where it seems to say that on a day of battle, the sun stood still, so that the day lasted longer than it should. Is this some kind of bizarre miracle, whereby God slowed the rotation of the earth in order to give Joshua time to finish a battle? I think not . For two reasons. Firstly, the description is rather more poetic than factual, suggesting that it is not meant to be taken literally. Secondly, the whole thing is so physically impossible it seems very bizarre to suggest. More likely, if there was a miracle, that God interfered with the local subjective sense of time that the Israelites experienced, so that the day seemed to last much longer, as if the sun stood still. I know there will be some people who say, “If the Bible says it happened, I’m going to believe it happened, no matter what it is. My belief in God trumps everything else, including common sense.”
For me, there are times when I put my faith ahead of my reason, but they are rare. I don’t think God wants credulous idiots for followers, I think he wants us with out intelligence intact. Make of that what you will.

Day 79: The victory at Ai

After yesterday’s blip, progress continues, as Joshua leads the people on to further victories.
Achan is detected and destroyed
Joshua 7:16-26
God encourages Joshua
Joshua 8:1-2
The capture and destruction of Ai
Joshua 8:3-29
Altar built at Mount Ebal
Joshua 8:30-35
The kings against Israel
Joshua 9:1-2
The Gibeonites apply for peace
Joshua 9:3-13
They are soon detected
Joshua 9:14-21
They are to be bondmen
Joshua 9:22-27

There’s a long slow description of the discovery of Achan’s crime. It emphasises the inevitability of his discovery, and the futility of trying to hide from God. Obviously an object lesson. It seems that there was some kind of drawing lots process going on, and God was influencing the outcome to home in on guilty Achan. Once discovered, his nerve cracks and he confesses all, but he is stoned to remove the sin from Israel. No mercy.
Joshua turns back to Ai. “Do what the LORD has commanded. See to it; you have my orders.” (8:8) His terse commands reveal his trust in God, and his confidence as a leader.
“Twelve thousand men and women fell that day— all the people of Ai.” (8:25) No mercy.
One tribe of people, the Gibeonites, try to be cunning, and manage to persuade the Israelites to sign a peace treaty with them. It seems that their cunning is rewarded, because they are not killed, but allowed to live as servants to Israel.

Day 78: The battle of Jericho

It feels good to be finally moving again. I seem to have been stuck in the desert with the Israelites for ages. It’s been frustrating, boring, confusing by turns. I guess it felt similar to the Israelites themselves. Perhaps they too were encouraged to be moving, even if it meant moving into battle.

An exhortation to fear God
Psalm 114:1-8
Camp at Gilgal
Joshua 4:19-24, 5:1
Circumcision renewed
Joshua 5:2-9
Change of food
Joshua 5:10-12
The Captain of the Lord’s host
Joshua 5:13-15
Jericho besieged
Joshua 6:1-16
Jericho is taken
Joshua 6:17-20
Rahab and her family are saved
Joshua 6:21-27
Defeat at Ai
Joshua 7:1-5
Joshua’s humiliation and prayer
Joshua 7:6-9
God instructs Joshua
Joshua 7:10-15

Camping in Gilgal, recovering from circumcision, the manna stopped. For the first time in 40 years, people were eating the produce of Canaan. Ordinary food again! What a sense of freedom it must have brought. Now the land they had been promised was supporting them.
Then Joshua has a moment of encounter with God. Moses, his mentor, had the burning bush, now Joshua has to take off his sandals and confront a soldierly figure who describes himself as the commander of the Lord’s army. “Are you for us or against us?” Joshua had asked. “Neither” was the the reply. I’m not on your side. The question is, are you on my side?
The people advance to Jericho, and lay siege to it. Normally they would have to wait for weeks, even months, for food to run out inside the city and the defenders to lose heart. But now that they are marching with God, the whole process takes only 7 days. All the marching round the city is symbolically saying “This ground is ours.” God plays his part by making the walls topple, and the battle is easy.
On to the next city. Should be easy. Joshua sends only a small force, and they are routed. In confusion and humiliation, Joshua asks God why. And it transpires that someone has helped themselves to a little bit of treasure. Someone’s heart is not pure. Someone has feathered their own nest. They thought no one would know, but God saw.
His name is preserved for us. A lesson. Don’t try to cheat God, it never works.

Day 77: The Crossing into Canaan

This is it! After so, so long, the Israelites are finally about to set foot in the Promised Land. I’m quite excited.

God appoints Joshua
Joshua 1:1-4
God promises his assistance
Joshua 1:5-9
Joshua and the Israelites go to Jordan
Joshua 3:1
Rahab protects the spies
Joshua 2:1-21
The return of the spies
Joshua 2:22-24
Joshua instructs the people
Joshua 1:10-18
The ark’s importance
Joshua 3:2-13
Crossing the Jordan
Joshua 3:14-17
The memorial stones
Joshua 4:1-18

Joshua gets his orders from God, just like Moses did. There are lots of echoes of Moses in the story, which no doubt comforted the Israelites. They had learned to trust Moses as the visible representative of God, and they came to realise they could trust Joshua in the same way.
Once again, spies are sent out, as they were before. Joshua had been one of those spies last time, and the majority report was one of fear and despondency. The people are too strong for us, we’ll never win! they said. Only Joshua and Caleb said differently. But this time, they report back that “The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.” (2:24)
In another echo of what happened before, they prepare to cross the Jordan. Joshua has the the priests go first, carrying the ark of the covenant. They have to put their feet into the water of the river, before the miracle occurs - demonstrating their faith. But then the waters part, just as the Red Sea did, and God brings the people across on dry land.
Finally, Joshua does what Moses would have done - makes a memorial to remind the people of God’s power at work. They take stones from the river and pile them up. The Israelites would have been able to visit those stones in years to come and remember that God had brought them into their land without having to paddle!