March 19 Readings

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The Back to the Bible Beginning to End Reading Plan

Today's reading from Judges 3-5
Apostasy and the Judges
In Judges 3.1-6. There is a cycle of sin and restoration that everyone goes through. First they sin, God punishes them by allowing oppression by the inhabitant of the land. The people repent of their sins and then God raise up a judge to rescue the. Then the vicious cycle repeats itself. This is very similar in the Christian life. We sin, God allows us affliction in our life, we repent, God delivers us.

Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar
In Judges 3.7-11, the people are oppressed by the Mesopotomites and delivered by Othniel.
In Judges 3.12-25, the people are oppressed by the Moabites and are delivered by Ehud killing Eglon, the king of Moab.
In Judges 3.26-32, the people are oppressed again by the Moabites and are delivered this time by Shamgar.

Deborah and Barak
Judges 4
The Israelites did not conquer the Plain of Wsdraelon (Jezreel) in the north central Region of Canaan. The Israelites sinned again. God gave the Israelites over to the local Canaanites forces which were united under Jabin and Sisera. God raised up Deborah (v. 4-10), she sent for Barak and told him to get the troops ready and God willgive them the victory. In verse 12-16, Sisera is defeated by Barak and as Deborah said God will give the Canaanites over to Barak. In Judges 4.17, 11, 18-22, Sisera had escaped the carnage that Barak and his army gave to the Canaanites. Sisera was killed by Jael with a tent peg and hammer. Jabin was also destroyed by the Israelites.

Judges 5
Deborah and Barak sung a song of victory over the Canaanites. The song

What can we learn here? God uses small things to accomplish His purpose. (1 Corinthians 1.26-29). Here he used two women, a jug of milk, a hammer, a tent peg and a storm to defeat the Canaanites. Women back in 1200 B.C. were regarded as insignificant, it was humilating for a woman to be a leader! Deborah said to Bark 'the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman. The woman was Jael not Deborah.

Deborah
When women wage war by Steve Zeisler
Division of the Land
Tribal Lands

Judges 4, with Commentaries, verse by verse
Judges 5, with Commentaries, verse by verse

Other Links
OT Gateway Links on Judges
Introduction to Judges by Malik
Malik Argument of Judges
Israel's Dark Age by Deffinbaugh
Dr. Thomas Constable Study Notes is a PDF file, open with Adobe Acrobatic Reader
Zeisler on Judges, scroll down
Spurgeon on Judges
Biblebb.com Website
Ritchie on Judges - 9 sermons

The Commentary Page

Jesus Saves
This Posting is NOT a commentary of the passages read today but it is a devotional. Please send a comment if something spoke to you today from the passages, links or thoughts that I have shared with you.