cautious feet

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Jefferson Vann
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cautious feet

Psalm 73:1-3 (JDV)

Psalm 73:11 God is indeed good to Israel, to the pure in heart.
Psalm 73:2 But as for me, my feet almost slipped; my steps nearly went astray.
Psalm 73:3 You see, I envied the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

cautious feet

Asaph is one of my heroes. He talked about God’s goodness and he admitted his own weakness in the same breath. He got it right. We fail God when we blame him for our own lack of commitment and courage. When we envy the wicked for their temporary prosperity, our feet are getting ready to slip.

As a hiker, I know the danger of slippery ground. It can look just like the ground you were on a minute ago, but one wrong step, and splat! I have had a number of falls, some of them resulting in injury. As a result, I am more cautious now.

We need to be cautious in our spiritual walk. Some of the people we respect may not deserve our respect. Some of the ideas we cherish need to be rethought.

LORD, give us cautious feet, so that we do not bring dishonor to your name.

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imperfect solutions

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

Judges - 1

imperfect solutions

Judges 21:4-24 (JDV)

Judges 21:4 The next day the people got up early, built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.
Judges 21:5 The Israelites asked, “Who of all the tribes of Israel didn’t come to Yahveh in the collection?” Because a great oath had been taken that anyone who had not come to Yahveh at Mizpah would certainly be put to death.
Judges 21:6 But the Israelites had compassion on their brothers, the Benjaminites, and said, “Today a tribe has been removed from Israel.
Judges 21:7 What should we do about wives for the survivors? We’ve sworn to Yahveh not to give them any of our daughters as wives.”
Judges 21:8 They asked, “Which city among the tribes of Israel didn’t come to Yahveh at Mizpah?” It turned out that no one from Jabesh-Gilead had come to the camp and the collection.
Judges 21:9 For when the roll was called, no men were there from the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead.
Judges 21:10 The congregation sent twelve thousand capable sons there and commanded them: “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead down with the sword, including women and dependents.
Judges 21:11 This is what you should do: Exterminate every male, as well as every woman who has had sex with a man.”
Judges 21:12 They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead four hundred young virgins, who had not had sex with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
Judges 21:13 The whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjaminites who were at Rimmon Rock.
Judges 21:14 Benjamin returned at that time, and Israel gave them the women they had kept alive from Jabesh-Gilead. But there were not enough for them.
Judges 21:15 The people had compassion on Benjamin, because Yahveh had made this gap in the tribes of Israel.
Judges 21:16 The elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”
Judges 21:17 They said, “There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out.
Judges 21:18 But we can’t give them our daughters as wives” because the Israelites had sworn, “Anyone who gives a wife to a Benjaminite is cursed.”
Judges 21:19 They also said, “Notice, there’s an annual festival to Yahveh in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”
Judges 21:20 Then they commanded the Benjaminites: “Go and hide in the vineyards.
Judges 21:21 Watch, and notice when you see the young women of Shiloh come out to perform the dances, each of you leave the vineyards and catch a wife for yourself from the young women of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
Judges 21:22 When their fathers or brothers come to us and protest, we will tell them, ‘Show favor to them, since we did not get enough wives for each of them in the battle. You didn’t actually give the women to them, so you are not guilty of breaking your oath.'”
Judges 21:23 The Benjaminites did this and took the number of women they needed from the dancers they caught. They went back to their own inheritance, rebuilt their cities, and lived in them.
Judges 21:24 At that time, each of the Israelites returned from there to his own tribe and family. Each returned from there to his own inheritance.
Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever looked right to his own eyes.

imperfect solutions

The final story in Judges leaves us with more questions. The logic behind the Israelites’ attack on Jabesh Gilead and the kidnappings at Shiloh are hard to figure out. They were doing what they thought was right — what they thought would bring peace and restore their brother tribe — which they had practically exterminated.

Human failure leads to problems too complicated for us to repair. USA is still trying to repair the damage we have done to ourselves by our greed and abuse of native Americans and African slaves. History shows that our solutions almost always fail to address the problems correctly.

One lesson we learn from Judges is that it is always better to do something God’s way rather than our own. If unaided by divine instruction, we will always make a mess of it, even if we are trying to do what is right.

LORD, we seek what is right in your sight. Our solutions are imperfect.

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look up, not within

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

Judges - 1

look up, not within

Judges 21:1-3 (JDV)

Judges 21:1 But the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah: “None of us will give his daughter to a Benjaminite in marriage.”
Judges 21:2 So the people went to Bethel and sat there before God until evening. They wept loudly and long,
Judges 21:3 and cried out, “Why, Lord God of Israel, has it happened that one tribe is missing in Israel today?”

look up, not within

The civil war in Israel was prompted by a terrible wrong, but when it was over, the Israelites came to see that the war itself resulted in a terrible wrong. It had practically wiped out an entire tribe. All during the war, the Israelites had consulted God each step of the way. Now they were consulting God again. This time they wanted to know why.

Reading the whole book of judges, it is not hard for us to know the answer to that question. When any people are so focused on doing what they think is right, disaster can happen. Every culture has examples of this in their history.

We need to look beyond ourselves for an ethical standard. We cannot look within, because the darkness is there. We have to look up. Any society that refuses to do this is destined to destroy itself.

LORD, help us to learn the lesson the Israelites learned, before we devastate ourselves.

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devastated

Posted on March 15, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

Judges - 1

devastated

Judges 20:18-48 (JDV)

Judges 20:18 They set out, went to Bethel, and inquired of God. The Israelites asked, “Who is to be leading tribe to fight for us against the Benjaminites?” And Yahveh answered, “Judah will be first.”
Judges 20:19 In the morning, the Israelites set out and camped near Gibeah.
Judges 20:20 The men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took their battle positions against Gibeah.
Judges 20:21 The Benjaminites came out of Gibeah and devastated twenty-two thousand men of Israel on the land that day.
Judges 20:22 But the Israelite troops rallied and again took their battle positions in the same place where they positioned themselves on the first day.
Judges 20:23 They went up, wept before Yahveh until evening, and inquired of him: “Should we again attack our brothers the Benjaminites?” And Yahveh answered: “Fight against them.”
Judges 20:24 On the second day the Israelites advanced against the Benjaminites.
Judges 20:25 That same day the Benjaminites came out from Gibeah to meet them and devastated an additional eighteen thousand Israelites on the land; all were armed.
Judges 20:26 The whole Israelite army went to Bethel where they wept and sat before Yahveh. They fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to Yahveh.
Judges 20:27 Then the Israelites inquired of Yahveh. In those days, the ark of the covenant of God was there,
Judges 20:28 and Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was serving before it. The Israelites asked: “Should we again fight against our brothers the Benjaminites or should we stop?” Yahveh answered: “Fight, because I will hand them over to you tomorrow.”
Judges 20:29 So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah.
Judges 20:30 On the third day the Israelites fought against the Benjaminites and took their battle positions against Gibeah as before.
Judges 20:31 Then the Benjaminites came out against the troops and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the troops as before, striking down about thirty men of Israel on the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah through the open country.
Judges 20:32 The Benjaminites said, “We are defeating them as before.” But the Israelites said, “Let’s run and draw them away from the city to the highways.”
Judges 20:33 So all the men of Israel got up from their places and took their battle positions at Baal-tamar, while the Israelites in ambush charged out of their places west of Geba.
Judges 20:34 Then ten thousand fit young men from all Israel made a frontal assault against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce, but the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was about to strike them.
Judges 20:35 Yahveh defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites devastated 25,100 men of Benjamin; all were armed.
Judges 20:36 Then the Benjaminites realized they had been defeated. The men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin, because they were confident in the ambush they had set against Gibeah.
Judges 20:37 The men in ambush had rushed quickly against Gibeah; they advanced and struck down the whole city with the sword.
Judges 20:38 The men of Israel had a prearranged signal with the men in ambush: when they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city,
Judges 20:39 the men of Israel would return to the battle. When Benjamin had begun to strike them down, struck down about thirty men of Israel, they said, “They’re defeated before us, just as they were in the first battle.”
Judges 20:40 But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, Benjamin looked behind them, and notice the whole city was going up in smoke.
Judges 20:41 Then the men of Israel returned, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had struck them.
Judges 20:42 They retreated before the men of Israel toward the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and those who came out of the cities devastated those between them.
Judges 20:43 They surrounded the Benjaminites, pursued them, and easily overtook them near Gibeah toward the east.
Judges 20:44 There were eighteen thousand men who died from Benjamin; all capable men.
Judges 20:45 Then Benjamin turned and ran toward the wilderness to Rimmon Rock, and Israel struck down five thousand men on the highways. They overtook them at Gidom and struck two thousand more dead.
Judges 20:46 All the Benjaminites who died that day were twenty-five thousand armed men; all were capable men.
Judges 20:47 But six hundred men escaped into the wilderness to Rimmon Rock and stayed there four months.
Judges 20:48 The men of Israel turned back against the other Benjaminites and struck them down with their swords – the entire city, the animals, and everything that remained. They also burned all the cities that remained.

devastated

The word picture the Scriptures use here to describe the destruction of the Benjaminites is elsewhere used for a crop that is entirely spoiled. In fact, it was used metaphorically in Judges 2:19.

  • Judges 2:19 Whenever the judge died, the Israelites would act even more spoiled than their fathers, following other gods to serve them and bow in worship to them. They did not turn from their evil practices or their obstinate ways.

A people who are spoiled in this life will be utterly spoiled in judgment. The Benjaminites are an example of those who will suffer final punishment in hell. Their crime is that they defended the sin of the murderer/rapists of Gibeah. It is a serious thing to defend the wholesale sin of others.

The word I use in this translation to connote that outcome is devastated (Judges 6:4, 5; 20:21, 25, 35, 42).

LORD, make us a people quick to cry out when other sin against you and violate the rights of others.

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defending the indefensible.

Posted on March 14, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

Judges - 1

defending the indefensible.

Judges 20:1-17 (JDV)

Judges 20:1 All the Israelites from Dan to Beer-sheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the community gathered as one body to Yahveh at Mizpah.
Judges 20:2 The corner-stones of all the people and of all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the collection of God’s people: four hundred thousand armed foot soldiers.
Judges 20:3 The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. The Israelites asked, “Tell us, how did this wrong thing happen?”
Judges 20:4 The Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: “I went to Gibeah in Benjamin with my concubine to spend the night.
Judges 20:5 Landowners of Gibeah came to attack me and surrounded the house at night. They intended to kill me, but they raped my concubine, and she died.
Judges 20:6 Then I took my concubine and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout Israel’s territory, because they have committed a wicked outrage in Israel.
Judges 20:7 Notice, all of you are Israelites. Give your judgment and verdict here and now.”
Judges 20:8 Then all the people stood united and said, “None of us will go to his tent or return to his house.
Judges 20:9 Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will attack it. By lot
Judges 20:10 we will select ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and one hundred out of every thousand, and one thousand out of every ten thousand to get provisions for the troops when they go to Gibeah in Benjamin to punish them for all the outrage they committed in Israel.”
Judges 20:11 So all the men of Israel gathered united against the city.
Judges 20:12 Then the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wrong thing that has happened among you?
Judges 20:13 Hand over those worthless men in Gibeah so we can put them to death and eradicate evil from Israel.” But the Benjaminites would not listen to their fellow Israelites.
Judges 20:14 Instead, the Benjaminites gathered together from their cities to Gibeah to go out and fight against the Israelites.
Judges 20:15 On that day the Benjaminites mobilized twenty-six thousand armed men from their cities, besides seven hundred fit young men rallied by the inhabitants of Gibeah.
Judges 20:16 There were seven hundred fit young men who were left-handed among all these troops; all could sling a stone at a hair and not fail.
Judges 20:17 The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mobilized four hundred thousand armed men, every one an experienced warrior.

defending the indefensible.

The Benjaminites were given a chance to see justice done without civil war, but they chose to defend the rape and murder instead. That choice has been repeated countless times in many cultures. Instead of acknowledging a wrong, the people choose to defend it. Disaster results. For the Benjaminites, it almost led to their complete annihilation by their own countrymen.

LORD, give us the courage to acknowledge when our own people have committed crimes. May we not choose to defend the indefensible.

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an eye-opener

Posted on March 13, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

Judges - 1

an eye-opener

Judges 19:22-30 (JDV)

Judges 19:22 While they were enjoying themselves, notice, worthless men of the city surrounded the house and beat on the door. They said to the old man who was the owner of the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him!”
Judges 19:23 The owner of the house went out and said to them, “Please don’t do this evil, my brothers. After all, this man has come into my house. Don’t commit this horrible outrage.
Judges 19:24 Here, let me bring out my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine now. Abuse them and do whatever you want to them. But don’t commit this outrageous thing against this man.”
Judges 19:25 But the men would not listen to him, so the man seized his concubine and took her outside to them. They raped her and abused her all night until morning. At daybreak they let her go.
Judges 19:26 Early that morning, the woman made her way back, and as it was getting light, she collapsed at the doorway of the man’s house where her master was.
Judges 19:27 When her master got up in the morning, opened the doors of the house, and went out to leave on his journey, notice the woman, his concubine, collapsed near the doorway of the house with her hands on the threshold.
Judges 19:28 “Get up,” he told her. “Let’s go.” But there was no response. So the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.
Judges 19:29 When he entered his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her into twelve pieces, limb by limb, and then sent her throughout the territory of Israel.
Judges 19:30 Everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has ever happened or has been seen since the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until now. Take note of this, discuss it, and speak up!”

an eye-opener

The story of the rape and murder of this woman gives the impression that this kind of thing was a common occurrence in Israel at the time. It took the dismembering of her corpse, and distributing the pieces to the various tribes to wake the people up to what was going on. It was an eye-opener.

It worked. People finally began to notice how bad things had become. They were no longer hiding behind a veneer of normalcy.

What does it take for us to realize that there are many things wrong with our society, and that our silence is part of the problem?

LORD, open our eyes to the terrible things going on all around us.
bbjv - 1

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don’t spend the night in the square

Posted on March 12, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

Judges - 1

don’t spend the night in the square

Judges 19:1-21 (JDV)

Judges 19:1 In those days, and without a king in Israel, a Levite happened to be staying in a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim. He acquired a woman from Bethlehem in Judah as his concubine.
Judges 19:2 But she was was repulsed at him and left him for her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. She was there for four months.
Judges 19:3 Then her husband got up and followed her to persuade her to come back. He had his servant with him and a pair of donkeys. So she brought him to her father’s house, and when the girl’s father saw him, he gladly welcomed him.
Judges 19:4 His father-in-law, the girl’s father, detained him, and he stayed with him for three days. They ate, drank, and spent the nights there.
Judges 19:5 On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning and prepared to go, but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Have something to eat to keep up your strength and then you can go.”
Judges 19:6 So they sat down and the two of them ate and drank together. Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Please agree to stay overnight and enjoy yourself.”
Judges 19:7 The man got up to go, but his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed and spent another night there.
Judges 19:8 He got up early in the morning of the fifth day to leave, but the girl’s father said to him, “Please keep up your strength.” So they waited until late afternoon and the two of them ate.
Judges 19:9 The man got up to go with his concubine and his servant, when his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Notice, night is coming. Please spend the night. See, the day is almost over. Spend the night here, enjoy yourself, then you can get up early tomorrow for your journey and go home.”
Judges 19:10 But the man was unwilling to spend the night. He got up, departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (also known as Jerusalem). The man had his two saddled donkeys and his concubine with him.
Judges 19:11 When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, “Please, why not let us stop at this Jebusite city and spend the night here?”
Judges 19:12 But his master told him, “We should not stop at a foreign city where there are no Israelites. Let’s move on to Gibeah.”
Judges 19:13 “Come on,” he said, “let’s try to reach one of these places and spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.”
Judges 19:14 So they continued on their journey, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin.
Judges 19:15 They stopped to go in and spend the night in Gibeah. The Levite went in and sat down in the city square, but no one took them into their home to spend the night.
Judges 19:16 In the evening, notice an old man came in from his work in the field. He was from the hill country of Ephraim, but he was residing in Gibeah where the people were Benjaminites.
Judges 19:17 When he looked up and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?”
Judges 19:18 He answered him, “We’re traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote hill country of Ephraim, where I am from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I’m going to the house of Yahveh. No one has taken me into his home,
Judges 19:19 although there’s straw and feed for the donkeys, and I have bread and wine for me, my concubine, and the servant with us. There is nothing we lack.”
Judges 19:20 “Welcome!” said the old man. “I’ll take care of everything you need. Only don’t spend the night in the square.”
Judges 19:21 So he brought him to his house and fed the donkeys. Then they washed their feet and ate and drank.

don’t spend the night in the square

It is ironic that the Levite travelled further so that he could get to Gibeah — thinking that it would be safer than Jerusalem. When he got there, the local man urged him not to spend the night camping in the city square. He knew the depravity of Gibeah’s citizens.

Are we safe for strangers, or is that just a false assumption? Are we liable to bless the stranger, as the Good Samaritan did in Christ’s parable? Or would we more than likely take advantage of an immigrant passing through our town?

LORD, make us people eager to do good to all.
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organized rebellion

Posted on March 11, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

Judges - 1

organized rebellion

Judges 18:14-31 (JDV)

Judges 18:14 The five men who had gone to scout out the land of Laish told their brothers, “Did you know that there are an ephod, household gods, and a carved image and a silver idol in these houses? Now think about what you should do.”
Judges 18:15 So they detoured there and went to the house of the young Levite at the home of Micah and greeted him.
Judges 18:16 The six hundred Danite men were standing by the entrance of the city gate, armed with their weapons of war.
Judges 18:17 Then the five men who had gone to scout out the land went in and took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the silver idol, while the priest was standing by the entrance of the city gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.
Judges 18:18 When they entered Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the silver idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
Judges 18:19 They told him, “Shut up. Keep your mouth quiet. Come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or for you to be a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?”
Judges 18:20 So the priest was pleased and took his ephod, household idols, and carved image, and went with the people.
Judges 18:21 They prepared to leave, putting their dependents, livestock, and possessions in front of them.
Judges 18:22 After they were some distance from Micah’s house, the men who were in the houses near it were called together and caught up with the Danites.
Judges 18:23 They called to the Danites, who turned to face them, and said to Micah, “What’s the matter with you that you called togetyher the men?”
Judges 18:24 He said, “You took the gods I had made and the priest, and went away. What do I have left? How can you say to me, ‘What’s the matter with you? ‘”
Judges 18:25 The Danites said to him, “Don’t raise your voice against us, or angry men will attack your throat, and you will take away your throat and each throat from your house.”
Judges 18:26 The Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were stronger than he was.
Judges 18:27 After they had taken the gods Micah had made and the priest that belonged to him, they went to Laish, to a quiet and unsuspecting people. They struck them down with their swords and burned the city.
Judges 18:28 There was no one to rescue them because it was far from Sidon and they had no alliance with anyone. It was in a valley that belonged to Beth-rehob. They rebuilt the city and lived in it.
Judges 18:29 They named the city Dan, after the name of their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel. The city was previously named Laish.
Judges 18:30 The Danites set up the carved image for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the Danite tribe until the time of the exile from the land.
Judges 18:31 So they set up for themselves Micah’s carved image that he had made, and it was there as long as the house of God was in Shiloh.

organized rebellion

This passage concludes the depressing story of Micah and the Levite that began in chapter 17. The reader can see to what extent the Danites were moved by greed and resorted to violence and idolatry to get what they wanted. The assumption was that ownership of the idols, the shrine, and the Levite would bring them good luck, and deter bad luck. Their religion was manmade and cheap, and did not bear the slightest resemblance to that set up by Moses, even though the Levite was a descendant of Moses (30). It was organized rebellion. It was further evidence that without strong godly leadership, the tendency of the people is to revert to animism.

LORD, thank you for king Jesus. Teach us to follow him, and stay away from organized rebellion.
bbjv - 1

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praying with the wrong motive

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

Judges - 1

praying with the wrong motives

Judges 18:1-13 (JDV)

Judges 18:1 In those days, there was no king in Israel, and the Danite tribe was looking for territory to occupy. Up to that time no territory had been captured by them among the tribes of Israel.
Judges 18:2 So the Danites sent out five capable men from all their clans, from Zorah and Eshtaol, to scout out the land and explore it. They told them, “Go and explore the land.” They came to the hill country of Ephraim as far as the home of Micah and spent the night there.
Judges 18:3 While they were near Micah’s home, they recognized the accent of the young Levite. So they went over to him and asked, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?”
Judges 18:4 He told them, “This is what Micah has done for me: He has hired me, and I became his priest.”
Judges 18:5 Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God for us to determine if we will have a successful journey.”
Judges 18:6 The priest told them, “Go in peace. Yahveh is watching over the journey you are going on.”
Judges 18:7 The five men left and came to Laish. They saw that the people who were there were living securely, just like the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. They were far from the Sidonians, having no alliance with anyone.
Judges 18:8 When the men went back to their relatives at Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them, “What did you find out?”
Judges 18:9 They answered, “Get up, let’s attack them, because we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why wait? Don’t hesitate to go and invade and take possession of the land!
Judges 18:10 When you get there, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, because God has handed it over to you. It is a place where nothing on land is lacking.”
Judges 18:11 Six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol armed with weapons of war.
Judges 18:12 They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. This is why the place is still called the Camp of Dan today; notice it is west of Kiriath-jearim.
Judges 18:13 From there they traveled to the hill country of Ephraim and arrived at Micah’s house.

praying with the wrong motives

With no king to give them guidance, these Danites look for a substitute, and they happen upon a Levite. They ask him to pray for them. But notice their specific request. They ask “Please inquire of God for us to determine if we will have a successful journey.” That is not specifically a prayer for God’s will. It is a prayer for God to bless their will. It is very easy for us to get into the habit of praying that prayer.

When Jesus was teaching his disciples how to pray, he told them to pray that God’s will be done, in the land as well as in the sky. This prayer begins will the understanding that God’s will — his purpose and desire — is more important than what I might happen to want.

The Danites wanted to take over some territory. It was an embarrassment for them that they had not expanded, so they were motivated by their own pride and shame.

Of the many things that can go wrong in prayer, this one — praying with the wrong motives — is especially dangerous.

There are at least two things that can go wrong with such a prayer. First, God could say no. He often refuses to give something if we ask with the wrong motive (James 4:3).

Second, the Lord may grant the request, and then we discover that having what we wanted is more of a curse than a blessing.

LORD, before we ask you for anything, show us how to examine our motivation for asking. Remove wrong motives from our hearts.
bbjv - 1

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good luck

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

Judges - 1

good luck

Judges 17:7-13 (JDV)

Judges 17:7 There was a young man, a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who was staying within the clan of Judah.
Judges 17:8 The man left the town of Bethlehem in Judah to stay wherever he could find a place. On his way he came to Micah’s home in the hill country of Ephraim.
Judges 17:9 “Where do you come from?” Micah asked him. He answered him, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I’m going to stay wherever I can find a place.”
Judges 17:10 Micah replied, “Stay with me and be my father and priest, and I will give you four ounces of silver a year, along with your clothing and provisions.” So the Levite went in
Judges 17:11 and agreed to stay with the man, and the young man became like one of his sons.
Judges 17:12 Micah dedicated the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in Micah’s house.
Judges 17:13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that Yahveh will be good to me, because a Levite has become my priest.”

good luck

Micah was thinking like an animist. When a pagan looks at a professional religious person, he might want to have that person around just to get on God’s good side. It has nothing to do with reverence for God, and everything to do with getting good luck.

LORD, we renounce the shameful and deceitful ways our minds use to trick others. We ask of you not good luck, but good lives.

bbjv - 1

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