April 3 Readings

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The Back to the Bible Chronological Reading Plan

Judges 10-12
King James Version with Web Encyclopedia Links: Judges 10; Judges 11; Judges 12


Judges 10-12
is the story of Jephthah and Five Other Judges. Tola was a judge who led Israel for twenty three years (v. 1-2). Jair was another judge who had thirty sons who rode thirty donkeys. Between both of them they had forty five yers of peace.

The Story of Jephthah centers around Judges 10.6-18; 11; 12.1-7.
Because of peace, the people forgot God. In Judges 10.6-18 The Israelites sinned by worshiping Baals, Ashtoreths and other gods. God gave them over to the Philistines and the Ammonites. There are two types of confession given in Judges 11. The first confession in 10 is not genuine, originating from the people suffering. God refused to forgive them (v. 11-14). The second confession of sin is genuine, it was a 180 degree turn, they got rid of the foreign gods among them and serve the Lord..

Judges 11 Jephthah could not help having the mother, he had! She was a prostitute. Jephthah step brothers drove him away from his home when they grew up. Why be upset at the things that you cannot control. The Chinese word for crisis means opportunity. Jephthah was a worshipper of God, knew the Scriptures. He was even listed among the heroes of faith in Hebrew 11.32.
One of the difficult verses in the the Bible has to do with the vow that Jephthah made to God, that if God delivered the Ammonites to him, whatever comes out of his house, he would sacrifice to God. When he returned home, his daughter came running out of the house. Does God condone human sacrifice? What do you think? Jephthah's vow

Judges 12
(v. 1.7) The men of Ephraim always wanted recognition (Judges 6). They never rejoiced in another's victory. Jephthah tried to explain that he had asked the Ephraimites for help but they did not help. Jephthah called the men of Gilead and started a civil war that costed 42,000 lives! A litle argument or dispute cost so many men their lives. Jephthah led Israel for six years, died and was buried in Gilead. We need to settle our disputes as soon as possible before a mole hill turns into a mountain!

The other judges, Ibzan, Elon and Abdon were discussed in verses 8-15.

Judges 10, with Commentaries, verse by verse
Judges 11, with Commentaries, verse by verse
Judges 12, with Commentaries, verse by verse

Division of the Land
Tribal Lands


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


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.