Day 47: Judges 10–13; Isaiah 25–30; 1 Corinthians 4–6
The story if Israel in the time of the Judges is so sad it's hilarious. The choices the people make are those of a people with guidance. It is like they never learned the Law of Moses. The Israelites admit their guilt before God. They recognize their idolatry has brought about their oppression under the Ammonites (Jdg. 10:10). But when it comes time for a plan they ask "each other," and not Yahweh, who should lead them in battle. They turn to Jephthah, the son of a prostitute, because he is a great warrior. He was run off by the legitimate sons of his father, Gilead. He took up a criminal's life running with "lawless men."
It reminds me of California electing Hollywood actors to run their state. "Hey, he looks cool! Let's put him in charge over us! Besides he is really tough in all his movies!" Do we ask God for whom we should vote when the election season is upon us? Do we pray fro God to raise up righteous leaders for our country, state and communities? Perhaps we get what we deserve...mere children to rule over us.
Jephthah asks God for help to defeat Ammon. God empowers him with His Spirit, but Jephthah in his zeal and stupidity vows to sacrifice the first person who walks out the door of his house as soon as he returns from victory. Jephthah relates to the God of Israel like he would a pagan god offers human sacrifice to give thanks for victory in battle. He ends up sacrificing his only daughter, a virgin.
He even shows his ignorance when he confronts the Ammonites and confuses their Molech with the Moabite god Chemosh. Get your facts straight, Jephthah! Is this man going to serve Israel as judge? He does for six years.
God decides to raise up a deliverer by miraculous birth like God did for Abraham and Sara. The wife of Manoah was barren, but an angel of the Lord tells her she will be pregnant and birth a son. She is to raise him following the holy restrictions of the Nazarite vow (Num. 6:1-21). No wine, grapes, raisins, juice or beer. No haircuts. No unlceanness. Of course Samson is the worst expression of a Nazarite ever. It is comical. It is sad how far Israel has fallen away from its covenant with Yahweh.
Isaiah continues warning a variety of nations: God's Israel, Egypt, Assyria, etc., but he also shares God's plan to restore them after He has inflicted wounds (Isa. 30:26). This section gives one of the most striking predictions of the resurrection in the Old Testament. I found that delightful since these are the readings for Easter Sunday!
The LORD of Hosts will prepare a feast
for all the peoples on this mountain
[He] will destroy the [burial] shroud,
the shroud over all the peoples,
the sheet covering all the nations;
He will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears
from every face
and remove His people's disgrace
from the whole earth,
for the LORD has spoken (Isa. 25:6a, 7-8)
And again...
Your dead will live; their bodies will rise.
Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust!
For you will be covered with the morning dew,
and the earth will bring forth the departed spirits. (Isa. 26:19)
These texts spoke volumes after Jesus died and rose again. The words of the prophet took on new meaning and new life. Jesus was the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies.
But the poor choices of the people, their prostitution to other gods becomes their downfall. They erected Asherah poles and altars to the Baals. They stagger from drunkenness, their prophets and priests alike in Ephraim. But God will become the crown jewel of Israel, not Ephraim (Isa. 28:5).
Paul writes to converted pagans in Corinth who have to be taught again the righteous life of the saints. Someone has poisoned their minds and they actually think their freedom in Christ and from the law of Moses is license for anything. One man is having sex with his father's wife (his step mother) and the church is bragging about their freedom to do so! Whoa!
Paul commands the church to throw the transgressors out (1 Cor. 5:13; Deu. 17:7). He appeals to Old Testament law as the right thing for the Corinthians to do! Otherwise this man's sin will affect the whole church. They are to hand him over to Satan. In other words, the transgressing church member is to be excluded from the congregation, without the support of the church, and left to live with the consequences of his sin. By doing so Paul hopes the man might come to his senses, repent and return to right living
This sort of self indulgence is just another form of idolatry. Paul teaches "everything is permissible, but not everything is helpful." In other words the Gentile community of Christ is not ruled by the restrictions of the holiness law of the Jew, but they are ruled by the Spirit of Christ. As such they are to recognize they are part of Christ's body. One does not lie down with a prostitute becoming one flesh with her and offer themselves to Christ as well (1 Cor. 6:15-18). Instead Christians are to see their bodies as a sanctuary for they Holy Spirit. Therefore they are to keep their bodies clean from sexual immorality.
Our bodies are not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord. His blood paid the price for our redeemed bodies destined for death. God raised Jesus and will raise us up by His power (1 Cor. 6:14). Might we learn to pay attention to our Lord and our calling as His freed people? No longer are we ruled by sinful desire, so why act like we are still slaves? Why prostitute ourselves to that which is not of God?
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