A Boomer in the Pew

Bible in a Year: Why Didn't God Replace Joshua When he Died?

Bible in a Year Series - Day #90 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Judges 3-5.

The book of Judges is going to lay before our eyes 12 "judges", essentially military hero's, whom God will use to deliver Israel from their various captivities over the span of roughly 400 years.

Throughout the book of Judges we will see a consistent pattern emerge:

1. Israel does what is evil in the eyes of God.
2. God allows Israel to be conquered by a neighboring nation.
3. Israel cries and repents.
4. God sends a judge to deliver Israel.

The other thing that instantly jumps off the pages is that the Bible is not afraid to be very graphic in its depictions of this period of Judges.

Here, in the painting above, we see Jael driving a tent peg through the temple of Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army.

As I was seeking to understand why God didn't give Israel a new leader to replace Joshua, I found that one of the primary themes of the book of Judges is God's use of charismatic leaders.  Here is an explanation from The New Dictionary of Biblical Theology:

"Charismatic leadership, as generally understood by scholars since Max Weber, is leadership which gains its authority by virtue of divine gifting or spiritual ‘filling’. Charismatic leaders are raised up by God, often with supernatural powers or gifts, and are recognized as leaders by their followers. They need not be appointed to their office, since the gifting proves itself in action, usually in the face of some crisis, and popular acclaim follows. In the editorial framework of Judges (e.g. in the second prologue), God is said to have ‘raised up judges’, to deliver his people (2:16, RSV). The various cycles, beginning with that of Othniel (3:9), outline the careers of these judges. Again and again a leader is ‘raised up’ and endued with the Spirit, faces a challenge and emerges victorious. The general is then transformed from a military hero into a judicial or administrative functionary.

The book of Judges, far from simply showing the weakness of the various leaders, celebrates the quality of charismatic leadership, from the affirmation in the second prologue of its divine origin (see especially 2:16–19) to the celebration, not only in narrative but also in poetry (cf. ch. 5), of the judges’ heroic feats. Charismatic leadership becomes a fundamental building block for divinely ordained kingship. Yahweh’s ideal king is raised up by Yahweh, filled with the Spirit, endued with power, and popularly acclaimed. He is, in short, the ideal charismatic leader. But despite its celebration of charismatic leadership, Judges also reminds the reader of its weaknesses. In the first epilogue (chs. 17–18) the only leaders left in Israel are Micah the idol-maker and his wandering Levite, a pathetic figure for sale to the highest bidder. Something more than charismatic leadership is needed."

The book of Judges demonstrates a transition in the leadership of Israel, through these "charismatic leaders", that will ultimately usher in God's divinely ordained kings.  Which in turn will ultimately point to the ultimate King, Jesus the Christ.

Hang on, we are in for a graphic and sometimes ugly ride.

Bible in a Year: Book of Judges - And Israel Whored After Other Gods

Bible in a Year Series - Day #89 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Judges 1-2.

When we left the book of Deuteronomy, began the book of Joshua, and now the book of Judges, we entered into what theologians call the "historical" books.

They very first thing that caught my eye was that God, for some reason, did not appoint a successive national leader after Joshua's death.

Furthermore, God being sovereign, it is a real head scratcher to contemplate why God allowed Israel's disobedience in not devoting Canaan to complete destruction as commanded.

Here is the angel of the Lord speaking:

“I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, 2 and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? 3 So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” (Judges 2:1-3)

After Joshua died, these are the things that started happening in Israel:

• "...there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel." (Judges 2:10b)
• "And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger. 13 They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth." (Judges 2:11-13)
• "...they whored after other gods and bowed down to them..." (Judges 2:17)

How can this be?  Is not God's tent of meeting still in their midst? Is not God still dwelling among them in the Holy of Holies?

Jeremiah would later answer this question:

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)

Furthermore, we only need to look at our own hearts to understand this inherent problem.  If the evil one can succeed in unplugging us from God, then we like sheep are prone to stray, and go our own way.

When this happens, as the book of Judges is going to clearly teach us, nothing but apostasy lies ahead.

Oh my soul, forever stay near God's holy acquaintance.

Bible in a Year: Joshua leads Israel to Cross, Take, Divide, and Serve

Bible in a Year Series - Days #82-88 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: The Book of Joshua

I have now caught back up from our trip to Hawaii.  To do so, this morning required that I read the whole book of Joshua.

Wow, what a narrative.  The crossing of the river Jordan, the destruction of Jericho, God's judgment of the Canaanites, and Israel's possession of their Promised Land.

There's only one problem, Israel did not obey God's command to devote the whole of the land to destruction.  Therefore, there are pockets of pagans in the land who will ultimate seduce Israel away from her God, and bring her back to apostasy while they yet live in the Promised Land.

The book of Judges, which we will be starting tomorrow, is one story after another of Israel sinning against her God, and God's subsequent judgment against their sin.

When we, as fallen creatures, live under God's tremendous blessing, there is great temptation, with the constant influence of the Evil One, to leave the God we love, and go our our selfish ways.

I have seen this in my own life, and we are going to see it in the life of Israel. 

Furthermore, have we not seen it in our own country?  Can the believer of a sovereign God think that this horrific economic depression is mere happenstance? 

I stand before you as one who was completely remodeled by God through the complete destruction of my own futile plans.  There are years of theological study behind that statement, and it certainly doesn't mean that I am of better ilk than anyone else.  It simply means that God was pleased to put me in his woodshed, and I came out three years later with a completely different worldview.

Now, if God is kind enough to restore what was lost, it will be my task to never again let anything come between my God and me. 

Joshua said it very well:

“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14-15)

As we shall see in the coming months, this serving the Lord requires far more than acknowledging that he exists, or even trying our best to be "good". 

Look at this statement from Joshua:

"But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins."  (Joshua 24:19)

We are not able to serve the Lord because our nature is to hate God.  Remember that the Fall in the Garden of Eden brought us death, and separation from God. The whole of the Bible is God's plan of redemption for mankind.

This redemption is going to involve Messiah, who will become the perfect sacrifice, and brings us back towards a right relationship with God.

I pray that you will hang in there with me as we journey through the Bible.  If we claim to believe in God, we can't claim to know God if we have never read his instruction manual.

Hang on, Israel's journey is going to get real messy from here on.

Bible in a Year: Did Moses Weep for Israel Atop Mount Nebo?

Bible in a Year Series - Day #79-81 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Deuteronomy 27-34.

As you can see, I still have some catching up to do as I fell behind on our recent two week vacation.

Today I finished the book of Deuteronomy, and I tried to wrap my mind around what seems to me to be a heavy burden for Moses to carry:

"And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. 17 Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’ 18 And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because they have turned to other gods." (Deuteronomy 31:16-18)

I wonder, did Moses cry for Israel in the tent of meeting, when God foretold of Israel's future behavior?  My mind snaps forward thousands of years to Messiah crying over Israel when they did not recognize him.

What must it have been like to have this type of knowledge?  Did the great joy of the Promised Land become overwhelmed by the horror of Israel's future behavior?

What was in the mind of Moses as he viewed the Promised Land from atop Mount Nebo?

I imagine myself as one of the Israelites listening to Moses recite the Law, and I realized that I am doomed because my fallen nature will have me daily in disobedience.  Thankfully, for Israel, God implemented a sacrificial system for them to atone for their sins.

For us, looking back thousands of years, we can see that the Law was designed to help us understand that we desperately need Messiah. 

As we step forward in history, the picture for Israel is going to get very, very bleak.  As I look back in my own life, I also see periods of darkness, and dismay.

As Augustine said:  "non posse non peccare".  We are not able not to sin. [HT - Laurie Mathers]

If we truly understand this, then how grateful must we be to understand the great gift of God's salvation?  How can we not weep for joy at being a part of His chosen?

Do you see?  Do you understand?  Can we even begin to comprehend?

Bible in a Year: Moses' Second Sermon

Bible in a Year Series - Day #76-78 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Deuteronomy 17 - 26.

We have been traveling and have gone a few days without an Internet connection.  Therefore, having gotten behind, I am going to catch back up over a two day period.

Today I have finished Moses' second sermon.  As I was listening to Moses describe God's laws, I kept hearing a common theme:  "so you shall purge the evil from your midst". 

We must remember the holy God is in their midst, and he refuses to be in the presence of evil.  In fact, when God encounters evil, his inclination is to destroy it.

Therefore, God is instructing them how to lead holy lives, and to live in such a way as to keep their inherited Promised Land holy.

Unfortunately, these Israelites, just like you and me, are completely unable to keep these commandments as we dwell in a fallen world, and live with a fallen nature.

Therefore, most thankfully, God provided Israel with the sacrifice to cover their sins, and for us, two thousand years past the death of Messiah, God has provided the ultimate, once and for all sacrifice for us in Jesus Christ.

Our challenge, just like Israel's, is not to make light of the sacrifice by our continual disobedience, but to seek a continual forward movement in our journey to be like Christ.

It's hard work, isn't it?

Bible in a Year: The Unspeakable Joy of God's Moniker for His Chosen: Sons!

Bible in a Year Series - Day #75 -This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Deuteronomy 14-16.

Deuteronomy 14:1a - "You are the sons of Yahweh your God."

This verse jumped off the page as I read it.  So much so, that I found it difficult to concentrate on the rest of today's assignment.

According to my ESV Study Bible notes, it is rare to find the people of God called "sons" in the Old Testament.  Yet, here we have it straight from the lips of Moses' inspired lips.

I also recall that Luke also described Adam as the son of God.

There is something very precious for us to understand here.  According to Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, God's labeling of his chosen as sons is everything, and the key to redemption's purpose:

"God is intent on restoring the image that he created of himself and his glory in the life of man.  Restoration of man to the image of God is an element in the gospel message that is frequently ignored in favor of other, equally biblical pictures of salvation like reconciliation, justification, and redemption  They are, however, its [sonship's] handmaidens."

From our view in the book of Deuteronomy, it is still difficult to see, but when we read the whole of Yahweh's redemption story, and understand the lengths at which God will go to redeem his children, this moniker (sons), given way back from the lips of Moses, is considerably precious indeed.

I implore you, please don't let this pass you by.

Bible in a Year: God Jealously Desires our Hearts, Souls, and Minds

Bible in a Year Series - Day #74 -This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Deuteronomy 11-13.

God thinking to himself in Genesis 8:21:

"for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth..."

I have noticed, and my ESV Study Bible notes have commented that:

"Deuteronomy constantly addresses the “heart” of its audience: embracing this law, seeking the good of this people, is the right response to God's grace and the embodiment of virtue."

God desires that we devote to him more than merely robotic acquiescence to his laws.  He jealously desires our hearts, souls, and minds.

In fact, as difficult as it is to understand, God will even send tests to his loved ones to help us see the condition of our hearts.

God knows our hearts, and he knows that when things are going really, really well for us, as it soon will be for Israel in the Promised Land, that our hearts have a great propensity to become self indulged, and arrogant.

Over, and over again, in the book of Deuteronomy, Moses is going to instruct the people of Israel to obey God, love God, and to guard their hearts.

"Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn." (Deuteronomy 10:16)

As peculiar as this sounds to our modern ears, God is asking Israel to take his covenant with them, and drive it to the very core of their hearts and souls.

We would do well to do the very same thing.

Bible in a Year: Moses Reminds Israel to Love and Fear God for Their Own Good

Bible in a Year Series - Day #73 -This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Deuteronomy 8-10.

In today's reading, Moses is letting the people know that they are going to possess a land beyond their wildest dreams.

Further, says Moses, this isn't happening because of any righteousness found in you.  This is happening to fulfill God's promise to Abraham.

Further still, your behavior these past 40 years has provoked God to nearly destroying you several times.

Therefore, remember God when you possess this land.  Do not let your hearts, once you are rich, think that this is something you have done.

Here is the provision for their side of the deal:

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?"

That certainly sums it all up.

We are to fear him, love him, walk in his ways, serve him, and keep his commandments.  All of these things, which if we do, is all for our own good.

Unfortunately, our stiff-necked natures would rather do things our own way, and therefore we get ourselves in conflict with God.

Have you ever found yourself far out in left field, apart from God?  I certainly have.

Bible in a Year: Chosen by God as a Treasured Possession

Bible in a Year Series - Day #72 -This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Deuteronomy 5-7.

Moses is now into his second sermon.  He is intent upon reminding Israel of the things that God has instructed them on Sinai, and to persuade them from turning back on some of their past offenses.

I particularly loved this:

"The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession..."

I think I am going to stop right there, and dwell on these words throughout the day.

Bible in a Year: Moses Exhorts the Chosen at the Banks of the Jordan

Bible in a Year Series - Day #71 -This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Deuteronomy 3-4.

In the first three chapters of Deuteronomy, Moses has recounted the incredible forty year journey of these people.

In chapter four, Moses turns to direct exhortation with the words, " And now, Oh Israel, listen..."

Moses desires two things:

• that the people actually do cross the Jordan when God gives the command.  They have been here before, they refused to enter, God was displeased, and hence we saw them wander in the wilderness for forty years.
• once they cross the Jordan, Moses desires that they not fall into past sins against God, "so that they might live".

In his exhortation, Moses wants the people to understand three things:

• they are to obey God, know his commandments, and not change a single thing.  He also lets them know that this is not a casual suggestion.  Disobedience will lead to their doom.
• the are to refrain from idolatry.  This has been a problem for Israel in the past (Golden Calf).  They are about to enter a land filled with false gods and idolatry.  Moses instructs them that God is a consuming fire, and a jealous God.  He is their husband, they are his bride, and he gets very upset when his bride acts the part of the whore.
• the Lord God is one.  The world is full of gods who can't see, hear, eat, or smell (a little sarcasm on God's part).  But Moses recounts all the things that God has shown them, and exhorts them to understand.

We are witnessing the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham.  These chosen ones all came from Abraham's seed.

Our task is to understand the infinite beauty of being chosen by God.  Can there be any greater privilege?

If we begin to understand this, then we too must understand Moses' exhortations, and apply them to our own lives.  Not from fear of a terrible angry God, but from a grateful heart towards a Father who has chosen us, set us apart, and desires nothing but to lavish his love upon us.