King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34
Date: Wednesday, April 03, 2019
Chapters: Judges 10-12
Message: The LORD The Judge
Hello My Friend,
Lukewarm, it is not hot, and it is not cold, it is somewhere right down the middle. Somethings are nice to have lukewarm, like bathwater, but most things are not. I absolutely hate it when lukewarm air is blowing on me on a hot or cold day, and often think about what God says about His people being lukewarm. How are God’s people lukewarm? They do not obey Him unless it is convenient for them, and it is usually when they get into trouble that they call on Him. So many saved, born again Christians fail to realize that it does matter to God how we live, and if we are going to live as the world, He will chasten us until we repent. “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” – Revelation 3:15-19.
“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten:” There is a difference between a backslider and a lukewarm Christian, backsliders fall away from God completely, lukewarm Christians are those who live in the world, and yet want God in their lives. Oh, they are very good people, have faith in God, quick to help others, go to church once in a while, pray when necessary, are successful in work, and yet they smoke, drink, do drugs, live in fornication, whatever the sin, they live it, and are happy to live it, until they get into some kind of trouble, and that is when they cry out to God. Now, after all that mess with Abimelech, two more men judged Israel, Tola, for twenty-three years, and Jair, for twenty-two years, after Jair died Israel went right back into the world, and they did not just forsake God for one false god, they went after several, the gods of Syria, Zidon, Moab, Ammon, and the Philistines. God delivers them into the hands of the Philistines and Amorites, and were severally oppressed for eighteen years. Once again, they cry out to God, but this time God did not run to their rescue.
“And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed. And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim. And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.” – Judges 10:8-14.
“let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.” You cannot love the world and love God, God will help anyone out of their situation, if they are willing to repent, turn away from their sin, and turn to Him. Let me tell you, we are all a work in progress, we all have sin that we need to get rid of that God knows we are working on to eliminate, that is true repentance. While salvation is given to us by grace alone, there comes a time in every born again Christians life when they must decide whether or not they want to follow God’s law or live under the oppression of worlds law. God will not have it both ways, we must choose Him or the world, and if we say we are going to choose Him we need to put action to what our mouths speak. “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” – James 1:23-25.
“this man shall be blessed in his deed.” God truly blesses, and helps us when we obey Him. Israel did repent, they even put away all the false gods, and cried out to Him, and that was when He used a man named Jephthah to deliver them. However, the people despised Jephthah, and forced him out because his mother was a prostitute. “Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah. And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and his wife’s sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of a strange woman. Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him. And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel. And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob: And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father’s house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?” – Judges 11:1-7.
“and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?” We need to be careful how we treat people, we do not know the situation, and we do not know how they live their lives. Making assumptions based on ones background or past only makes us look like fools, none of us are perfect, we have all hiccups, and we need to love everyone as Jesus does. God was about to use this man to show Israel that He accepts all who come to Him regardless of who their parents are. Jephthah agreed to help them, he even made a vow to God for His help.
“And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands. And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows. And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.” – Judges 11:30-32,34,37-40.
“Let this thing be done for me:” This was not literally to kill her, and burn her at the altar, it was a vow to give her over to God. God would never take the life of a human being to save someone else, which is why He came here himself through His Son. God loves us so much that He does not want to see one soul in hell, He does not want a human sacrifice, He wants a living sacrifice. I will tell you that I am forty-eight years old, and never been married, and am really starting to believe that it is God’s will that I never be married, only to Him. I will admit that I do not always like it, but I accept it, and am very blessed to be where I am. While we may not always understand God’s will, we can always find Him in the midst of it. “Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.” – Psalm 138:6-8.
“thou wilt revive me:” It is not always going to be easy to follow God’s will, in fact, we are going to have enemies even among our own family, but God will be with us. After Jephthah led Gilead to victory over Ammon here comes Ephraim again arguing that they were excluded from the battle. This time there was no reasoning with them, and a civil war broke out, forty-two thousand men needlessly lost their lives because of this.
“And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands. And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me? Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites. And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.” – Judges 12:2-6.
“for he could not frame to pronounce it right.” You know, there are going to be many people who are going to stand before Jesus saying that they did this, and this, and this in His name, and He will in return say, “Depart, I never knew you!” And this is why we are to live the life that God has chosen for us, and not the one we want. Just yesterday I said to God that I just want a normal life like everyone else, and then God reminded me that I am not normal, I belong to Him. Now, who can argue with that? “For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” – II Corinthians 13:4-5.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.” – Judges 11:27.
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for Your mercy and grace to save a sinner like me, I know there is nothing I need to do to repay You for my salvation, but I do not want to be someone that You just save, I want to be a witness and a testimony of your mercy and grace. I do want to be successful in all that You call me to do, and know with Your help it is possible. Lord, Lead me and guide me, help me to walk the path You have given me, with the utmost faith, fill me with Your mercy and grace, show me how to give mercy and grace, and to love all as You love me. Let me grow and become a reflection of Your Son as I become completely dependent on You, and trust the decisions that You have for me are for the best. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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