First Baptist Church, Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Devotional: Judges 3:7-11

Today’s passage: Judges 3:7-11

Helpful thoughts:

  • This is the beginning of the downward spiral of Israel’s history through the period of the judges.
  • Cushan-Rishathaim’s name means, “Cushan the doubly wicked one.”
  • In many Old Testament passages, when the “Spirit of the Lord” or the “hand of the Lord” comes upon or prevails over a person, it does not automatically apply to an increase in that person’s godliness.  It is simply a way to say that God the Spirit accomplished His will through that person at a specific time for a specific purpose.
  • Not much “bad” happened for forty years, until Othniel died.

Questions to consider:

  1. What parts of the pattern from 2:16-19 can you see in this episode?  What do you see coming after the death of Othniel?
  2. Did God use a righteous king to discipline Israel?  If God could only use righteous people to test and discipline, who could He use?
  3. When “bad” things are happening in our lives, is it ever angry punishment or negligence from God?  In times when we would be tempted to be angry with God, what should we step back and think about?  What might God be doing for our good?

Devotional: Judges 2:16-3:6

Today’s passage: Judges 2:16-3:6

Helpful thoughts:

  • Bad things happened as Israel worshiped false gods.  When things got “bad” they complained to the true God.  Then, when God showed mercy and intervened, after things got “better” again, Israel went back to worshiping false gods more corruptly than they had before.
    • This downward spiral will be the pattern of every narrative in the book of Judges.
  • God used the sin of Israel and their surrounding neighbors for Israel’s good.  Our sovereign God wastes nothing.
  • Israel directly disobeyed God on three counts (at least…):
    • They lived among the peoples of the land instead of destroying them.
    • They intermarried with the people (Deuteronomy 7:3-4).
      • Remember, this had nothing to do with their ethnicity and everything to do with their worship.  There were Canaanites who converted and were welcomed into Israel (e.g. Rahab).
    • They worshiped false gods.

Questions to consider:

  1. What emotion motivated the Lord to help Israel during their times of greatest distress?
  2. If Israel was being “Canaanized”, what would it look like for a Christian in our culture to be “Americanized” or for a European Christian to be “Europeanized”, etc.?  What blind spots might we have that feel so right to us but are so wrong according to God’s Word?
  3. How does God’s promise to use all things (even our own sin!) for good give you comfort and encouragement to press on (Romans 8:28-30)?

Devotional: Judges 2:6-15

Today’s passage: Judges 2:6-15

Helpful thoughts:

  • Verses 6-10 go back in time a bit to show how in just one generation, Israel “did not know the Lord.”
  • Israel worshiped the very gods (Fake mythological gods) of the very people they had just defeated, abandoning the God that brought them there.  This is the heart of man.
  • We are worshipers.  If we do not worship the Lord, we will worship someone/something else.
    • Matthew 12:30 – “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

Questions to consider:

  1. How many generations did it take for Israel to move from worship of the Lord to these local fake gods?
  2. Why do you worship the Lord?  Do you worship Him alone?
  3. Is it possible to be neutral?  Why or why not?  Who gets to decide that?  How can you “gather” with Jesus Christ today?

Devotional: Judges 2:1-5

Today’s passage: Judges 2:1-5

Helpful thoughts:

  • God told Moses this was going to happen (Deuteronomy 31:16) and warned Israel (Numbers 33:50-56, Joshua 23:13).  God remained faithful, Israel broke her covenant.
  • The town of Bochim was named after the weeping of the people of Israel.
  • The weeping and offering of a sacrifice seem to look like a change of direction.  But, time (What we see as we continue to read) will tell.

Questions to consider:

  1. If Israel was truly repentant, what would have been the reason/motivation for their weeping and sacrifice?
  2. If Israel was not truly repentant, what could have been the reason/motivation for their weeping and sacrifice?
  3. Emotions are good.  They help to reveal what is in our hearts.  But, why can’t we measure the maturity and sincerity of a person based on emotionalism?  Where do we truly see the fruit of the Spirit in a believer?

Devotional: Judges 1:27-36

Today’s passage: Judges 1:27-36

Helpful thoughts:

  • Israel was commanded to destroy everything and everyone in the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 20:16-18).
    • This destruction was for the judgment of those inhabitants (Genesis 15:16, 1 Samuel 15:2-3).
    • This destruction was for the future holiness of Israel.
  • Dan seems to have fared the worst even though they had the second largest number of troops (Numbers 2).
  • The chapter pointedly ends with a description of the land of the Amorites instead of a description of the land of Israel.

Questions to consider:

  1. What seems to be the theme of this passage? What didn’t Israel do?
  2. Are God’s commands contingent on our ability?  Are there things that God has commanded you to do, that you can not obey?
  3. What keeps us from doing the things we know God has told us to do?  What could you do today in obedience to Him?

Devotional: Judges 1:1-26

Today’s passage: Judges 1:1-26

Helpful thoughts:

  • The period of the Judges in Israel happens in between the death of Joshua (Moses’ successor) and the first king of Israel (Saul).
  • After Joshua’s death, the people ask God for another leader.
    • The book starts and ends with the reminder that there was no king in Israel.
    • God had already told the nation what they were to do in the book of Joshua.
    • God graciously told Judah (The whole tribe) to go possess their land, just as they had already been commanded.
  • There is some interesting foreshadowing going on in this first passage to set the stage for the book as a whole. For example:
    • Asking God for information He has already given
    • Incomplete victory
    • An impetuous vow
    • A woman speaking up when a man wouldn’t

Questions to consider:

  1. Was Israel left without direction and leadership during this period?  Who was their commander and what was their law?  What direction and guidance has God already given you?
  2. Were the chariots of iron really the reason Judah could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain?  Was that above God’s ability and promise? Or, were those chariots of iron the reason Judah chose not to continue their conquest?
  3. What kinds of patterns do we already see forming in this first chapter of Judges?  What should we expect to see as we continue to read through this book?

Devotional: James 5:19-20

Today’s passage: James 5:19-20

Helpful thoughts:

  • Remember the context of the whole letter when reading these verses: Faith without works is dead.  If a person is living in sin, his faith is not true living faith.
  • These verses are therefore a call to evangelism.
    • When a person who appears to be a part of the church shows that their faith was dead, believers are to reach out to them, calling them to repentance and salvation!

Questions to consider:

  1. What are some mistakes we can make as a church when we find people to be caught up in sin?  Why is it so dangerous (and unloving) to turn a blind eye and ignore the problem?
  2. What two specific motivations does James give us to reach out to people who are lost?  What will they be saved from?
  3. Why is it worth the risk?  So much can go “wrong” when trying to help a person who has seemingly abandoned Christ.  Why shouldn’t we allow those possibilities to deter us?  What assurance do we already have that makes the risk seem small in comparison?

Devotional: James 5:13-18

Today’s passage: James 5:13-18

Helpful thoughts:

  • It is a special kindness and love to rejoice with those who rejoice when you are suffering and to weep with those who weep when you are in a time of rejoicing (Romans 12:15)
  • The word translated as “sick” in verses 14-15 does not only refer to physical sickness.  It often just means “weak”.  So, in this context, we could understand this need for prayer to come from weakness that is resulting from any kind of suffering.
  • The elders may or may not have actually anointed people with oil.  This would have been more a medical practice at that time than any kind of religious ceremony.  I personally think this verse is using the idea of anointed the sick with oil as an illustration.  When the elders come around the suffering and pray over them in the name of the Lord, they are caring for the spiritually wounded and bruised in the congregation.
  • Elijah’s prayer wasn’t powerful because he was powerful.  Elijah’s prayer was powerful because God is powerful.

Questions to consider:

  1. What do we have to be willing to put aside when we see others suffering or rejoicing and choose to join together with them?  How does this show a spiritual maturity and Christ-likeness?
  2. Why do we often find it hard to share our non-physical sufferings with others?  What keeps us from allowing our brothers and sisters in Christ (And our pastor) to lift us up in prayer in some of the areas that matter most?  Who could you share your rejoicing or suffering with?
  3. Can you think of someone you could rejoice with and/or comfort with today?  How could you reach out to encourage and pray for them?