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June
18
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Reading
1 - Judges 20
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here to Listen
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v.2,17
- Both these verses tell us that there were 400 000 men, and verse
10 tells us that
was 10% of the company, so now the total number of Israel (without Benjamin,
it would seem) was 4 million men.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.4
tells us something of the relationship. Although the woman is referred to
as his concubine, it would seem that to all intents and purposes she was
his wife. Here he is referred to as her husband, and in ch.19:4
her father is referred to as his father in law. Maybe the relationship of
man to concubine was closer than we might think.
Peter Cresswell
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v.1,11
- This seems to be the only time in the whole of the book of Judges that
all Israel are united with a common cause. It is so sad that it is a cause
against their own brethren. If only they could have been so united against
the inhabitants of the land.
v.18
- One of the few times in the period of the Judges when Israel enquired
of God. However maybe they should have first asked whether they should
go u[ against Benjamin. They already knew who should go up first. [Judges
1:1 - 2]
v.28
- The mention that Phinehas the son of Eleazer shows that this event,
though recorded at the end of the book of Judges was an event near the
beginning of the period of the Judges. [Joshua
24:33] I suspect
that it is recorded at the end because of the contrast between Saul of
Benjamin and David of Bethlehem.
Peter
Forbes
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This chapter shows the terrible desolation that happened to the tribe of
Benjamin
20:15
26,000 men
20:35
25,100 men destroyed
So 900 men left - that is all!
Peter
Forbes
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:28
That Israel went to speak with 'Phinehas son of Eleazar' confirms that we
are early in the time of the Judges. Eleazar was the high priest when Israel
entered the land. Phinehas, who was a young man - we infer - just before
Israel entered the land (Numbers
25:7) - was high priest so we cannot realistically be more than 80 years
into the 450 year period of the Judges.
Peter
Forbes |
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Reading
2 - Isaiah 42
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here to Listen
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v.
3 - Here we have God's assurance that Jesus will respect those who have
the right attitude, even though they be weak in some way. See also 35:3,4,
40:11,29-31, 57:15-18, 61:1-3, 66:2.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.4
- Here we have a picture of the joy that was set before Jesus in doing the
will of his father. Regardless of the anguish which he suffered, yet it
is still appropriate to say, as it does here, that he would not be discouraged.
Jesus was determined to bring about salvation on our behalf, and for that
we should be more than grateful.
Peter Cresswell
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We
know that 42:1-3
speaks of the work of Jesus because it is quoted in Matthew
12:18 and applied to the work of Jesus. Maybe this explains why Paul
(Acts
17:5) quotes 'that giveth breath unto all the people'.
Peter
Forbes |
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Continuing
the way that Paul reproves the idolaters in Athens we notice that he quotes
'that giveth breath unto the people' in Acts
17:25. Paul was not quoting isolated verses. Rather he was basing his
speech about idols on, amongst other things, the way in which Isaiah highlights
the folly of idol worship.
Peter
Forbes |
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Reading
3 - 1John 5
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here to Listen
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v.
4,5 - The trials that we have are a direct result of being in the world.
Although trials come from God, they would not be necessary if we didn't
live in the world. Our faith is what we use to overcome them, knowing that
the trials will never be too much for us. John
16:33, Rom.8:35-37.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.14
- asking 'according
to his will' is the basis of answered prayers. The only way in which
we can know the Father's will is by giving attention to the words of Scripture.
The danger always is that we might 'ask amiss to consume it on our own
lusts' [James
4:3]
Peter Forbes |
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5:14
'confidence' is a concept we have already come across (4:17)
'boldness'. John is teaching us that our faith in the risen Christ should
cause us to trust that God will keep His word. Lack of faith was the only
reason why Israel perished in the wilderness (Hebrews
3:19)
Peter Forbes |
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| :4
How is 'our faith' 'the victory'? In what way can we say that we have victory'
because we believe?
Abraham
is the example. He 'believed God' and consequently was counted 'righteous'
(Genesis 15:6) Abraham became 'heir of the world (Romans
4:13) so whilst the 'world' was just a place of transient value before
faith is became his inheritance. We are 'Abraham's seed' (Galatians
3:29) and consequently share those promises - if we have his faith.
Peter Forbes
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