It is so easy to judge another culture by our own cultural standards and mores. To us, the resolution of the Benjamite tragedy seems peculiar, very strange (Judges 21). That is certainly not how we would have done things. Putting cultural differences aside, however, look at the heart of the Israelites: So the people went to Bethel and sat there before God until evening. They wept loudly and bitter...  Read More

I cannot read Judges 19 without being repulsed. My thoughts always take me to Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?" (NKJV) When I despair of the evil of this age, I am reminded that the wise man said, "There is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9). The challenge of human history, and especially the age in which we live, is the i...  Read More

There is a sense in which Samson, in his dying, redeemed himself. Don't get me wrong, he prayed to God and God answered him (Judges 16:26-30). However, in his death we see that he returned to God repentant, and God gave him his greatest victory over his enemy.How polar opposite is Jesus Christ! In His dying, He redeemed humanity. No doubt He prayed to God and these prayers on the cross are gratefu...  Read More

For a moment, this morning, I got distracted by angels and glorified saints. It struck me that the angel who appeared to Samson's parents was completely indiscernible from a human being (Judges 13:11, 21). On the other hand, the glorified Moses and Elijah were completely identifiable. What made them so familiar to the three (Luke 9:30-31)? Was it their appearance, their conversation, or did Jesus ...  Read More

There are moments one more clearly understands Jesus' comment: "Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:27, CSB). Such comments have always raised questions about Jesus' intention and the expectation of His early return. However, Jesus did remind His hearers that 'the Kingdom was already in their midst' (Luke 17:21)...more ...  Read More

There is a tenderness to the heart of God that finds its expression in the roller coaster journey of Israel during the period of the judges. Once again the people cry out to God in desperation. They are enduring His judgment for their sins and they need deliverance. The writer invites us into God's compassionate heart: "...and He could bear the misery of Israel no longer" (Judges 10:16b, NASB). Th...  Read More