Judges 16-18
An Overview of Chapter 16
Samson traveled to Gaza and slept with a hooker, but while he was their the men of the city decided to wait for him and kill him by the locked city gates. About midnight Samson decided to leave town, and when he found the gates locked he just ripped them apart and carried them off to the top of a mountain.
Samson then moved on to the valley of Sorek and fell in love with a woman named Delilah. The Philistines convinced her to find out what his weakness was. Initially Samson just toyed with her and them by telling them certain types of ropes and pins could hold him, but every time that they would bind him and attack him he would break the ropes. Eventually Delilah bugged and annoyed him to the point that he told her his strength was in being a Nazarite and if his hair was shaved the oath would be broken. She had his head shaved while he slept, and the Philistines captured him and gouged his eyes out.
While Samson was imprisoned his hair started growing back and he prayed that the Lord would return his strength. The Philistines brought him out to mock him during a festival with 3,000 people in attendance. Samson used the strength that God had given to him and and pulled the pillars of the building down causing the building to fall and kill him and everyone else in the building. His family came and got him and buried him. He had been a judge in Israel for 20 years.
An Overview of Chapter 17
A man named Micah stole 1100 pieces of silver from his mom, but when he heard how upset she was that it was missing he confessed and returned it to her. She decided to dedicate the money to the Lord, but she apparently didn’t know the ten commandments because she had some of the silver turned into graven images and idols. The idols were kept at Micah’s house, and Micah set one of his sons as a priest. During this time their was no leadership in Israel and the people did what ever they wanted.
A Levite was traveling through and Micah payed him to be a priest as well. Micah was convinced that he would be blessed because he had a Levite for a priest.
An Overview of Chapter 18
The tribe of Dan had never taken possession of the land that was their inheritance and now they were looking for some land to call their own. They sent five spies out, who came to the house of Micah and stayed the night. While their they recognized the Levite and asked him to inquire from God to see if things were going to go will on their journey and he told them it would. They left Micah’s house and came across a quiet town that they liked called Laish. They returned to their brothers and told them that they should take this city.
As the Danite army was traveling to Laish they also came across Micah’s house and sent the five spies in to take the idols. They also convinced the Levite to come with them, because it was better to be a priest to many men then to one. Micah was not happy with this, but he backed down when he realized that he and his neighbors could not fight the whole army.
The Danites continued on and destroyed Laish, rebuilt it and named it Dan.
Reflection
What are your God given strengths and weaknesses? Have you ever done dumb things for people that you loved? Is it possible to rightly worship God using methods that God does not approve of?
For Further Study
Idols: Exodus 20:4, Deuteronomy 4:25, Deuteronomy 27:15, Psalm 115:4-8, Romans 1:25, Galatians 5:19-21, Colossians 3:5, Revelation 22:15.
Samson traveled to Gaza and slept with a hooker, but while he was their the men of the city decided to wait for him and kill him by the locked city gates. About midnight Samson decided to leave town, and when he found the gates locked he just ripped them apart and carried them off to the top of a mountain.
Samson then moved on to the valley of Sorek and fell in love with a woman named Delilah. The Philistines convinced her to find out what his weakness was. Initially Samson just toyed with her and them by telling them certain types of ropes and pins could hold him, but every time that they would bind him and attack him he would break the ropes. Eventually Delilah bugged and annoyed him to the point that he told her his strength was in being a Nazarite and if his hair was shaved the oath would be broken. She had his head shaved while he slept, and the Philistines captured him and gouged his eyes out.
While Samson was imprisoned his hair started growing back and he prayed that the Lord would return his strength. The Philistines brought him out to mock him during a festival with 3,000 people in attendance. Samson used the strength that God had given to him and and pulled the pillars of the building down causing the building to fall and kill him and everyone else in the building. His family came and got him and buried him. He had been a judge in Israel for 20 years.
An Overview of Chapter 17
A man named Micah stole 1100 pieces of silver from his mom, but when he heard how upset she was that it was missing he confessed and returned it to her. She decided to dedicate the money to the Lord, but she apparently didn’t know the ten commandments because she had some of the silver turned into graven images and idols. The idols were kept at Micah’s house, and Micah set one of his sons as a priest. During this time their was no leadership in Israel and the people did what ever they wanted.
A Levite was traveling through and Micah payed him to be a priest as well. Micah was convinced that he would be blessed because he had a Levite for a priest.
An Overview of Chapter 18
The tribe of Dan had never taken possession of the land that was their inheritance and now they were looking for some land to call their own. They sent five spies out, who came to the house of Micah and stayed the night. While their they recognized the Levite and asked him to inquire from God to see if things were going to go will on their journey and he told them it would. They left Micah’s house and came across a quiet town that they liked called Laish. They returned to their brothers and told them that they should take this city.
As the Danite army was traveling to Laish they also came across Micah’s house and sent the five spies in to take the idols. They also convinced the Levite to come with them, because it was better to be a priest to many men then to one. Micah was not happy with this, but he backed down when he realized that he and his neighbors could not fight the whole army.
The Danites continued on and destroyed Laish, rebuilt it and named it Dan.
Reflection
What are your God given strengths and weaknesses? Have you ever done dumb things for people that you loved? Is it possible to rightly worship God using methods that God does not approve of?
For Further Study
Idols: Exodus 20:4, Deuteronomy 4:25, Deuteronomy 27:15, Psalm 115:4-8, Romans 1:25, Galatians 5:19-21, Colossians 3:5, Revelation 22:15.
posted by Shaun Sells | 9:16 AM
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