1-28 - Jephthah
- Mighty warrior, son of Gilead and a prostitute, driven away by Gilead's wife's sons, he flees to Tob and becomes an outlaw and leader of a gang of raiders
- When Ammonites attack Israel, Gilead's elders go to Tob to persuade Jephthah to help them. He agrees, but only if he becomes both head and commander.
- As commander, Jephthah enters into correspondence with the king of the Ammonites, who defends their right to attack Israel because Israel took away their land. Jephthah denies this, saying they fought Edom, Moab, and the Amorites because of their own aggression. Commentators say this king of the Ammonites, though not named, was probably from Moab, and therefore was seeking to regain the territory as a Moabite.
- Besides, don't you possess what your god Chemosh has given you? Why should we not possess the land the LORD our God has conquered for us? Chemosh was the god of the Moabites.
- Why did you not recover these lands the 300 years others occupied it?
- Let the LORD decide who should possess this land.
- The king of the Ammonites does not respond.
- Jephthah travels toward the land of the Ammonites through Gilead and Manasseh.
- He makes a vow to God that (NRSV) "whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return victorious from the Ammonites, shall be the LORD's to be offered up by me as a burnt offering." The commentator Matthew Henry says, "Jephthah’s vow is dark, and much in the clouds." Having spent so much time among disreputable people, it's possible he didn't realize God's disdain for human sacrifice. And he is most probably referring to a person, not an animal, because an animal would not come out of the doors of his house to meet him, other than a pet dog, and dogs were not worthy sacrifices. His vow also points to his doubt that God would deliver the Ammonites into his hands unless he was willing to make a major sacrifice to God.
- His military campaign is successful; the Ammonites are subdued.
- The first person who comes out of his house to meet him is his daughter, "with timbrels and with dancing." What is her joyful meeting is devastating to him.
- She willingly succumbs to his vow, but asks that she be given two months to "bewail" her virginity. Some say Jephthah does offer her as a sacrifice, so she will die without children, a shame in Israelite culture. Some say this means she remained a virgin for the rest of her life, obviously shut up, because otherwise she would be free to go up to the mountains anytime. Again, quoting Matthew Henry, "...probably, the reason why it is left dubious by the inspired penman whether he sacrificed her or not was that those who did afterwards offer their children might not take any encouragement from this instance. Concerning this and some other such passages in the sacred story, which learned men are in the dark, divided, and in doubt about, we need not much perplex ourselves; what is necessary to our salvation, thanks be to God, is plain enough."
1-7 Intertribal Dissension
- Ephraimites complain to Jephthah that he did not ask them for help when he went to Ammon. (Same complaint to Gideon in Judges 8. Apparently, Gideon and Jephthah were both of the tribe of Manasseh, and there was jealousy behind their complaints, as both Ephraim and Manasseh were sons of Joseph.)
- Jephthah: I called you for help, but you did not respond.
- The tribes fight; Gilead wins and control the passage from Gilead to Ephraim.
- Curious incident: When an Ephraimite would pretend to be of Gilead and try to cross back over to Ephraim, the Gilead would ask him to pronounce "Shibboleth." Ephraimites could not pronounce the "Sh" sound, so they would be identified and punished for trying to escape.
- 42,000 Ephraimites were killed by their Gileadite brothers.
- Jephthah judged for 6 years.
- More 30's: The next judge, Ibzan of Bethlehem, gave his 30 daughters in marriage outside his clan, and brought in 30 daughters from the outside to marry his 30 sons.
- Ibzan is judge for 30 years.
- Elon the Zebulunite is judge for 10 years.
- Abdon, a Pirathonite, judges for 8 years, has 40 sons, 30 grandsons, who rode on 70 donkeys (which probably means they went about the country as judges or as gentlemen who did not work as farmers or laborers).
3 - "[O God,]...your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you." David has no reservations in expressing his devotion and love to God. In this psalm alone, he uses very personal expressions: My soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you; my lips will praise you; I lift up my hands; my soul is satisfied; my mouth praises you; I think of you on my bed and meditate on you; my soul clings to you.
2 Corinthians 1
1-2 Salutation
- Same first verse as 1 Corinthians 1, except this time he's accompanied by Timothy instead of Sosthenes.
- This time he mentions not only Corinth, but all the saints throughout Achaia.
- Verse 2 here exactly the same as Verse 3 in 1 Corinthians 1
- Paul blesses God, the "Father of mercies and God of consolation," who in consoling those with him helps them console others. I think this word bless is strange in the way it is used both ways, and has to mean different things. We know how God "blesses" us -- he gives us things we need or that make us happy. Just how do we bless him? According to Strong, it's simple; one of the definitions of the Greek word used here, eulogetos, is "to praise or celebrate with praises."
- Our consolation through Christ is as abundant as the sufferings of Christ. [Just as he suffered for our sakes,] we suffer for your "consolation and salvation" and know you are consoled in your affliction.
- Paul speaks of their affliction in Asia (the incident with Demetrius in Ephesus?), when they thought they might die and have to rely on God's power to resurrect.
- But God rescued them, and Paul expect hims to rescue them again.
- Paul asks the Corinthians for their prayers so thanksgiving will continue among many.
- We have reason to boast: we have acted frankly and sincerely, by the grace of God
- Another reason to boast: You Corinthians, as we are also your reason to boast.
- Paul was not being deceitful when he changed his plans regarding visiting Corinth both on the way to and from Macedonia, just as he showed his sincerity when he and Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy taught them the gospel.
- It was for your sakes I did not come to Corinth as I wanted to and had planned.
- We are workers for your joy.
No comments:
Post a Comment