Judges 1:1-2:9, Luke 21:29-22:13, Psalm 90:1-91:16, Proverbs 13:24-25
Today is the 23rd day of April, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian, like every day and it’s great to be here with you around the Global Campfire, like every day. It’s wonderful to bring to conclusion another one of our weeks together, even as we’re about to begin a new book and move into some brand-new territory together in the Old Testament.
Introduction to the Book of Judges:
So, today we will begin the Book of Judges and let’s talk about a little bit so we have a little bit of a fly over, at least an understanding about the territory that we’re moving into. I’ve known about the book of Judges since I memorize the books of the Bible when I was kid, but I always thought it was a book of judgment and I never read it. Judges, I mean, who wants to read that book. Although that’s not what the book is about, particularly. So, let’s just turn around and face backward and look at where we’ve come from, what we’ve read so far. We have met Abraham right, Isaac and Jacob. We remember that Jacob’s name was ultimately changed to Israel and so when he had children, they were Israel’s kids, the children of Israel. And we got to watch when they were born and each of those children became one of the tribes of Israel. And then, we follow the story of Joseph all the way into Egypt, saw a famine come upon the land and this reuniting of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt where they are rescued. And then four centuries past and the children of Israel are now slaves in Egypt. We met Moses, we saw the Exodus; the children of Israel being freed from slavery in Egypt and then we wandered in the wilderness with them, until Moses’ death. And then Joshua emerges as Israel’s leader, in the place of Moses, who leads the children of Israel across, into the Promised Land and then we read all of the conquest of the Promised Land and the division of the Promised Land and the settling of the Promised Land, right up until the end of Joshua’s life at 110 years of age. And that’s where we concluded the book of Joshua. So, as we move now into the Book of Judges, we’re not moving into a brand-new story with a whole new set of characters and a whole new group of people. It’s the same story, the same family, this is what happens after Joshua’s leadership. We’ll find that the people pretty well stick together and have a pretty good understanding of what is expected of them and how to operate etc. etc., as long as the people who were contemporary with Joshua who had seen the things that they had seen and who had crossed the Jordan River and fought for the land. Things kind of hold together for a while and then the tribes are the tribes and they begin to do whatever seems right in their own eyes. And sometimes what’s right in their own eyes is right, and sometimes what’s right in their own eyes is very wrong and eventually causes oppression upon the people and they return to God, crying out to God for rescue and God sends a judge to sort of, stand in as a ruler for such a time as this, and lead the people back to God, lead the people forward. Although, as we meet the different judges, we’ll see that their kind of, all over the map, in terms of their leadership. So, as we move through judges, we will move through the centuries that follow Joshua, the people in their life, in the Promised Land and the challenges of that in their slow, slide away from God. And by the time we get to the end of Judges, like I said, several centuries have passed, which will lead us from the beginning of their living in the Promised Land, until the time where they decide they need a king. So, before we can meet Israel’s first king, we need to meet Israel’s judges in the time between Joshua and the first king. So, with that, let’s begin, Judges chapter 1 verse 1 through 2 verse 9.
Prayer:
Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for bringing us successfully through another week together. We thank You for this brand-new territory that we’ve opened the book on today in the Book of Judges and as we see the…the difference between the times of the judges and the times of Moses and Joshua and we find the shifting sands of our own lives and our own hearts postures and may we very, very clearly see the roads and where they lead and may we seek the voice of wisdom in our lives, knowing that she is at every crossroads pointing the way, if we will but slow down and pay attention. Come, Holy Spirit into all of this we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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And that’s it for today, I’m Brian, I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Prayer and Encouragements:
Hi, DAB fam. This is Emma per Bella in Indiana calling. I don’t know if anybody is gonna get to hear this or not but I just need to ask for prayer. My husband and I have been trying to conceive now for over a year and we knew it would be difficult because of some pre-existing health conditions and now we’re at the stage where we’re at the fertility clinic and kind of moving forward with IVF and all sorts of fun things like that. I just got off the phone with my insurance and while I’m very, very highly blessed and have coverage on a lot of items, the actual medications themselves and the actual injections are not at all covered. And I’m finding very quickly that that’s where a lot of that cost comes from. And I’m scared and I don’t know, I don’t know how God’s gonna do this one. I know He always provides and my head is very aware that you know, He has a plan and He’s in control of it. But my heart is scared and doesn’t know how it’s gonna happen and doesn’t know if it’s gonna be able to happen. And I just, I’m asking for prayer. Thank you everyone. Have a great day.
So, I just listened to the message from Brian on the 19th about how Jesus is saying to us, “I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace,” and coupled, that message coupled with the prayer that I heard right after, the lady talked about how she had been kind of on both sides to that prodigal son message and how she had such a breakthrough by asking God to reveal to her in her heart you know why she was reacting certain ways. My goodness, I just feel like, I hope Brian selecting this on purpose or that was just the way it was supposed to be. It just feels like, I had some areas in my life where I’ve been really struggling with my own reactions to things and I know that the way I’m reacting is not the way that I should be. And it’s not the way I want to be and it upsets me and it upsets the people around me. And I just kind of felt like, that was like, straight to me. How I wish today that you, like it was me, of all people, why don’t understand the way to peace and then hearing that lady just talk about how she had this big breakthrough. It just really meant a lot. And so, I’m just really appreciative that you guys share your stories and that Brian placed them and I just hope that I’m gonna be able to really listen to God speaking. Cause I really want to search my, have Him search my heart and to know how to stop reacting the way I’ve been in these situations and that I’ve been struggling with, so. Anyways. Thanks for listening.
Hello Daily Audio Bible community, this is Davis in Kansas. It is Wednesday morning, April 20th, it’s the day before my surgery. I’m calling now cause in a few hours I’m gonna start taking meds and other fun stuff that will get me ready for my surgery tomorrow and then after that my surgery is like, first thing tomorrow morning. So, I’m not gonna get another chance to call. So, I figured, this would be my, it’s not gonna be my last call, it’s gonna be my last call until my surgery, obviously. For anybody that has been following along for the insurance and for those who have been praying for me, I definitely appreciate that, thank you. And just ask that you keep me in your prayers. I’ve been praying over and over that the Lord will guide the surgeons’ hands as if they were His own hands. Cause it is the Lord who stitched me together from the beginning and I think it’s the Lord who’s gonna get me through this now. I pray that I will get the best kind of outcome for my surgery. That I’ll, won’t have to have any type of attachments or extra things that will require a second surgery. That I’ll just be able to heal and go home in a couple days. And I pray that my recovering over the next few months is swift and that I am rebuilt better than ever and that the Lord is with me every step of the way. So, thank you everyone who has been praying for me and who will continue to pray for me. And I will update you in a few days when I’m feeling better.
Hi, it’s Shannon from Texas and I need you guys to help me pray. I have got myself into a little situation. I met a girl a while back in a work situation and I may have called in to pray for her, she had been, was confiding in me, I know the Lord sent her to me because she had been sexually assaulted, sexually abused in church growing up. Brutally violated, raped right before I had met her and she was, you know suicidal, had been you know, through a lot of things. And I know that the Lord, of course sent her to me. And then recently she called me on Easter, didn’t have anywhere to go and I’ve always felt that the Lord has told me, you know, when I give you, you know, things, they’re not yours, they’re mine to give. So, I was out, hesitation, said you could stay for a little bit and now she’s been with me for a couple of days and I am so beyond overwhelmed. She, you know, I knew her personality but I am just so beyond overwhelmed because of her personality. Because it reminds me of a lot of those years that my son was so elevated and it’s so triggering to me, the loudness, the talking, the drama/trauma all the time. It’s like, what have I got myself into. And, I just, I’m losing it and I’m like, how’s this ministering, how’s this helping her. And now, I’m getting to the point where I’m falling apart and I’m just kind of like, she has nowhere to go, she’s supposed to have somewhere to go coming up soon. So, I can’t start falling apart and then not be to her who God needs her to be and so, now I’m having some personal stresses of my own and starting to fall apart. It’s just a mess, it’s a literal mess. So, I need some prayers. I love you guys. Love you, love you