February 19

Journey-through-the-Bible-with-us

READING FOR FEBRUARY 19, 2025: JUDGES 20, MATTHEW 13, PSALM 9:13-20                     JUDGES 20 The Battle at Gibeah: Obedience, Initial Defeat, and Final Victory.

The ghastly story continues of a Levite’s concubine from Bethlehem who was raped multiple times before being killed. Each of the tribes received a piece of the concubine’s dead body. A huge assembly of Israel took place at Mizpah where the Levite was asked exactly what happened. The Levite described the event, although he failed to mention he and his host offered the concubine to the mob. The people of Israel decided to mobilize their forces against the men of Gibeah. Before engaging in battle, Israel gave Benjamin the opportunity to hand over the offending men of Gibeah. This offer was rejected and 26,000 men of Benjamin gathered at Gibeah prepared to fight their fellow Israelites, who numbered 400,000. Before attacking, Israel asked God who should lead the battle.  God replied Judah should go first.

Day One of the Battle: Israel staked out their position, but it was Benjamin who came out of Gibeah to initiate hostilities. They killed a shocking 22,000 Israelites that day. This obviously brought great sorrow to Israel, who asked God if they should try again. God said yes.                                                                                           Day Two of the Battle: Israel once more drew near Gibeah, and once more Benjamin came out of the city. This time Benjamin killed an additional 18,000 Israelites. Totally shocked, Israel’s army withdrew all the way to Bethel. At that time, Bethel was where the ark of the covenant stayed. This was an appropriate place for them to grieve, sacrifice offerings, and seek more direction from the Lord. This time the Lord assured them they would be victorious.                                                                                                                                      Day Three of the Battle: Once again Benjamin came out of the city to meet Israel. They seemed to have some initial success and pursued the retreating Israelites. This time, however, 10,000 Israelites charged into Gibeah while it was left undefended. Once again for a brief time, Benjamin experienced a little success, but when they turned to see Gibeah in flames, Israel counterattacked. The Benjaminites fled, losing over 25,000 men that day. Not satisfied with that day’s victory, Israel devastated all the cities of Benjamin they came across.

This chapter leaves us with some questions that aren’t easy to answer. Why did God tell Israel to attack the first days, only to let them experience such heavy losses? Was Israel’s destruction of additional cities in Benjamin warranted or was it going too far. The next chapter deals with the battle’s aftermath. Perhaps it will provide some help, but we must always trust that God’s ways are best and beyond our total understanding.

 MATTHEW 13 This chapter is a series of parables spoken to a large crowd by Jesus, inter-- spersed with explanatory asides to his disciples. It reminds one of a scene from an opera or a play where the main character takes brief pauses in the action to provide some inside informa- tion directly to the audience, unbeknownst to the other characters. In this case the asides 1) explain why Jesus spoke in parables and, 2) gives a more literal analysis of the parables.

FOR FEBRUARY 19, 2025 CONTINUED: MATTHEW 12, PSALM 9:13-20                                        The most common explanation we hear for Jesus speaking in parables is to help the people understand. That is not the reason Jesus gives!  He explains he speaks this way so people will hear the truth but not understand it.  He connects this idea to the mission given to the prophet Isaiah to tell the people of Judah, almost sarcastically, to hear but not understand, to see but not perceive. He told the disciples, who left everything to follow Him, they have been granted knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom.  Others, who have not fully trusted in Jesus, not only will not understand these mysteries, but will lose the little tie they do have to the kingdom of heaven.

Another clue that Jesus really means what He says is that this explanation is sandwiched between the telling of the parable of the sower and Jesus’s literal analysis of it to His disciples. This bracketed literary structure (inclusio) often implies connection. In one instance the seed is sown but snatched away, in another the lack of roots makes its life temporary, and in another its growth is choked due to life concerns or wealth. These three situations are another way of saying “whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away.”   In the case of the good soil of strong faith, such as the disciples and any who truly receives the teaching, the seed is tremendously productive. This concept has a certain similarity to an earlier parable about giving pearls to pigs. In Matt.13, the pearls of wisdom are disguised by metaphors (i.e., parables).  To understand God’s deeper wisdom, we must believe/obey truth we are given.

Some brief thoughts about the rest of the chapter:

  • The parables of tares (weeds) among wheat and good and bad fish include truth often avoided in churches. At the final judgment, those rejecting our gentle Jesus will be cast “into the furnace of fire; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  These are Jesus’s words!
  • The parables of the mustard seed and leaven remind us even tiny and seemingly hidden sharing of God’s truth can bring huge results. Don’t minimize your potential impact. Spread the good news.
  • Why did Nazareth, Jesus’s hometown, reject Him? They were already familiar with some levels of Him.Do we fail to make Jesus Lord (in charge) of every part of our lives because we have for so long only dabbled in Him?
  • Most scribes (i.e., Old Testament scholars) rejected Jesus. Jesus said that those who do become His disciples (vs. 52) can possess both old treasures (Old Testament truths) and new treasures (relationship with Jesus). The Apostle Paul is a great example of an Old Testament scholar who was powerfully used by God to spread the Gospel. 

PSALM 9:13-20  In verses 13-14, David expresses the best motivation for asking for restoration: to tell others how great God is. Perhaps when we pray for our own healing, we can take that view. (Remember after Peter’s mother-in-law was healed, she served Jesus.) 

In verses 16-20, David anticipates kingdom truths Jesus taught in His parables and sermons:

  • God has made Himself known (vs.16).
  • Humanity’s own so-called achievements apart for God will bring them down (vs. 16).
  • The eternal result for those who reject God is totally bad (vs.17). 
  • Those aware of their need and affliction without God can hope for the future (vs.18). 
  • Thus, let’s pray that His Kingdom will come, and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven (vs.19-20).