Daily Morning Watch

August 21, 2022

This chapter shows the continuing and growing confusion and violence developing in Israel. Now that judges are seen as having power, suddenly people want to be judges—and they want to call themselves “kings.” Let’s look at one particular detail, shown in verse 23. Throughout the Old Testament, especially in these early books, God is given the credit for both good and evil. God doesn’t send evil. He is sovereign, and could stop evil spirits from entering us, but He does not interfere with our wills. The fact is, when people choose evil continually, they take themselves out of God’s control, which opens them up to evil.

August 20, 2022

Apparently, the original 20,000 volunteers did not include the ones in the first half of this chapter! They wouldn’t even help Gideon complete the conquest of the remnants of Midian they were pursuing. But when he was successful, then they all wanted him to be king! What was his response? So far, Gideon was being faithful. Unfortunately, the end of the chapter shows several ways in which his faithfulness failed. How many can you find?

August 19, 2022

Here is one of our favorite Bible stories. Have you heard it since childhood? It seems like a great thing that 20,000 soldiers gather to fight Midian. And it is; they were bravely and faithfully answering a call. But God wanted it to be obvious that His was the power that saved the country. So He went through two steps to thin down the crowds. And even then, the remaining 300 went to war armed with pitchers, trumpets, and torches! What principles in this story apply to your lives?

August 18, 2022

Now we come to a more detailed story, one we love. It stands as an example of all the times the people fell to their enemies and God sent a deliverer. Note the steps: first, the fall, followed by oppression. Finally, in verse 6, the cry to God. (You’d think God would get tired of answering!) In the next few verses, God patiently reminds them why they are in this situation. Then God sends an angel to call Gideon. The rest of the chapter details the back-and-forth exchanges between God and His reluctant prophet. What parts do you most relate to? Have you ever asked, “Why, God?”

August 16, 2022

Judges had now become something like public officers. Besides rescuing the people from conquest, they also worked as judges in everyday disputes. At this time, the judge was a woman. When Israel was taken over by yet another neighboring king, Barak had the wisdom not only to go to the presiding judge to seek God’s will, but to tell her he wouldn’t even go to battle without her. To him, she was the sign that God was with him. So she went, but it was two women who saved the day for the Israelites this time.

August 14, 2022

This chapter is confusing, chronologically speaking. The story of Joshua’s death is repeated in the middle. Then it goes on to the next generation, people who grew up after Joshua was gone. And it seems that the angel’s rebuke in the early part of the chapter might be for that generation, though there were also those of the earlier generations who had compromised with idolatry. Here, the tragedy of the book of Judges, the tragedy of humanity in general, begins to show despair. “The sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals.” Notice verse 4: whenever they are rebuked (even for centuries to come) they always weep and say they’re sorry. But most of them do not change. Eventually, they will even stop being sorry.

August 13, 2022

Although the land is laid out, much conquest is yet undone. Some of the tribes set out to fulfill their instructions. Some don’t. It may be a good idea to realize here that as we read Judges, we will come to some of the darkest stories in the Bible. This book will show the depths to which the human spirit can sink when it refuses, time after time, to steadfastly obey God. In your life, there are enemies of falsehood, or selfishness, or unlovingness to battle in God’s strength. Are you conquering them in the blood of Christ, or are you compromising?

September 12, 2022

For seven months, the Philistines had held out. Now they just wanted to get rid of the ark. They asked their magicians to tell them what to do to please this powerful God. In pagan times, people made gold images of whatever their problem was and offered it to their gods to ask for help. God didn’t need such images, but He knew the people were doing all they knew to do. Notice that the diviners knew all about Pharaoh and his hard heart. They had some good advice—“Don’t be like that!”

August 11, 2022

Joshua is now 110 years old. Like Moses, he has spent his life in the service of God and his people. He has finished the long task God gave them, settling the people in their original homeland. Before he dies, Joshua wants to remind the people of the promises and faithfulness of God. In this chapter, what reminders and warnings does he give? Do any of them, in principle, apply to your life?