JUDGES 11:1-12:15
AMMONITES: Descendants of Lot, so they represent the FLESH. They speak of those who take the truth and pervert it and teach error, false doctrine that becomes part of our tradition. Like the FLESH, they were a self-indulgent people. We have all heard it in churches and may have even "bought into it" for a time. It is time now to strip the lies away and see what's under there!
JEPHTHAH: He had an ignoble past, but because of the grace of God, he is a type of Jesus. His name means "to open wide, to loose, to let go free, opening, doorway, to break forth". He was a "mighty man of valor" and the "son of a harlot". He was thrust out by his brothers, but called to be their Deliverer (like Jesus). He "opens up" Scripture to counter false doctrine (v.12). But alas, the enemy does not like to give up any territory.
"THEN THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME UPON JEPHTHAH" (v.29) BUT.....he made a vow anyway. In light of his anointing, he didn't need the vow or the offering. But once it was made, he had to keep it, even though it cost him his only child.
CIVIL WAR: "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." (Jas 3:17) The Ephriamites are still proud (chap 8). Pride and jealousy are double trouble! So Jephthah killed 2040 of them. The Ephriamites were betrayed by how they talked!
IBZAN, ELON, ABDON: These three together represent the Believer in Jesus. "Ibzan" means "purity. "Elon" means "strong". "Abdon" means "worshipper" or "servant".
RESPONSE: Jephthah is mentioned in Hebrews 11 as a hero of the faith. He was hindered by his ugly past, but he lived up to his name by breaking free himself, then freeing others. Even though the Ephriamites called him and his men "renegades", Jephthah prevailed because "the Spirit of the Lord was upon him". He couldn't be stopped. Victory was certain.
JOHN 1:1-28
JOHN: The youngest of the 12, probably 14 when he was called to follow Jesus, making him only 17 when Jesus died. John also wrote three epistles and the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Before the destruction of Jerusalem, it is believed that John moved to Ephesus where he pastored the church. While in Ephesus, by order of the Roman Emperor Domitian, John was exiled to Patmos, where he wrote the book of the Revelation. When he was released from exile, he returned to Ephesus and lived there until he died about 100 AD.
BOOK OF JOHN: Written by "the disciple Jesus loved". The book does not just explain the Kingdom of God, but demonstrates man's interaction and participation in it. It is not a biography of Jesus, but revelation concerning the truth of John 1:14 (the manifestation of God). The key words of John are "Father" (122 times) and "believe" (the verb - 98 times). John's book reveals that life is, by definition, utterly meaningless without Christ because He Himself is the "Logos", the Word of God, the root source of all Meaning.
"IN THE BEGINNING": This is NOT a time, but a place in God.
"LOGOS": Life-giving Word which is the root-source of ALL meaning, Reality and authority. It is Jesus' preincarnate Name. Grace and Truth are both found in Jesus because Truth makes demands on us that Grace makes possible. "Glory" (Gr: doxa) is the outward expression of God's fullness. Jesus IS "the glory of God." John 1:14 sums it up.
GOSPEL OF JOHN: The Gospel of John is fully expressed in the first 18 verses of the book. Chapters 1-12 are revelations gleaned from Jesus' public ministry. Each miracle listed here (7), serves as an introduction to a discourse revealing some spiritual Truth or application. Chapters 13-21 are about Jesus' personal ministry, the secrets of Jesus' life. They reveal how to live in this new relationship to and with the Godhead.
RESPONSE: That's a lot to take in. HOWEVER, John also wrote "The Revelation of Jesus Christ", so that makes him an expert. He has insights into spiritual truth that the other Gospels don't give. He truly saw Jesus as the manifestation of God. As the youngest of Jesus' "teenaged posse", John also connects us to the early Church fathers, such as Plutarch (who also pastored in Ephesus). John is one of those books in the Bible that you just have to sit and soak in. Every miracle in here has an application. Look for it.
PSALM 101:1-8
TRUTH IN THE RULER AND TRUTH IN HIS RANKS: Written by King David. This Psalm tells us that when we really believe in the Sovereignty of God, we conduct ourselves with integrity. "Within my house" and "in the city of the Lord" tells us that what he is in his private life, is what will determine what he is in his public life. Noone should have power without purity.
WHO SHOULD RULE? "The ones who behave wisely, the ones who walk with a perfect heart, the faithful of the Land, he that walks in a perfect way."
PROVERBS 14:13-14
"BACKSLIDER": Original language means "to retreat or turn back". "To draw back". "To depart from God". "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul." (Heb 10:38-39) It says here in Proverbs that the backslider is saturated with foolishness, sin, disappointment and death, for those are the ways of man.
"A GOOD MAN": Obviously a "good man” is a believer, because in the original language to be "good", means you are in harmony with God, and are able to fulfill your purpose and assignments. You are doing what you were made to do. You will be filled with a good conscience, faith, love, peace, righteousness and exceeding joy.
RESPONSE: There was a time when I knew far more than I was doing. I was a miserable Christian - which is really a contradiction in terms. That is like being married to the best possible person, and not enjoying it. But that was me! I didn't know HOW to be happy! So, even though I was born again and loved God (sometimes), I was a "backslider" because I was constantly facing backwards in my behavior. I drew back in fear and departed from the Word. "What if Jesus won't help me?" "What if Jesus doesn't really love me, but just IS love?" "What if the Scriptures aren't true for me because I don't qualify somehow." "Why is everyone else so happy?: So my life was just like described: foolishness, sin, disappointment, torment and death.
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