Reading Judges as Literature?

It is easy to imagine various reasons why the type of literary historical reading might be rejected out of hand by many biblical scholars. Some might argue, perhaps under the influence of the Copenhagen school, that there really is very little agreement about the “real” history of Israel, making this type of contextualized literary study impossible.(1) I disagree. More likely, sustained work will show that the Copenhagen school is using unrealistically stringent standards for reconstructing the history of antiquity.(2) Others might believe that reading is a fundamentally subjective venture. They might even point to the seemingly intractable debate between Meir Sternberg, and David Gunn and Dana Nolan Fewell on how a seemingly straightforward story, Genesis 34, should be read.(3) However, all is not in the eye of the beholder, or reader. I am not alone here; Paul Noble in his analysis of this debate concerning the interpretation of Genesis 34 notes: “by careful attention to the linguistic details one can move toward an objective, reader-independent understanding of the text.”(4) I concur. Methods which have competed in the past must now be used side-by-side, since “the Old Testament contains some very strange literature; perhaps it would not be surprising if it takes more than one kind of sensibility to understand it.” The utility of this eclectic method may be evaluated by others using at least two different criteria: Are the assumptions made about these texts reasonable? Are the readings that result from these assumptions at least as compelling as the alternative interpretations of other scholars?



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(1)Marc Zvi Brettler, The Book of Judges, (London and New York: Routledge, 2002), 20.
(2)Ibid.
(3)Ibid.
(4)Ibid.

Mothers in the Old Testament

In the male dominated Old Testament period, it is not surprising that there are a few passages that focus on women as mothers. However, through Kings to Chronicles, especially the long genealogies in the beginning of the 1 Chronicles, it is amazing to find there are almost 30 times of the repeated phrase of “mother” or “the mother of”. It is also striking to learn how much negative impact, as well as positive influence, a mother can have on her children after learning the story of Jezebel and Athaliah. Thus, it can be helpful to study some of the significant mothers in the Old Testament.

The first mother of all people, Eve, not only failed as a wife, but also failed as a mother. She was assigned by God to Adam as his helper. Though she was made in God’s image and was good in God’s eyes, she was not able to overcome Satan’s temptation. Furthermore, she dragged Adam into sin and she also failed to pass down the great lesson she learned, that is when one sins against God, He knows, to her next generation before her son, Cain, killed his brother Abel. The tragedy of Isaac and Ishmael, and Jacob and Esau might not have happened without Sarah’s despise of Hagar and Rebekah’s favoritism toward Jacob. Solomon's sin of indulgence may not only come from his father David, but also from his mother Bathsheba; though she managed to build up him to be the successor of the kingdom.

Jochebed, the mother of Moses, set up a significant model of a serving mother. Perhaps she is the mother under most pressure. In such a dangerous age she kept her little baby for three months with anxiety while secretly weaving the basket that would hold him. In Pharaoh's house she must have undergone great stress and a lot of self control not showing too much intimacy towards her little boy. It is beyond one’s imagine how much she influenced Moses' character to be a leader and to have a deep love towards his people. Another positive mother figure is Hannah. Instead of writing a 50 page instructions on how to pray and keep the vow, she modeled it. She set up a good example of prayer, which means talking to God heart to heart. Young Samuel might have learned the importance to keep one’s vow to God by experiencing his mother obedience by bringing him to Shiloh. He might have heard the story of his mother praying for him from Eli. It is impossible for Samuel not to recognize his mother’s deep love for him after receiving the little robes weaved by her hands year after year. And Hannah’s appreciation to God was obvious by the way she named her precious son—Samuel, “asked of the Lord” (I Samuel 1:28). All these experiences could be some of the explanation of how the little Samuel became a prayer warrior in the temple, while Eli’s sons became wicked men.

Indeed, mothers have a lot of influence on their children. However, it is not to say they are accountable no matter what their children turn out to be. Each of pair, Cain and Abel, Moses, Aaron and Miriam, and Esau and Jacob, had the same mother, but each child turned out totally different. It is a mothers’ responsibility to nurture, to train, and to model for her children, but God also gives the children free will to choose. Each choice leads to a consequence and the person has to receive that consequence. God has His purpose and His path for each child, and every mother is not alone in bringing up her child, for God is always there supporting her and teaching her if she is willing to learn. God shows His guidance to the earthly mothers and He uses these stories to remind them what a biblical mother should do.

Short Cut

Facing crossroads: One way is straight, and the other is winding, most people should know which way takes shorter time if both of them lead to the same destination. However, that does not mean they will wisely choose the right short cut. Among the twelve spies sent by Moses, only two were courageous enough to encourage the people to “go up and take possession of the land” (Numbers 13:30), while all the others refused to go because they were driven by fear. Surely, they would not know that the winding road they chose would take them 40 years to get to their destination. If they had ever known, they would have gone “up to the place the Lord promised” (Numbers 14:40). If this 40-year-long journey is not frustrating enough for this group of nomadic people, then how hopeless must it be for them to travel knowing for certain that they will not be able to enter the land even if they get there one day.

Nowadays, when one looks at the map as an outsider it is not difficult to find out how much easier it would have been for the Israel to travel the straight road from Egypt to Jericho, instead of going the roundabout way of Rameses, Mount Sinai, Ezion Geber, Kadesh, to Jericho. However, while it is easy to criticize how stubborn the Israelites had been, people nowadays are not any better than them. The similar tricks and failures are still playing in our life. Everyone who has the experience of circling around the big parking lot on North Campus to find a good spot on Tuesday morning will easily understand the following illustration. It is so easy for the one who stands in the hallway on the second floor and looks through the window to tell the people to turn left and turn right to get the spot. Many times in life, people are driving their own cars trying to find a spot in the best area according to their standard, but they circle around and around without finding any place. God, who is standing on the second floor, whispers, shouts and waves to get their attention: “Stop circling; there is no parking space here for you.” However, they refuse to go anywhere else because they think their way is the short cut for them to get to their destination. There are also so many times people give a glance at the seemingly full parking lot and turn away without going into it, and so they ignore the heavenly Father’s voice again: “There is a man trying to leave. Come and get his spot.”

The Old Testament, from Moses’ time to Judges, to the period after Kings, is a history of wandering and being rebellious. Israel was wandering again and again without finding a right entrance. The people did not know what was best for them. And after the Southern kingdom and the Northern kingdom were ruined, the people ended up in the wilderness again. Though God was their royal and loyal commander from the beginning to the end, the Israel people just wanted to choose their own commander. They abandoned their God so many times and deceived themselves by their so called "gods", as well as the human leaders chosen among them. During the time His children were wandering, God was so patient to call them, wait for them and guide them back to His designed short cut. This loyalty that God showed toward His people makes Christianity so much different from other religion. Instead of the one way communication, in which people unilaterally butter up some fake gods who desire no mutual intimacy with their people, Christianity is about a perfect God who is so compassionate to seek his people and to bring his people back to Him. Since it is the way He designed, He and Him only knows where the short cut is, and the only thing His people need to do is to humbly follow Him and courageously take a first step towards it.

God’s Forbearance in the Old Testament

A casual reading of the OT can give us the picture of a God who is quick to mete both judgment and reward. Examples of quick judgment would include Miriam’s bout of leprosy after complaining against Moses in the wilderness; the earth swallowing Korah and his followers who rebelled against Moses; God’s quick temper against the Israelites when they grumbled (Moses reminded God of his promise to them and He decided not to destroy them); Uzzah, who touched the Ark of the Covenant to steady it and was immediately struck down; the death of David & Bathsheba’s first son; and the pestilence that came upon Israel as punishment for the census David took near the end of his reign. A few and examples of quick reward would include Hannah conceiving Samuel shortly after Eli’s blessing in the Tabernacle; the victory at the battle of Jericho; and Jonathan’s victory over the Philistine garrison.

But a casual reading also reveals a God who delays gratification and judgment as well. We all know the story of how Abraham waited for years before Sarah gave birth to Isaac, but he was born! Israel was in bondage to Egypt for hundreds of years before the Lord raised up Moses to deliver them. And while David was punished with the death of his son, there was more punishment to come (Ammon and Tamar, Absalom). And perhaps most notable of all is the fulfillment of exile on the people of Israel and Judah for their idolatry. While we do see in Judges the cycle of sin and judgment, there is always swift deliverance when the people repented. But the exile seems to be postponed, sometimes due to the prayers and actions of a single man; some of us cannot help but ask a few questions. Are the seeming delays in keeping with the character of God (specifically his justice and keeping his word)? Is God fickle in how he chooses to mete out punishment and mercy? Can we really lay all of those issues down at the feet of sovereignty and walk away?

Many of these questions also go back to the other post I wrote about prayer. Hannah asked God for a son and received one; Moses reminded God of his promise to Israel and He didn’t destroy them; Israel cried out for centuries to be freed from Egypt and God raised up Moses; Hezekiah prayed and the angel of the Lord destroyed the Assyrian armies so that Judah would not be carried off. Hannah was barren; God was angry; Israel was oppressed, and Hezekiah was surrounded by the army of a king who sent him death threats- and prayers changed the outcome of the situation. So is God’s forbearance directly tied to prayer? Did he delay punishing Israel and Judah time and time again because of the prayers of the occasional righteous man? Did he stave off exile for another two hundred years because of Josiah’s godliness, and annihilate the Assyrian army because of Hezekiah’s desperate plea for God to do something? Abraham prayed for Sodom and Gomorrah, and God still leveled those cities; although he did spare Abraham’s nephew Lot. Would Lot have been spared if Abraham had not interceded for him? The salvation of Lot eventually led to the birth of the Moabites and the Ammonites, people who would later bring trouble and false gods to Israel- so did the fact that God answered Abraham’s prayer contribute to the corruption of his people? Or did God in his sovereignty allow the origin of those peoples knowing the part they would play, both is corrupting Israel and in judging her?

The fact is, none of these situations surprised God in the least. He already had a plan to fulfill his promises to Abraham, rescue Israel from slavery, to show both mercy and judgment to his people- prayer added a human element. While in some instances prayer did not remove or stay consequences (David’s sincere repentance did not prohibit the death of his son, or his other family problems), prayer does allow people to be involved in the process and to interact directly with God. And I would still come to the same conclusion that while our prayers don’t actually change God’s mind in the larger scheme- his plans WILL be accomplished on HIS timetable- prayer does give us an active voice and a participation in what those plans look like in the flesh. God’s forbearance is influenced by our prayers to the degree that our requests coincide with his will.

Give us a King

Give us a King Steven Keith
Samuel was the last judge that judged Israel well. Samuel helped save the Israelites from
the Philistines and he helped lead the people back to God. Samuel was getting old so he
appointed his two sons Joel and Abijah as judges of Israel. However, I Samuel 8:3 says “But his
sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and
perverted justice.” The elders come to Samuel and say “your sons are bad, so appoint us a king
like all the other nations have.” Samuel was displeased, so he prayed to God and God told him
they are not rejecting you, but they are rejecting me as their king. God says in I Samuel 8:9
“Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign
over them will do.” Samuel tells them all the things a king will do them, but the people still
want a King. I wonder if Samuel’s sons were good, if the people would still want a king.
I Samuel 8:20 says “Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go
out before us and fight our battles.” Then God grants the people there wish and tells Samuel
to grant them their wish and to give them a king. Samuel goes on later to anoint Saul as the
first king of Israel. The story could have been a whole lot different if Joel and Abijah would have followed their father’s footsteps.

Samson

Samson Steven Keith
From Judges 13-16 we learn about the life of a man named Samson. Samson is one of
my favorite Old Testament characters because he is a man of great strength. However, Samson
did not really accomplish anything for the people Israel. Some positive aspects about Samson’s
life are that he was a Nazirite from birth, which meant he was to have no razor set upon his head
and that he was specially set apart to God and for his service. Samson made a lot of mistakes.
However, at the end of his life God used him to begin to rescue the nation of Israel from the hand
of the Philistines. Samson was given super human power and he failed to use his power in
proper ways. Samson was in a way very cocky and he thought he could do whatever he wanted
because he was so strong. Killing a thousand men with a jawbone of a donkey and carrying the
city gates away are amazing feats that not even the World’s Strongest men of today could even
dream of doing. Samson was in his mind, the ultimate man of strength. Samson’s weakness of
women in the end cost him his life. Samson for the most part was careless and pretty much
didn’t care what others thought or what God thought. Samson simply did as he pleased and in
the end suffered for it. God in his ultimate power used Samson to accomplish his purposes
despite the failures and mistakes made in Samson’s life. As Christians we can learn that men
of great strength also have areas of weakness. Thus, Samson was a man of great strength, but
he was also a man of great weakness.

God Desires Humbleness

If we do a character study of successful leaders in the Bible, a few common threads are found; one of which is humbleness. Throughout the Bible we find that the Lord seeks the lowly, those who in human eyes would seem disqualified for serving the King of Kings, and those who simply find themselves unworthy of such honor. In God's eyes, humbleness is a key "ingredient" for faithfulness, obedience and leadership.

Let us look at the books of Samuel, particularly the stories of Samuel and David. In the beginning of this book we see that God seeks and raises people of humility and obedience. We learn of Hannah's faithfulness and God's blessing of Samuel; she dedicates him to the Lord as gift of thankfulness to Him. In contrast, we learn of Eli's (a priest and spiritual leader) lack of discipline of his sons who were wicked in the things they did. God chooses Samuel over the house of Eli and we learn of Samuel's faithfulness in ministry (1 Sam. 2:11), his eagerness to serve (1 Sam. 3:3-4:10) and his reluctance to replace Eli in ministry (1 Sam. 3:15-21).

The same happens to David and Saul. David began as a lowly shepherd boy, humble beginnings, he became "a man after God's own heart" (1 Sam. 13:14). 1 Samuel 8-31 we see how God chooses the house of David to rule over the house of Saul because Saul failed in keeping God's commandments. In 2 Samuel 1-24 God honors David's obedience with the promise of a dynasty. In 2 Samuel 23 we see that God chose to bless David even though he made horrendous mistakes, one after the other! However, David exhibited true repentance in his heart, he was quick to acknowledge his mistakes and God honored him for his humbleness and obedience. His humbleness is evident in 1 Chronicles 29:11-14 as he gives credit to God for all that he is and has:

¹¹Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. ¹²Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, an in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. ¹³And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. ¹⁴But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. (ESV)

What a lesson of repentance, forgiveness and humbles we find in David. O that we strive like David and seek to empty ourselves of "us" to fill it with Christ.

God’s Provision for the Temple

In the seventh chapter of 2 Samuel, we learn that David has a desire to build the Lord a house to dwell in, he states to the prophet Nathan that "…I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent" (2 Sam 7:2). Although the reasoning behind David's thought is not explicitly stated in the Bible, it is safe to deduce that David felt that a tent was not a place fit for the God of Israel, when he (David) the king lived in a house of cedar. A few verses down we learn that God speaks to Nathan the prophet and charges David with the task of building the temple, a task that is later removed from David and placed upon Solomon because of the bloodshed David caused before the Lord on earth (1 Chro 22:7-8).

In 1 Chro 29:2-5 David speaks of his offering for the construction of the Temple out of his kingdom's riches, and especially out of his own personal wealth. He challenges the people of Israel to give and to give joyfully and wholeheartedly (1 Chro 29:6). The people give and give abundantly, David rejoices and praises God for his greatness and gives God the recognition for all their blessings (1 Chro 29:12-15). You see, David realized that all we are and all that we have comes from God. He blesses us so that we can be a blessing, not so we can hoard wealth for our own family's enjoyment alone. God set David apart to build his Kingdom; throughout David's reign he protected and blessed David. Much of the wealth David had acquired was provided through plunders of war, just as God provided gold and silver for the people of Israel when they left Egypt (Exodus 11:2-3). When God calls us to serve him (regardless of the capacity), He is faithful to provide so that we can accomplish what we were called to do (whether it be financially or with abilities). All that we are and all that we have comes from Him alone. God takes pleasure in uprightness and our uprightness is displayed when we freely and joyously give onto the Lord out of His blessings to us (see 1 Chro 29:16-17).

Who are the Sons of God in Genesis 6?

When reading the story of the Genesis account one comes to a rather awkward passage at the beginning of Genesis 6 that has led to debate for many centuries. The passage follows the thoughts of Chapter five, providing a chronological bridge between what had transpired in the Garden of Eden and what would occur during the flood judgment. Here we find the story of the “Sons of God” marrying the “daughters of man” and producing a race of children which many believe grew into a race of giants (nephilim).

The problem arises from the enigmatic use of the phrase “Sons of God.” We see this somewhat ambiguous phrase used several ways in the scripture and it begs the question of how to interpret this difficult passage. Whenever one is dealing with a passage which is so difficult to understand the first course of action must be to let Scripture interpret Scripture.

There are basically three interpretations which have been proposed for who these Sons of God are. The first is that they are angelic or possibly even demonic spirits which came to earth and married. The second is that they are a dynasty of evil kings. Finally we have the theory that this refers to the descendants of Seth. When we examine scripture it appears that the “Sons of God” most likely refers to humans not angels. Remembering that it is best to interpret Scripture through Scripture we find the theory of Angelic beings facing problems when we read in Matthew that Angels do not marry. Everywhere we see the Angels in Scripture they are represented as asexual beings. It would therefore be rather odd for there to be a segment of angels which would be so attracted by the beauty of the daughters of man (which the Old Testament gives as their motivation) that they would inhabit the earth and marry them. Also the fact that the punishment for the action was directed to mankind solely ,seems to argue against this belief.

This leaves us with the evil kings and the sons of Seth. Both options are preferable to the idea of angelic beings. The benefit of believing it was the Sons of Seth is that it most easily explains why this type of marriage would enrage God so much, since God strongly prohibits the mixing of his people with pagans in the Old Testament. The benefit of believing it was a group of evil kings is because it most easily explains why these people could take whomever they wanted as wives. Also upon examination we find that the phrase “Sons of God” is used to refer to nobility at times and that even though the Hebrew uses the name Elohim, this is not always exclusively of God. Finally, while the Nephilim are sometimes thought of as giants it is probably more proper to think of them as mighty men who conquered and possessed much. This would make sense if their fathers were rulers as well.

When digging into Scripture the signposts of this passage seem to point us to an understanding of these “Sons of God” as a group of tyrants, who lived as their own gods, doing whatever they wanted and angering a Holy God in the process. We cannot say definitively whether these men were tyrants or descendants of Seth. However, it certainly appears that to believe there was some race of half-man, half-angelic beings which wrought havoc throughout the earth is superfluous.

The Immutability of God in the Old Testament: Does God Change His Mind?

[Even though we’re finished blogging, this topic raised an interesting discussion in class the other day; and I had just been discussing this very topic with the ladies in my community group the night before- thus, a blog!]

We’re given several examples in the Old Testament of God “changing His mind”; but I will limit myself primarily to Exodus 32 and 1 Samuel for the purposes of this discussion. Read Exodus 32: 10-14:

Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”

But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, "O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?

Why should the Egyptians say, 'With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people.

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.'"

And the LORD repented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.

And here is 1 Samuel 15:10-11:

The word of the LORD came to Samuel:

"I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments." And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the LORD all night.

On both of these occasions, God ‘repented’ of an action that He had previously taken. While it would seem that he desired to change his course of action, there is no indication that he intended to change his plan entirely. The Exodus passage tells us that God still wanted to make a great nation of Israel; the Samuel passage reverses a decision God was already displeased about making. Even with the ‘repenting’ or ‘changing his mind’, the Lord’s plan would still be carried out. God said he would destroy the grumbling Israelites, not Moses- there would still have been a remnant to build on, so he would have been able to keep his promise to Abraham. While Israel had been given instructions for kings long before they had them’ specifically that their kings would be from the tribe of Judah; appointing Saul the Benjamite seemed to be contrary to these instructions. So did God change his mind by appointing Saul in the first place; and was Saul’s house of kingship temporary from the beginning? Or did the change of mind come when Saul failed to obey? David was of the tribe of Judah and there was no covenant between God and Saul that was in danger of being broken. So it may be more accurate to say that God changed a detail in the plan rather than the outcome of it. It seems that all the occasions where God ‘changes his mind’ fall into that category- God said he would send Israel into exile for her idolatry, but he pushed back the timetable time and again because there was a righteous person to stem the tide. But he did eventually allow them to be carried off, and then he kept his promise to gather them back to Judah.

While this tends to agree with the camp that says God can change his mind, I can’t emphasize strongly enough the fact that these instances don’t alter the master plan- they in no way detract from covenants he made with people or the things that are to come.

The real question though, seems to be whether or not God’s actions are influenced by our prayers. If they are, does that diminish his authority? and if they are not, then why pray? The discussion I mentioned earlier- the one with my community group- addressed this question. We wrestled with it for over an hour, and finally ended up finding some peace with the answer I gave to the ‘does God change his mind’ question. God does as he pleases- there is no doubt about that. His plans will come to fruition in his timetable. But it does seem that God will choose to alter the means because of our prayers, as long as that alteration does not change the end. In plain language, yes- God does change his mind and can be influenced by our prayers. But again: only when the means don’t change the end, and only when it doesn’t diminish his glory in that action.

Two Birds with One Stone

In the book of Judges we find that Israel still had not claim all the land promised to them. Within a generation of Joshua’s death they turned away from God to worship the Baal of the people around them. God responds to the sins of Israel by rising up the nations stilling living among them and using these people to persecute the people. In turn, the people of Israel cry for relief and turn back to God. God hears the cry of Israel and rises up Judges to battle the enemies of the people. Some of the battles are so intense that there are accounts where whole cities are wiped out and burned to the ground as in Judges 9:49. And with the defeat of their enemies comes peace in the land.

The only problem is that a cycle occurs with Israel when the Judges bring peace, people again turning their back to God and start worshiping the Gods of the other Nations. It is an endless cycle in the book. With nearly every introduction to a new Judge starting with; “Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (ESV). Israel is in such a bad shape that it even seems as if even the Judges become slim pickings.

God’s actions in Judges seem to fit the old saying “to kill two birds with one stone”. God raises the enemies of Israel forces two things to happen. The first thing is, it gets the people to seek him and turn back to him and second thing that happens is in rising up Judges to battle in military campaigns the land of Israel is cleared of enemies leaving solely for them as God has promised.

When God makes a promise he will keep it. He will not allow the sins and setbacks the people stop him from fulfilling his word. One of the best examples of this is in book of Judges.

Leadership concept in the Old Testament

The book of judges is a great sample of how God set the stage for mighty men to take over the leadership of the nation of Israel but every time, they stumbled. From Othniel, Israel’s first Judge to Samson the last judge, they all led Israel's army and fought their enemies especially the philistines but the maximum peace they obtained was only forty years and then after a while there would be other violations that would make them go into war again. This is how God was revealing His mighty plans for raising mighty men to lead His nation into the glory and gratefulness He intended them to. The book of Judges sets the stage for David or King Solomon the wisest man ever lived_ to come and take over this nation that has proved they can and will stumble and the only thing that can keep them from that is God moving through them with Kings that He raised from among them. Even these kings sinned like King David that committed adultery or king Solomon who valued his wives or gold more than he should have but at the end, these were the kings that fulfilled what God meant for His nation. These men had the element of God in them and by helps that they received from God they were able to do what God asked them to and that was leading God’s people where He wanted them. This could be a fact that still applies to church these days too. God most assuredly did not stop raising great men to lead His church and take over from the people that stumble or miss their chances to lead the church. There are still king Davids or Solomons who were raised by God and will take control of His church and turn the suppression into Glory and victory for it.

Who receives God’s bless?

Through Genesis, we can see God’s bless only does not stay first son and stay second son or others. Where is standard of the God’s blessing? For example, in the case Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ismael, Esau and Jacob, Joseph and His brothers, we can see God’s blessing did not stay only on first son and stay second son or others. How do we take a decision? Does first son not take God’s blessing because of receiving bless in the world?
I think God’s bless does not stay because of not only first son but also second son and others. In the case Cain and Abel, God thought it is important who give right worship to God and how worship to God. Of course, they would receive education to Adam and Eve about God. If watch in Genesis 4: 6-7, God speak why he does not take Cain’s worship to us and through Hebrew 11:4, God explains the reason.

Also, the reason is same in the case of Isaac and Ismael. God promised to Abraham that Sara’s son would receive his inheritance. Nevertheless, Abraham distrusted God’s promise and he took Sara’s maid and then Ismael was born. He was sinned to God. Because of that, if we think another sense, Isaac is first son of Abraham.

Thirdly, in the case Esau and Jacob, before they were born in the world, God spoke to Rebecca that first son would serve second son. Because of that, Jacob could receive Isaac’s blessing pray. And also, when we watched Jacob’ sons, could know to be in the God’s good plan that Joseph could receive blessing of Jacob after Jacob was died.

Accordingly, God’s bless exist in his good plan and his predestination, not receiving God’s bless because of first son.

We must not forget God’s bless exist in his good plan and his predestination. God’s bless and selection is only in his will. Because of His will, we are saved. This is God’s love and grace.

Eli's sons vs. Samuel's sons

Before the time of undivided monarchy, there were the periods of judges. The last judges were Samuel and his sons. We heard about the greatness of Samuel. He was a faithful servant of God and obeyed God’s commands to anoint Saul and David. Also, we cannot skip the prayer of Hannah, Samuel’s mother. He was raised by a faithful mother and brought to the priest Eli.

We do not have that much of background story about Eli, but about his two wicked sons, Hophni & Phinehas, and about the brutal deaths of him and his two sons in a same day. Eli’s two sons were wicked in the sight of God that “they had no regard for the LORD” (1 Sam 2:12 NIV). They took the portions from the offerings in an unlawful way and slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Eli rebuked them but they did not listen. Two sons sinned against God and they all faced the disastrous end.

After Eli’s death, Samuel was the judge who led the Israelites. He was a great leader. When Samuel was old, he appointed his sons as judges of Israel. Yet, Samuel’s sons, Joel & Abijah, did not follow the way of their father. They “turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice” (1 Sam 8:3).
Both Eli’s sons and Samuel’s sons were wicked. Yet, one family faced disastrous ending and the other family was used by God (The Bible does not really mentioned about Samuel’s two sons). Isn’t it unfair? Why dedicated Samuel’s children gone astray? He didn’t teach them right?

We do not have all the answers for the rising questions. However, there were couple things that were definite: (1) Eli’s two sons’ sin was “very great in the LORD’s sight, for they were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt” (1 Sam 2:17); (2) Eli knew about his two sons’ sin, but “failed to restrain them” (1 Sam 3:13); and (3) all the elders of Israel complained to Samuel about his son and wanted a king (1 Sam 8:4-5). When Samuel anointed Saul as a king, his two sons lost their ruling sovereignty over people as judges. All of them paid their prices for their wickedness.But, there were definite differences between the sins of Eli’s sons and Samuel’s sons.

Jepthah...not such a good guy

Jepthah killed his daughter. The question which surrounds this ancient text is did he really kill his daughter in order to keep his promise to God? To add context to this story of antiquity, God had promised to Jepthah that they would be victorious in battle. However Jepthah made a vow in addition to God’s promise of victory in battle. It is my opinion that Jepthah made the vow out of fear and insecurity of the approaching battle. Jepthah made the vow which was not required, nor did God demand it. He made the vow because he lacked confidence in God’s promise. That is at the heart of the issue. Jepthah’s faith was lacking. Jepthah vowed that should they win the battle, he would offer God a sacrifice of the first thing that comes out of his home. Jepthah goes on to win the battle, and upon returning to his home his daughter comes out of his house. This is where the debate begins. Some who try and romanticize the text, also try and draw specific implications from it as well. These people argue that Jepthah would never have offered his daughter as a human sacrifice, and therefore in order to complete his vow she would have lived in a state of perpetual virginity. However to come to this conclusion one must warp the text to the point where it is nowhere near the author’s original intent. Jepthah lived in a society which was richly populated with pagan culture, and it is my belief that his view of God was affected by this. Jepthah was a “Paganized Yahwist” which I believe is why he did kill his daughter. Had Jepthah really loved God his true desire would have been to honor God. He would have known that human sacrifices would not have been honoring to God (Deut 12:31). Had he been sincere about his commitment to the Lord he could have redeemed his daughter (Lev 27:1-8). It is therefore my conclusion that Jepthah dishonored God by sacrificing his daughter as a human sacrifice.

What is the most honorable blessing given by God? What is the difference between the priest in the Old Testament and a royal priesthood in the New Tes

What is the most honorable blessing given by God? What is the difference between the priest in the Old Testament and a royal priesthood in the New Testament?



God blessed us to subdue and rule over all the creatures. This blessing covenant of God is never ending. God’s word is truth. Truth is never changing, but keeps going until being accomplished. In the Old Testament Israel people abandoned all the blessing and rights of being sons of God, brides of God, and priests of God by disobeying the Old Testament law. Israel people did not know how precious blessing was. They never recognized that they lived temporary home and they were given eternal life. Again, the most biggest and glorious blessing given by God is to be priests of God and of Christ, and to reign with him for a thousand years (Revelation 20:6).

Jesus Christ came not to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17). Jesus completed His mission through coming to earth and by dying on the cross to save, resulting in restoring our identities in God, which are identity of son of God, of bride of God, and a royal priest of God.

Original sin from Adam and Eve is removed by Jesus’ love, so that we, who are sons of God, are not judged anymore. This is different concerning the Israelites of the Old Testament who could not set free from the law of sin and death (Exodus). In Old Testament, the sons of God, the Israelites, abandoned their identity by showing love to the betrayer. Also, the book of Hosea said the bride of God, the Israelites, were punished by the adulterous and the unfaithfulness. As 1 Samuel wrote (1Samuel 2), the curse of prophecy against the House of Eli, a priest, occurred due to not observing God’s Law.

The Purpose of the Law: Choosing between Life and Death

When I was young, my pastor taught me how important tithe and offering were, quoting Malachi 3:10 so I gave offering to God, thinking that it was my duty as a Christian. However, I was wondering if I would have to obey to other laws in the Old Testament as well. Recently, I read Deuteronomy in my daily devotional time, and reflected on the purpose of the Law rather than focusing on its application.

Deuteronomy 30:15-16 states, “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decree and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.” This Bible passage reminded me of Genesis 2:16, and I found out that two passages have some similarities. Genesis 2:16 states, “And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.’” God commanded the people to choose between life and death in both passages. Adam and Eve who were prohibited from eating the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil refused to obey to God, and they rather chose independent lives apart from their creator. The Israelites also fell into idolatry, ignoring the Word of God. What they chose was death not God—Deuteronomy 30:20 states that God is life.

One of the reasons why God gave His Law to Adam and Eve, and the Israelites may be to teach them how to revere God as their real king, and further bless them as He promised. Indeed, when the Israelites despised the Law of God, “they did whatever seemed right in their own eyes,” being a king by themselves (Judges 17:6). Likewise, idolatry does not mean only to worship other gods; one of the idols can be “I” to be a king. I believe that God reveals who He is and teaches how to live a life as God’s chosen people through the Law. In that point, knowing the purpose of the Law is more important than its application.

Hanna's prayer

Hanna is a familiar person in the Bible as a woman of prayer. Her prayer is good example to many women.  She prayed to the Lord with sincere heart for getting baby. Her background (1Sam 1:2-7) shows that how she had earnest heart about her prayer request. It was not just for having the baby. The situation which she had no children attracted her social position as an Elkanah’s wife, loneness and her life condition.  Her prayer started with grief. Finally, she vowed to the Lord. 1Sam 1:11 says it “…I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.” That is afraid vow to many married women. Parents are just physical parents to the children. Real parent is only God. However, most women ignore that fact, because the children are bear with mothers’ suffering for ten months. Hence, the Hanna’s prayer was not easy. It was confession of faith. More amazing thing was the grief prayer changed Thanksgiving prayer. Her prayer is not just knowledge of life. The prayer showed that she gain wisdom that she got painful moment over. The Lord listen her prayer then, He gave the son who named Samuel to Hanna. Samuel means that I have asked him of the Lord. She actually brought Samuel up as she vowed. She bore the great prophet Samuel by her sincere prayer.

Why the Lord did not give her a baby? Although she was a rightous woman, she had to pray with grief because of no children. The answer is that was his will. Human cannot know his will. People have many moments with not understandable. Nevertheless, God always gives good to us. He wanted Hanna prayed through her situation, she learned His will through her prayer and she had more sincere faith His will.