[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 343 – Philippians 1-4; Luke 2 summary!]
Judges 10 starts by telling us of two judges: Tola and Jair. Each of them judged Israel for a little longer than twenty years. We aren’t given much detail about them, but after their leadership ended, we read a familiar account: After Jair died the people of Israel turned from the LORD and worshiped the Baals and Ashtaroth. They lived according to the customs of the indigenous peoples, and broke from following the Lord’s command. Once again, the LORD gave them over to their desires and they ended up enslaved to the Philistines and the Ammonites. By the middle of the chapter the Israelites cry out to the LORD and promise to return to following Him. Once again, God agrees to deliver them.
In Judges 11-12 we read the tragic account of Jepthah. He was the son of Gilead, but he was not born of Gilead’s wife. We’re told his mother was a prostitute. That led to Jephthah’s rejection by his family, but in Israel’s time of need they turned to him to be their leader. He agreed. He made a terrible decision as he led the people off to battle against the Ammonites: he vowed he would sacrifice the first thing that came out of the door of his house when he returned, if the LORD would give him victory in battle. The vow seems strange, because wouldn’t you think what would come out of the door of your house would be one of your family members? In 21st century America we would think that, but in Jephthah’s time, chickens and other animals would be kept in homes, so that was what he must have been thinking. The LORD gave Jephthah and his troops victory, but when he returned home the first “thing” that came out of his house was his daughter.
Think about that: you have vowed to the LORD if He gives you victory in battle you will sacrifice the first thing out the door of your house when you come home, and the first thing is your daughter. What would you do? Jephthah upheld his vow. He sacrificed his daughter. I have thought about this one dozens of times over the years. Having two daughters of my own, and now three additional girls who are part of our family, what would I have done? I would not have kept my vow. Yes, the culture is different. Yes, a vow is a vow. But and this is an important but: the LORD is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He didn’t give Jephthah victory because of his rash vow. He gave Jephthah victory, because He loves His people. I would have counted on that love for the people to include my daughter, and I would have repented before the Lord of making a foolish vow, asked forgiveness, and taken whatever consequences came with that.
Jephthah ended up in a battle with some of the other tribespeople of Israel, because he didn’t include them in the battle against the Ammonites. Jephthah made it clear the people knew about the battle and they would have been welcomed had they come, but they didn’t. It’s always easy to claim we have been subjected to injustice, but Jephthah pointed out an important truth: We don’t have to wait to be asked to do the right thing. We ought to be like the old Nike commercials, and “Just do it!”
As we return to John 15, we review Jesus’ analogy of Him being the vine, and we being the branches. The illustration offers us a powerful picture of how vital our relationship with Jesus is. After all, a branch of a grapevine that is cut off from the main vine dies. Our relationship with Jesus isn’t dependent on us, but on Him. We can’t sustain ourselves as spiritual beings, without a connection to Jesus, who is the source of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. As we go about the day, let’s remember Jesus is the source for everything we need today. As we abide in Him the result will be “fruit,” “more fruit,” or “much fruit” in our lives. We exist to glorify God and to enjoy His presence. As we do that, the “fruit” we produce will be the fruit of the Spirit, which the Apostle Paul identified in Galatians 5, and other people’s lives turning to Jesus and trusting Him as Savior and Lord.
Day 343 – Philippians 1-4; Luke 2
Today, we turn to the Apostle’s Paul’s brief letter to the Philippian Church. As we read the letter, Paul’s tone is that of a loving leader who cares deeply for the church. He doesn’t have much in the way of correction, although the Judaizers have made their attempt to infiltrate this church, too. There’s a bit of internal struggle between two female leaders in the church, which Paul addresses. Overall, though the letter is much more one of encouragement than correction.
Paul opens the letter with a warm greeting, and prayer for the Philippians to continue growing in their faith. Then he tells the Philippians of his imprisonment for the gospel. While he is in prison, others have been emboldened to preach the good news. He notes some have done this for their own benefit, while others do it out of genuine desire for people to know Jesus. In the end, Paul asks what it matters, because the key is that Christ is being preached. Paul again mentions his struggles and says he may even die for his faith in Jesus. With regard to that, he makes it clear he is ready to die as he writes, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” He then closes out the first chapter by pointing out it is necessary for him to remain and to strengthen the Philippian believers, so he believes the Lord will give him that opportunity.
As we move to Philippians 2, Paul offers us one of the clearest statements of how we are to follow Jesus in humility found in the entire New Testament. He tells us we must have the same attitude that was in Christ, who though He was God, didn’t consider equality with God as something to be grasped. Rather He “emptied Himself” and became one of us. In that form, he was obedient even to the point of death. For that reason, God, the Father, has given Him a name that is above every name. Paul reminds the Philippians to work out their salvation with fear and trembling, because God is at work in them to will and to work for His good pleasure. He tells them he will be sending Timothy to visit them, but first Epaphroditus, one of their own will come. Paul tells them of how Epaphroditus was sick and nearly died, but God spared him, which would bring great joy to them as it did to Paul.
In Philippians 3, Paul refers to the Judaizers. He reminds the Philippians not to take any consideration of their appeal to circumcision or the Law. He reminds them if anyone could make such appeals it would be him. He was a zealous Pharisee who persecuted the church. Now, he considered all that to be garbage compared to the great privilege of knowing Jesus, and of suffering for Him. Paul reminds us all that we must not worry about where we are right now, but must strive to move forward, always heading toward the prize–the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. He closes the chapter by reminding us our citizenship isn’t here, but in heaven. That means we must focus on the matters of heaven, and not let our bodies, and specifically our stomachs be our gods.
In Philippians 4, Paul calls on his fellow workers, Euodia, and Syntyche to get over their disagreement and work together. He then calls on others to help them do this. After this urging, Paul calls the believers to rejoice in the Lord always. He calls them again to rejoice. He reminds them the Lord is near. In other words, Jesus will return soon! He closes out the letter by reminding them to pray fervently and thankfully, rather than being anxious. He calls them to focus on the higher things, and reminds them that we can do all things through Jesus who gives us strength. Paul closes out the letter with some final greetings.
As we return to Luke 2, we return to the most extensive record of Jesus’ birth. We’re told of Mary and Joseph’s trip to Bethlehem, and how they found no place to stay when they arrived, because of the crowds of people there for the census decreed by the Roman Emperor, Augustus. Jesus’ birth took place in the humblest of places and circumstances, with no family there to comfort Mary and Joseph. The Lord made the birth known to the shepherds who were guarding their sheep that night, and they came to offer their worship and praise. My favorite aspect of Luke’s record is he tells us the shepherds returned to their flocks after visiting Jesus rejoicing and praising God, because everything was just as they had been told. All too often, when we’re looking forward to something “big” in our lives, it doesn’t live up to the advertisements. But everything the shepherds experienced was just as the angels had told them.