Mark 7-9 - I Believe, Help My Unbelief

God’s Commandments, Man’s Traditions

Mar 7:6-8 LSB - [6] And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. [7] 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE COMMANDS OF MEN.' [8] "Leaving the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men."

The Heart of Man

Mar 7:21-23 LSB - [21] "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, [22] coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, [and] foolishness. [23] "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."

A Gentile Woman’s Faith

Mar 7:27 LSB - [27] And He was saying to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

Mar 7:28-29 LSB - [28] But she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, [but] even the dogs under the table feed on the children's crumbs." [29] And He said to her, "Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter."

The Deaf Hear, the Mute Speak

Mar 7:33-35 LSB - [33] And Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue; [34] and looking up to heaven with a sigh, He said to him, "Ephphatha!" that is, "Be opened!" [35] And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he [began] speaking plainly.

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

Mar 8:6 LSB - [6] And He directed the crowd to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them. And He kept giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the crowd.

Mar 8:23 LSB - [23] And taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He was asking him, "Do you see anything?"

Peter Confesses Jesus Is the Christ

Mar 8:29 LSB - [29] And He [continued] asking them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said to Him, "You are the Christ."

Mar 8:31 LSB - [31] And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

Mar 8:33 LSB - [33] But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."

Take Up Your Cross

Mar 8:34 LSB - [34] And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.

The Transfiguration

Mar 9:2-4 LSB - [2] And six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain alone by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; [3] and His garments were shining intensely white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. [4] And Elijah appeared to them along with Moses and they were conversing with Jesus.

Christ’s Transfigured Face - Spurgeon

For Christ to be glorious was almost a less matter than for him to restrain or hide his glory. It is for ever his glory that he concealed his glory; and that, though he was rich, for our sakes he became poor; though he was God over all, blessed for ever, he “made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”

Mar 9:7 LSB - [7] Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!"

I Believe, Help My Unbelief

Mar 9:22-24 LSB - [22] "And it has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!" [23] And Jesus said to him, "'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes." [24] Immediately the boy's father cried out and was saying, "I do believe; help my unbelief."

Feeble Faith Appealing to a Strong Saviour - Spurgeon

 II. We have now to consider, in the second place, THE TEARFUL DISCOVERY: “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

What was his discovery? Why, his discovery was, that he did not believe; and that is where the real difficulty lay. When did the man make this discovery? When he began to believe. Is it not a very singular thing that, as soon as ever he had a little faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, he discovered the great abyss of his unbelief? “Lord,” said he, “I believe; but, oh! I do also disbelieve so much that my unbelief seems to swallow up my belief.” Until a man gets faith, he may think that he has got it; but when he gets real faith in Jesus Christ, then he shudders as he thinks how long he has lived in unbelief, and realizes how much of unbelief is still mixed with his belief. There are many of you, who have never believed to the saving of your souls; yet you say, “Oh, yes! We believe the Bible; we believe in God; we believe in Jesus Christ.” You stand up in church, and say, “I believe in God the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth,” and so on, but you do not do anything of the sort. If you did, you would be saved; since, true belief in Jesus Christ brings salvation to everyone who so believes. While men have no faith, — I repeat what I said just now, — while men have no faith, they are unconscious of their unbelief; but, as soon as they get a little faith, then they begin to be conscious of the greatness of their unbelief. When the blind man gets a little light into his eyes, he perceives something of the blackness of the darkness in which he has been living; so, you must be able to say, from your heart, “Lord, I believe,” or else you will never be able to pray, as this man did, “help thou mine unbelief.” Even the small measure of faith, is needful to discover the great measure of the unbelief.

While men have no faith, they are unconscious of their unbelief; but, as soon as they get a little faith, then they begin to be conscious of the greatness of their unbelief.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

Mar 9:35 LSB - [35] And sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."

Mar 9:36-37 LSB - [36] And taking a child, He set him before them. And taking him in His arms, He said to them, [37] "Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me."

Warnings About Discipleship

Mar 9:38-40 LSB - [38] John said to Him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to hinder him because he was not following us." [39] But Jesus said, "Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. [40] "For he who is not against us is for us.

Mar 9:42 LSB - [42] "And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea.

Mar 9:43-44 LSB - [43] "And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, [44] [and where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.]

Mar 9:49 LSB - [49] "For everyone will be salted with fire.

Eze 43:24 LSB - [24] 'And you shall bring them near before Yahweh, and the priests shall throw salt on them, and they shall offer them up as a burnt offering to Yahweh.

Rom 12:1 LSB - [1] Therefore I exhort you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice--living, holy, [and] pleasing to God, [which is] your spiritual service of worship.

 

 

Mark 4-6 - He Who Has Ears to Hear, Let Him Hear.

The Parable of the Sower

Mar 4:5-6 LSB - [5] "And other [seed] fell on the rocky [ground] where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. [6] "And after the sun rose, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

Mar 4:8 LSB - [8] "And other [seeds] fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they were yielding a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."

Gen 26:12 LSB - [12] And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year one hundredfold. And Yahweh blessed him,

Mar 4:9 LSB - [9] And He was saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Mar 4:11-12 LSB - [11] And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside, everything comes in parables, [12] so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, LEST THEY RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN."

Isa 6:9-10 LSB - [9] He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not know.' [10] "Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their hearts, And return and be healed."

 

The Parable of the Sower Explained

Mar 4:14-20 LSB - 

[14] "The sower sows the word. 

[15] "And these are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 

[16] "And in a similar way, these are the ones being sown on the rocky [places]: those who, when hearing the word, immediately receive it with joy; 

[17] and they have no root in themselves, but are [only] temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. 

[18] "And others are those being sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 

[19] but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for anything else enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

[20] "And those are the ones which were sown on the good soil: they who hear the word and accept it and are bearing fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."

The Seed upon a Rock - Spurgeon 

No Root in Themselves - Spurgeon

Then there are many more, whose religion must be sustained by enthusiastic surroundings. They seem to have been baptized in boiling water; and unless the temperature around them is kept up to that point, they wither away... the religion that is born of mere excitement will die when the excitement is over.” (Spurgeon)

The Parable of the Seed

Mar 4:26-29 LSB - [26] And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; [27] and he sleeps and rises, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows--how, he himself does not know. [28] "The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. [29] "But when the grain is ripe, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Mar 4:30-32 LSB - [30] And He was saying, "How shall we compare the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? [31] "[It is] like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smallest of all the seeds that are upon the soil, [32] yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes largest of all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE."

Jesus Calms a Storm

Mar 4:39-40 LSB - [39] And He woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Silence! Be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. [40] And He said to them, "Why are you [so] cowardly? Do you still have no faith?"

Jesus Saves a Man with Many Demons

Mar 5:18-20 LSB - [18] And as He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was pleading with Him that he might accompany Him. [19] And He did not let him, but He said to him, "Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and [how] He had mercy on you." [20] And he went away and began to preach in the Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was marveling.

Christ’s Curate in Decapolis - Spurgeon

Of course, this was because this man could be a light among the people of these Gentile cities in a way that Jesus and the disciples could not. But it was also to cure the man of any superstitions. He might have thought that he had to stay close to Jesus to keep the demons from coming back. “Perhaps, too, his prayer was not answered, lest his fear should have been thereby sanctioned. If he did fear, and I feel morally certain that he did, that the devils would return, then, of course, he longed to be with Christ. But Christ took that fear from him, and as good as says to him, ‘You do not need to be near me; I have so healed that you will never be sick again.’” (Spurgeon)

 

Jesus Heals a Woman and Jairus’ Daughter

Mar 5:34 LSB - [34] And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you; go in peace and be healed of your affliction."

Mar 5:41-42 LSB - [41] And taking the child by the hand, He said to her, "Talitha kum!" (which translated means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"). [42] And immediately the little girl stood up and [began to] walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

Mar 6:4-5 LSB - [4] And Jesus was saying to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his [own] relatives and in his [own] household." [5] And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.

The Twelve Sent Out

Mar 6:7 LSB - [7] And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and was giving them authority over the unclean spirits;

Mar 6:12-13 LSB - [12] And they went out and preached that [men] should repent. [13] And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.

The Death of John the Baptist

Mar 6:30-31 LSB - [30] And the apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. [31] And He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while." (For there were many [people] coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

Mar 6:34 LSB - [34] And when Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.

Num 27:16-17 LSB - [16] "May Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, [17] who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of Yahweh will not be like sheep which have no shepherd."

 

Mar 6:37 LSB - [37] But He answered and said to them, "You give them [something] to eat!" And they said to Him, "Shall we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread and give them [something] to eat?"

Jesus Walks on the Sea

Mar 6:46 LSB - [46] And after bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray.

Mar 6:51-52 LSB - [51] Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly amazed, [52] for they had not gained any insight about the loaves, but their heart was hardened.

Many Healed at Gennesaret

Mar 6:56 LSB - [56] And wherever He was entering villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the marketplaces, and pleading with Him that they might just touch the fringe of His garment; and as many as touched it were being saved [from their sicknesses].

Mark 1-3 - Jesus Preached the Gospel of God

The Preaching of John the Baptist

Mar 1:1 LSB - [1] The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mar 1:2-3 LSB - [2] As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY; [3] THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.'"

Isa 40:3 LSB - [3] A voice is calling, "Prepare the way for Yahweh in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

Mal 3:1 LSB - [1] "Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming," says Yahweh of hosts.

Mar 1:4 LSB - [4] John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Mar 1:7-8 LSB - [7] And he was preaching, saying, "After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the strap of His sandals. [8] "I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

The Baptism of Jesus

Mar 1:9-11 LSB - [9] Now it happened that in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. [10] And immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; [11] and a voice came out of the heavens: "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased."

Jesus Preaches in Galilee

Mar 1:14-15 LSB - [14] Now after John had been delivered up [into custody], Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, [15] and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."

Mar 1:16-18 LSB - [16] As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. [17] And Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." [18] And immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

Simon’s Mother-in-Law and Many Others Healed

Mar 1:35 LSB - [35] And in the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus rose up, went out of [the house], and went away to a desolate place, and was praying there.

Mar 1:38 LSB - [38] And He said to them, "Let us go elsewhere, to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came out for."

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

Mar 2:3-4 LSB - [3] And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. [4] And being unable to bring [him] to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof [over] where He was; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the mat where the paralytic was lying.

Mar 2:5 LSB - [5] And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, "Child, your sins are forgiven."

Mar 2:10 LSB - [10] "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"--He said to the paralytic,

Levi and Sinners Called

Mar 2:17 LSB - [17] And hearing [this], Jesus said to them, "Those who are healthy do not have need for a physician, but [only] those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Lord of the Sabbath

Mar 27-28 LSB - [27] And Jesus was saying to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. [28] "Consequently the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

Jesus Heals a Man on the Sabbath

Mar 3:4-5 LSB - [4] And He said to them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?" But they kept silent. [5] And after looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

Jesus Appoints the Twelve

Mar 3:13-15 LSB - [13] And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. [14] And He appointed twelve (whom He also named apostles) to be with Him and to send them out to preach, [15] and to have authority to cast out the demons.

Mar 3:21 ESV - [21] And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, "He is out of his mind."

Mar 3:31-35 LSB - [31] Then His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent [word] to Him, calling Him. [32] And a crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You." [33] And answering them, He said, "Who are My mother and My brothers?" [34] And looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, "Behold My mother and My brothers! [35] "For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother."

Ruth 1-4 - Boaz Will Redeem Ruth

Naomi’s Husband and Sons Die

Rth 1:1 LSB - [1] Now it happened in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the fields of Moab with his wife and his two sons.

Rth 1:4 LSB - [4] They took for themselves Moabite women [as] wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years.

Ruth Is Determined to Go with Naomi

Rth 1:16-17 LSB - [16] But Ruth said, "Do not press me to forsake you in turning back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people [shall be] my people, and your God, my God. [17] "Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may Yahweh do to me, and more, if [anything but] death separates you and me."

Rth 1:20 LSB - [20] She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

Ruth Gleans in Boaz’ Field

Rth 2:12 LSB - [12] "May Yahweh fully repay your work, and may your wages be full from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge."

Ruth’s Reward; or, Cheer for Converts

Charles Haddon Spurgeon June 29, 1884

Observe that he saluted her with words of tender encouragement; for this is precisely what I want all the elder Christians among yon to do to those who are the counterparts of Ruth. You who have long been believers in the Lord Jesus, who have grown rich in experience, who know the love and faithfulness of our covenant God, and who are strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might; I want you to make a point of looking out the young converts, and speaking to them goodly words, and comfortable words, whereby they may be cheered and strengthened.

Rth 2:14 LSB - [14] At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar." So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left.

Mealtime in the Cornfields

Charles Haddon Spurgeon August 2, 1863

She did eat, and was satisfied.” Your head shall be satisfied with the precious truth which Christ reveals; your heart shall be content with Jesus, as the altogether lovely object of affection; your hope shall be satisfied, for whom have you in heaven but Christ? your desire shall be satiated, for what can even the hunger of your desire wish for more than “to know Christ, and to be found in him.” You shall find Jesus fill your conscience, till it is at perfect peace; he shall fill your judgment, till you know the certainty of his teachings; he shall fill your memory with recollections of what he did, and fill your imagination with the prospects of what he is yet to do. You shall be “satisfied.” 

Boaz Will Redeem Ruth

Rth 3:2 LSB - [2] "And now, is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose young women you were? Behold, he is winnowing barley at the threshing floor tonight.

Rth 3:9 LSB - [9] And he said, "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth your maidservant. So spread your wing over your maidservant, for you are a [kinsman] redeemer."

gā'al

Gen 48:16 LSB - [16] The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless [these] boys; And may my name live on in them, And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

Job 19:25 LSB - [25] "As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will rise up over the dust [of this world].

Isa 44:22 LSB - [22] "I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud And your sins like a cloud. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you."

Isa 54:4-5 LSB -
[4] "Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame;
And do not feel dishonored, for you will not be humiliated;
But you will forget the shame of your virginity,
And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
[5] "For your husband is your Maker,
Whose name is Yahweh of hosts;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,
Who is called the God of all the earth.

Ruth Becomes Boaz’ Wife

Rth 4:9-10 LSB - [9] Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses today that I have acquired all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon from the hand of Naomi. [10] "And also, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the one who had died, on behalf of his inheritance, so that the name of the one who had died will not be cut off from his brothers or from the gate of his [birth] place; you are witnesses today."

The Generations of David

Rth 4:21-22 LSB - [21] and Salmon became the father of Boaz, and Boaz became the father of Obed, [22] and Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.

Judges 19-21 - Benjamites Violate a Levite’s Concubine

Benjamites Violate a Levite’s Concubine

Jdg 19:1 LSB - [1] Now it happened in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning in the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah.

Mat 19:4-6 LSB - [4] And He answered and said, "Have you not read that He who created [them] from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, [5] and said, 'FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH'? [6] "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate."

1Ti 3:2 LSB - [2] An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,

Jdg 19:22 LSB - [22] They were making their hearts merry, and behold, the men of the city, certain vile fellows, surrounded the house, pounding the door; and they spoke to the owner of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring out the man who came into your house that we may know him."

Jdg 19:25 LSB - [25] But the men were not willing to listen to him. So the man took hold of his concubine and brought [her] out to them; and they knew her and abused her all night until morning, and they let her go at the breaking of dawn.

Hos 10:9 LSB - [9] From the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel; There they stand! Will not the battle against the sons of injustice overtake them in Gibeah?

 

A Battle Between Israel and Benjamin

Jdg 20:5 LSB - [5] "Then the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house at night because of me. They intended to kill me; instead, they violated my concubine, and she died.

Jdg 19:22 LSB - [22] They were making their hearts merry, and behold, the men of the city, certain vile fellows, surrounded the house, pounding the door; and they spoke to the owner of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring out the man who came into your house that we may know him."

Jdg 19:25 LSB - [25] But the men were not willing to listen to him. So the man took hold of his concubine and brought [her] out to them; and they knew her and abused her all night until morning, and they let her go at the breaking of dawn.

Jdg 20:47 LSB - [47] But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and they remained at the rock of Rimmon four months.

A Tribe Is Cut Off

Sons of Benjamin Steal the Daughters of Shiloh

Jdg 21:12 LSB - [12] And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins who had not known a man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

Jdg 21:23 LSB - [23] And the sons of Benjamin did so and carried away wives according to their number from those who danced, whom they stole away. And they went and returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the cities and lived in them.

 

Judges 16-18 - Samson Called to Yahweh

Samson and Delilah

Jdg 16:16-17 LSB - [16] Now it happened when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, that his soul was annoyed to death. [17] So he told her all [that was] in his heart and said to her, "A razor has never come on my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me and I will become weak and be like every [other] man."

Jdg 16:19 LSB - [19] Then she made him sleep on her knees and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to afflict him, and his strength left him.

“As long as he is consecrated he is strong; break that, he is weak as water. Now there are a thousand razors with which the devil can shave off the locks of a consecrated man without his knowing it. Samson is sound asleep; so clever is the barber that he even lulls him to sleep as his fingers move across the pate, the fool’s pate, which he is making bare. The devil is cleverer far than even the skillful-barber; he can shave the believer’s locks while he scarcely knows it.” (Spurgeon)

“Not that his hair made him strong, but that his hair was the symbol of his consecration, and was the pledge of God’s favor to him. While his hair was untouched he was a consecrated man; as soon as that was cut away, he was no longer perfectly consecrated, and then his strength departed from him.” (Spurgeon)

“In the opinion of some persons Samson looked much improved when his matted hair was gone. He was more presentable; more fit for good society. And so in the case of churches, the notion is that they are all the better for getting rid of their peculiarities.” (Spurgeon)

Jdg 16:22 LSB - [22] However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it was shaved off.

“I wonder why these Philistines did not take care to keep his hair from growing to any length. If cutting his hair once had proved so effectual, I wonder that they did not send in the barber every morning, to make sure that not a hair grew upon his scalp or chin. But wicked men are not in all matters wise men: indeed, they so conspicuously fail in one point or another that Scripture calls them fools.” (Spurgeon)

“When Samson’s hair began to grow, what did it prophesy? Well, first, it prophesied hope for Samson. I will be bound to say that he put his hand to his head, and felt that it was getting bristly, and then he put his hand to his beard, and found it rough. Yes, yes, yes, it was coming, and he thought within himself, ‘It will be all right soon. I shall not get my eyes back. They will not grow again. I am an awful loser by my sin, but I shall get my strength back again, for my hair is growing. I shall be able to strike a blow for my people and for my God yet.” (Spurgeon)

 

Samson’s Revenge

Jdg 16:28 LSB - [28] Then Samson called to Yahweh and said, "O Lord Yahweh, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes."

“The Old Testament biographies were never written for our imitation, but they were written for our instruction. Upon this one matter, what a volume of force there is in such lessons! ‘See,’ says God, ‘what faith can do. Here is a man, full of infirmities, a sorry fool; yet, through his childlike faith, he lives. ‘The just shall live by faith.’ He has many sad flaws and failings, but his heart is right towards his God; he does trust in the Lord, and he does give himself up as a man consecrated to his Lord’s service, and, therefore, he is saved.’ I look upon Samson’s case as a great wonder, put in Scripture for the encouragement of great sinners.” (Spurgeon)

Micah’s Idolatry

Jdg 17:6 LSB - [6] In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.

Pro 14:12 LSB - [12] There is a way [which seems] right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

Ecc 11:9 LSB - [9] Be glad, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be merry during the days of young manhood. And walk in the ways of your heart and in the sights of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.

 

Danites Seek an Inheritance

Jdg 18:1 LSB - [1] In those days there was no king of Israel; and in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for themselves to live in, for until that day [the land] among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them as an inheritance.

Jdg 1:34 LSB - [34] Then the Amorites pressed the sons of Dan into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the valley;

 

Danites Take Micah’s Idols

Jdg 18:30-31 LSB - [30] Then the sons of Dan set up for themselves the graven image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the exile of the land. [31] So they set up for themselves Micah's graven image which he had made, all the time that the house of God was at Shiloh.

Judges 13-15 - Teach Me to Do Your Will

The Birth of Samson

Jdg 13:1 LSB - [1] Then the sons of Israel again did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh, so that Yahweh gave them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

Jdg 13:5 LSB - [5] "For behold, you shall be with child and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines."

Jdg 13:8 LSB - [8] Then Manoah entreated Yahweh and said, "O Lord, please let the man of God whom You have sent come to us again that he may instruct us what to do for the boy who is to be born."

Psa 143:10 LSB - [10] Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth Thee

Author: John S. B. Monsell

1 Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee;
Thou art my God, in thee I live and move;
Oh, let thy loving Spirit lead me forth
Into the land of righteousness and love.

2 Thy love the law and impulse of my soul,
Thy righteousness its fitness and its plea,
Thy loving Spirit mercy's sweet control

To make me liker, draw me nearer thee.

3 My highest hope to be where, Lord, thou art,
To lose myself in thee my richest gain,
To do thy will the habit of my heart,
To grieve the Spirit my severest pain.

4 Thy smile my sunshine, all my peace from thence,|
From self alone what could that peace destroy?
Thy joy my sorrow at the least offence,

My sorrow that I am not more thy joy.

 

Jdg 13:16 LSB - [16] And the angel of Yahweh said to Manoah, "Though you delay me, I will not eat your food, but if you prepare a burnt offering, [then] offer it to Yahweh." For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of Yahweh.

Jdg 13:18 LSB - [18] But the angel of Yahweh said to him, "Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?"

Jdg 13:19-20 LSB - [19] So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering and offered it on the rock to Yahweh, and He did a wondrous thing while Manoah and his wife looked on. [20] Indeed, it happened when the flame went up from the altar toward heaven, that the angel of Yahweh went up in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife saw [this], so they fell on their faces to the ground.

Jdg 13:24-25 LSB - [24] Then the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson; and the child grew up, and Yahweh blessed him. [25] And the Spirit of Yahweh began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Manoah’s Wife and her Excellent Argument - Spurgeon

THE first remark arising out of the story of Manoah and his wife is this — that oftentimes we pray for blessings which will make us tremble when we receive them. Manoah had asked that he might see the angel, and he saw him: in answer to his request the wonderful One condescended to reveal himself a second time, but the consequence was that the good man was filled with astonishment and dismay, and turning to his wife, he exclaimed, “We shall surely die because we have seen God.”

...

A second remark is this— Very frequently deep prostration of spirit is the forerunner of some remarkable blessing. It was to Manoah and to his wife the highest conceivable joy of life, the climax of their ambition, that they should be the parents of a son by whom the Lord should begin to deliver Israel. Joy filled them— inexpressible joy— at the thought of it; but, at the time when the good news was first communicated, Manoah, at least, was made so heavy in spirit that he said, “We shall surely die, for we have seen an angel of the Lord.” Take it as a general rule that dull skies foretell a shower of mercy. Expect sweet favour when you experience sharp affliction.

 

Prayer answered by Crosses

Author: John Newton

1. I asked the Lord that I might grow

In faith, and love, and ev'ry grace,

Might more of his salvation know,

And seek more earnestly his face.

2. 'Twas he who taught me thus to pray,

And he, I trust, has answered prayer,

But it has been in such a way

As almost drove me to despair.

3. I hoped that in some favored hour,

At once he'd answer my request,

And by his love's constraining power,

Subdue my sins and give me rest.

4. Instead of this, he made me feel

The hidden evils of my heart

And let the angry powers of Hell

Assault my soul in every part.

5. Yea, more with his own hand he seemed

Intent to aggravate my woe,

Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,

Cast out my feelings, laid me low.

6. Lord, “Why is this?” I trembling cried,

“Will you pursue your worm to death?”

“’Tis in this way,” The Lord replied,

“I answer prayer for grace and faith.”

7. “These inward trials I employ

From self and pride to set you free

And break your schemes of earthly joy

That you would seek your all in me.”

Samson Takes a Philistine as His Wife

Jdg 14:3-4 LSB -
[3] But his father and his mother said to him, "Is there no woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" But Samson said to his father, "Take her for me, for she is right in my eyes."
[4] However, his father and mother did not know that it was of Yahweh, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

Jdg 14:6 LSB - [6] And the Spirit of Yahweh came upon him mightily, so that he tore it as one tears a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand; but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.

Jdg 14:19 LSB - [19] Then the Spirit of Yahweh came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty of them and took their spoil and gave the changes [of clothes] to those who told the riddle. And his anger burned, and he went up to his father's house.

Hands Full of Honey - Spurgeon

It seems to me that the Israelitish hero with a slain lion in the background, standing out in the open road with his hands laden with masses of honeycomb and dripping with honey, which he holds out to his parents, makes a fine picture, worthy of the greatest artist. And what a type we have here of our Divine Lord and Master. Jesus, the conqueror of death and hell. He has destroyed the lion that roared upon us and upon him. He has shouted “victory” over all our foes. “It is finished” was his note of triumph; and now he stands in the midst of his church with his hands full of sweetness and consolation, presenting them to those of whom he says, “these are my brother, and sister, and mother.” To each one of us who believe in him he gives the luscious food which he has prepared for us by the overthrow of our foes; he bids us come and eat that we may have our lives sweetened and our hearts filled with joy. To me the comparison seems wonderfully apt and suggestive: I see our triumphant Lord laden with sweetness, holding it forth to all his brethren, and inviting them to share in his joy.

 

Samson Strikes Down the Philistines

Jdg 15:14 LSB - [14] [When] he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they met him. And the Spirit of Yahweh came upon him mightily so that the ropes that were on his arms were as flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds dropped from his hands.

Jdg 15:18-19 LSB - [18] Then he became very thirsty, and he called to Yahweh and said, "You have given this great salvation by the hand of Your slave, but now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?" [19] So God split the hollow place that is in Lehi and water came out of it. Then he drank, and his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore he named it En-hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day.

Judges 10-12 - Israel Cries Out to Yahweh

Tola and Jair Judge Israel

Israel Forsakes Yahweh Again

Jdg 10:7 LSB - [7] So the anger of Yahweh burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the sons of Ammon.

Nah 1:2 LSB - [2] ALEPH A jealous and avenging God is Yahweh; Yahweh is avenging and wrathful. Yahweh is avenging against His adversaries, And He keeps [His anger] for His enemies.

 

Israel Cries Out to Yahweh

Jdg 10:16 LSB - [16] So they removed the foreign gods from among them and served Yahweh; and He could bear the trouble of Israel no longer.

Isa 63:9 LSB - [9] In all their distress He was distressed, And the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, And He lifted them and carried them all the ancient days.

Jer 31:20 LSB - [20] "Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a delightful child? Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him, I certainly still remember him; Therefore My inmost being yearns for him; I will surely have compassion on him," declares Yahweh.

 

Jephthah Delivers Israel

Jdg 11:11 LSB - [11] Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before Yahweh at Mizpah.

Gen 31:48-49 LSB - [48] Then Laban said, "This heap is a witness between you and me this day." Therefore it was named Galeed, [49] and Mizpah, for he said, "May Yahweh watch between you and me when we are absent one from the other.

 

Jephthah Vows a Burnt Offering

Jdg 11:30-31 LSB - [30] Then Jephthah made a vow to Yahweh and said, "If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand, [31] then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be Yahweh's, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering."

“He had made a rash vow, and such things are much better broken than kept. If a man makes a vow to commit a crime his vow to do so is in itself a sin, and the carrying out of his vow will be doubly sinful. If a man’s vowing to do a thing made it necessary and right for him to do it, then the whole moral law might be suspended by the mere act of vowing, for a man might vow to steal, to commit adultery, or to murder, and then say, ‘I was right in all those acts, because I vowed to do them.’ This is self-evidently absurd, and to admit such a principle would be to destroy all morality.” (Spurgeon)

Jdg 11:36 LSB - [36] So she said to him, "My father, you have opened your mouth [to vow] to Yahweh; do to me according to what has gone out from your mouth, since Yahweh has avenged you of your enemies, the sons of Ammon."

Jdg 11:39 LSB - [39] And it happened at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he did to her according to the vow which he had made; and she did not know a man. Thus it became a custom in Israel,

Exo 38:8 LSB - [8] Moreover, he made the laver of bronze with its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

Heb 11:32 LSB - [32] And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I recount Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, as well as David and Samuel and the prophets,

 

Jephthah Fights Ephraim

Jdg 12:6 LSB - [6] then they would say to him, "Say now, 'Shibboleth.'" But he said, "Sibboleth," for he could not pronounce it correctly. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. Thus there fell at that time 42,000 of Ephraim.

Mat 26:73 LSB - [73] A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, "Surely you too are [one] of them; for even the way you talk gives you away."

 

Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon Judge Israel

 

Judges 7-9 - Gideon’s 300 Men

Gideon’s 300 Men

Jdg 7:7 LSB - [7] And Yahweh said to Gideon, "I will save you with the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the [other] people go, each man to his place."

Jdg 7:10-11 LSB - [10] "But if you are afraid to go down, [then both] you and Purah your young man, go down to the camp, [11] and you will hear what they say; and afterward your hands will be strengthened, that you may go down against the camp." So he went with Purah his young man down to the outskirts of the armed men that were in the camp.

Gideon Kills the Princes of Midian

Jdg 7:20 LSB - [20] Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, and they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing and called out, "A sword for Yahweh and for Gideon!"

THE SWORD OF THE LORD AND OF GIDEON
Words: Cla­ra H. Thwaite

Twelve thou­sand stand on Gi­le­ad,

Yea, twice twelve thou­sand say!

They flocked at sil­ver trum­pet’s call,

All men of Is­ra­el they.

But faith­ful Gi­de­on cried aloud,

If crav­en heart there be,

Return, faint-heart­ed, to your tents,

Not yours the vic­to­ry!

Ten thou­sand stand at Gi­le­ad!

No crav­en hearts are these;

But will they speed at du­ty’s call,

Or love they sloth­ful ease?

In wea­ri­ness, in watch­ings oft,

The sol­dier’s lot must stand:

Can these ten thou­sand hard­ness bear,

And march at God’s com­mand?

See! Har­od’s spark­ling waters

Flow flash­ing thro’ the plain!

The Lord will try His war­ri­ors

Again and yet again.

Down to the mar­gin of the stream

The thirst­ing sol­diers press,

Their parch­èd lips ap­proach the stream,

The leap­ing tor­rent kiss.

Some yield to wea­ri­ness and thirst,

And, kneel­ing on the sod,

Forget awhile the trum­pet’s call,

Their coun­try and their God!

Some on­ly bend in man­ly grace

With hand dipped in the ford,

And mar­tial stand, the sword in hand,

To heark­en Gi­de­on’s word.

By these, by these, cried Gi­de­on,

The Lord shall Is­ra­el save;

By prov­en men and chos­en,

Three hun­dred war­ri­ors brave;

Lest Is­ra­el’s host should vaunt it­self,

And dream that its pow­er and might,

Or pru­dence of the wise and skilled,

Had con­quered in the fight.

Three hun­dred stand on Gi­le­ad,

Obedient men—but lo!

More than a hun­dred thou­sand

In Mi­di­an’s tents be­low!

What wea­pons for the war­fare?

A trum­pet and a light!

The shout of a king among them

Ringing thro’ Mi­di­an’s night!

O Lord, arise! Thy war­ri­ors choose,

As erst at Har­od’s well,

And prove them at the wa­ters—

Thy faith­ful Is­ra­el!

Swift as the ea­gle may they bear

Love’s em­bas­sy abroad!

Send out Thy sons of va­lor

To war, the wars of God!

They will not pause, those ea­ger souls,

Where plea­sure’s waves glide by,

Nor, heed­less of the Mas­ter’s call,

In ease­ful lang­uor lie.

They hear the call of na­tions,

The Mas­ter’s high com­mand,

And pure re­solve and zeal in­spire

The mis­sion­ary band.

O flash the torch of truth athwart

The gloom of hea­then night!

And cheer ye with a song of faith,

And trum­pet sound of might!

The bat­tle is not yours, but God’s;

Ring out the bat­tle cry!

The sword of God and Gi­de­on

Shall bring the vic­to­ry!

Gideon Makes an Ephod

Jdg 8:27 LSB - [27] Then Gideon made it into an ephod and placed it in his city, Ophrah, and all Israel played the harlot with it there, so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household.

“He did not set up an idol, but he made an ephod, an imitation of that wonderful vestment worn by the high priest. Perhaps he made it of solid gold, not to be worn, but to be looked at, simply to remind the people of the worship of God, and not to be itself worshipped. But ah, dear friends, you see here that, if we go half an inch beyond what God’s Word warrants we always get into mischief!” (Spurgeon)

 

The Death and Burial of Gideon

Jdg 8:34 LSB - [34] Thus the sons of Israel did not remember Yahweh their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side;

Abimelech Kills His Brothers

Jdg 9:19-20 LSB - [19] if then you have dealt in truth and integrity with Jerubbaal and his house this day, be glad in Abimelech, and let him also be glad in you. [20] "But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume the lords of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the lords of Shechem and from Beth-millo and consume Abimelech."

The Downfall of Abimelech

Jdg 9:23 LSB - [23] Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the lords of Shechem; and the lords of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,

Jdg 9:53 LSB - [53] But a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech's head, and she smashed his skull.

Jdg 9:56-57 LSB - [56] Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he had done to his father in killing his seventy brothers. [57] God also returned all the evil of the men of Shechem on their own heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came upon them.

Judges 4-6 - I Will Remain Until You Return

Yahweh Raises Up Deborah and Barak

Jdg 4:9 LSB - [9] So she said, "I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for Yahweh will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

Jdg 4:21 LSB - [21] Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and placed a hammer in her hand and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died.

The Song of Deborah and Barak

Jdg 5:1 LSB - [1] Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying, 

“Deborah sang concerning the overthrow of Israel’s enemies, and the deliverance vouchsafed to the tribes: we have a far richer theme for music; we have been delivered from worse enemies, and saved by a greater salvation. Let our gratitude be deeper; let our song be more jubilant.” (Spurgeon)

“When he had been most slandered — when the Pope had launched out a new bull, and when the kings of the earth had threatened him fiercely — Luther would gather together his friends, and say, ‘Come let us sing a psalm and spite the devil.’ He would ever sing the most psalms when the world roared the most.” (Spurgeon)

 

Midian Prevails Against Israel

Jdg 6:1 LSB - [1] Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh; and Yahweh gave them into the hands of Midian seven years.

Yahweh Sends Gideon to Save Israel

Jdg 6:18 LSB - [18] "Please do not depart from here until I come [back] to You, and I bring out my offering and lay it before You." And He said, "I will remain until you return." 

Jdg 6:23-24 LSB - [23] And Yahweh said to him, "Peace to you. Do not fear; you shall not die." [24] So Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh and named it Yahweh is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Gideon Tears Down the Altar of Baal

Jdg 6:32 LSB - [32] Therefore on that day he named him Jerubbaal, that is to say, "Let Baal contend against him," because he had torn down his altar.

Jdg 6:32 ESV - [32] Therefore on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, "Let Baal contend against him," because he broke down his altar.

Jdg 6:34 LSB - [34] But the Spirit of Yahweh clothed Gideon; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him.

The Test of the Fleece