A gossip reveals secrets, but one who is trustworthy conceals a matter.
#proverbs 11:13
A gossip today is a gossip tomorrow. If someone enjoys talking about someone else's business, be very careful about telling him yours.
There is a misguided concept that we can offer our Creator anything other than our worship, praise and service. He is the God of gods and ruler of all, there is nothing we could possibly do to please Him more than be obedient to HIs instruction.
In those days YHWH began to cut off parts of Israel. Hazael defeated them throughout the territory of Israel...
2 Kings 10:32
Israel was blessed by Jehu's obedience, but simultaneously cursed by his disobedience. Imperfect obedience brings imperfect blessings.
SERIES H --- THE JUDGES --- LESSON 02
PATTERN ESTABLISHED
THE MESSAGE OF THE ANGEL
From Judges 2:1 -3:4
An Angel of Adonai came one day from Gilgal to Bochim and spoke sternly to the people of Israel: ‘I led you from Egypt into this land which I had Promised to your fathers. I told you that I would never break My Covenant with you. I also told you that you should never make a covenant with the people who live in this land, for your orders were to destroy their altars. But what did you do? You did not listen to Me and you did not obey Me. Since you have turned against Me, I will not drive out your enemies before you and they will remain at your side, along with their gods, as a source of trouble and temptation.’ When the Angel had finished, the people began crying and wailing. That’s why the city was given the name, Bochim, which meant ‘Weepers.’ The people then presented Adonai with sacrifices. Joshua had dismissed the soldiers of Israel and they had returned to their territories to possess the land assigned to them. As long as Joshua and the people of his generation were alive, Israel served Adonai; for they had seen YHVH’s great miracles. After Joshua had died at the age of a hundred and ten he was buried at Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. When all his generation had died too, another generation grew up in Israel. They did not know Adonai or the miracles He had done for Israel. These people of Israel made Adonai angry, for they worshiped the Baal gods of their heathen neighbours, turning away from YHVH Elohiym Who had brought their fathers from Egypt. When they left Adonai to worship these Baal and Ashtaroth gods, He was very angry with them and turned them over to enemies who overpowered them and took away their possessions. Without Adonai’s help, they could not stand up to their enemies. Whenever they went to fight, Adonai was against them to punish them, just as He had warned. In the midst of these troubled times, Adonai raised up judges to rule over Israel and save the nation from its enemies. But the people didn’t listen to their judges either; but worshiped gods other than Adonai. They wouldn’t obey Adonai who had done so much for their ancestors. Adonai felt sorry for His people and helped the judges save them from their oppression. But after each judge died, the people of Israel were worse than their fathers, serving and worshiping heathen gods. They clung stubbornly to their evil practices. Then Adonai’s anger burned like a flame of fire against His people. ‘Because the people of Israel refuse to keep the covenant I made with their ancestors, I will refuse to drive out their enemies who are still left in the land after Joshua’s death. I will leave these people to test the Israelites, to see if they may yet walk in Adonai’s ways as their ancestors did.’ Adonai let the heathen nations remain in the land. He did not drive them out or let the people of Israel defeat them as Joshua had done. The Israelites of this generation had not fought in Joshua’s wars, so they lacked experience and found the wars with their enemies very trying. But Adonai used the heathen nations to teach Israel to depend upon Him. These are the nations that Adonai left in the land to test Israel: the Philistines with their five princes over five cities; the Canaanites; the Sidonians; and the Hivites, who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-Hermon to the entrance to Hamath. These enemies were a test to the Israelites to see if they would obey Adonai’s commandments, which He had given to their ancestors through Moses.
COMMENTARY
VISITS BY ANGELS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
The years that judges ruled in Israel were dark years. The Canaanite people that Israel refused to drive out ensnared the Israelites. Soon many turned to worship the Canaanite gods, called Baals. For many years a tragic pattern was followed in Israel. There was sin, defeat by enemies, a turning to YHVH and deliverance when YHVH sent a {judge} to lead His people. The Old Testament tells that many times angels appeared to the Israelites and that each visit had a special purpose.
ABRAHAM AND SARAH
Abraham was promised that his descendants would be as countless as the stars. But he and Sarah were old and childless. One day three angel visitors appeared at their tent, they reassured the couple that Sarah would give birth to the long-awaited child.
JACOB
Jacob was Isaac’s son and Abraham’s grandson. YHVH’s Promise to build a nation through Abraham was passed on to Jacob. One night Jacob met a powerful angel and wrestled with him until daybreak. When Jacob won, the angel blessed him and renamed him {Israel.} Israel’s twelve sons became the founders of the twelve Israelite tribes.
BALAAM
A Canaanite king hired the prophet Balaam to curse the invading Israelites. But on his way to the palace, Balaam met an angel who warned him that he was displeasing YHVH and instructed him to bless the Israelites.
GIDEON
An angel appeared to Gideon in a time of crisis and instructed him to lead the Israelites in battle. When Gideon asked for a sign, the angel set fire to a food and grain offering.
SAMSON
The angel who visited Manoab’s wife foretold the birth of her son and promised that Samson would help deliver Israel from the Philistines. She was instructed to raise Samson as a Nazirite; a person who is specially dedicated to YHVH.
DANIEL
A Babylonian ruler threw Daniel into a cage of hungry lions, but he lived to tell an amazed crowd of an angel who had protected him from certain death.
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