THE LORD SAVES FROM MIDIAN

Judges 7:1-25 / Keywords 7:14

His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.”

Gideon Defeats the Midianites

7:1 Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ 3 Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.

4 But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” 6 Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.

7 The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.

Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. 9 During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. 10 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah 11 and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. 12 The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.

13 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.”

14 His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.”

15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.” 16 Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.

17 “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”

19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.

22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.”

So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they seized the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. 25 They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.

1. Gideon thought of himself as weak, but God called him to save Israel from their Midianite oppressors (6:14). He prepared to attack with over thirty thousand men, but the Lord told him to send those who were fearful home. Still there were too many, so he had Gideon select those who lapped water like a dog. This left three hundred men. God was concerned that Israel might boast against him, so he made it obvious that it is the Lord who saves. 

2. God knew that Gideon could still be fearful, so he told Gideon to eavesdrop at the Midianite outposts. There he discovered that the Midianite camp was gripped with fear. They knew that God had given their entire army into Gideon’s hand. This emboldened Gideon. He devised a plan where they would divide into three companies of one hundred each, shouting, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” They basically held their position as the Midianite camp devolved into chaos, turning on each other and fleeing. They overcame their fear when they trusted God with faith. 

Prayer Lord, I am weak and fearful. Help me to trust in you, for only you can save. 

One Word It is the Lord who saves

TEAR DOWN THE ALTARS AND WORSHIP GOD

Judges 6:25-40 / Keywords 6:25b,26a

Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. Then build a proper kind of altar to the LORD your God on the top of this height. 

6:25 That same night the Lord said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old.[b] Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole[c] beside it. 26 Then build a proper kind of[d] altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second[e] bull as a burnt offering.”

27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.

28 In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar!

29 They asked each other, “Who did this?”

When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”

30 The people of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”

31 But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.” 32 So because Gideon broke down Baal’s altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal[f] that day, saying, “Let Baal contend with him.”

33 Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. 35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them.

36 Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised— 37 look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” 38 And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.

39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” 40 That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

Footnotes

b. Judges 6:25 Or Take a full-grown, mature bull from your father’s herd

c. Judges 6:25 That is, a wooden symbol of the goddess Asherah; also in verses 26, 28 and 30

d. Judges 6:26 Or build with layers of stone an

e. Judges 6:26 Or full-grown; also in verse 28

f. Judges 6:32 Jerub-Baal probably means let Baal contend.

1. The Lord told Gideon to tear down the altar to Baal and the Asherah pole and on that site build a proper altar to the Lord, sacrificing a bull on the altar. Before Gideon could truly serve the Lord, he had to remove everything that kept him from serving the Lord. He did so, but at night, because he knew he would evoke the fury of his neighbors. The next day they wanted to kill Gideon, but his father pushed back, saying, “Let Baal defend himself, if he really is a god.” They named him Jerub-Baal, “Let Baal contend with him.” To serve the Lord, we must remove all the altars in our own hearts and serve only him. 

2. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he summoned an army to him. But he still wanted to make sure, so he asked the Lord for two signs involving a fleece and the morning dew. Gideon had the Lord’s promise. That should have been enough. The Lord will always come through on his word. 

Prayer Father, help me to tear down the idols in my heart and worship and serve only you. 

One Word Tear down your altars and worship God

“AM I NOT SENDING YOU?”

Judges 6:1-24 / Keywords 6:24

So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Gideon

6:1 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. 2 Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. 3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. 4 They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. 5 They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count them or their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it. 6 Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help.

7 When the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of Midian, 8 he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 9 I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10 I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

11 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

17 Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. 18 Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.”

And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.”

19 Gideon went inside, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah[a] of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.

20 The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so. 21 Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared. 22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”

23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”

24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Footnotes

a. Judges 6:19 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms

1. Once again, Israel sinned against the Lord. They turned from following the Lord and instead chased after other gods. Because of this the Lord grew angry with Israel and he gave them into the hands of Midian (on the northwest Arabian Peninsula). The Midianites were cruel. They slaughtered all the cattle, sheep, and donkeys. They ruined all the crops. They were so cruel, the Israelites fled to the mountain clefts and caves and cried out to the Lord for help. The Lord sent them a prophet who reminded them of their slavery in Egypt and how the Lord had rescued them and delivered them, telling them not to worship other gods. But they didn’t listen. Whenever we don’t listen to the Lord, we can be sure misery is crouching at our door. 

2. The Lord sent an angel to Gideon, who was threshing wheat in a wine press to hide from the Midianites. He greeted Gideon with, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Gideon complained that the Lord had abandoned them. But the angel said to him, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” The Lord promised to be with Gideon and give him victory. We become afraid that we are not capable of doing the Lord’s work. But he sends us in our strength and promises to be with us. 

Prayer Father, you send your people out in the strength they have. Help us to be confident in you. 

One Word The Lord sends us out to do his work

THE SONG OF DEBORAH

Judges 5:1-31 / Keywords 5:3

Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the LORD, I will sing; I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel. 

The Song of Deborah

5:1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:

2 “When the princes in Israel take the lead,

    when the people willingly offer themselves—

    praise the Lord!

3 “Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!

    I, even I, will sing to[a] the Lord;

    I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.

4 “When you, Lord, went out from Seir,

    when you marched from the land of Edom,

the earth shook, the heavens poured,

    the clouds poured down water.

5 The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai,

    before the Lord, the God of Israel.

6 “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,

    in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned;

    travelers took to winding paths.

7 Villagers in Israel would not fight;

    they held back until I, Deborah, arose,

    until I arose, a mother in Israel.

8 God chose new leaders

    when war came to the city gates,

but not a shield or spear was seen

    among forty thousand in Israel.

9 My heart is with Israel’s princes,

    with the willing volunteers among the people.

    Praise the Lord!

10 “You who ride on white donkeys,

    sitting on your saddle blankets,

    and you who walk along the road,

consider 11 the voice of the singers[b] at the watering places.

    They recite the victories of the Lord,

    the victories of his villagers in Israel.

“Then the people of the Lord

    went down to the city gates.

12 ‘Wake up, wake up, Deborah!

    Wake up, wake up, break out in song!

Arise, Barak!

    Take captive your captives, son of Abinoam.’

13 “The remnant of the nobles came down;

    the people of the Lord came down to me against the mighty.

14 Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek;

    Benjamin was with the people who followed you.

From Makir captains came down,

    from Zebulun those who bear a commander’s[c] staff.

15 The princes of Issachar were with Deborah;

    yes, Issachar was with Barak,

    sent under his command into the valley.

In the districts of Reuben

    there was much searching of heart.

16 Why did you stay among the sheep pens[d]

    to hear the whistling for the flocks?

In the districts of Reuben

    there was much searching of heart.

17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan.

    And Dan, why did he linger by the ships?

Asher remained on the coast

    and stayed in his coves.

18 The people of Zebulun risked their very lives;

    so did Naphtali on the terraced fields.

19 “Kings came, they fought,

    the kings of Canaan fought.

At Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo,

    they took no plunder of silver.

20 From the heavens the stars fought,

    from their courses they fought against Sisera.

21 The river Kishon swept them away,

    the age-old river, the river Kishon.

    March on, my soul; be strong!

22 Then thundered the horses’ hooves—

    galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.

23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord.

    ‘Curse its people bitterly,

because they did not come to help the Lord,

    to help the Lord against the mighty.’

24 “Most blessed of women be Jael,

    the wife of Heber the Kenite,

    most blessed of tent-dwelling women.

25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk;

    in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.

26 Her hand reached for the tent peg,

    her right hand for the workman’s hammer.

She struck Sisera, she crushed his head,

    she shattered and pierced his temple.

27 At her feet he sank,

    he fell; there he lay.

At her feet he sank, he fell;

    where he sank, there he fell—dead.

28 “Through the window peered Sisera’s mother;

    behind the lattice she cried out,

‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?

    Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?’

29 The wisest of her ladies answer her;

    indeed, she keeps saying to herself,

30 ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoils:

    a woman or two for each man,

colorful garments as plunder for Sisera,

    colorful garments embroidered,

highly embroidered garments for my neck—

    all this as plunder?’

31 “So may all your enemies perish, Lord!

    But may all who love you be like the sun

    when it rises in its strength.”

Then the land had peace forty years.

Footnotes

a. Judges 5:3 Or of

b. Judges 5:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

c. Judges 5:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

d. Judges 5:16 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags

1. After the great victory the Lord gave Deborah over the Canaanite commander Sisera, Deborah composed a song of praise to the Lord. She praised the Lord for those who willingly offered themselves for the Lord (2,9). She praised the Lord for his mighty power to save his people. Some of the tribes of Israel did not respond to the call of war. But Deborah singled out those who did send men to fight against the Lord’s enemy Canaan. She praised those who came from Ephraim, Benjamin, Zebulun, Issachar, and Naphtali who risked their very lives. And she chided the men of Reuben, Dan and Asher who did not show up. She even cursed the town of Meroz for their refusal to help the Lord (23). 

2. Sisera thought he was safe when he went to Jael for refuge. But Jael was on the Lord’s side and won the victory for the Lord when she killed Sisera. Because of that, Sisera’s mother would not enjoy the spoils of war. 

Prayer Lord, thank you for people who encourage us by praising you for their victories, knowing what they did was only because of you. 

One Word Praise the Lord for giving us victory

DEBORAH

Judges 4:1-24 / Keywords 4:4

Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time.

Deborah

4:1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, now that Ehud was dead. 2 So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Sisera, the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.

4 Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading[a] Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”

8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”

9 “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 There Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him.

11 Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law,[b] and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.

12 When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 Sisera summoned from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River all his men and his nine hundred chariots fitted with iron.

Footnotes

a. Judges 4:4 Traditionally judging

b. Judges 4:11 Or father-in-law

1. As soon as the previous judge, Ehud, died, Israel once again fell into sin. Because of their evil doing, the Lord gave them into the hands of Jabin, king of Canaan. For 20 years, the Israelites suffered under Jabin’s commander, Sisera, and Israel finally repented and cried out to the Lord for help. Leading Israel at that time was Deborah. Deborah was unique in that she was a woman. In fact, she was the only woman who led Israel in the time of the Judges. She told Barak to take an army of 10,000 men and lead them against the army of Sisera at Mount Tabor. Barak agreed, but only if Deborah went with him. Deborah said she would go, but the honor of the victory would go to a woman. 

2. On the battlefield, Deborah encouraged Barak with the words, “Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?” Israel routed Sisera’s army and his 900 iron chariots. Sisera was the only survivor of that battle. He fled to the tent of Jael, wife of Heber. He thought he was safe there and went to sleep. Jael took a tent peg and hammered it through his temple. Deborah trusted in the Lord. When this one woman trusted in the Lord, a great victory was achieved. 

Prayer Lord, raise up strong leaders, male and female, who trust you and will lead this nation to you. 

One Word Trust in the Lord

 THE LORD GIVES MOAB OVER TO ISRAEL

Judges 3:12-31 / Keywords 3:28a

“Follow me,” he ordered, “for the LORD has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands.”

Ehud

3:12 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and because they did this evil the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. 13 Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.[c] 14 The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.

15 Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. 16 Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a cubit[d] long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. 17 He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. 18 After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it. 19 But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.”

The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left.

20 Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace[e] and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose from his seat, 21 Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly. 22 Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. 23 Then Ehud went out to the porch[f]; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

24 After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, “He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the palace.” 25 They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.

26 While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the stone images and escaped to Seirah. 27 When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them.

28 “Follow me,” he ordered, “for the Lord has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands.” So they followed him down and took possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab; they allowed no one to cross over. 29 At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not one escaped. 30 That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.

Shamgar

31 After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.

Footnotes

c. Judges 3:13 That is, Jericho

d. Judges 3:16 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters

e. Judges 3:20 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verse 24.

f. Judges 3:23 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

1. As people are prone to do, the Israelites soon fell back into the same sin of doing evil before the Lord. The Lord can never abide with any sort of sin, and so he gave Israel over to the Moabites and King Eglon. He defeated the Israelites at the City of Palms (Jericho) and took possession of it. And so, the Israelites came under the control of King Eglon for 18 long years. 

2. Again, as sinners are accustomed to do, the Israelites cried out to the Lord. They repented of their sins and the Lord listened to their cries for help. He had mercy and compassion on them, and he raised up another judge, Ehud, to save his people. Ehud formed a plan to get rid of Eglon. He went to pay him tribute and after doing so, said he had a secret message for the king. After clearing the room, Ehud assassinated King Eglon with his double-edged sword, and then escaped before Eglon’s attendants discovered what had happened. Ehud then blew a trumpet, rallying the Israelites by saying, “the Lord has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands.” Moab was defeated and Israel saw peace for 80 years. After him came Shamgar, who saved Israel from the Philistines with his ox goad. The Lord truly gave Israel the victories. 

Prayer Father, we so easily forget who you are, and we stumble into sin. Thank you for your mercy and care for sinners. Help us repent our sin and return to you. 

One Word It is the Lord who gives the victory

THE LORD TESTS ISRAEL

Judges 3:1-11 / Keywords 3:4

They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the LORD’S commands, which he had given their forefathers through Moses.

3:1 These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan 2 (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): 3 the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath. 4 They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses.

5 The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 6 They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

Othniel

7 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. 8 The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim,[a] to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. 9 But when they cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them. 10 The Spirit of the Lord came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge[b] and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. 11 So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.

1. When the Israelites came to the border of the Promised Land, they were expected to go in and drive out the unbelieving inhabitants. But the Israelites didn’t live up to the Lord’s expectations of them. They complained that they were too strong with their iron chariots of war. The Lord then left those tribes in the Promised Land to teach obedience to the Lord’s word and to teach the Israelites warfare. So, many of the tribes ended up sharing the land with the Israelites. They intermarried with them and took their gods as their own. The Israelites’ compromised with the Lord’s enemies. They paid a price for that. 

2. The Lord became angry with Israel for their disobedience and their turning away from him toward other gods. So, he sent Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram Naharaim against them. The Israelites were defeated and suffered under them for eight years. But when they cried out to the Lord, he sent Othniel to them in the Spirit of the Lord. He defeated Aram Naharaim and the land had peace until Othniel died. When they turned to the Lord, he sent them a deliverer. 

Prayer Father, may you grant us the Spirit of the Lord by which we may fight against the true enemy—the sin of the world. Thank you for your mercy on repentant sinners. 

One Word By the Spirit of the Lord, drive out the enemy

THE CYCLE OF THE FALLEN

Judges 2:11-23 / Keywords 2:17

Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the LORD’S commands.

2:11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14 In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. 15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.

16 Then the Lord raised up judges,[c] who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands. 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

20 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, 21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. 22 I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.” 23 The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.

Footnotes

c. Judges 2:16 Or leaders; similarly in verses 17-19

1. These verses provide a fitting introduction to the rest of the book of Judges. These verses point out the cycle godless people go through. First, they sin, then they get into trouble because of that sin, then they cry out for help. But once their trouble is over, they turn right back around and do those same things over again. This is what the people of Israel did. They did not know the Lord (1:10). So, they did evil in the sight of the Lord. They chased after the gods of the people around them, forsaking the Lord God. Because of this, the Lord gave Israel into the hands of their enemies. The hand of the Lord was continually against them. 

2. What happens when the hand of the Lord is against you? You can do nothing. When the Israelites went to war, they were struck down. They were in great distress. So, the Lord raised up judges who saved them out of their enemy’s hands. As long as the judge lived, they would follow the Lord, but as soon as he died, they would again turn away from the Lord and invoke his wrath. Because of this, the Lord disciplined them. The Lord did this to teach them obedience to him. He wanted to teach them to listen to him and obey his words. 

Prayer Father, we are stubborn and rebellious people who so easily are turned from you. Forgive us and help us to listen to you. Bless us with godly leaders. 

One Word Repent our stubborn hearts and listen to the Lord

“WHY HAVE YOU DISOBEYED ME?”

Judges 1:27-2:10 / Keywords 2:2b

but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this?

1:27 But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land. 28 When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely. 29 Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them. 30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, so these Canaanites lived among them, but Zebulun did subject them to forced labor. 31 Nor did Asher drive out those living in Akko or Sidon or Ahlab or Akzib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob. 32 The Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land because they did not drive them out. 33 Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath; but the Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and those living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced laborers for them. 34 The Amorites confined the Danites to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain. 35 And the Amorites were determined also to hold out in Mount Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim, but when the power of the tribes of Joseph increased, they too were pressed into forced labor. 36 The boundary of the Amorites was from Scorpion Pass to Sela and beyond.

The Angel of the Lord at Bokim

2:1 The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, 2 and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? 3 And I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; they will become traps for you, and their gods will become snares to you.’”

4 When the angel of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud, 5 and they called that place Bokim.[a] There they offered sacrifices to the Lord.

Disobedience and Defeat

6 After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to their own inheritance. 7 The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.

8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 9 And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres[b] in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.

Footnotes

a. Judges 2:5 Bokim means weepers.

b. Judges 2:9 Also known as Timnath Serah (see Joshua 19:50 and 24:30)

1. It wasn’t just Judah and Benjamin who could not drive out all the inhabitants

of the land the Lord promised them. None of the other tribes were able to do so

either. While the Israelites were able to claim the land, the Canaanites and other

tribes were “determined to live in that land.” As the Israelites got stronger, they

put the Canaanites under forced labor, but the Canaanites and others were a bad

influence on them. The Canaanites enticed them into bowing down to foreign

gods. They forgot about the covenant they had made with the Lord before they

came into the land.

2. Because of this, the Lord came to them through an angel, reminded them that

it was he who had brought them up out of Egypt, and rebuked them for breaking

the covenant. The Israelites broke down and wept and offered sacrifices to the

Lord.

3. Chapter 2 verses 6-10 tells of Joshua’s death at the age of 110 years. During

his lifetime, and the lifetimes of those who served under him, Israel remembered

the Lord and served him. But after that generation died out, the next generation

neither knew the Lord nor remembered what he had done for them. This sets the

stage for the rest of the book of Judges.

Prayer Father, because we are sinful, we forget you. Have mercy on us and help

us to remember who you are and all you have done for us!

One Word Remember the Lord and his covenant

THE LORD WAS WITH JUDAH

Judges 1:1-26 / Keywords 1:2

The LORD answered, “Judah is to go; I have given the land into their hands.”

Israel Fights the Remaining Canaanites

1:1 After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Canaanites?”

2 The Lord answered, “Judah shall go up; I have given the land into their hands.”

3 The men of Judah then said to the Simeonites their fellow Israelites, “Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours.” So the Simeonites went with them.

4 When Judah attacked, the Lord gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. 5 It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites. 6 Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.

7 Then Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8 The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem also and took it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.

9 After that, Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev and the western foothills. 10 They advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath Arba) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. 11 From there they advanced against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher).

12 And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” 13 Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.

14 One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him[a] to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”

15 She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

16 The descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up from the City of Palms[b] with the people of Judah to live among the inhabitants of the Desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad.

17 Then the men of Judah went with the Simeonites their fellow Israelites and attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they totally destroyed[c] the city. Therefore it was called Hormah.[d] 18 Judah also took[e] Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron—each city with its territory.

19 The Lord was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had chariots fitted with iron. 20 As Moses had promised, Hebron was given to Caleb, who drove from it the three sons of Anak. 21 The Benjamites, however, did not drive out the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the Benjamites.

22 Now the tribes of Joseph attacked Bethel, and the Lord was with them. 23 When they sent men to spy out Bethel (formerly called Luz), 24 the spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, “Show us how to get into the city and we will see that you are treated well.” 25 So he showed them, and they put the city to the sword but spared the man and his whole family. 26 He then went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a city and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.

1. The Israelites had entered the Promised Land and had begun to defeat the

inhabitants of the land. The land on the west side of the Jordan River had been

allotted to the 9 ½ tribes. (The others had received their inheritance on the east side

of the river). But by the time Joshua had died, the land still had to be secured.

2. So, the Israelites sought the Lord in the matter and inquired as to who should

go up first to fight the Canaanites. The Lord said Judah shall be first, and that

he would be with them and give the land into their hands. The Lord gave them

victory after victory, defeating the Canaanites and Perizzites. They exacted justice

on Adoni-Bezek. They even took the town of Jerusalem. When they trusted in the

Lord, they achieved victory over all their enemies.

3. But there were some the Israelites could not drive out. Some of the nations had

chariots made of iron, which the men of Judah and Benjamin could not completely

drive out. They would later cause trouble for Israel.

Prayer Father, you were with the people of Judah, and they saw victory after

victory. Our own victories come from you. Sustain us and give us victory

over our lives by listening to you.

One Word It is the Lord who gives us victory

YOUR SON WILL LIVE

John 4:43-54 / Keywords 4:50

Jesus replied, “You may go. Your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed.

Jesus Heals an Official’s Son

4:43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there.

46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

48 “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”

49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

50 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”

The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.”

53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed.

54 This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.

1. Jesus returned to Galilee and was met by a large crowd. They had witnessed

his miracles, but Jesus knew they still did not believe in him. Our faith must not

only come from witnessing miracles but through the word of God. A royal official

approached Jesus, pleading for healing for his dying son. Jesus challenged the

man by saying that unless they saw miracles and signs, they would never believe.

2. The royal official persisted. He begged Jesus to go with him. Instead, Jesus

said, “You may go. Your son will live” (50). The man took Jesus at this word and

obeyed. On his way back to Capernaum, the man’s servants met him with news

that his son was alive! The fever left at the same time Jesus told the man he could

go. What changed the situation was this man’s obedience and attitude to Jesus’

words. When he believed, his son was healed.

3. In desperate situations, we long for a miracle or a sign of assurance. In such

moments, we can put our expectation, hope, and faith in Jesus by taking him at

his word. Heaven and earth will pass away, but Jesus promised that his word will

never pass away (Mt 24:35)! His word makes the dead come alive and heals the

sick. May our faith be rooted in the word of Jesus.

Prayer Lord Jesus, forgive me for seeking a sign from you. You have given me

your life-giving word. May I accept your words today.

One Word Take Jesus at this word

OPEN YOUR EYES

John 4:31-42 / Keywords 4:42

They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

4:31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”

32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”

33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”

34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

Many Samaritans Believe

39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.

42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

1. The disciples urged Jesus to eat, but Jesus declined. He was full of joy and

revealed that his food was to do the will God and to finish his work. What gives

you joy? We can be filled with joy when we live for our heavenly Father and seek to

do his will. What is the will of God? Jesus turned his disciples from physical needs

to the world around them. He told them to open their eyes to see that the fields

were ripe for the harvest. Like the lonely, thirsty woman, many people around us

are in need of the Messiah. Several laborers have gone before us to plant the seed

of faith, and now we are sent to reap their labor. We can be co-laborers with Christ

to bring the lost back home.

2. The Samaritan woman went from being needy and thirsty to a bold witness of

the Messiah. Through her testimony, many came to believe in Jesus. One changed

life can lead many to Christ. Let us not grow weary in sharing the gospel but

continue to go into the fields to bring lost souls back to Jesus. May we sincerely

pray to reap the harvest and see many souls come to faith in Jesus this new year.

Prayer Lord Jesus, may you open our eyes to see that the fields are ripe for the

harvest. Send us out to do the will of our Father.

One Word Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest

I WHO SPEAK TO YOU AM HE

John 4:16-30 / Keywords 4:26

Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.”

4:16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

17 “I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

The Disciples Rejoin Jesus

27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

1. Jesus knew this woman’s thirst did not just involve going to the well every day

for water. She thirsted for something even more—human love— and so she had

married several times in her life, only now to be with a man who was not her

husband. Jesus exposed her shame to help her to receive what she truly needed.

2. The woman began to discuss worship. Jesus helped her see that a time was

coming when the place of worship would not be as important, like how we now

worship. The time has come where we can worship God in the Spirit and in truth.

God is spirit, and he seeks those who will be devoted to worship and will seek

Him with all their hearts through His Spirit. The woman’s true thirst was for an

object and form of proper worship.

3. Through this encounter, the woman now realized that she had met the Messiah.

She left her water jar and went to her town to exclaim, “Come see a man who told

me everything I ever did” (29). Her shame was gone. She was filled with hope and

eternal life. Jesus used an unlikely woman to share the good news. When we meet

the Messiah, our lives change, and we can leave our empty jars behind. We can

then tell the world what the Messiah has done for us.

Prayer Jesus, thank you so much for setting me free and for filling my life when

I was once so empty. I repent for every idol in my heart. May I leave the

water jars of this world behind in order to worship you.

One Word Go and tell others what Jesus the Messiah has done for us

LIVING WATER

John 4:1-15 / Keywords 4:13-14

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman

4:1 Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— 2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3 So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.[a])

10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

Footnotes

a. John 4:9 Or do not use dishes Samaritans have used

1. To avoid the Pharisees, Jesus traveled back to Galilee. Instead of taking the normal route, he went through Samaria, which was a territory that the Jews stayed clear of. Jesus went beyond all human barriers, to the most despised and most rejected places, to encounter and save one lost and needy soul. While his disciples went to get food, he sat by a well and met a Samaritan woman.

 

2. Jesus asked for her a drink of water. In response, the woman refused because Jesus was a Jew and she was a Samaritan. But Jesus did not turn away from her. He wanted to offer her a gift: living water. This woman came to the well every day for a drink, but she always needed to come back until finally the Messiah came to her. Jesus wanted to satisfy her soul with the gift of God so she would never be thirsty again.

 

3. We often feel dissatisfied and look for physical things to fill our hearts (success, wealth, romance, popularity). We want to take away the emptiness of our daily lives but going to these “wells of water” does not cure our inner thirst. What is the solution? Jesus declared that it is only when we drink the water that he gives that we will never thirst. When we drink the water he gives us, we will overflow with the living water of eternal life. We can receive this free gift from God when we put our faith in Jesus (John 6:35).

 

Prayer Father, thank you for Jesus, who came to give us living water so we would never thirst in this world. May we be open to receiving your gift today.

One Word Receive the living water of eternal life from Jesus today

A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS AND A HOLY NATION

Exodus 19:1-6 / Keywords 19:5,6a

Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’

At Mount Sinai

19:1 On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. 2 After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.

3 Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you[a] will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

Footnotes

a. Exodus 19:6 Or possession, for the whole earth is mine. 6 You

 

1. It was exactly three months after the Lord had brought the Israelites out of their bondage in Egypt. On that very day, the whole Israelite camp came to the desert of Sinai and came up to the base of Mount Sinai. There, Moses met with the Lord on the mountain. What did the Lord tell Moses?

 

2. First, the Lord told Moses to remind the people of Israel what he had done for them. They had not left Egypt under their own strength or cunning. They had been carried out on eagles’ wings and brought to the Lord. The Lord himself led and protected the Israelites on their journey and were being led to the Lord himself.

 

3. Secondly, the Lord told Moses to tell the Israelites of the Lord’s hope for them. The Lord wanted his people to be his treasured possession. Out of all the earth, they would be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. All he asked of them was for them to obey him and keep his covenant. This is the Lord’s hope for us today— that we will be his treasured possession.

 

Prayer Father, thank you for blessing us this past year. May 2025 bring an exodus from our lives of slavery to sin, to you. Help us to obey you and your covenant. Make us a kingdom of priests and a holy nation in 2025.

One Word You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation