The more things change…
Judges 10:6 – Chapter 12 Read it here
Perhaps the greatest lesson we learn from studying history is that people don’t learn lessons from studying history. This is the heart of today’s reading, both in its core message and in other points. I’ll be splitting the reading into three parts, working from the end backward.
First, some historical trivia. In 12:5-6 we read that the Israelites used word pronunciation as a test for border control. When the survivors of a battle tried to cross into their territory, they would be challenged to say the word “Shibboleth.” Apparently they were unable to pronounce it the same way the Israelites did, so impostors could be detected.
During World War II the Dutch used the same technique to spot German infiltrators. The name of the Dutch city of Scheveningen begins with a hard “skh” sound that isn’t used in the German language but it common in Dutch, meaning that most Germans were unable to pronounce it correctly.
Moving to more modern times, there’s a section of Chapter 11 that’s likely to be discussed in reference to the apparent expansionist desires of our new president.
When the king of Amon wants to claim land in the possession of the Israelites, the Israelite leader Jephthah uses two points to claim that Israel is the proper owner of the land.
First, he claims divine right in verse 24, “whatever the Lord our God has given us, we will possess.” This claim has a long traditions of being used in times of American expansionism.
Next, in a claim that favors Israel but could work the other way in other situations, he claims in verse 26 that the lack of action to retake the land over the last three centuries constitutes acceptance of Israeli ownership—also a common argument in land disputes. Don’t be surprised to hear one or both of those come up in the next few years.
Before getting to the main point, a few words about Jephthah.
He is another example of finding great faithfulness in the most unexpected places. He is the son of a prostitute and the head of a gang of outlaws when he is asked to lead Israel, but he leads with wisdom and courage.
In the end, his devotion to God comes at great price, fulfilling a rash vow to God. Even in that, though, he manages to show what compassion his vow allows.
The main point comes at the beginning of the reading: Israel’s troubles begin when they don’t trust God to protect them, even though they have seen God protect and rescue them so many times before.
That should probably sound familiar to most of us. We don’t ever seem to learn that God’s past faithfulness will continue.
Bonus: In 12:11-12 notice a name much in today’s headlines that you might not have realized was a biblical name.