anitasanecdotes

In Judges 19 and 20 the Levite priest takes a concubine from Bethlehem, his hometown. She becomes angry with him and goes back home. He returns for her and takes her back with him. They leave Bethlehem in the evening and get as far as Gibeah in the land belonging to the Benjaminites.

The people show him great inhospitality. First, the people do not take them in for the night. Finally an old man invites them in but then the men of the city come for the Levite to sexually accost him. Just as in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah the old man offers his daughter and the concubine. The men try to attack the man and he puts his concubine out into the mob. They rape her all night. She crawls to the door of the old man and dies. When the Levite finds his concubine he cuts her up into twelve pieces and sends a piece to each of the twelve tribes.

The tribes gather at Mizpah. The Levite explains the crime committed against him and his concubine. The Israelites decide to go against the people of Gibeah with God’s blessing. After three days the Israelites burn Gibeah to the ground and kill some of their warriors. The rest go into hiding in the wilderness.

Psalm 44 begins with a recounting of God’s faithfulness in battle. But the psalm quickly turns to a complaint against God. He is not helping the people in the current battle. They believe that they are being faithful to God and yet he is allowing them to lose. They cry out for God to come to their aid.

When we are suffering, we may feel like the people in the psalm. We are believing; we are trusting; but God seems to be hiding from us. This psalm shows that it is alright to bring your complaints to God. When you think he is not listening it is alright to cry out.

Judges 17 and 18 contain an involved story about a man named Micah, his priest from the Levites and the Danites. Micah makes a silver idol and retains the services of a priest who comes to him from Bethlehem in Judah. The Danites are looking for land to settle and visit Micah. They receive a blessing from the priest and eventually take land near Laish. The Danites take the idol, retain the services of the priest and move them to their new land.

The scripture states that the people are doing what is right in their own eyes. Clearly they are not following the commands of the Lord. They are setting themselves up for a fall.

In Mark 6 Jesus returns to Nazareth. He teaches in the synagogue and the people take offense at his teaching. Because of their unbelief he could not do deeds of power except for a few healings.

Jesus sends out the disciples in pairs giving them authority over unclean spirits. He tells them to go only to places that welcome them. The disciples cast out demons and heal the sick.

King Herod hears about Jesus and thinks that John the baptizer has come back to life even though he had him beheaded.

After the disciples return Jesus takes them to a deserted place to be refreshed, but people see them going and meet them there. Jesus has compassion on them and teaches them until it is late. The disciples want Jesus to send them away but Jesus tells the disciples to feed them. They collect five loves and two fish. Jesus blesses the food and has the disciples distribute the food. There are twelve baskets remaining.

Jesus sends them out in the boat without him. There is a storm and the disciples are struggling to keep it under control. Jesus comes to them walking on the water. The disciples think he is a ghost. Jesus gets into the boat with them and the wind calms. The disciples are astounded.

Some say that the remaining twelve baskets were meant to show each of the twelve disciples what Jesus can do. Even after seeing all of the miracles and being able to do mighty acts with his authority, the disciples still have trouble believing. They wonder how the people will be fed; they become afraid in the boat. We are much like the disciples. We see God working in our lives every day. We hear about Jesus each week. We feel the Spirit moving in our lives. And yet, when we are faced with a challenge we become afraid. We wonder how we will get through. But God is faithful and takes care of us even in our disbelief. How long will it take us before we stop doubting, stop fearing…and believe?

In Judges 15 Samson goes to see his wife, but her father refuses to let him see her because he had given her to Samson’s best man. The father offers her younger sister to him. But Samson refuses. In anger he burns the Philistines’ crops and vineyards. The Philistines kill Samson’s wife and her father. Samson attacks the Philistines and the Philistines make a raid in Judah. When they ask why the Philistines have come they say they have come for Samson. The men of Judah approach Samson and ask why he has set their rulers against them. He responds that they did the same to him. The men of Judah bind Samson with ropes and take him to where the Philistines are encamped. The spirit of the Lord comes upon Samson and the ropes break away. Samson kills the Philistine. He judges Israel for twenty years.

In Judges 16 Samson falls in love with a woman named Delilah. The Philistines have Delilah find out how Samson is so strong. Several times he tricks her, but she begins to nag him for the answer and he finally tells her that it is his hair that makes him strong. Delilah lets Samson fall asleep and has a man shave off his hair. When he tries to fight the Philistines he is weak and is blinded and imprisoned. But his hair starts to grow back.

The Philistines sacrifice to their god Dagon in thanks for capturing Samson. They bring Samson out to see how weak he is. He asks to be put between two pillars. He prays that God will strengthen him once more so that he may die while destroying the Philistines. Samson moves the pillars and the house comes down on everyone. His family buries him in the tomb of his father Manoah.

Samson may have allowed himself to be tempted to sin, but God helped him because of his faith. When we allow ourselves to be tempted into sin our witness is weakened. We no longer have the strength to do the things God has gifted us to do or to witness to His greatness in our lives. Others see that we are no different from them and do not believe that God is with us. But as we put our faith in God, He is faithful to restore our strength and lets us become a strong witness again.

In Mark 5 Jesus meets a man possessed by many unclean spirits. No one could control him. The spirits recognize Jesus and his power. They plead with him not to send the away, but instead to let them inhabit a herd of swine. He grants their request and the swine ran into the sea and drown. The people of the town are frightened by Jesus’ power. The man asks come with Jesus but he tells him to go and tell everyone what the Lord has done for him.

One of the leaders of the synagogue asks Jesus to make his daughter well. She is dying. Jesus goes with him and a crowd follows. While they are walking a woman with a hemorrhage touches Jesus cloak believing that she will be healed. Jesus notices that some power has left him and asks who touched him. The woman comes to him. Jesus tells her that her faith has made her well.

Some people come to say that the little girl has died. Jesus tells the man not to be afraid, only believe. He tells the girl to get up and she does. He then tells them not to tell anyone about this.

“Do not fear, only believe.” These are words that are repeated throughout the New Testament. When we are faced with struggles in our lives, we become frightened. Jesus encourages us not to be afraid, only believe. We have seen that belief brings results. We have no reason to fear. Believe.

In Judges 13 and 14 the Israelites sin again and God allows the Philistines to rule them for forty years. An angel of the Lord visits the wife, who is barren, of a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan. He tells her that she will have a son who will be a nazirite for his entire life. Nazirites are chosen by God to make a special vow; they have a special diet and do not cut their hair. They are chosen for a special task which often is only for a short period of time, but in this case God is claiming this child for life. They have a son and name him Samson.

When Samson becomes a man he sees a Philistine woman and wants to marry her. Manoah and his wife try to dissuade him from this decision but this was God’s plan in order to defeat the Philistines.

Samson kills a young lion. After a while he passes by the lion and finds that a swarm of bees has made a hive in it. He takes some of the honey and gives it to his parents. Samson has a weeklong feast for his impending marriage. He tells the guests a riddle regarding the lion and the honey and says he will give them fine garments if they can figure it out.

They pressure his wife to give them the answer. She nags Samson until he tells her the answer to the riddle. The guests answer the riddle. Samson knows that his wife gave them the answer and becomes angry. He kills men from a neighboring town, but gives the guests their garments. Samson gives his wife to his best man.

This is an odd story. It does point out the fact that Samson is vulnerable when it comes to women. He also has done some things that are considered wrong, not only with regard to the vows of the nazirites, but also with the Israelites in general. He has touched a dead body this is considered unclean. Samson has also shown us that he may be hotheaded. We will see if any of these plays a role in a future account.

As Mark 4 opens we find Jesus by the sea. There are so many people gathered around him that he gets into a boat to teach. Jesus begins to teach through parables, which are stories that have a hidden meaning that can only be understood by the faithful.

Jesus tells a story about a sower who sows seed in different places and gets a variety of results. The disciples do not understand the parable and ask for an explanation. Jesus is surprised that they do not have understanding since they have been chosen. Jesus explains that the seed is the word of salvation. Some will hear but will be influenced things that will keep them from letting it take root in their lives. Still there are those who will hear the word and will grow in faith. Jesus tells other similar parables and explains them to his disciples.

Judges 11 and 12 tell the story of Jephthah of Gilead. Jephthah was an outcast because his mother was a prostitute, but he was a great warrior. When the people of Gilead find themselves in a war with the Ammonites they ask Jephthah to lead them in battle and then become their judge.

Jephthah contacts the king of the Ammonites and asks about the cause for the battle. The king replies that the Israelites have taken his land. Jephthah explains how God has been with the people and has given them the land telling him the history of the Israelites. He challenges the king to see that his god has not helped him and his people and says that the Lord will decide who will receive the land. The Ammonite king prepares for battle. Jephthah makes a vow to the Lord that if he wins the battle he will sacrifice the first thing that comes out of his house when he returns. The Lord delivers the Ammonites into his hand.

As he returns home Jephthah expects to see one of the sacrificial animals that are kept in the house walk out the door.  Instead it is his only child, his daughter. Jephthah is devastated and explains to his daughter what he has done. His daughter asks for 2 months to be away and then Jephthah can keep his promise. Jephthah keeps his vow.

This is a hard story to read. We cannot understand the sacrificing of a child. To Jephthah’s and his daughter’s credit they are faithful to their vow despite the cost.

The Ephraimites become angry with Jephthah and go to war, but God is with Jephthah and he defeats them. He judges Israel for six years. There are other judges who follow Jephthah.

Psalms 42 and 43 belong together as one psalm. The writer longs for God. He is in a time of trial andothers mock his faith. But his faith remains. He knows that God’s love is steadfast and will return. He places his hope in God.

In Judges 9, after Gideon dies, his son Abimelech conspires with his mother’s family who live in Shechem to become the ruler of Israel. They give him money from the temple of a Baal. Abimelech goes to his father’s house and kills all of his brothers except one, Jotham, who hides. The leaders of Shechem make Abimelech king.

Jotham cries out to the people of Shechem. He tells them a parable that relates to the dastardly way Abimelech took the throne. He states since they have dealt badly with Gideon’s (Jerubaal) family God will cause their destruction.

After three years of Abimelech’s rule the leaders of Shechem and Abimelech go to war. Abimelech destroys the city of Shechem and he himself is killed. God punishes them for their disobedience.

In Judges 10 two judges are appointed to judge Israel for over 40 years. After they die the Israelites again sin by worshiping many other gods. God sends the Philistines and Ammonites to oppress Israel for 18 years.

The Israelites cry out to God acknowledging their sin. God reminds them the He is the one who delivered them before but since they have turned to other gods they should go and ask them for deliverance. The people again acknowledge their sin and accept the punishment God may have for them. They put the foreign gods away and worship the Lord. God has compassion for His people.

Mark 3 opens on the Sabbath Jesus encounters a man with a withered hand at the synagogue. The people wonder if Jesus will heal on the Sabbath. Jesus asks if it is lawful to do good on Sabbath but they don’t answer. Jesus heals the man. The Pharisees begin to plot to destroy him.

Whenever evil spirits see Jesus they cry out that he is the Son of God. Jesus orders them not to make him known. In the first half of the book of Mark Jesus keeps who he is a secret.

Jesus names twelve followers to be his apostles who will go out and proclaim his message and have authority to cast out demons.

The scribes try to accuse him of being from Satan but Jesus rebukes them. How can Satan be against Satan?  He speaks of the unforgiveable sin: blaspheming the Holy Spirit, because they are accusing him of having an unclean spirit. They are saying that God is really Satan. This is unforgiveable. All other sins and blasphemies are forgiven.

His mother and brothers come to stop him from doing what he has been doing and saying. Jesus states that whoever does the will of God is his brother and sister and mother.

God is consistent in warning those who might try to move against Him. In both of our readings it is made clear that continued sin will be punished. Unfortunately, often those who are sinning do not hear or do not believe until the punishment has been wrought. But God is compassionate and when they come in confession acknowledging that He is Lord, He is faithful to forgive.

In Judges 7 and 8 Gideon and his troops are ready to attack the Midianites. God tells Gideon that there are too many Israelite troops. If they were to conquer the Midianites they would take the credit for themselves and not praise God. God thins out the troops from 32,000 to 300 men. The Midianites and Amalekites are as numerous as the sand on the seashore. That night God tells Gideon to attack the Midianites but says that if Gideon is still afraid he is to go to the outpost of the enemy camp. Gideon goes to the outpost and hears that they have had a dream warning them God has given Midian to the Israelites. When Gideon hears this he worships God.

Gideon takes his troops into battle. They carry an empty jar and a trumpet. They surround the outskirts of the Midianite camp. All the men blow their trumpets, break the jars and shout, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon.” The Midianite army flees. The men of Israel pursue the Midianites and kill their captains.

Gideon and the 300 pursue the Midianite kings. Along the way they ask for food from nearby towns. The leaders of the towns refuse. After Gideon captures the kings of Midian he returns to the neighboring towns and destroys them.

Gideon avenges his brothers and kills the kings of Midian. The people of Israel ask Gideon and his sons to be their king but Gideon refuses. He tells them the Lord will rule over them. The land is at peace during the time of Gideon. After Gideon dies the Israelites go back to worshiping the Baals. They don’t remember the Lord their God who had delivered them from their enemies.

Gideon was a man of faith. He believed that God would do as He had promised even though the odds seemed against him. God blessed Gideon and all the people for his faithfulness. Unfortunately Gideon’s faith was not shared by the people of Israel. They had been corrupted by their worship of other gods.

In Mark 2 Jesus is at home in Capernaum. Some people bring a paralyzed man to Jesus to be healed. When Jesus saw the faith of his friends he tells the man his sins are forgiven. Some scribes say that Jesus is a blasphemer since only God can forgive. To prove to them who he is he tells the man to take up his mat and walk.

Illness and sin were considered the same thing in Jesus’ day. For Jesus to be able to heal someone from a condition like paralysis was tantamount to forgiving him of his sins. The scribes didn’t like hearing Jesus forgive the man, but they were most likely just as disturbed by Jesus healing him. Also, the man was healed because of the faith of his friends. We should be confident that if we bring people before the Lord, even in prayer, Jesus will forgive them.

Jesus has dinner with many tax collectors and sinners. The scribes complain and Jesus replies that the sick need a physician, not those who are well. Jesus did other things to upset the scribes and Pharisees. For each one of their complaints Jesus replied. He let it be known that he was in charge over the law.

Already Jesus is unapologetic for who he is and why he has come. He is upsetting the status quo and those who are in charge of keeping it are disturbed by his presence and actions. We are often called to upset the status quo in order to do the Lord’s work. May we also be bold in our actions knowing why we do them.

Judges 5 contains a song from Deborah and Barak recounting the battle with the Canaanites. It is a song of praise to the Lord. Israel remains at peace for 40 years.

Judges 6 opens with the people again doing evil in God’s sight. God sends Midian to rule over them for 7 years. The Midianites destroy the crops and livestock in Israel leaving it impoverished.

The Israelites cry out to the Lord. The Lord replies that they need to be faithful to Him. God sends his angel to a young man named Gideon and tells him that God has chosen him to deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Gideon replies that he is not powerful. But God says that He will be with Gideon.  Gideon asks for a sign.

Gideon prepares a meal for the angel. The angel tells Gideon to pour broth on the meal. The angel then makes a fire that consumes the meal and the angel vanishes.

Gideon is afraid and calls out to God. God tells him not to be afraid. Gideon builds an altar to the Lord. God has Gideon tear down the altar and sacred pole of Baal, build an altar to God and offer a burnt offering of a bull using the sacred pole for fuel.

That night Gideon does as God commands. The next morning the people see what Gideon has done and tell his father to bring him out to be killed. But his father says that if Baal is a true god, he will have to contend with Gideon himself. Gideon is renamed Jerubbaal which means “Let Baal contend with him.”

The Midianites and Amalekites gather for battle. Gideon gathers the people of Israel for battle. Gideon sets out a fleece of wool to see if God wants him to deliver Israel. If there is fleece on the wool but not on the ground then he will know it is God’s will. In the morning the fleece is wet and the ground is dry. Gideon tests God one more time asking God to make the ground wet and the fleece dry. The next morning it is just as Gideon asked.

God can be very patient with us. We are often uncertain whether we are reading God’s will correctly. God will make it clear to us if we ask, even if it takes us several times for clarification.

Psalm 40 sounds as if it were written by Deborah and Gideon. It includes a song of praise to God and a plea for deliverance from the Lord.

Psalm 41 acknowledges that God protects the poor and heals those who are sick. The writer asks God to forgive him of his sins and to deliver him from his enemies. He is confident in the Lord’s mercy and deliverance.

Judges 3 and 4 recounts that God leaves the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites in the Promised Land to test Israel and see if they will obey the commandments of the Lord. They were to keep separated from the other nations and not take their gods. But instead they marry the women from these nations and give their daughters to marry them. They begin to worship the Baals and Asherahs (gods and goddesses).  God becomes angry and allows the king of Aram to conquer them and rule them for 8 years.

The people cry out to the Lord and God raises up Othniel, Caleb’s brother as a judge over Israel. He goes to war and defeats the king of Aram. Othniel is the judge over a peaceful Israel for 40 years. When he dies the Israelites again disobey God’s commandments and this time God turns them over to the king of Moab for 18 years.

The people cry out to the Lord and God sends Ehud, who kills the king of Moab and defeats the Moabites and there is peace for 80 years. After Ehud dies the people again disobey God’s commandments. So King Jabin of Canaan oppresses them for 20 years.

The people cry out to the Lord. God appoints the prophetess Deborah to be judge over Israel. Deborah summons Barak from Naphtali to gather troops to defeat Sisera the general of Jabin’s army. Barak confronts Sisera’s army at Mount Tabor. The army is killed by Sisera escapes. He goes to Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, a descendant of Moses’ father-in-law. Heber is allies with Jabin. Jael agrees to hide Sisera in her tent. Jael turns on Sisera and kills him. As Barak comes by in pursuit of Sisera, Jael shows the dead general to him. The Israelites destroy the king of Canaan.

We are beginning to see a pattern here. As generations pass the people forget the commandments of God and are disobedient. God punishes the people but shows them mercy when they cry out to Him. Each new judge is able to keep the people in check for their lifetime. But memory fades again.

With Mark 1 we return to the gospels. Mark is the shortest of the gospel accounts. It is considered to be source material for Matthew and Luke. Mark tells the story of Jesus life as a hurried account of immediate events.

As the gospel begins John the baptizer appears in the wilderness proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Many people come to him to confess their sins and be baptized in the Jordan. John tells them that someone is coming who will baptize them with more than water. He will baptize them with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus also comes to John for baptism. As Jesus comes out of the water the Holy Spirit comes on him like a dove and God’s voice comes from heaven saying that Jesus is His Son with whom God is pleased.

Immediately the Spirit drives Jesus into the wilderness where he is tempted by Satan. He is there for 40 days. The number 40 continues to be significant as a time of testing: the 40 days and nights of the flood, the 40 years in the wilderness for the people of Israel, and the 40 days of temptation for Jesus. These experiences are meant to prepare the chosen person or people for the task ahead. Jesus is prepared and wastes no time.

John is arrested and Jesus goes to Galilee to declare the God’s kingdom is here. Jesus sees some fishermen: Andrew, Simon, James and John. He calls to them to follow him and they come immediately. Jesus goes to Capernaum on the Sabbath and teaches in the synagogue astounding the listeners. A demon-possessed man calls out to Jesus acknowledging that he is the Holy One of God and has come to destroy the demons. Jesus orders them out of the man and they leave. People recognize that Jesus has an authority they have not seen before.

They leave the synagogue and go to Simon and Andrew’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law is sick and Jesus heals her.

Everywhere Jesus goes people come to be healed. Jesus also teaches in the synagogues wherever he goes. (Doesn’t this remind you of Paul?). A man with leprosy comes to Jesus and says with confidence that if Jesus chooses he can make him clean. Jesus chooses and the man is made clean. Jesus tells the man not to tell anyone about the healing but only go to a priest to make an offering of cleansing, just as Moses commanded. But the man cannot keep quiet and soon Jesus cannot go into towns but stays in the country where people come to him.

So much has happened in just the first chapter. Can’t you feel the excitement of this telling of the good news? It is hard to stop reading.

In Judges 1, after Joshua dies, Judah and Simeon drive out the Canaanites from the land. They take Gaza but cannot drive out the inhabitants of the plain because of their chariots. The Benjaminites do not drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem. Ephraim does not drive out the Canaanites and makes them slaves. Others are not able to drive out the inhabitants of their lands and make them slaves.

Judges 2 opens with the angel of the Lord speaking to the people for God. He reminds them of the covenant they made with Him to get rid of all the inhabitants of the Promised Land. They have disobeyed the covenant so God says these people will become Israel’s adversaries and their gods will be a snare to them. After two generations the Israelites begin to worship the Baals (false gods).  God turns them over to the power of their enemies and they are distressed.

God raises up judges who defeat their enemies but when the judge dies the people go back to their sinful ways. God decides not to help them any longer. The remnant nations had been left to test the people and see if they would drive them out. They fail the test.

In Romans 16 Paul concludes his letter to the Romans. He sends greetings to many people including quite a few women. Paul encourages the community to keep an eye on those who would lead others astray.