Our passage today focuses on Samson.  He was a man used mightily by God despite his many moral flaws.  Note:

• Disobedience – The list of Samson’s sins is long. God told Israel not to intermarry with the inhabitants of the land, but Samson did anyway.  As a Nazirite, he was not to go near a dead body (Numbers 6), yet he scraped honey from the carcass of a lion and ate it.  He slept with a prostitute.  He acts out of anger and vengefulness.  He often seems to have a complete disregard for the commands of God.  What about you?
• Wisdom – Samson often seems to lack in wisdom. He fails to see the potential problems of marrying a Philistine.  He foolishly tells his wife the riddle.  Later, he foolishly tells Delilah the secret of his strength.  Are you making wise choices?
• Faith – Despite his failings, Hebrews 11 includes him as an example of faith. Samson apparently trusted God to help him as he fought the Philistines.  He looked to God to help him bring the house down upon the Philistines even though it meant his own death.  Are you walking by faith?
• God’s Sovereignty – Samson’s life points clearly to the truth that God can make use of even our shortcomings for his purposes. Though it was wrong for Samson to marry a Philistine, God used it as an opportunity for Samson to fight them (see 14:4).  God used Samson flaws and all, and he can use us flaws and all.  That is not an excuse for us to be complacent – who knows how much more God might have used Samson if he had been given over completely to God.  But it should encourage us to know that God can bring good even out of our moral failures, and that God can use imperfect people like us.

Our passage today focuses on Jephthah. Consider:

• Lack of peace –Jephthah delivers Israel from the Ammonites, but then we see him leading some of God’s people to fight against another tribe of God’s people. As a result, 42,000 people die.  How sad when God’s people fight among themselves.  Are you fighting with another of God’s people?  Is there strife, conflict, bitterness, anger between you and another?  What will you do to seek peace?
• Rash words – Before Jephthah goes to fight the battle, he utters rash foolish words that cost him the life of his only child. Our words may not usually have such dire consequences, but we too speak words without thinking that hurt others.  When have you spoken such rash words?  How might you be more careful to guard your tongue?

In our passage today, God raises up Tola and Jair as judges.  One man raises up himself – Abimelech.  Observe:

• Self-exaltation – God raised up judges to help the people of Israel. Abimelech raised up himself to the harm of God’s people.  Abimelech’s story is a sad affair of murder, betrayal, and fighting.  Are you trying to exalt yourself above others – no matter who you have to step on to get to the top?  Or will you follow God’s direction in I Peter 5:6 and humble yourself before the Lord, that he may exalt you?
• True Repentance – After Tola and Jair, the cycle continues: the people rebel and God sends enemies as punishment. The people again cried out to God, confessing their sin, but they did not change their ways.  So God did not help them.  Are you confessing your sins, but not turning from them?  We must repent from sin not just in word but in our actions.  From what sin in your life do you need to truly repent?

Again, Israel is oppressed because of their sin.  When they cry out to God, God raises up a man named Gideon.  Note:

• God’s presence – When God calls Gideon, Gideon responds that he is a nobody – how can he save Israel? God responds – “But I will be with you.”  Gideon is indeed a nobody, but with God he can do all that God calls him to do.  We too are nobodies on our own, but with God we can do all that he calls us to do.  What is God calling you to do?
• Fear – God tells Gideon to break down the altar to Baal. Gideon obeys, but he does it at night because he is afraid.  Do you hide your relationship with Christ because you are afraid of what others will think?  Are you willing to take a stand for Christ for all to see?  God is with you.  When God calls you to take a stand for him, be strong and courageous like Joshua – not fearful like Gideon.
• Trusting God – Gideon calls an army together to fight the Midianites. An army of 32,000 shows up.  God whittles it down to 300 men.  Why?  Lest Israel trust in themselves rather than God to bring about deliverance.  And with 300 men the Midianite army is routed, and Israel is saved.  Are you trusting in yourself to get you through your problems or are you trusting in God to help you?  Either way, you may have work to do, but who are you trusting in to bring success?