James McNaught: November 2013

Judges 18:7–13, “Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man. And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye? And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land. When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth. And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war. And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim. And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.”

The spies from the tribe of Dan travelled to the north where the people were no longer Amorites. The Lord had promised Abraham that his descendants would take their Land from the Amorites when their iniquity was full. These people were from a group who had lived north of the Amorites and had not been involved with Abraham or tried to take advantage of Him. In spite of this, the people of Dan saw that this land was good and the people were living at peace, with no way of protecting themselves and no allies to call upon. The spies went home at told the rest of the tribe about this good land and encouraged their relatives to go up, take possession and occupy the new territory. A substantial army of six hundred soldiers headed out on this expedition. On the way they passed Micah’s house.

The tribe of Dan

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Judges 18:1–6, “ In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel. And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there. When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here? And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest. And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous. And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go.”

The same theme, expressed in the last chapter, is reiterated in this chapter. Israel had no king and there was no national unity and no national, or local, commitment to keeping the Law of the Lord. Dan was given an allotment along with all the other tribes in Israel during Joshua’s time.( see Joshua 19:40–48, “And the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families. And the coast of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Irshemesh, And Shaalabbin, and Ajalon, and Jethlah, And Elon, and Thimnathah, and Ekron, And Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath, And Jehud, and Beneberak, and Gathrimmon, And Mejarkon, and Rakkon, with the border before Japho. And the coast of the children of Dan went out too little for them: therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.”) However, Dan wasn’t happy with their allotment and took other land for themselves. At this stage, Dan still wan’t happy with their allotment so they went to find a better place to live. When the Lord promised the Land to Israel He gave them specific boundaries and they were to trust the Lord and be content with the Land. There was always the promise that they would be able to expand, in the Lord’s Name, if they were obedient to the Law. The people from Dan were not living obedient lives and could not expect the Lord to bless this venture. In spite of this they sent their own spies to find a good place for them to take for their own possession. As these spies were looking for a place to go, they came to Micah’s home. When the arrived there the recognised the priest. Naturally, they were interested to know more about this young man’e experience and asked him. He told them how he happened to be there and they asked him to ask the Lord if they would be successful. Of course, they were wrong in their request because the Lord had already defined the way His relationship with Israel would work and they were defying that context. Never the less, the Levites too them that the Lord would make their excursion successful thus showing that he didn’t really understand what he was talking about either.

A young Levite

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Judges 17:7–13, “And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed. And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place. And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in. And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons. And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.”

Micah had set himself up as an important man in his own region, he had his own shrine and his own priest to worship at the shrine. One day a young man who came from the tribe of Levi came past. This young man had left his own home and was looking for a place to establish himself. Micah asked him where he came from and then asked him to stay at his place. After all, it was much more prestigious to have a Levite for a priest than just another ordinary citizen even though it was his own son. They established and employment contract and the young man stayed there. Micah was self satisfied. He was in even a better position now and no one could stop him.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Micah

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Judges 17:1–6, “And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son. And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee. Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah. And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

The entire period the Judges was characterised by the final statement in this section: “in those days the was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” The Lord gave Israel the Promised Land and the Law but they promised to keep the Law. The Lord wasn’t going to force them to keep the Law because they freely chose to follow the Law. However, the Law had penalty clauses and they would automatically experience the penalty clauses if they didn’t keep their part of the contract. When Moses led Israel they were united as a whole nation and this was true under Joshua as well but during the next period there was no consistent national leadership and no sense of national pride. They didn’t understand the importance of the fact that the Lord had called them to be the means of the Lord’s blessing coming upon every family on the earth. On the other hand, some people did whatever they wanted without, at first appreciating the broader context of their actions. In this case, one particular man stole some silver from his mother. The mother was upset at losing the silver but had no proper, legal means of finding the thief and recovering the silver so she cursed the thief. Later, her son felt remorse for stealing the silver and confessed that he had it. He gave the money back to his mother and she took some of the money and gave it to a sculptor. The sculptor took the silver and made it into two kinds of idols, one was cast in a mould and the other was beaten out with a hammer. Micah, the man who stole the silver, kept the idol in his house and he made a priestly garment and some small household gods as well. He also ordained one of his own sons to be his own priest. This shows that they didn’t really understand their position or the Law and how it should have impacted on their lives. No doubt, the mother believed that her local god had heard her curse and brought the silver back to her so she decided to honour that god.

Remember me, I pray thee

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Judges 16:22–31, “Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven. Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us. And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars. And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them. Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport. And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.”

The Philistines thought that they had finally and completely dealt with Samson but this wasn’t true because his hair began to grow again. Samson had not understood his responsibilities, before the Lord, as Israel’s leader. Their contract of the Land presupposed obedience to the Law or the penalty clauses would be invoked. Samson thought that he could do whatever he wanted to do because of his great strength and the fact that the Lord had given him many great victories. On the other hand, the Philistines believed that their God Dagon had defeated the Lord so they celebrated to give the glory to their own god. While they were celebrating their god they decided to mock Samson and Samson’s God. They called Samson into the Temple and place in the middle of their celebration. It is interesting to note that recent archaeological investigation has shown that Philistine Temples were built around two middle posts that held the entire structure. Samson was placed between these two middle pillars so that he could be mocked. He asked the boy who led him to place each of his hands on these two pillars. He prayed to the Lord and the pushed the pillars with all his great strength that had returned to him. The pillars and the temple collapsed and everyone who was praising the god Dagon was killed in the collapse. Samson did more damage to the Philistines when he died than he did during his entire lifetime.

Samson shaved

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Judges 16:18–21, “And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.”

If you saw that your local television station reported the fact that a large ring of peadophiles had been found and put out of business, would you assume that the television station approve of peadophilia or would you assume that they were just reporting events as they happened? There is a common mistake among people today that the Bible approves of things when the Bible is just reporting events that happened to show the danger of living outside the morals and mores that the Lord God has established for the benefit of the creatures He made in His own image. Many people, for example, suggest that the Bible endorses slavery but the truth is that the

Bible was written in an environment where people had rejected the Lord God and chosen to go their own way. Slavery was a fact in this environment and the people who chose to believe in the Lord God needed to understand how they should cope in a world where slavery was a fact, especially if they had the misfortune to be a slave.

Delilah realised that that Samson had finally told her the truth and he was now in her power. She made him sleep and then called some of the Philistines who shaved his hair. When Delilah woke Samson he didn’t realise that his strength was gone and tried to fight with the Philistines. They were able to capture him and then they blinded him. Traditionally, people have blinded their enemies so that they will be unable to fight again. Even the most powerful person in the world in unable to use all their resources when they are blind. Samson was chained to a mill wheel and forced to walk round and round to grind their grain.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Delilah

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Judges 16:4–17, “And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver. And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee. And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man. Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known. And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man. Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread. And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web. And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web. And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth. And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”

Samson had demonstrated a liking for Philistine girls but finally he fell head over heels in love with a girl called Delilah. The Philistines hated Samson because he had been so successful against them and they came to Delilah and asked her to find out the reason why Samson was so strong. We can assume from this that Samson probably looked more like the hundred pound weakling than the Mr Universe contestant for if he was a large and well muscled man the Philistines would have know the secret of his great strength. (In saying this I am not claiming to be inspired, this is only my own opinion.) Samson was a victim of the same plot that his father had tried to play on the angel who came before Samson was born. Manoah wanted to understand the angel’s power and the Philistines wanted to know Samson’s power so that they could subdue him. They told Delilah to seduce Samson and find out the secret of his great strength. No doubt, Delilah knew all about Samson’s first wife and the vicious retribution she had faced at the hand of the Philistines. She asked Samson the secret of his great strength and he told her false causes three times and they tried to capture him but he was too strong. Notice that the third time Samson talked about his hair even though he didn’t give the true reason. Finally Samson gave Delilah the truth that his strength came from his uncut hair. It really came from the Lord and was due to his lifelong vow of devotion. He should have known better but he was in love with Delilah and trusted her even though she wasn’t trustworthy.

Gaza

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Judges 16:1–3, “Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her. And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him. And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.”

Even though Samson was the Lord’s servant and Israel’s judge, he still practiced some of the habits of the people who lived in the Land before Israel took possession. The Amorites worshipped fertility gods and part of the practice was to go to Temple prostitutes to worship the fertility gods. Samson had married a Philistine woman but she was murdered by her fellow Philistines. Samson was still attached to women even though he wasn’t married. According to the Law, there were no Israeli temple prostitutes so Samson went down to the Philistines to satisfy his needs. One night Samson visited a prostitute and the Philistines heard that he was there. They set and ambush for him and waited till the morning, hoping to catch him and and kill him. Gaza was one of the five main Philistine cities; Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, Gaza and Gath. These important cities were surrounded by walls to keep them secure from attack. Samson woke up and took the city gate on his shoulders, this was obviously a miracle, performed in the Lord’s strength otherwise it would have been impossible. Samson carried the gates about 35 km (about 21 miles). This was a great distance and meant that they could not use the materials from the old gate to build a replacement gate. This shows that when the Lord performs a miracle it cannot be undone.

Samson's thirst

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Judges 15:18–20, “And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised? But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day. And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.”

Samson was a true warrior. He waited till the battle was finished before he started to think about his own needs. No doubt, he began to feel thirsty during the course of the battle but he was involved in the battle and that was his major priority. When the battle was over, he realised that he really needed something to drink and cried out the Lord because he was afraid that he might die of thirst. The Lord heard Samson’s prayer and brought water out of the jawbone that was in his hand. Samson had already shown a willingness to eat honey from the lion’s carcass so he wasn’t too worried about drinking the miraculous water that came from the jawbone. The water that the Lord provided was enough for Samson’s thirst and he was refreshed. He called the place “the well of the man who called”. This was to celebrate the fact that the Lord heard his cry and gave him water. After Samson defeated the Philistines he was able to judge Israel for twenty years. After all, the Philistines were afraid of Samson and they didn’t come to attack Israel during this long period.

A donkey's jaw bone

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Judges 15:9–17, “Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi. And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us. Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them. And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves. And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock. And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men. And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi.”

Israel was afraid of the Philistines and the Philistines were afraid of Samson. The Philistines decided to force Israel to do something about Samson for them. They attacked Judah and when Judah asked why they had attacked the Philistines told them that they really wanted Samson and they would spare Judah if Judah delivered Samson to them. Samson wasn’t afraid of the Philistines but he was concerned that Judah might betray them. Judah couldn’t do anything to capture Samson because he was so strong but they were able to talk to Samson. Samson made a deal with Judah, he promised that they could take him to the Philistines bound hand and foot as long as they didn’t do anything to him themselves. Samson was strong in the Lord’s Name but he was afraid of betrayal by his friends. This is a sad state of affairs and can still happen today. Too often people who want to do things for the Lord are wounded by the people they accept as their friends even though we can go in the Name of the Lord without fear. Judah took Samson down to the Philistines and when they saw Samson bound hand and foot they were glad and shouted with a triumphant shout. Samson was filled with the Lord’s spirit and he broke the cords that bound him. He found the jaw bone of a dead donkey and used that as a weapon. He killed a thousand Philistines in battle, as they tried to kill him. Samson composed a small poem to celebrate his victory and called the place after this great victory.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Three hundred foxes

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Judges 15:1–8, “But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in. And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her. And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure. And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails. And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives. Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire. And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease. And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.”

Samson recovered from his fit of anger and decided that he would go back to spend some time with his wife. When he got to her home, her father refused to let Samson in because she was married to another man. He tried to persuade Samson to marry her sister but he was angry at the new situation and decided that the Philistines had done enough to provoke him. He caught three hundred foxes and tied them into pairs by the tail. He set the foxes alight and let them run through the Philistine crops so that the crops were destroyed. Remember that this book is just a historical record of a brutal time in history and relating this story does not mean that the Lord God approved of Samson’s action. He had the gift of free will, like everyone else, and chose to do this to provoke the Philistines. This is the same as trying to say that all people belonging to any religion are responsible for the actions of a few fanatics or that their religion approves of the actions of every member of that religion. The Philistines were angry so they burnt Samson’s wife and her father in their house. Samson took the responsibility of a relative and exacted revenge on the families of the Philistines in that region. After that he went to a quiet place and took a break from the problems that he was facing.

The riddle

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Judges 14:10–20, “So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do. And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments: But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it. And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson’s wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father’s house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so? And Samson’s wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee? And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people. And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle. And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house. But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.”

Samson’s father decided that he would go along with Samson even through he disagreed with what Samson was doing. The arranged a wedding feast and the Philistines brought thirty people to be Samson’s guests because he didn’t bring any guests from Israel, apart from his mother and his father. Samson was still looking for an opportunity pick an argument with the Philistines so he proposed a riddle to them. He had killed a lion and taken honey from it so the riddle related to that.

“Out of the eater came something to eat.

Out of the strong came something sweet.”

No one could answer the riddle and the Philistine guests didn’t want to lose their own pride and possessions by having to pay Samson. The threatened his wife and told her that they would burn her parents in their home if she didn’t find the answer. Notice Samson became a victim of the same desire that his father had when he tried to find the angel’s name. The woman found out the answer because she was afraid for her family. When the guests told Samson the answer, he was very angry and stormed out. Never the less, Samson went and killed thirty Philistines and took plunder from them to pay the lost bet. The Philistines who came to the party thought Samson had deserted his new wife so they gave to the Philistine who had acted as his friend.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

A lion

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

Judges 14:1–9, “And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done. And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion. And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.”

The Lord led Samson to move among the Philistines, who were severely oppressing Israel at that time. He saw a Philistine woman and found her attractive, so much so, that he asked his parent if they could arrange a marriage between him and that woman. It seems that Samson didn’t understand the implications of being a life long Nazarite or he wasn’t properly educated as to his responsibilities. Samson was attacked by a lion and, because of his great strength, he killed the lion with his bare hands. His parents were trying to persuade him to marry and good Israeli girl but he was looking for an opportunity to have and argument with the Philistines. Later, Samson saw that some bees had made a hive in the lion’s carcass and he took the honey and gave some of it to his parents. A Nazarite was forbidden from touch any dead body as long as he was under the vow. (Num 6:6, “All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body.”) He was trying to do obey the Lord but wanted to obey the Lord under his own terms rather than the terms that were written down in the Law.

Samson

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

Judges 13:15–25, “And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee. And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD. And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour? And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret? So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on. For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground. But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD. And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these. And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.”

Manoah wanted to have some control in this situation and he asked the angel to stay for a while so that he could be hospitable and prepare a meal. The angel told Manoah that he would stay for a while but he wouldn’t eat anything. Manoah still thought that the angel was just another man from another place. He tried to find out more about the man/angel and asked him for his name. It was thought to be good to another person’s name in those days, or the name of their god so that you could have power over the other person. (compare 1 Kings 20:23, “And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.” In this case they thought that they knew enough about the Lord God to defeat him but they were wrong.) The angel had come from the Lord so it wasn’t appropriate for Manoah to know his name because Manoah would never be superior to that angel.) Manoah offered the goat as an offering to the Lord and the angel went up into the air with the flame. At that stage Manoah understood that the angel had come from the Lord and was afraid. However, Manoah’s wife became pregnant and they had a son called Samson, who was dedicated to the Lord as a Nazarite. Samson grew up and the Lord was with him in a special way.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

A Nazarite vow

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

Judges 13:8–14, “Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her. And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day. And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am. And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him? And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware. She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe.”

Manoah heard his wife but wanted to hear the full message from the angel rather than from her. Perhaps, he believed that she was going slightly mad because she was barren or he though she might be a bit too emotional, never the less, he wanted to see the angel himself so he prayed and asked the Lord to bring the angel to speak to him. The angel came and met with the woman again. The Lord was trying to let Manoah know that his wife was acceptable as a messenger to bring the Lord’s message and that he should have trusted her before. However, the woman rushed to find her husband so that he could meet with the angel as well. Manoah came and asked the angel if he came to his wife before and the angel said that he was. At this stage, Manoah believed the angel and the angel told him that his wife to have to live as though she was a Nazarite herself during her pregnancy. This was so that the woman could show this extra devotion to the Lord as a mark of gratitude for her answered prayer.

Manoah

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

Judges 13:1–7, “And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years. And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name: But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.”

The story of disobedience to the Law of the Lord continued throughout this period. At this stage the Philistines, who were Israel’s most vicious enemies, entered into Israel’s history in a big way. They lived on the plains between the central mountains and the sea. There was a significant pass coming up from their area to the highlands and they could come up from their homeland, south of Dan and west of Judah and plunder the Israelis. Part of the problem resulted from the fact that Judah didn't take possession of their entire allocated territory. These people controlled Israel for a significant period of time. Eventually an angel of the Lord came to a woman who had been childless for quite some time. Barrenness is a terrible curse for a family who want to have children and they struggle on a daily basis because they can’t have children. Sometimes they accept the situation and sometimes they don’t. In this case the angel came to a barren woman who was longing for a child and promised that she would have son. However, the son was to be dedicated to the Lord as a lifelong Nazarite. There were a number of significant men in the Bible who were born late to women who had been barren for a long period of time. The most significant of these men was Abraham. In this case the son, to be born, was to deliver Israel from the Philistines. The woman told Manoah, her husband, about the angel and the promise that he had made.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Ibzan, Elon and Abdon

((The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

Judges 12:8–15, “And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem. And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years. And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun. And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel. And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years. And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.”

The book of Judges is instructive for all who read it. This is part of the overall history of the redemption of the world and the episodes that are recorded are put in place to teach us of the Lord’s plan. On the other hand, it also a history of the period between Joshua and Samuel so parts of the history are recorded in brief for the sake of continuity. We have a record here of three judges, Ibzan, Elon and Abdon. It wasn’t necessary to record any specific lessons to be learnt from their times as judges.At that time, Israel had not been united under one leader. There were often times when one tribe or group of tribes acted alone to defend themselves against invaders. In this case the men from the tribe of Ephraim were upset that they weren’t given the chance to take spoil from the Ammonites. They saw that Jephthah had won a great victory and were jealous of spoil that he had taken. They told Jephthah that he was in the wrong in this case but he asked them why they didn’t come before the Ammonites were defeated. This led to an argument between Gilead and the Ephraimites. The complainers were soundly defeated and tried to return over the River Jordan to their own homes. Jephthah’s men guarded the ford over the river. When people came to cross the river they all said that they belonged to Jephthah’s men so these men devised a test. We know that people from different ethnic groups make different sounds and pronounce things in different ways. For example, people who grew up in Indochina find it hard to “P” at the beginning of a word. They would naturally say “Fressure” rather than “Pressure” for example. The people who live on the west bank of the river said, “Sibboleth” instead of “Shibboleth” like the people from the east bank. when they said the wrong word they were killed. Jephthah was the judge for six years after his great victory over the Ammonites.

Shibboleth

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Judges 12:1–7, “And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire. And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands. And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me? Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites. And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand. And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.”

At that time, Israel had not been united under one leader. There were often times when one tribe or group of tribes acted alone to defend themselves against invaders. In this case the men from the tribe of Ephraim were upset that they weren’t given the chance to take spoil from the Ammonites. They saw that Jephthah had won a great victory and were jealous of spoil that he had taken. They told Jephthah that he was in the wrong in this case but he asked them why they didn’t come before the Ammonites were defeated. This led to an argument between Gilead and the Ephraimites. The complainers were soundly defeated and tried to return over the River Jordan to their own homes. Jephthah’s men guarded the ford over the river. When people came to cross the river they all said that they belonged to Jephthah’s men so these men devised a test. We know that people from different ethnic groups make different sounds and pronounce things in different ways. For example, people who grew up in Indochina find it hard to “P” at the beginning of a word. They would naturally say “Fressure” rather than “Pressure” for example. The people who live on the west bank of the river said, “Sibboleth” instead of “Shibboleth” like the people from the east bank. when they said the wrong word they were killed. Jephthah was the judge for six years after his great victory over the Ammonites.

Monday, November 18, 2013

He rent his clothes

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

Judges 11:29–40, “Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon. And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands. And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel. And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back. And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon. And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows. And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.”

The book of Judges is an historical record of the time period between Israel’s entering the Land and the time of Samuel the Priest. The record in written showing what the happened to Israel during this time as they chose to keep or ignore the contract that they had made with the Lord. The major issue is how Israel survived without a united identity for most of that time and how they chose to accept or reject the Lord. This doesn’t mean that the Lord approved of all their actions or was in any way responsible for their choices. If Israel chose to reject the Lord they chose to live in random and arbitrary circumstances, without the Lord God’s Divine protection and care. There were times when people were sincere in their desire to follow the Lord but were uneducated in the Lord’s way and did things that the Lord did not approve of or support. However, the Lord still supported them if they obeyed Him and did what He commanded. Jephthah wasn’t trained to understand all the Law and all its details. He grew up away from his family home and lived by his wits until the people of Israel came and asked him to lead them. He obeyed the Lord and came to resist the Ammonites when they came to attack Israel. He went out in the Lord’s Name and defeated the enemy comprehensively. In his zeal for the Lord, Jephthah made a vow that wasn’t really supported by the Law and said that he would offer the first person who met him as a burnt offering to the Lord. It is important to remember that the Lord specifically rejected human sacrifice. (Deut 18:10, “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,”) In spite of this Jephthah made a promise and felt obliged to keep that promise even though it was his daughter, his only child. There is some argument among experts as to whether Jephthah actually sacrificed his daughter but it is probable that he did. There is an important lesson here: we should find out the Lord’s will from His written Word and not assume we know what we are talking about. The Lord isn’t interested in our definition of what is right and wrong, that is why He gave us the written scriptures so that we would know exactly what his definition of good and evil is.

Jephthah sent messengers

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

Judges 11:12–28, “And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land? And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably. And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon: And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon: But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh; Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh. Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab. And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place. But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel. And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan. So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it? Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess. And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them, While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time? Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon. Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.”

The Ammonites came and attacked Israel and Jephthah tried to act within proper legal limits. he didn’t just go straight to war but contacted their king to find out why they felt it was okay to invade Israel at that time. The Ammonite king claimed that Israel had taken Ammonite land when Israel came to take possession of the Promised Land. However, the Moabites and the Ammonites were descended from Lot, Abraham’s nephew. (Genesis 19:36–38, “Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.”) Because of the relationship, the Lord didn’t allow Israel to take the land away from these two nations. Never the less, the Amorites attacked Israel and Israel disposed them of the lands when the defeated them in battle. Israel took possession of these lands and two and a half tribes took those lands for their inheritance. These events happened three hundred years before that and the Ammonites had not tried to take the land back before. The king of the Ammonites wasn’t really interested in what Jephthah had to say and didn’t leave from their attack on Israel.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Shall I be your head?

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

Judges 11:4–11, “And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel. And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob: And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father’s house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words. Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.”

Gilead was on the eastern bank of the Jordan River and to the south of the region known as “The Golan Heights” today. The Ammonites lived in the neighbouring region to the east of Gilead. The Ammonites looked to their west and saw that Gilead was a very rich area next to them. The decided to come and take the rich lands away from their neighbours and force the Israelis living in that area to work for them so that they could live easier lives. The leader of Gilead knew that Jephthah was their best soldier so they decided to ask him to come back and lead their armies against Ammon. Jephthah was living to the northeast of Ammon so they went there to find Jephthah. The found him and asked him to return to help them. Jephthah was still hurting from being rejected by his family so he asked for some guarantees before he was willing to return from his exile. The people promised Jephthah that he would be their leader and no one would say anything against him. They accepted his terms even though they had previously rejected him and forced him out of their territory. Even though it was his own family who had forced him out, the rest of the people in Gilead had done nothing to protect him so they, too, were party to this cruel phase in Jephthah’s life.

Jephthah

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Judges 11:1–3, “Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah. And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and his wife’s sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of a strange woman. Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.”

This section shows what happens when people have multiple sexual partners. The Lord God designed one man to be married to one woman and that they would be joined together. Their souls become united but they is damaged when there are many partners. When that happens the parent who had not been involved in multiple relationships feels a strong bond with their own child and seek to exclude the children of the other partners from the advantages of belonging to the original family. This is what happened to Jephthah. His father had a relationship with a harlot. In that time many men would have relationships with harlots as part of the worship of one or other of the fertility gods. There is no evidence that this was actually the case but it is likely that this was so. A man would come to the shrine of the god and pay money so that he could spend time with the temple prostitute and, hence, make sure that his harvests were good and his crops were successful. The children were considered as belonging to the father of the child and invited into his home. However, when the father died the rest of the family chased the son of the prostitute away. This happened to Jephthah and he went away and lived in a strange land. Jephthah was, obviously, a man with considerable leadership skills and the local people in his new place joined with him and followed his leadership.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Put away the strange gods

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php