Day 88 of the 2nd Bible Study Journey - 29 Mar 2022 reflections
Day 88, 29 Mar 2022
1) Judges 1 - 3:30
JUDGES 1
Israel Fights Remaining Canaanites
1 (Nu 27:21; Jdg 20:18) After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel
inquired of the Lord, "Who should go up against the Canaanites first,
in order to wage war against them?"
2 The Lord said, "Judah shall go up.
Indeed, I have given the land into their hands."
3 (Jdg 1:17) Then the men of Judah said to Simeon,
their brothers, "Come up with us into our allotted territory.
We will wage war against the Canaanites. Likewise we will go
with you into your allotted territory." So Simeon went with them.
4 (1 Sa 11:8) Then Judah went up, and the Lord gave the Canaanites
and Perizzites into their hands. They struck down ten thousand men in Bezek.
5 They found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek and fought against him.
They struck down the Canaanites and Perizzites.
6 Yet Adoni-Bezek fled, and they chased after him, seized him,
and cut off his thumbs and big toes.
7 (1Sa 15:33) Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings whose thumbs
and big toes were cut off once collected scraps of food
under my table. Just as I have done, so God has repaid me."
They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
8 (Jos 15:63; Jdg 1:21) Then Judah waged war against Jerusalem.
They captured it, struck it with the edge of the sword,
and sent the city up in flames.
9 Afterwards, Judah went down to wage war against the Canaanites
living in the hill country, the Negev, and the lowlands.
10 (Nu 13:22; Jos 14:15) Judah went against the Canaanites living
in Hebron (previously the name of Hebron was Kiriath Arba)
and they struck down Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
11 (Jos 15:15) From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir
(previously the name of Debir was Kiriath Sepher).
12 Caleb said, "He who attacks Kiriath Sepher and takes it,
I will give him my daughter Aksah as wife."
13 (Jdg 3:9) Othniel son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb,
captured it. So Caleb gave him Aksah his daughter in marriage.
14 When she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father
for a field. As she dismounted from her donkey, Caleb said to her,
"What can I do for you?"
15 She answered, "Please give me a special gift.
Since you have given me land in the Negev, now give me springs of water."
So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.
16 (Nu 10:29-32; 21:1; Dt 34:3) The descendants of Moses' father-in-law,
the Kenite, went up with the descendants of Judah from the City of Palms
to the Negev near Arad. Then they went and lived with the people.
17 (Nu 21:3) But Judah went with his brother Simeon
and struck down the Canaanites living in Zephath and utterly destroyed it.
So now they call the city Hormah.
18 (Jos 11:22; Jdg 3:3) Then Judah captured Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron,
and the territory belonging to each of these cities.
19 (Jdg 1:2) The Lord was with Judah, and they took the hill country
but could not drive out the inhabitants of the coastal plain,
for they had iron chariots.
20 (Jdg 1:10; Jos 15:13-14) They gave Hebron to Caleb,
as Moses had said, and he drove out the three sons of Anak.
21 (Jos 15:63) However, the tribe of Benjamin did not drive out
the Jebusites living in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live
with the tribe of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
22 (Jdg 1:19) The descendants of Joseph went up against Bethel,
and the Lord was with them.
23 (Ge 28:19; 35:6) The descendants of Joseph sent spies into Bethel
(the former name of the city was Luz).
24 The spies saw a man coming out of the city and said to him,
"Please show us the entrance to the city, and we will deal kindly with you."
25 So he showed them an entrance to the city. They struck the city with the
edge of the sword, but they let the man and his extended family go.
26 The man went to the land of the Hittites. He built a city
and named it Luz, and that is its name to this day.
27 (Jos 17:11-13) Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants
of Beth Shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, or their daughter villages,
for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land.
28 When the children of Israel became strong, they put the Canaanites
to hard labor as slaves, but they did not actually drive them out.
29 (Jos 16:10; 1Ki 9:16) Ephraim did not drive out the inhabitants
of Gezer, so the Canaanites lived among them in Gezer.
30 (Jos 19:15) Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron
and Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them and became
slave laborers.
31 (Jos 19:24-30) Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Akko,
Sidon, Ahlab, Akzib, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob.
32 Asher lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land,
for they did not drive them out.
33 (Jos 19:32-38) Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh
or Beth Anath, so they live among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land.
The Canaanites of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became slave laborers for them.
34 (Jos 19:47) The Amorites pushed the tribe of Dan into the hill country,
for they would not let them come down to the coastal plain.
35 (Jos 19:42) The Amorites were determined to live in Mount Heres, Aijalon,
and Shaalbim, but the hand of the descendants of Joseph was heavy on them,
and they became slave laborers.
36 (Nu 34:4) The border of the Amorites was from the Ascent of Akrabbim
to Sela and beyond.
Judges 1
[1] Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of
Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites
first, to fight against them?
[2] And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land
into his hand.
[3] And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot,
that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee
into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.
[4] And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the
Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.
[5] And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and
they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
[6] But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and
cut off his thumbs and his great toes.
[7] And Adoni-bezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and
their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have
done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there
he died.
[8] Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken
it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.
[9] And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the
Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley.
[10] And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the
name of Hebron before was Kirjath-arba:) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman,
and Talmai.
[11] And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name
of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher:
[12] And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him
will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.
[13] And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it: and he
gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.
[14] And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of
her father a field: and she lighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto
her, What wilt thou?
[15] And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a
south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper
springs and the nether springs.
[16] And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of
the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of
Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the
people.
[17] And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites
that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city
was called Hormah.
[18] Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast
thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.
[19] And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the
mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because
they had chariots of iron.
[20] And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence
the three sons of Anak.
[21] And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that
inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin
in Jerusalem unto this day.
[22] And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD
was with them.
[23] And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the
city before was Luz.)
[24] And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto
him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will shew
thee mercy.
[25] And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city
with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family.
[26] And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and
called the name thereof Luz: which is the name thereof unto this day.
[27] Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and her
towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns,
nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo
and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
[28] And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the
Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.
[29] Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but
the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
[30] Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the
inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became
tributaries.
[31] Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the
inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of
Aphik, nor of Rehob:
[32] But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the
land: for they did not drive them out.
[33] Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, nor the
inhabitants of Beth-anath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the
inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of
Beth-anath became tributaries unto them.
[34] And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they
would not suffer them to come down to the valley:
[35] But the Amorites would dwell in mount Heres in Aijalon, and in
Shaalbim: yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became
tributaries.
[36] And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from
the rock, and upward.
JUDGES 2
The Angel of the Lord at Bokim
1 (Ge 17:7-8; Ex 20:2) The angelAt times the Lord speaks directly through
an angel (cf. the story of the burning bush in Ex 3:2-4). of the Lord went up
from Gilgal to Bokim and said, "I brought you up from Egypt and brought
you into the land that I promised your fathers. I said, 'I will never break
My covenant with you,
2 (Dt 7:2-4) but you must not make a pact with the inhabitants of this land,
and you must tear down their altars.' Yet you have not obeyed Me.
What is this you have done?
3 (Nu 33:55; Jos 23:13; Dt 7:16) So now I say, 'I will not drive them out
before you. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will
be a snare to you.' "
4 When the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the children of Israel,
the people raised their voices and wept aloud.
5 They named that place Bokim and sacrificed to the Lord there.
The Death of Joshua
6 (Jos 24:28-31) When Joshua dismissed the people,
each Israelite went to his inheritance to possess the land.
7 (Jos 24:31) So the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua,
and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen
all the great works that the Lord had done for Israel.
8 Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 .
9 (Jos 19:50) They buried him in the territory of his inheritance
in Timnath Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
10 (Ex 5:2; 1Sa 2:12) That entire generation passed away,
and after them grew up a generation who did not know the Lord
or the deeds that He had done for Israel.
Israel's Unfaithfulness
11 (Jdg 3:7; 4:1) The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord
and served the Baals.
12 (Ex 20:5) They abandoned the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them
out of the land of Egypt. They followed after other gods,
the gods of the peoples around them. They worshipped them
and provoked the Lord to anger.
13 (Jdg 10:6; 3:7) They abandoned the Lord and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
14 (Dt 32:30; Lev 26:37) The anger of the Lord burned against Israel,
and He gave them into the hands of those who plundered them;
and He sold them into the hands of their enemies around them,
so that they were no longer able to stand against their enemies.
15 (Dt 28:15-68) Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord
was against them to bring disaster, as the Lord had said
and as He had sworn to them. They were in great distress.
16 (Ac 13:20; Jdg 3:15) Then the Lord raised up judges who delivered
them from the hand of those who plundered them.
17 (Jdg 2:7; Dt 9:12) Yet they would not listen to their judges,
for they prostituted themselves to other gods and worshipped them.
They quickly turned aside from the path their fathers had walked,
who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord.
They did not do as their fathers had done.
18 (Dt 32:36; Jos 1:5) When the Lord raised up judges for them,
the Lord was with the judge and delivered them from the hand of their enemies
all the days of the judge; for their groaning before their oppressors
and tormentors grieved the Lord.
19 (Jdg 4:1; 8:33) When the judge died, the people turned back
and acted more wickedly than their fathers, pursuing other gods
to serve and worship them. They would not give up their practices
and obstinate ways.
20 (Jdg 2:14; Jos 23:16) The anger of the Lord burned against Israel,
and He said, "Because this nation has violated My covenant that
I commanded their fathers and has not heeded My voice,
21 (Jos 23:13; Jdg 2:3) I will no longer drive out from before them any
of the nations that Joshua left when he died,
22 (Dt 8:2; 8:16; 13:3) so that through them I may test Israel
and see whether or not they will keep the ways of the Lord,
to walk in them as their fathers did."
23 So the Lord left those nations, not hurrying to drive them out;
and He did not deliver them into the hand of Joshua.
Judges 2
[1] And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made
you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware
unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.
[2] And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall
throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done
this?
[3] Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but
they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto
you.
[4] And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto
all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
[5] And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there
unto the LORD.
[6] And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every
man unto his inheritance to possess the land.
[7] And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days
of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the
LORD, that he did for Israel.
[8] And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an
hundred and ten years old.
[9] And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres,
in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.
[10] And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and
there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet
the works which he had done for Israel.
[11] And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and
served Baalim:
[12] And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out
of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people
that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the
LORD to anger.
[13] And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
[14] And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them
into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the
hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand
before their enemies.
[15] Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for
evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they
were greatly distressed.
[16] Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the
hand of those that spoiled them.
[17] And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a
whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned
quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the
commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.
[18] And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the
judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of
the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of
them that oppressed them and vexed them.
[19] And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and
corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to
serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own
doings, nor from their stubborn way.
[20] And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because
that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their
fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;
[21] I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the
nations which Joshua left when he died:
[22] That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of
the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
[23] Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out
hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.
JUDGES 3
1 (Jdg 2:21-22) Now these are the nations that the Lord left to test
those in Israel who had not experienced war in Canaan
2 (so that later generations of the children of Israel who did not
know war before might know it, to teach them how to fight):
3 (Jos 13:3; 13:5) the five Philistine lords, all the Canaanites,
the Sidonians, and the Hivites living on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal
Hermon to Lebo Hamath.
4 (Jdg 2:22; 3:1) They were to test Israel, in order to know if they would
obey the commandments of the Lord, which He commanded their fathers
by the hand of Moses.
5 (Ex 3:8) The children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites,
Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
6 (Ex 34:16; Dt 7:3-4) They took their daughters for themselves as wives,
and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
Othniel
7 (Ex 34:13; Jdg 2:11-13) The children of Israel did what was evil
in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served
the Baals and the Asherahs.
8 (Jdg 2:14; Hab 3:7) The anger of the Lord burned against Israel,
and He sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia.
The children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim for eight years.
9 (Jdg 1:13; 3:15) Then the children of Israel cried out to the Lord,
and the Lord raised up a deliverer in order to save the children of Israel
-Othniel son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb.
10 (Jdg 6:34; 11:29) The Spirit of the Lord came on him,
and he judged Israel. He went out to battle,
and the Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, into his hands,
so that Othniel overpowered Cushan-Rishathaim.
11 (Jos 11:23; Jdg 3:30) The land rested forty years, then Othniel
son of Kenaz died.
Ehud
12 (1Sa 12:9; Jdg 2:19) Then the children of Israel once more did
what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord strengthened
King Eglon of Moab against Israel because they had done
what was evil in the sight of the Lord.
13 (Jdg 1:16; Dt 34:3) Eglon joined forces with the Ammonites and Amalekites;
then he went and attacked Israel and took possession of the City of Palms.
14 The children of Israel served King Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.
15 (Jdg 3:9; Ps 78:34) Then the children of Israel cried out to the Lord,
and the Lord raised up a deliverer-Ehud son of Gera the Benjamite,
a left-handed man. The children of Israel sent a tribute payment by him
to King Eglon of Moab.
16 Ehud made a cubit-long (About 18 inches, or 45 centimeters.)
two-edged sword for himself and strapped it onto his right thigh
under his cloak.
17 He brought the tribute payment to King Eglon of Moab.
Now Eglon was a very fat man.
18 When Ehud finished offering the tribute payment,
he sent away the people who carried it.
19 (Jos 4:20) But he himself turned back from the stone idols that
were at Gilgal, and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king."
And he said, "Keep silence!" And all who attended him departed from him.
20 (Am 3:15) Ehud approached him as he was sitting alone in his cool
upper chamber. Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you."
And Eglon rose from his seat.
21 Then Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh,
and plunged it into the belly of Eglon.
22 The hilt went in after the blade and the fat closed over the blade
and his entrails came out, for he did not pull the sword
out of the belly of Eglon.
23 Then Ehud went out to the entrance hall and closed the doors of
the upper chamber on him and locked them.
24 (1Sa 24:3) When he went out, the servants of Eglon came.
They looked and noticed the doors of the upper chamber were locked.
They thought, "Surely he is attending to his needs in the cool chamber."
25 They waited until they were embarrassed, but he still did not open
the doors of the upper chamber. So they took a key and opened it.
There, fallen dead on the floor, was their lord.
26 Yet Ehud escaped while they were waiting. He passed the sacred stones
and escaped to Seirah.
27 (Jdg 6:34; 1Sa 13:3) Upon his arrival, he blew a ram's horn trumpet
in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the children of Israel went down
with him from the hill country, and he led them.
28 (Jdg 12:5; Jos 2:7) He said to them, "Follow me, for the Lord has given
your enemies the Moabites into your hands." They followed him,
and they captured the Jordan fords leading to Moab.
They did not let anyone cross.
29 They struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all strong and valorous men,
and not a single man escaped.
30 (Jdg 3:11) So Moab was humbled under the hand of Israel that day,
and the land had peace for eighty years.
Judges 3
[1] Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them,
even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
[2] Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach
them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;
[3] Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the
Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount
Baal-hermon unto the entering in of Hamath.
[4] And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would
hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers
by the hand of Moses.
[5] And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and
Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:
[6] And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their
daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
[7] And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat
the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.
[8] Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them
into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of
Israel served Chushan-rishathaim eight years.
[9] And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up
a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the
son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.
[10] And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and
went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of
Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against
Chushan-rishathaim.
[11] And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
[12] And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and
the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they
had done evil in the sight of the LORD.
[13] And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and
smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.
[14] So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
[15] But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised
them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded:
and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of
Moab.
[16] But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and
he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
[17] And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a
very fat man.
[18] And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the
people that bare the present.
[19] But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and
said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And
all that stood by him went out from him.
[20] And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which
he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto
thee. And he arose out of his seat.
[21] And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right
thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
[22] And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the
blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt
came out.
[23] Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the
parlour upon him, and locked them.
[24] When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that,
behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth
his feet in his summer chamber.
[25] And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the
doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and,
behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
[26] And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries,
and escaped unto Seirath.
[27] And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the
mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the
mount, and he before them.
[28] And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered
your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and
took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
[29] And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty,
and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.
[30] So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had
rest fourscore years.
2) Our Daily Bread for 29 March 2022
https://odb.org/CA/2022/03/29/past-the-boundaries-of-knowing
entitled Past the Boundaries of Knowing
2 Corinthians 4:7-18
7 (2Co 5:1; La 4:2) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
the excellency of the power being from God and not from ourselves.
8 (2Co 7:5) We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed;
we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 (Heb 13:5) persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10 (Ro 6:5; 2Co 1:5) and always carrying around in the body the death
of the Lord Jesus, that also the life of Jesus might be expressed
in our bodies.
11 (Ro 8:36) For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake,
that also the life of Jesus might be manifested in our mortal flesh.
12 (2Co 13:9) So then, death works in us, but life in you.
13 (Ps 116:10; 1Co 12:9) We have the same spirit of faith.
As it is written, "I believed, and therefore I have spoken."
(Ps 116:10, LXX (Septuagint).) So we also believe and therefore speak,
14 (1Th 4:14; Eph 5:27) knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus
will also raise us through Jesus and will present us with you.
15 (2Co 1:11; Ro 8:28) All these things are for your sakes,
so that the abundant grace through the thanksgiving
of many might overflow to the glory of God.
Living by Faith
16 (Ro 7:22; Isa 40:31) For this reason we do not lose heart:
Even though our outward man is perishing, yet our inward man
is being renewed day by day.
17 (Ro 8:18; 1Pe 5:10) Our light affliction, which lasts
but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory,
18 (Heb 11:1; 2Co 5:7) while we do not look at the things
which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.
For the things which are seen are temporal,
but the things which are not seen are eternal.
[7] But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
[8] We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed;
we are perplexed, but not in despair;
[9] Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
[10] Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the
life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
[11] For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that
the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
[12] So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
[13] We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I
believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
[14] Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also
by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
[15] For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might
through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
[16] For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet
the inward man is renewed day by day.
[17] For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a
far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
[18] While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which
are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things
which are not seen are eternal.
It was a hard day when my husband found out that, like so many others, he too
would soon be furloughed from employment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We believed that God would meet our basic needs, but the uncertainty of how
that would happen was still terrifying.
As I processed my jumbled emotions, I found myself revisiting a favorite poem
by sixteenth-century reformer John of the Cross. Entitled "I Went In, I Knew
Not Where," the poem depicts the wonder to be found in a journey of surrender,
when, going "past the boundaries of knowing," we learn to "discern the Divine
in all its guises." And so that's what my husband and I tried to do during
this season: to turn our focus from what we could control and understand to
the unexpected, mysterious, and beautiful ways God can be found all around us.
The apostle Paul invited believers to a journey from the seen to the unseen,
from outward to inward realities, and from temporary struggles to the
"a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory," (2 Corinthians 4:17).
Paul didn't urge this because he lacked compassion for their struggles. He
knew it would be through letting go of what they could understand that they
could experience the comfort, joy, and hope they so desperately needed
(vv. 10, 15-16). They could know the wonder of Christ's life making all
things new.
By: Monica La Rose
Reflect & Pray
When have you experienced God's glory in ways you couldn't understand? In
what areas of your life might you experience God beyond
the "boundaries of knowing"?
Loving God, there's so much heartbreak and uncertainty
in our world. Help me to learn to follow You past what
I can understand to the wonder of Your life breathing
new life all around me.
3) Daily verses taken from Billy Graham Evangelical Organisation
Words in Season Scripture Memory Tools
Week 4 - The Blessings of Grace Day 3 - From Darkness to Light
Col 1:13-14
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has transferred us
into the kingdom of His dear Son,
14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
13 who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated
us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Most of us have no real concept of darkness. We live in a world illuminated
not only by sun, moon and start, bit by streetlights and electric lamps and,
when the power goes off, flashlights and candles. We resist the darkness
For the sighted, being in absolute darkness is a frightening experience.
The dark blots out everything; we can see nothing, not even our own bodies,
and we may become disoriented. The dark seems to press in upon us,
with an almost physical weight that oppresses.
Spiritual darkness is like that. Spiritual darkness,
the absence of light in Christ, is oppressive, weighing us down,
distorting our perceptions of realty.
We cannot judge clearly, for we cannot see at all.
Yet God breaks into our darkness, bringing his light - Jesus Christ,
The Light of the World. When the awareness of Christ invades our lives,
our eyes are opened and we can see for the first time. We see our sin,
God's grace, and the Way he has provided for escape from the dark.
And as we continue to walk in his light, we see even more - the need
for changes in our lives, and God's power to work those changes.
Discernment and wisdom come through his light,
and we understand spiritual truths we could never see before.
Paul says that God has 'rescued' us from darkness and brought us
into the light. We cannot, on our own, accomplish this rescue,
but god through Christ's sacrifice brings it about in us.
He is the light who illuminates our darkness.
Application
a) Many different kinds of spiritual darkness invade our lives
and keep us blind to the truth - sin, lack of understanding,
resistance to the Holy Spirit. What kinds of spiritual darkness
have I experienced?
b) What changes took place in me when I first 'came into the light'?
c) What spiritual truths can I see now that I could not see
when I lived in darkness?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
Ps 1:3
He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
that brings forth its fruit in its season;
its leaf will not wither,
and whatever he does will prosper.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
That bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
His leaf also shall not wither;
And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
When you are Angry of Vengeful
James 1:19-25
Hearing and Doing the Word
19 Therefore, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear,
slow to speak, and slow to anger,
20 for the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and remaining
wickedness and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able
to save your souls.
22 Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man
viewing his natural face in a mirror.
24 He views himself, and goes his way,
and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
25 But whoever looks into
the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it,
and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work,
this man will be blessed in his deeds.
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear,
slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness,
and receive with meekness the engrafted word,
which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer,
he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway
forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty,
and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer,
but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Remember God's promises when You pray
The Lord's prayer
Matthew 6:9-13
9 "Therefore pray in this manner:
Our Father who is in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
10 (Mt 3:2; 4:17) Your kingdom come;
Your will be done
on earth, as it is in heaven.
11 (Pr 30:8; Isa 33:16) Give us this day our daily bread.
12 (Ex 34:7; Ps 32:1) And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
13 (1Co 10:13; Jn 17:15) And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."
9 After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
6) This come from Praying for Muslims in Canada 2015 (Is there a 2021 edition?)
Saskatchewan
Quick facts on Muslims in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan 2015 population 1125400
est Muslim Population 17279
CNMM Networks: Saskatoon
Saskatoon has seen quick growth in its Muslim population over the past
5 years, which maybe as high as 5000 today. Islamic leaders have
focused specifically on this city , having twice already sent cohorts
of about 70 families to start mosques. There are now 7 Islamic centres
of worship and an Islamic madrassah (school) located right next to a
Christian school.
Of particular concern recently is the number of young adults who grew up
in evangelical churches and converted to Islam. Most of these are young
women who were wooed by Muslim man and became emotionally bonded.
Both prior to and after marrying, these women are known to convert to Islam.
Agree in prayer with us for:
- entire congregations and individual believers to catch God's heart
and passion for reaching Muslims in Saskatoon and the other growing
Muslim population centres of Saskatchewan.
- for the eyes and understanding of Canadian youth to be opened to the
spiritual reality of Islam, and not deceived nor manipulated into
converting to a religion which cannot offer assurance of salvation.
- for the few workers among Muslims now engaged there, and for many more
to be raised up into effective witness.
- for prayer and training events that are starting in Saskatoon
to spread and grow to other cities.
Adding further
30 days of prayer for the Muslim World 24 April to 23 May 2020
Under the Keep Praying page
When the new moon is sighted it marks the beginning of t he new Islamic month
and Eid al-Fitr, the "Festival of Breaking the Fast", will start! After 30 days
of fasting, the Eid celebration at the end of Ramadan is a joyful time that
usually lasts about 3 days. Muslims will buy new clothes, exchange gifts and,
of course, enjoy special foods. In Muslim-majority nations, the streets may be
decorated and festivals will be held.
For many Muslims, Eid-al-Fitr begins with communal prayers at daybreak and the
distribution of money (zakat) to the poor, which is one of the 5 pillars of
Islam.
You can greet Muslim friends during this time by saying "Eid Mubarak",
which means Blessed Eid!"
Ramadan is over for this year, but you can continue to pray for Muslims you
know, and Muslims around the world:
- Despite the unsettling developments in our world today that involve actions
in the name of Islam, there is at the same time a largely untold story about
unprecedented movement to Christ among Muslims. There have been more such
movements of thousands or more new disciples among Muslims in the last three
decades or so than in all the previous history of Christian Muslim
relationships! Pray for this momentum to continue.
Acts 2:12-17 : 17 "In the last days it shall be," says God,
"that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Even on My menservants and maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in heaven above and signs on the earth below:
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
and the moon into blood, before that great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 And whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."[a]
Footnotes
Acts 2:21 Joel 2:28-32.
- Pray for Christian workers an organisations focused on seeing effective
discipleship movements among Muslim people.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to continue to inspire you to have god's heart for
Muslims, to see them as He does, and to be the light that then to Jesus.
Matthew 5:14-15 : 14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a
hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do men light a candle and put it under
a basket, but on a candlestick. And it gives light to all who are in the
house."
Ideas for prayer
- Pray for opportunities to show the love of Christ to Muslims around you
- Pray for, and offer generous hospitality to, those you know who are serving
Christ among Muslim people -
Romans 12:13 "contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality."
- When you gather with fellow believers, remember to pray for Muslims
throughout the year and encourage them to also participate in 30 Days!
My paternal side is of Muslim heritage and will offer this section to further
call for Muslim converts to Christian and any other converts to Christianity
(Hindus, Jews, aboriginals Canadian, ...) .
7) Prayers for the nation (Canada) coming from Prayer map of Canada
http://www.ehc.ca
Day 29 of the Month
a) Pray that God will enlighten those in medicine and health care
to acknowledge the sanctity of life and server with true
integrity and compassion (
Ps 139:13-16
13 You brought my inner parts into being;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise you, for You made me with fear and wonder;
marvelous are Your works,
and You know me completely.
15 My frame was not hidden from You
when I was made in secret,
and intricately put together in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw me unformed,
yet in Your book
all my days were written,
before any of them came into being.
13 For thou hast possessed my reins:
Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee,
When I was made in secret, and curiously wrought
in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect;
And in thy book all my members were written,
Which in continuance were fashioned,
When as yet there was none of them.
)
b) Pray that the Church in Canada will remember the poor
and compassionately respond to their plight (
Gal 2:10
10 (Ac 24:17) Only they requested that we should remember the poor,
which I also was eager to do.
10 Only they would that we should remember the poor;
the same which I also was forward to do.
)
Conclusion:
Pray to the Lord and pray that the Lord will let Godly people rise and rule.
Pray to the Lord: "Loving God, there's so much heartbreak and uncertainty
in our world. Help me to learn to follow You past what
I can understand to the wonder of Your life breathing
new life all around me."
Pray to the Lord and Thank Him for getting us out of darkness into light.
Pray to the Lord and pray to plant yourself in righteousness.
Pray to the Lord and pray to be slow to anger.
Agree in prayer with us for:
- entire congregations and individual believers to catch God's heart
and passion for reaching Muslims in Saskatoon and the other growing
Muslim population centres of Saskatchewan.
- for the eyes and understanding of Canadian youth to be opened to the
spiritual reality of Islam, and not deceived nor manipulated into
converting to a religion which cannot offer assurance of salvation.
- for the few workers among Muslims now engaged there, and for many more
to be raised up into effective witness.
- for prayer and training events that are starting in Saskatoon
to spread and grow to other cities.
Pray that God will enlighten those in medicine and health care
to acknowledge the sanctity of life and server with true
integrity and compassion.
Pray that the Church will remember the poor
and compassionately respond to their plight.
Pray that the churches will become more united and cooperative
for the sake of the gospel in Lebanon.
1) Judges 1 - 3:30
JUDGES 1
Israel Fights Remaining Canaanites
1 (Nu 27:21; Jdg 20:18) After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel
inquired of the Lord, "Who should go up against the Canaanites first,
in order to wage war against them?"
2 The Lord said, "Judah shall go up.
Indeed, I have given the land into their hands."
3 (Jdg 1:17) Then the men of Judah said to Simeon,
their brothers, "Come up with us into our allotted territory.
We will wage war against the Canaanites. Likewise we will go
with you into your allotted territory." So Simeon went with them.
4 (1 Sa 11:8) Then Judah went up, and the Lord gave the Canaanites
and Perizzites into their hands. They struck down ten thousand men in Bezek.
5 They found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek and fought against him.
They struck down the Canaanites and Perizzites.
6 Yet Adoni-Bezek fled, and they chased after him, seized him,
and cut off his thumbs and big toes.
7 (1Sa 15:33) Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings whose thumbs
and big toes were cut off once collected scraps of food
under my table. Just as I have done, so God has repaid me."
They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
8 (Jos 15:63; Jdg 1:21) Then Judah waged war against Jerusalem.
They captured it, struck it with the edge of the sword,
and sent the city up in flames.
9 Afterwards, Judah went down to wage war against the Canaanites
living in the hill country, the Negev, and the lowlands.
10 (Nu 13:22; Jos 14:15) Judah went against the Canaanites living
in Hebron (previously the name of Hebron was Kiriath Arba)
and they struck down Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
11 (Jos 15:15) From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir
(previously the name of Debir was Kiriath Sepher).
12 Caleb said, "He who attacks Kiriath Sepher and takes it,
I will give him my daughter Aksah as wife."
13 (Jdg 3:9) Othniel son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb,
captured it. So Caleb gave him Aksah his daughter in marriage.
14 When she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father
for a field. As she dismounted from her donkey, Caleb said to her,
"What can I do for you?"
15 She answered, "Please give me a special gift.
Since you have given me land in the Negev, now give me springs of water."
So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.
16 (Nu 10:29-32; 21:1; Dt 34:3) The descendants of Moses' father-in-law,
the Kenite, went up with the descendants of Judah from the City of Palms
to the Negev near Arad. Then they went and lived with the people.
17 (Nu 21:3) But Judah went with his brother Simeon
and struck down the Canaanites living in Zephath and utterly destroyed it.
So now they call the city Hormah.
18 (Jos 11:22; Jdg 3:3) Then Judah captured Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron,
and the territory belonging to each of these cities.
19 (Jdg 1:2) The Lord was with Judah, and they took the hill country
but could not drive out the inhabitants of the coastal plain,
for they had iron chariots.
20 (Jdg 1:10; Jos 15:13-14) They gave Hebron to Caleb,
as Moses had said, and he drove out the three sons of Anak.
21 (Jos 15:63) However, the tribe of Benjamin did not drive out
the Jebusites living in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live
with the tribe of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
22 (Jdg 1:19) The descendants of Joseph went up against Bethel,
and the Lord was with them.
23 (Ge 28:19; 35:6) The descendants of Joseph sent spies into Bethel
(the former name of the city was Luz).
24 The spies saw a man coming out of the city and said to him,
"Please show us the entrance to the city, and we will deal kindly with you."
25 So he showed them an entrance to the city. They struck the city with the
edge of the sword, but they let the man and his extended family go.
26 The man went to the land of the Hittites. He built a city
and named it Luz, and that is its name to this day.
27 (Jos 17:11-13) Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants
of Beth Shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, or their daughter villages,
for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land.
28 When the children of Israel became strong, they put the Canaanites
to hard labor as slaves, but they did not actually drive them out.
29 (Jos 16:10; 1Ki 9:16) Ephraim did not drive out the inhabitants
of Gezer, so the Canaanites lived among them in Gezer.
30 (Jos 19:15) Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron
and Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them and became
slave laborers.
31 (Jos 19:24-30) Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Akko,
Sidon, Ahlab, Akzib, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob.
32 Asher lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land,
for they did not drive them out.
33 (Jos 19:32-38) Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh
or Beth Anath, so they live among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land.
The Canaanites of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became slave laborers for them.
34 (Jos 19:47) The Amorites pushed the tribe of Dan into the hill country,
for they would not let them come down to the coastal plain.
35 (Jos 19:42) The Amorites were determined to live in Mount Heres, Aijalon,
and Shaalbim, but the hand of the descendants of Joseph was heavy on them,
and they became slave laborers.
36 (Nu 34:4) The border of the Amorites was from the Ascent of Akrabbim
to Sela and beyond.
Judges 1
[1] Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of
Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites
first, to fight against them?
[2] And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land
into his hand.
[3] And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot,
that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee
into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.
[4] And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the
Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.
[5] And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and
they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
[6] But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and
cut off his thumbs and his great toes.
[7] And Adoni-bezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and
their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have
done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there
he died.
[8] Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken
it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.
[9] And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the
Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley.
[10] And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the
name of Hebron before was Kirjath-arba:) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman,
and Talmai.
[11] And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name
of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher:
[12] And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him
will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.
[13] And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it: and he
gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.
[14] And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of
her father a field: and she lighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto
her, What wilt thou?
[15] And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a
south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper
springs and the nether springs.
[16] And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of
the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of
Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the
people.
[17] And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites
that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city
was called Hormah.
[18] Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast
thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.
[19] And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the
mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because
they had chariots of iron.
[20] And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence
the three sons of Anak.
[21] And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that
inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin
in Jerusalem unto this day.
[22] And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD
was with them.
[23] And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the
city before was Luz.)
[24] And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto
him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will shew
thee mercy.
[25] And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city
with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family.
[26] And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and
called the name thereof Luz: which is the name thereof unto this day.
[27] Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and her
towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns,
nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo
and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
[28] And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the
Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.
[29] Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but
the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
[30] Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the
inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became
tributaries.
[31] Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the
inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of
Aphik, nor of Rehob:
[32] But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the
land: for they did not drive them out.
[33] Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, nor the
inhabitants of Beth-anath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the
inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of
Beth-anath became tributaries unto them.
[34] And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they
would not suffer them to come down to the valley:
[35] But the Amorites would dwell in mount Heres in Aijalon, and in
Shaalbim: yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became
tributaries.
[36] And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from
the rock, and upward.
JUDGES 2
The Angel of the Lord at Bokim
1 (Ge 17:7-8; Ex 20:2) The angelAt times the Lord speaks directly through
an angel (cf. the story of the burning bush in Ex 3:2-4). of the Lord went up
from Gilgal to Bokim and said, "I brought you up from Egypt and brought
you into the land that I promised your fathers. I said, 'I will never break
My covenant with you,
2 (Dt 7:2-4) but you must not make a pact with the inhabitants of this land,
and you must tear down their altars.' Yet you have not obeyed Me.
What is this you have done?
3 (Nu 33:55; Jos 23:13; Dt 7:16) So now I say, 'I will not drive them out
before you. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will
be a snare to you.' "
4 When the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the children of Israel,
the people raised their voices and wept aloud.
5 They named that place Bokim and sacrificed to the Lord there.
The Death of Joshua
6 (Jos 24:28-31) When Joshua dismissed the people,
each Israelite went to his inheritance to possess the land.
7 (Jos 24:31) So the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua,
and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen
all the great works that the Lord had done for Israel.
8 Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 .
9 (Jos 19:50) They buried him in the territory of his inheritance
in Timnath Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
10 (Ex 5:2; 1Sa 2:12) That entire generation passed away,
and after them grew up a generation who did not know the Lord
or the deeds that He had done for Israel.
Israel's Unfaithfulness
11 (Jdg 3:7; 4:1) The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord
and served the Baals.
12 (Ex 20:5) They abandoned the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them
out of the land of Egypt. They followed after other gods,
the gods of the peoples around them. They worshipped them
and provoked the Lord to anger.
13 (Jdg 10:6; 3:7) They abandoned the Lord and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
14 (Dt 32:30; Lev 26:37) The anger of the Lord burned against Israel,
and He gave them into the hands of those who plundered them;
and He sold them into the hands of their enemies around them,
so that they were no longer able to stand against their enemies.
15 (Dt 28:15-68) Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord
was against them to bring disaster, as the Lord had said
and as He had sworn to them. They were in great distress.
16 (Ac 13:20; Jdg 3:15) Then the Lord raised up judges who delivered
them from the hand of those who plundered them.
17 (Jdg 2:7; Dt 9:12) Yet they would not listen to their judges,
for they prostituted themselves to other gods and worshipped them.
They quickly turned aside from the path their fathers had walked,
who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord.
They did not do as their fathers had done.
18 (Dt 32:36; Jos 1:5) When the Lord raised up judges for them,
the Lord was with the judge and delivered them from the hand of their enemies
all the days of the judge; for their groaning before their oppressors
and tormentors grieved the Lord.
19 (Jdg 4:1; 8:33) When the judge died, the people turned back
and acted more wickedly than their fathers, pursuing other gods
to serve and worship them. They would not give up their practices
and obstinate ways.
20 (Jdg 2:14; Jos 23:16) The anger of the Lord burned against Israel,
and He said, "Because this nation has violated My covenant that
I commanded their fathers and has not heeded My voice,
21 (Jos 23:13; Jdg 2:3) I will no longer drive out from before them any
of the nations that Joshua left when he died,
22 (Dt 8:2; 8:16; 13:3) so that through them I may test Israel
and see whether or not they will keep the ways of the Lord,
to walk in them as their fathers did."
23 So the Lord left those nations, not hurrying to drive them out;
and He did not deliver them into the hand of Joshua.
Judges 2
[1] And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made
you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware
unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.
[2] And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall
throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done
this?
[3] Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but
they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto
you.
[4] And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto
all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
[5] And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there
unto the LORD.
[6] And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every
man unto his inheritance to possess the land.
[7] And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days
of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the
LORD, that he did for Israel.
[8] And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an
hundred and ten years old.
[9] And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres,
in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.
[10] And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and
there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet
the works which he had done for Israel.
[11] And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and
served Baalim:
[12] And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out
of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people
that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the
LORD to anger.
[13] And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
[14] And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them
into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the
hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand
before their enemies.
[15] Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for
evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they
were greatly distressed.
[16] Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the
hand of those that spoiled them.
[17] And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a
whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned
quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the
commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.
[18] And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the
judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of
the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of
them that oppressed them and vexed them.
[19] And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and
corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to
serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own
doings, nor from their stubborn way.
[20] And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because
that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their
fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;
[21] I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the
nations which Joshua left when he died:
[22] That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of
the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
[23] Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out
hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.
JUDGES 3
1 (Jdg 2:21-22) Now these are the nations that the Lord left to test
those in Israel who had not experienced war in Canaan
2 (so that later generations of the children of Israel who did not
know war before might know it, to teach them how to fight):
3 (Jos 13:3; 13:5) the five Philistine lords, all the Canaanites,
the Sidonians, and the Hivites living on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal
Hermon to Lebo Hamath.
4 (Jdg 2:22; 3:1) They were to test Israel, in order to know if they would
obey the commandments of the Lord, which He commanded their fathers
by the hand of Moses.
5 (Ex 3:8) The children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites,
Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
6 (Ex 34:16; Dt 7:3-4) They took their daughters for themselves as wives,
and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
Othniel
7 (Ex 34:13; Jdg 2:11-13) The children of Israel did what was evil
in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served
the Baals and the Asherahs.
8 (Jdg 2:14; Hab 3:7) The anger of the Lord burned against Israel,
and He sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia.
The children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim for eight years.
9 (Jdg 1:13; 3:15) Then the children of Israel cried out to the Lord,
and the Lord raised up a deliverer in order to save the children of Israel
-Othniel son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb.
10 (Jdg 6:34; 11:29) The Spirit of the Lord came on him,
and he judged Israel. He went out to battle,
and the Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, into his hands,
so that Othniel overpowered Cushan-Rishathaim.
11 (Jos 11:23; Jdg 3:30) The land rested forty years, then Othniel
son of Kenaz died.
Ehud
12 (1Sa 12:9; Jdg 2:19) Then the children of Israel once more did
what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord strengthened
King Eglon of Moab against Israel because they had done
what was evil in the sight of the Lord.
13 (Jdg 1:16; Dt 34:3) Eglon joined forces with the Ammonites and Amalekites;
then he went and attacked Israel and took possession of the City of Palms.
14 The children of Israel served King Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.
15 (Jdg 3:9; Ps 78:34) Then the children of Israel cried out to the Lord,
and the Lord raised up a deliverer-Ehud son of Gera the Benjamite,
a left-handed man. The children of Israel sent a tribute payment by him
to King Eglon of Moab.
16 Ehud made a cubit-long (About 18 inches, or 45 centimeters.)
two-edged sword for himself and strapped it onto his right thigh
under his cloak.
17 He brought the tribute payment to King Eglon of Moab.
Now Eglon was a very fat man.
18 When Ehud finished offering the tribute payment,
he sent away the people who carried it.
19 (Jos 4:20) But he himself turned back from the stone idols that
were at Gilgal, and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king."
And he said, "Keep silence!" And all who attended him departed from him.
20 (Am 3:15) Ehud approached him as he was sitting alone in his cool
upper chamber. Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you."
And Eglon rose from his seat.
21 Then Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh,
and plunged it into the belly of Eglon.
22 The hilt went in after the blade and the fat closed over the blade
and his entrails came out, for he did not pull the sword
out of the belly of Eglon.
23 Then Ehud went out to the entrance hall and closed the doors of
the upper chamber on him and locked them.
24 (1Sa 24:3) When he went out, the servants of Eglon came.
They looked and noticed the doors of the upper chamber were locked.
They thought, "Surely he is attending to his needs in the cool chamber."
25 They waited until they were embarrassed, but he still did not open
the doors of the upper chamber. So they took a key and opened it.
There, fallen dead on the floor, was their lord.
26 Yet Ehud escaped while they were waiting. He passed the sacred stones
and escaped to Seirah.
27 (Jdg 6:34; 1Sa 13:3) Upon his arrival, he blew a ram's horn trumpet
in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the children of Israel went down
with him from the hill country, and he led them.
28 (Jdg 12:5; Jos 2:7) He said to them, "Follow me, for the Lord has given
your enemies the Moabites into your hands." They followed him,
and they captured the Jordan fords leading to Moab.
They did not let anyone cross.
29 They struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all strong and valorous men,
and not a single man escaped.
30 (Jdg 3:11) So Moab was humbled under the hand of Israel that day,
and the land had peace for eighty years.
Judges 3
[1] Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them,
even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
[2] Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach
them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;
[3] Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the
Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount
Baal-hermon unto the entering in of Hamath.
[4] And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would
hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers
by the hand of Moses.
[5] And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and
Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:
[6] And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their
daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
[7] And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat
the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.
[8] Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them
into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of
Israel served Chushan-rishathaim eight years.
[9] And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up
a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the
son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.
[10] And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and
went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of
Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against
Chushan-rishathaim.
[11] And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
[12] And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and
the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they
had done evil in the sight of the LORD.
[13] And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and
smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.
[14] So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
[15] But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised
them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded:
and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of
Moab.
[16] But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and
he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
[17] And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a
very fat man.
[18] And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the
people that bare the present.
[19] But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and
said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And
all that stood by him went out from him.
[20] And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which
he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto
thee. And he arose out of his seat.
[21] And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right
thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
[22] And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the
blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt
came out.
[23] Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the
parlour upon him, and locked them.
[24] When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that,
behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth
his feet in his summer chamber.
[25] And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the
doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and,
behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
[26] And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries,
and escaped unto Seirath.
[27] And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the
mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the
mount, and he before them.
[28] And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered
your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and
took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
[29] And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty,
and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.
[30] So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had
rest fourscore years.
2) Our Daily Bread for 29 March 2022
https://odb.org/CA/2022/03/29/past-the-boundaries-of-knowing
entitled Past the Boundaries of Knowing
2 Corinthians 4:7-18
7 (2Co 5:1; La 4:2) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
the excellency of the power being from God and not from ourselves.
8 (2Co 7:5) We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed;
we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 (Heb 13:5) persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10 (Ro 6:5; 2Co 1:5) and always carrying around in the body the death
of the Lord Jesus, that also the life of Jesus might be expressed
in our bodies.
11 (Ro 8:36) For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake,
that also the life of Jesus might be manifested in our mortal flesh.
12 (2Co 13:9) So then, death works in us, but life in you.
13 (Ps 116:10; 1Co 12:9) We have the same spirit of faith.
As it is written, "I believed, and therefore I have spoken."
(Ps 116:10, LXX (Septuagint).) So we also believe and therefore speak,
14 (1Th 4:14; Eph 5:27) knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus
will also raise us through Jesus and will present us with you.
15 (2Co 1:11; Ro 8:28) All these things are for your sakes,
so that the abundant grace through the thanksgiving
of many might overflow to the glory of God.
Living by Faith
16 (Ro 7:22; Isa 40:31) For this reason we do not lose heart:
Even though our outward man is perishing, yet our inward man
is being renewed day by day.
17 (Ro 8:18; 1Pe 5:10) Our light affliction, which lasts
but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory,
18 (Heb 11:1; 2Co 5:7) while we do not look at the things
which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.
For the things which are seen are temporal,
but the things which are not seen are eternal.
[7] But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
[8] We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed;
we are perplexed, but not in despair;
[9] Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
[10] Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the
life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
[11] For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that
the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
[12] So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
[13] We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I
believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
[14] Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also
by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
[15] For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might
through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
[16] For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet
the inward man is renewed day by day.
[17] For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a
far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
[18] While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which
are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things
which are not seen are eternal.
It was a hard day when my husband found out that, like so many others, he too
would soon be furloughed from employment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We believed that God would meet our basic needs, but the uncertainty of how
that would happen was still terrifying.
As I processed my jumbled emotions, I found myself revisiting a favorite poem
by sixteenth-century reformer John of the Cross. Entitled "I Went In, I Knew
Not Where," the poem depicts the wonder to be found in a journey of surrender,
when, going "past the boundaries of knowing," we learn to "discern the Divine
in all its guises." And so that's what my husband and I tried to do during
this season: to turn our focus from what we could control and understand to
the unexpected, mysterious, and beautiful ways God can be found all around us.
The apostle Paul invited believers to a journey from the seen to the unseen,
from outward to inward realities, and from temporary struggles to the
"a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory," (2 Corinthians 4:17).
Paul didn't urge this because he lacked compassion for their struggles. He
knew it would be through letting go of what they could understand that they
could experience the comfort, joy, and hope they so desperately needed
(vv. 10, 15-16). They could know the wonder of Christ's life making all
things new.
By: Monica La Rose
Reflect & Pray
When have you experienced God's glory in ways you couldn't understand? In
what areas of your life might you experience God beyond
the "boundaries of knowing"?
Loving God, there's so much heartbreak and uncertainty
in our world. Help me to learn to follow You past what
I can understand to the wonder of Your life breathing
new life all around me.
3) Daily verses taken from Billy Graham Evangelical Organisation
Words in Season Scripture Memory Tools
Week 4 - The Blessings of Grace Day 3 - From Darkness to Light
Col 1:13-14
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has transferred us
into the kingdom of His dear Son,
14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
13 who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated
us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Most of us have no real concept of darkness. We live in a world illuminated
not only by sun, moon and start, bit by streetlights and electric lamps and,
when the power goes off, flashlights and candles. We resist the darkness
For the sighted, being in absolute darkness is a frightening experience.
The dark blots out everything; we can see nothing, not even our own bodies,
and we may become disoriented. The dark seems to press in upon us,
with an almost physical weight that oppresses.
Spiritual darkness is like that. Spiritual darkness,
the absence of light in Christ, is oppressive, weighing us down,
distorting our perceptions of realty.
We cannot judge clearly, for we cannot see at all.
Yet God breaks into our darkness, bringing his light - Jesus Christ,
The Light of the World. When the awareness of Christ invades our lives,
our eyes are opened and we can see for the first time. We see our sin,
God's grace, and the Way he has provided for escape from the dark.
And as we continue to walk in his light, we see even more - the need
for changes in our lives, and God's power to work those changes.
Discernment and wisdom come through his light,
and we understand spiritual truths we could never see before.
Paul says that God has 'rescued' us from darkness and brought us
into the light. We cannot, on our own, accomplish this rescue,
but god through Christ's sacrifice brings it about in us.
He is the light who illuminates our darkness.
Application
a) Many different kinds of spiritual darkness invade our lives
and keep us blind to the truth - sin, lack of understanding,
resistance to the Holy Spirit. What kinds of spiritual darkness
have I experienced?
b) What changes took place in me when I first 'came into the light'?
c) What spiritual truths can I see now that I could not see
when I lived in darkness?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
Ps 1:3
He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
that brings forth its fruit in its season;
its leaf will not wither,
and whatever he does will prosper.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
That bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
His leaf also shall not wither;
And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
When you are Angry of Vengeful
James 1:19-25
Hearing and Doing the Word
19 Therefore, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear,
slow to speak, and slow to anger,
20 for the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and remaining
wickedness and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able
to save your souls.
22 Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man
viewing his natural face in a mirror.
24 He views himself, and goes his way,
and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
25 But whoever looks into
the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it,
and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work,
this man will be blessed in his deeds.
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear,
slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness,
and receive with meekness the engrafted word,
which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer,
he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway
forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty,
and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer,
but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Remember God's promises when You pray
The Lord's prayer
Matthew 6:9-13
9 "Therefore pray in this manner:
Our Father who is in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
10 (Mt 3:2; 4:17) Your kingdom come;
Your will be done
on earth, as it is in heaven.
11 (Pr 30:8; Isa 33:16) Give us this day our daily bread.
12 (Ex 34:7; Ps 32:1) And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
13 (1Co 10:13; Jn 17:15) And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."
9 After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
6) This come from Praying for Muslims in Canada 2015 (Is there a 2021 edition?)
Saskatchewan
Quick facts on Muslims in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan 2015 population 1125400
est Muslim Population 17279
CNMM Networks: Saskatoon
Saskatoon has seen quick growth in its Muslim population over the past
5 years, which maybe as high as 5000 today. Islamic leaders have
focused specifically on this city , having twice already sent cohorts
of about 70 families to start mosques. There are now 7 Islamic centres
of worship and an Islamic madrassah (school) located right next to a
Christian school.
Of particular concern recently is the number of young adults who grew up
in evangelical churches and converted to Islam. Most of these are young
women who were wooed by Muslim man and became emotionally bonded.
Both prior to and after marrying, these women are known to convert to Islam.
Agree in prayer with us for:
- entire congregations and individual believers to catch God's heart
and passion for reaching Muslims in Saskatoon and the other growing
Muslim population centres of Saskatchewan.
- for the eyes and understanding of Canadian youth to be opened to the
spiritual reality of Islam, and not deceived nor manipulated into
converting to a religion which cannot offer assurance of salvation.
- for the few workers among Muslims now engaged there, and for many more
to be raised up into effective witness.
- for prayer and training events that are starting in Saskatoon
to spread and grow to other cities.
Adding further
30 days of prayer for the Muslim World 24 April to 23 May 2020
Under the Keep Praying page
When the new moon is sighted it marks the beginning of t he new Islamic month
and Eid al-Fitr, the "Festival of Breaking the Fast", will start! After 30 days
of fasting, the Eid celebration at the end of Ramadan is a joyful time that
usually lasts about 3 days. Muslims will buy new clothes, exchange gifts and,
of course, enjoy special foods. In Muslim-majority nations, the streets may be
decorated and festivals will be held.
For many Muslims, Eid-al-Fitr begins with communal prayers at daybreak and the
distribution of money (zakat) to the poor, which is one of the 5 pillars of
Islam.
You can greet Muslim friends during this time by saying "Eid Mubarak",
which means Blessed Eid!"
Ramadan is over for this year, but you can continue to pray for Muslims you
know, and Muslims around the world:
- Despite the unsettling developments in our world today that involve actions
in the name of Islam, there is at the same time a largely untold story about
unprecedented movement to Christ among Muslims. There have been more such
movements of thousands or more new disciples among Muslims in the last three
decades or so than in all the previous history of Christian Muslim
relationships! Pray for this momentum to continue.
Acts 2:12-17 : 17 "In the last days it shall be," says God,
"that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Even on My menservants and maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in heaven above and signs on the earth below:
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
and the moon into blood, before that great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 And whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."[a]
Footnotes
Acts 2:21 Joel 2:28-32.
- Pray for Christian workers an organisations focused on seeing effective
discipleship movements among Muslim people.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to continue to inspire you to have god's heart for
Muslims, to see them as He does, and to be the light that then to Jesus.
Matthew 5:14-15 : 14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a
hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do men light a candle and put it under
a basket, but on a candlestick. And it gives light to all who are in the
house."
Ideas for prayer
- Pray for opportunities to show the love of Christ to Muslims around you
- Pray for, and offer generous hospitality to, those you know who are serving
Christ among Muslim people -
Romans 12:13 "contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality."
- When you gather with fellow believers, remember to pray for Muslims
throughout the year and encourage them to also participate in 30 Days!
My paternal side is of Muslim heritage and will offer this section to further
call for Muslim converts to Christian and any other converts to Christianity
(Hindus, Jews, aboriginals Canadian, ...) .
7) Prayers for the nation (Canada) coming from Prayer map of Canada
http://www.ehc.ca
Day 29 of the Month
a) Pray that God will enlighten those in medicine and health care
to acknowledge the sanctity of life and server with true
integrity and compassion (
Ps 139:13-16
13 You brought my inner parts into being;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise you, for You made me with fear and wonder;
marvelous are Your works,
and You know me completely.
15 My frame was not hidden from You
when I was made in secret,
and intricately put together in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw me unformed,
yet in Your book
all my days were written,
before any of them came into being.
13 For thou hast possessed my reins:
Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee,
When I was made in secret, and curiously wrought
in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect;
And in thy book all my members were written,
Which in continuance were fashioned,
When as yet there was none of them.
)
b) Pray that the Church in Canada will remember the poor
and compassionately respond to their plight (
Gal 2:10
10 (Ac 24:17) Only they requested that we should remember the poor,
which I also was eager to do.
10 Only they would that we should remember the poor;
the same which I also was forward to do.
)
Conclusion:
Pray to the Lord and pray that the Lord will let Godly people rise and rule.
Pray to the Lord: "Loving God, there's so much heartbreak and uncertainty
in our world. Help me to learn to follow You past what
I can understand to the wonder of Your life breathing
new life all around me."
Pray to the Lord and Thank Him for getting us out of darkness into light.
Pray to the Lord and pray to plant yourself in righteousness.
Pray to the Lord and pray to be slow to anger.
Agree in prayer with us for:
- entire congregations and individual believers to catch God's heart
and passion for reaching Muslims in Saskatoon and the other growing
Muslim population centres of Saskatchewan.
- for the eyes and understanding of Canadian youth to be opened to the
spiritual reality of Islam, and not deceived nor manipulated into
converting to a religion which cannot offer assurance of salvation.
- for the few workers among Muslims now engaged there, and for many more
to be raised up into effective witness.
- for prayer and training events that are starting in Saskatoon
to spread and grow to other cities.
Pray that God will enlighten those in medicine and health care
to acknowledge the sanctity of life and server with true
integrity and compassion.
Pray that the Church will remember the poor
and compassionately respond to their plight.
Pray that the churches will become more united and cooperative
for the sake of the gospel in Lebanon.