� Reading 2 - Judges 9-11

9 - Today’s reading opens with Abimelech’s wild tale (chapter 9). He is the son of a concubine (8:31), kind of a “secondary” wife whose children would not inherit. Abimelech becomes little more than a thug who hires more thugs (verse 4) and then tries to usurp his way into being king. Jotham challenges Abimelech, using the allegory of the thornbush to say Abimelech is a worthless no good man who will end up destroying himself and all around him (verses 7-21). Jotham’s curse or prophecy comes to pass (verses 22-57) because God is determined that Abimelech pay for his crimes (verses 23-24). Abimelech has to deal with mistrust in his own ranks (verse 31), and finally dies an ignominious death (verses 53-54), something ultimately done by God (verses 56-57).

10 - Chapter 10 fires up the cycle of the judges again, highlighting God’s increasing impatience with the people’s unwillingness to be faithful and committed to Him (verses 11-14). But He will save them again, this time using an unlikely hero named Jephthah.

11 - Chapter 11 tells the story of Jephthah. He is not born to the right family (verse 1) but his military skill causes such niceties to be forgotten (verse 8). Jepthah negotiates to secure peace from the Ammonites (verses 12-28) but when that fails war breaks out. What exactly happened to his daughter, the subject of his foolish vow in verses 30-31, remains controversial. Some think she simply did not marry, a disaster for a Jewish woman. However the text certainly seems to say he did sacrifice her. Such would be wrong but the time of the Judges was not a time when there was a high level of spirituality in Israel!

Psalm 17

The psalms often contains statements of innocence. These should not be taken to mean the psalmist was per- fect or that he thought God owed him anything. Instead they should be seen as the psalmist saying he is with God, he is on God’s side, he is doing all he can to honor and obey God in his life. Psalm 17 is that kind of psalm. It contains element of lament (verses 1-2, 6-9, 13-14), along with cries of innocence (verses 3-5, 15). Watch especially David’s three requests: God to hear him (verse 6), God to reveal Himself in deliverance (verse 7), and for God to protect Him (verses 8-9). The emphasis here is that it is in God’s nature to help and to hear someone who lives like the psalmist does. Verse 14 is very difficult to translate, and thus hard to be certain of, but it may mean God will take care of these enemies who live only for this life (ESV translation).

23 - The charge against Jesus changes here (verse 2) because a Roman court won’t care about Jesus’ crimes against Jewish tradition and law. Verse 4 is the first of many statements of Jesus’ innocence. In verse 8 the Lord meets John the Baptist’s murderer, Herod Antipas, and refuses to answer him. Why would Jesus waste words on Herod Antipas, who only wants to see a dog-and-pony show? The criminal (an insur- rectionist, not a thief) of verse 42 has caused much anguish because he is saved without baptism. But Jesus can save who He wishes as He wishes. Further, baptism is part of the Gospel age, which had not yet begun.