People of the World where are you going? Turn back to God! Back to your faithful principles!
SAMSON THE PROMISE FULFILLED
Samson The Promise Fulfilled. So the woman [in due time] gave birth to a son and named him Samson; and the boy grew and the LORD blessed him.
And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him at times in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol
THE BIRTH OF SAMSON
The Birth of Samson. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are infertile and have no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son.
JEPHTHAH’S CONFLICT WITH EPHRAIM
Jephthah’s Conflict with Ephraim. The men of [the tribe of] Ephraim were summoned [to action], and they crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight with the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? [For that] we will burn your house down upon you.”
JEPHTHAH’S TRAGIC VOW
Jephthah’s Tragic Vow. Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, “If You will indeed give the Ammonites into my hand,
then whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites, it shall be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
A WARNING FROM HISTORY
A Warning From History. But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory; so Sihon gathered together all his people and camped at Jahaz and fought against Israel.
The LORD, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them; so Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country
TURNING TO A REJECTED LEADER
Turning To A Rejected Leader. Gilead’s wife bore him sons, and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You shall not have an inheritance in our father’s house, because you are the son of another woman.”
FURTHER DISOBEDIENCE AND OPPRESSION
Further Disobedience And Oppression. Then the Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; they served the Baals, the Ashtaroth (female deities), the gods of Aram (Syria), the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. They abandoned the LORD and did not serve Him.
THE BURNING OF THE BRAMBLE
The Burning Of The Bramble. So Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and approached the entrance of the tower to burn it down with fire. But a certain woman threw an upper millstone [down] on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.
Then he called quickly to the young man who was his armor bearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that it will not be said of me, ‘A woman killed him.'” So the young man pierced him through, and he died.
THE DOWNFALL OF ABIMELECH
The Downfall of Abimelech. Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem; and the leaders of Shechem acted treacherously against Abimelech,
so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal (Gideon) might come [on the guilty], and that their [innocent] blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who had killed them, and on the leaders of Shechem, who strengthened his hands (encouraged him) to kill his brothers.
THE BRAMBLE KING
The Bramble King. So the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’