People of the World where are you going? Turn back to God! Back to your faithful principles!
SAMSON DEFEATS THE PHILISTINES
Samson Defeats the Philistines. He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, so he reached out his hand and took it and killed a thousand men with it. Then Samson said, “With the jawbone of a donkey, Heaps upon heaps, With the jawbone of a donkey I have struck down a thousand men.”
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.
“THROUGH SLAUGHTER TO A THRONE”
“Through slaughter to a throne” Then he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and murdered his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, [in a public execution] on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left alive, because he had hidden himself.
A FARMER CALLED TO BE DELIVERER
A farmer called to be deliverer. Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, and his son Gideon was beating wheat in the wine press [instead of the threshing floor] to [hide it and] save it from the Midianites.
And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O brave man.”
THE “MESSAGE FORM GOD”
The “message from God”. Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his [private] cool upper chamber, and Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And the king got up from his seat.
THE COVENANT RENEWAL AT SHECHEM
Choose Whom You Will Serve. If it is unacceptable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
JOSHUA RENEWS THE COVENANT
Joshua Renews the Covenant. And there, in the presence of the sons of Israel, Joshua wrote on the stones a copy of the Law of Moses which Moses had written.
THE FALL OF AI
The Fall of Ai . Now the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear or be dismayed (intimidated). Take all the men of war with you and set out, go up to Ai; see, I have given the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land into your hand.
ISRAEL CROSSES THE JORDAN
Israel Crosses the Jordan. Joshua got up early in the morning; then he and all the children of Israel set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan, and they spent the night there before they crossed [the river].
MOSES’ SONG AND ISRAEL’S RESPONCE
Moses’ song: Israel’s response. But Jeshurun (Israel) became fat and kicked [at God]. You became fat, thick, sleek, and obstinate! Then he abandoned God who had made him, And scorned the Rock of his salvation.