April 4th

Judges 11:29-15:20

God raised up the last of the judges — Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson. Only two of the five had stories recorded about them — Jephthah and Samson. While the details recorded about them both seriously frustrate me when I read them, I appreciate the fact that the Bible does not hide them from the reader; rather, the Bible exposes all of their flaws and failures. What is obvious here is that imperfect men do not make perfect judges.

Jephthah, for example, defeated the Ammonites and the jealous Ephraimites, but he made a foolish vow that ended with the death of his daughter and only child. On top of that, Jephthah was guilty of human sacrifice, which was against God’s law and certainly would not have honored Him. Thus, Jephthah, as a judge, was a terrible example of faithfulness to the covenant.

Samson is another heroic figure with disappointing flaws. Usually, when we think of Samson, we think of all his strengths. He killed a lion with his bare hands, he took out 30 Philistines single- handedly, he broke the ropes that the men of Judah bound him with, he caught 300 foxes, he whacked 1000 Philistines with a donkey’s jaw- bone, and much more. However, what is often overlooked are Samson’s weaknesses. He was a sucker for conniving women (foreign women), he was disobedient to his parents and to God, he despised his Nazarite vow, he practiced deceit, he befriended God’s enemies, and he was arrogant, hot-tempered, and vindictive.

Both of these guys, particularly Samson, make us want to scream, “What are you doing?” But, we must remember that the period of judges was a hypocritical time of apostasy among God’s people, and, unfortunately, the judges reflect this time in their own failures.

Yet, God still chose to use these men in order to achieve His purposes. Yes, in them we find much to complain about, but in them we should also find much comfort. If God only used perfect people to do His work, then nothing would ever get done, because there are no perfect people. God uses the weak to demonstrate His strength.

Daily Reflection

What does this tell you about your God, that He chooses to use people like you, despite all of your fears, failures, and flaws?

What comfort or confidence should you take from these truths?

God is good. In spite of all your sins and shortcomings, somehow His work is done and His purposes are accomplished. Praise His name for using you despite all that you have done or not done. He is able to fulfill His perfect will with your imperfect words and ways.

BiAY.org | Day 94 — 271 Days to Go