Judges 21

Interesting chapter considering the methods that the male Benjamites would go to in obtaining a wife. They are methods that stand in stark contrast to today's American society, where it seems that potential wives have much more leverage and aren't necessarily coerced into a union.

bad wife, bad men

Judges 19:30

"Everyone who saw it said, 'Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Think about it! Consider it! Tell us what to do!'"

This passage marks the beginning of probably one of the most controversial stories in the Bible - I know some critics cite this story saying that it proves that God condones spousal abuse, rape, and murder. I would say that this story contains lessons for us not to imitate their behavior, but to observe the sinfulness that was in each character.

Every character in the story has some sort of fault or foible - the concubine, who is unfaithful and runs away from her husband; the old man of Gibeah, who while hospitable, wrongly offered up his daughter; the group of men from Gibeah who wanted to rape the Levite, but instead abused the concubine; and the Levite, who cowardly offered up his concubine instead of defending her. Nobody was completely innocent.

Judges 20

Reading through this chapter, I'm reminded that sometimes appearances don't always tell the entire story. The Benjamites had the leverage in fighting the Israelites, but in seemingly an instant the tables were turned. Sounds eerily similar to the games of "Quoridor" played last night, often times the appearance of winning may not necessarily be grounded in reality.

last chapter of judges

You wonder who is making these decisions to swear an oath to not give any women over to the Benjamites (of course it was them who killed all the women of Benjamin). Which brought them to the decision of killing any tribe/town who didn't come to the gathering, sparing of course the women to give to the Benjamites.
Yes there wasnt a king but where at least is some sort of structure of leadership? At least someone should come up with the bright idea of consulting God. They did it when attacking the Benjamites.

Judges 19

Pretty gruesome how this chapter eventually unfolds. The fate of the Levite's concubine definitely ranks up there on the scale of ways you'd least want to leave the Earth.

jack move

Judges 18:19

"They answered him, "Be quiet! Don't say a word. Come with us, and be our father and priest. Isn't it better that you serve a tribe and clan in Israel as priest rather than just one man's household?"

Reading about the whole Danite episode of them stealing Micah's idol and his priest was reminder of how often in-fighting occurs among people who are supposed to friends. Afterall, everyone in the story is an Israel, so you'd they'd get along right?

Guess not.

internal conflict

Its kind of interesting how chapter 20 plays out. You would think that because those people in the town of Gibeah who did the unjust deed would get punished and thats how God would carry out justice. But what ended up happening? Not only did over 25,000 Benjamite soldiers die 40,000 Israelites also died fighting against the Benjamites. I guess the lesson could be that one man's sin just doesnt effect yourself but could have big consequences.

Judges 19

hmmm... what can I say? I remember a discussion or message on this chapter, but the only thing I remember clearly is thinking,"wow, that's messed up." reading this chapter, i think that about sums it up.

no king makes people go crazy...

judges 18

as the chapter starts out: "In those days Israel had no king."

People just run amuck with no leader and guidance as portrayed by the Danites and to their understanding, God gave them the land. Whether or not this is true, they still end up setting up idols that Micah made.

do as you see fit?

Judges 17:6

"In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit."

It's such a short chapter, but Judges 17 seems to be centered around that verse. The main character, Micah, is basically making himself a "home temple" and hiring his priest - all out of motivation that he wants God to be good to him, to bless him. It's a good reminder that as Christians, we need to always check our motivations for doing things - is it for our own benefit or is it because we love God?

out in a blaze of glory

Judges 16:25-30

While they were in high spirits, they shouted, "Bring out Samson to entertain us." So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them.

When they stood him among the pillars, 26 Samson said to the servant who held his hand, "Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them." Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. 28Then Samson prayed to the LORD, "O Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes." Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.

Even though Samson killed more Philistines in death than in his life, I sometimes wonder if the reason his story is told in such detail in Judges is because God wants to warn us that ultimately, the man's way of doing things as seen through Samson (womanizing, being short tempered, killing at will) is ineffective and tragic. Sure, he killed 3000 people, but I wonder how Samson's life would have been different if had used his strength to build up the other Israelites rather than engaging in random acts of violence.

judges 19

Looks like another chapter which shows how much the Israelites have fallen. It seems they live in a world without any laws/structure. If I had no structure in my life, no guidelines, how far would I vear off the path? I guess in a sense without a steady job schedule I'm kind of without structure. Which explains how much time I waste away.

Judges 18

In the absence of true leadership, it appears that pillaging and conquering ruled the day, along w/ the errant worship of idols. Juts goes to show that in the absence of an organized form of structure held up by genuine integrity, chaos will reign supreme.

you know what to do

¹⁴ Then the five men who had spied out the land of Laish said to their brothers, "Do you know that one of these houses has an ephod, other household gods, a carved image and a cast idol? Now you know what to do."

When they said 'now you know what to do' it seemed like they were going to purge this household of false practices and idols but what do they do? They steal their idols AND priest and use them as centerfolds of their worship. Not exactly sure what the "lesson" is here but it does seem like worshipping practices were out of control.

judges 18

Isreal is without a king, and the Danites are looking for a land to call their own. It reminds me of how we are at times, without a sense of direction and looking a place for shelter, much like the Danites. so then the question is where are we looking for guidance?

judges 17-18

i'm not sure exactly what these two chapters are about. Does Micah worship the Lord, but in an incorrect way with created idols?

In a weird way, the Danites stealing Micah's priest reminds me of when Barry Bonds stole Gary Sheffield's personal chef. How jacked up is that!

Judges 17

This chapter makes me think that sometimes a man has it set in his heart that something is right, and is fully convinced to the extent that he'll act upon it. In this case, Israel has no king, and Micah creates idols to worship to somehow fill that void. I suppose as humans we all have our own distinct 'voids' and what are some of the things in this worldly place that we use to fill them? Movies, music, video games, work, sports, etc. I guess in and of themselves they are appropriate enough, but all in all they don't fill the spiritual void quite as well as God does.

Judges 17

i don't get it. is this chapter showing the society's acceptance in micah's neck of the woods? Or is this to show that the LORD is patient and hasn't unleashed his anger...

but taking it further, this pretty much portrays all of us. As much as we have our LORD, we still have our 'idols' and the LORD is still 'good' to us. something to thing about...

judges 16

²⁰ Then she called, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!"
He awoke from his sleep and thought, "I'll go out as before and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had left him.

italics mine

I was at a retreat this past weekend and the pastor mentioned that some say this is the saddest verse in the whole Bible. Do we cherish the presence of the Lord? Would we know if He left us?

ummm....

judges 17

not really sure of the context of what is happening in this short chapter. I take it chapter 18 will shed more light on what God has in store for Micah and his Levite buddy. that's about all i have to say for this chapter...

chapter 17

It seems micah was setting up his own way of worshipping apart from the laws given to them at the time. Though when they made the idol and got the Levite to be their priest and their intentions were good, somewhere down the line these practices steered them in the wrong direction. God tells us to obey him for a reason and He knows how things can quickly become corrupt.

Judges 16:28-30

An interesting twist on the concept of sacrificing one for the sake of many. In this instance, those "many" represented by the Philistines are literally crushed along w/as he Samson pushes the two central pillars outwards, collapsing the temple onto the unsuspecting folks inside.

Judges 16

This chapter has always fascinated me. Samson visits a prostitute in the beginning of the chapter. Then he falls in love with Delilah, who hands him over to the philistines for money. That Samson would love a woman that constantly wanted to know his weakness, and then test him to see if he was lying is beyond me. Wouldn't you figure after the first time that the woman was working with the philistine, much less the third time? But the most interesting part for me is that after Samson's hair regrows, He asks God for strength one more time, that he might have revenge on them for his two eyes. And thus in death he takes out more philistines than he did during his life, which then is certainly more than 1,000 people at the temple.

That this man, who was set apart for God... and though he broke his covenant with God by letting Delilah cut his hair, still God used this flawed man to accomplish his will in beginning Isreal's deliverance from the philistines. It reminds me of David, who was a man after God's on heart, yet even he sinned against God. It's a testament to God's faithfulness to us and His all surpassing power that even in our weakness, He can still use us to further His kingdom and glory.

weak

judges 16
delilah sucks. and samson's real weakness is women. but i guess if it wasn't for delilah's constant nagging for samson to tell her the source of his superhuman strength, then he wouldn't have fallen this way. a man only can take so much nagging. :)

skedjewl

my schedule for thursday 9/14/05
1000 wakeup
1100 - 1200 lunch with heidi
1200 - 1830 work
1830 - 2200 co-worker's b-day party
2200 - 0030 heidi's house and researching home insurance stuff
0030 - 0200 surf/email
0200 - sleep

beatdown, donkey-style

Judges 15:14-16

As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.

Then Samson said,
"With a donkey's jawbone
I have made donkeys of them.
With a donkey's jawbone
I have killed a thousand men."

Another example of Samson's penchant for violence and rhyming... I guess he was the original gangster rapper.

In the story, it's almost a bit shocking how casual people are about killing each other. I guess if I came home to my house and found that my father-in-law had given away my wife to my friend, I'd be mad too... though one might argue that it was Samson's fault for marrying a foreign woman and that God fully intended that there'd be consequences.

As for a personal application from the passage, I think that I need to make sure that I keep myself in check and that I don't pull a Samson whenever I get mad. Even though God can use anything to glorify him, unbridled anger and rash decisions have consequences for those around you - just look at what happened to Samson's wife and her father, being burned alive by a Philistine mob.

9.15

12AM-10AM: zzz...

10AM-12PM: breakfast, 'Net, CIS job apps.

12PM-3PM: vehicle maintenance, lunch at Uwagi's, trip to Fry's / Target

3PM-5PM: W. Seattle nap, misc. errands

5PM-8PM: Smallville (4th yr.), dinner (Maruta's)

8PM-11PM: chattin' on Yahoo! M / 'Net

11PM-12AM: zzz...

Judges 16:18-22

This passage shows that putting too much trust in others and yourself, and not enough in God, can end up backfiring on you. In this instance, it is on the extreme end as Samson gets his eyes gouged out and ends up "grinding" in prison.

schedule

here goes ---


Thursday sept 15, 2005
hour/
activity
0
tv
1
tv
2
sleep
3
sleep
4
sleep
5
sleep
6
sleep
7
sleep
8
sleep
9
sleep
10
sleep
11
sleep
12
surf
13
surf/ready for work
14
drive to work
15
work
16
work
17
work
18
work
19
work
20
work
21
drive home
22
tv/dinner
23
surf
24
surf
0
pack for retreat
1
surf
2
surf

repentance

Judges 16
You thought Shamgar was strong when he took out 600 people. Samson took out 1000 with a donkey's jawbone. But his successes got to his head because he lost sight that it was God who gave him this incredible strength. And when he gave up his secret to delilah he must've still thought he would be just as strong and would be able to rescue himself from any situation. He was unfortunately mistaken.
In the end though, he repented and acknowledged that it was God that gave him his strength and this time relied on that to have his final act against the philistines.
Lord, let me never lose sight that it is YOU who enables us to soar on wings like eagles.

Judges 15:16

Samson reminds me a lot of Muhammad Ali in his prime, when Ali would use his now infamous couplets such as the one that starts off "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee..." They were both very enigmatically outspoken, loved to taunt their opponents, and bent exceedingly on revenge.

conan

judges 15 totally reminds me of Conan (not O'brien). Man, it puts into reality of a man of God acting upon his own instinct on rage and justice.

revenge

It seems kind of a crazy cycle of revenge here. So in the previous chapter (judges 14) Samson was tricked by his wife (more specifically her friends), and he takes revenge on 30 philistines in Ashkelon. Then chapter 15 his wife's father gives her to his friend and he takes revenge on the philistines' grain fields and olive groves. So in turn the philistines take revenge on samsons' wife and wife's father. Then samson goes buck-wild on 1000 more philistines.

Crazy.

judges 15

Dang -- what is up with killing 1000 men? Why does God keep supplying this dude with supernatural power? He doesn't seem all that spiritual to me really. Also how dumb do you have to be to be #1000? After seeing the way Samson pwned the first 999 dudes that faced him, I'd be the heck outta there.

Judges 15

Samson slays 1000 philistines with a donkey jawbone. killing a thousand men would tire anyone out, even a nazirite. Samson calls out to God asking for water , and God provides, renewing Samson's energy. Doing all this was all part of God's plan, and even Samson got tired doing God's work. When we get tired doing God's ministry, we too should ask God to renew our strength.

Judges 14:1-4

At first glance, it seems kind of unusual to have a son giving such orders to his parents. But it makes more sense a bit later knowing that it was the Lord speaking through Samson.

Judges 14

What an interesting way to instigate war against ones enemy than through marriage. And then to give your wife to your friend, wow.

judges 14

In my mind's eye, I picture Samson as a biblical Shaft. He's a baaaaaaaaaaaaad man.

I believe I've read somewhere that Samson defiles himself by eating the honey from a dead animal. How much sorrow can we avoid by listening to God?

riddle me this, riddle me that

Judges 14:12-14

"Let me tell you a riddle," Samson said to them. "If you can give me the answer within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes. 13 If you can't tell me the answer, you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes."
"Tell us your riddle," they said. "Let's hear it."

He replied,
"Out of the eater, something to eat;
out of the strong, something sweet."
For three days they could not give the answer.

Samson is probably one of the most famous of the judges, but what I find interesting about his story is how complex his character is. Not only was he blessed with super-strength, God gave him ancient Hebrew rapping skills?

Seriously, the story of his wedding in chapter 14 shows how God works through our mistakes as well as successes. Samson picks the wrong wife, sets up a bad bet, and then kills 30 Philistine guys for just their clothes... and still, God was glorified. It's amazing.

strength and honor

¹⁹ Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of their belongings and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he went up to his father's house.

This seems seems to be a case of someone using the power of the Spirit for purposes that are selfish rather than for purposes for God. I wonder sometimes why God withholds certain thing from me. Is it because I would be irresponsible with those things?

what are you thinking?

It's weird to think that God had prompted the marriage of Samson to a Philistine woman so that God can confront the Philistines. Even Samson going for the enemy at the time is crazy too, too much drama. Seems like they were only married a week until she coaxed him into telling her the answer to the riddle. Well, can't blame her since her family and her life was on the line because of the Philistine jerks.

judges 13

²² "We are doomed to die!" he said to his wife. "We have seen God!"

²³ But his wife answered, "If the LORD had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this."

Do you ever think about how long God's purpose is for you here? The average male lifespan is 75 years. 75 years! That's hella long for an average --- and yet I occasionally get myself into a panic about 'when God will take me home'. I play this bit of pseudo logic in my head --'well God can't take me yet because He still wants me to do this' etc etc. Of course God could always be using me as an example...

Angel Mis-identification

Judges 13:17-23

Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the LORD, "What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?"

He replied, "Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding." Then Manoah took a young goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock to the LORD. And the LORD did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched: As the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground. When the angel of the LORD did not show himself again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized that it was the angel of the LORD.

"We are doomed to die!" he said to his wife. "We have seen God!"

But his wife answered, "If the LORD had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this."

It's interesting how when Samson's parents meet the angel, they don't immediately recognize that the angel's an angel... maybe because the angel was appearing in disguise as a human? But I guess it was pretty shocking for the couple once offering went up in flames and the angel rode the fire back to Heaven. They only recognized the angel after something miraculous happened. It's also funny how the man is the one who's more freaked out than the husband... the wife is the reasons that they're not going to die.

On a personal note, I wonder how often I pass people by and fail to recognize that they may be in the process of serving or following God. Outside of church and my group of friends, I don't really feel like I interact much with any other Christians. I wonder if that's good or bad.

Mary...Sss...Swa...Samsonite!

Seem like a common thing that when a woman is initially barren and then God decides to allow her to have a child or children, that child becomes destined for greatest.

But this chapter (judges 13) is only an intro to Samson, this is more of the angel encountering Samson's mother and father. Interesting that the father feared that they were going to die since he thought that they had seen God. But the wife smacked some sense into him.

set apart

Judges 13

An angel came to manoah's wife, and told her she would give birth to a son. He was to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth. For the sun to be a Nazirite, manoah's wife could not drink wine or other fermented drink or eat anything unclean. Nor could a razor be used on the boy's head. Samson's life was destined to be set apart for God and used in great and mighty ways. We too have been chosen by God, set apart by God's grace and His gift of salvation on the cross. Are the lives we are living... our thoughts,the things we say and do, are they indicative of a life set apart for God?

Judges 13:3-5

This is an intriguing verse in that it implies that it may be OK to indulge in "wine" and food that's "unclean" if giving birth to a daughter.

judges 13

I wonder what it means in verse 16 when the angel of the Lord says, "Even though you detain me I will not eat any of your food." Does it imply that there was some wrongdoing on their part for offering food? It mentions that Manoah didn't realize it was an angel. Maybe there's no implications at all. Eh, looks like I'll have to investigate further.

Kind of makes me think about what kind of world we would live in if we could read each others' minds. Sounds like a Star Trek episode(s).

Judges 10:15-16

Yet again the Israelites are essentially forced to realize the folly of their ways, and they surrender to the Lord. The Lord, through His divine mercy, bails out His chosen people once again.

Judges 12:1-3

It looks like there's a slight misunderstanding here between the Gileadites and the Ephraimites. On one hand, the Ephraimites say they weren't called by the Gileadites to help join in the fight. On the other, the Gileadites leader Jephthah says that they did call the Ephraimites for help. It's pretty mind-boggling to think that 42,000 lives could have been spared if someone had just paid something equivalent to a "phone bill."

Death by Language

Judges 12:5-6

"The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead asked him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he replied, "No," they said, "All right, say 'Shibboleth.' " He said, "Sibboleth," because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time.

Reading this passage, I was thinking to myself how it was both a clever and horrible thing that Gileadites did. On one hand, they knew their neighbors well enough to identify them with a simple test... on the otherhand, the people that they were killing were basically their countrymen - Israelite on Israelite slaughter.

In application, I'm struck by how often within the Christian community, we're quick to start arguments and find minor differences with which to tear each other down. It reminds of the that stupid letter I wrote about in my blog, the "Christian" lady attacking people for not speaking English. Sheesh.

judges 12

Man talk about a nation divided. Ephraim feeling offended that they weren't called to join the fight answers by gathering their army and confronting the Gileadites. And the Gileadites feel offended that they would dare come and question their actions and insult them, so they in turn respond by killing 42,000 Ephraimites. Talk about short tempers. It is another story of people willing to fight and kill because they feel they are offended. Sounds similar to the story of Pai Mei in Kill Bill. Is it right to take justice (er revenge) in our own hands?

Judges 12

very short chapter. quite a few judges with short terms of leadership. reminds me a little of cbc and the number of pastors that have led our church over the years. except they didn't have 30 sonsor ride donkeys.

judges 11

i like this part:

So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where a group of adventurers gathered around him and followed him.

it's like the makings of an rpg.

More seriously, what is up with Jephthah having to sacrifice his daughter?

My take home here is not to play games with God.

intense

Judges 11

Jephthah's vow to the Lord get's intense when the first thing that comes out of his house to meet him on his triumphant return is his daughter and only child. It made me hope for another Abraham and Isaac ordeal, but Jephthah kept his word and made his sacrifice. Wow, I'm at a loss for words.

hard bargains

Judges 11:34-36

"When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, 'Oh! My daughter! You have made me miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break.'

'My father,' she replied, 'you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me just as you promised, now that the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites."

Jephthah's story is one of the most tragic ones in the Bible and it definitely sticks out in my mind when I think about the book of Judges. Obviously, Jephthah didn't expect that he'd be sacrificing his daughter, so it makes me think he was either:

1) Very foolish in making the oath and not thinking

OR

2) He was so devoted to God that he completely thought it was a harmless vow to make

Of those two choices, I think we'd like to accept the first because it's the easiest to swallow. But for the sake of argument, what if the real choice is the second? Why does that say about God and his relationship to those who choose to follow him?

For myself, I'd like to think I don't make foolish vows to God, but I can remember times in my life where I prayed, "God, no matter what it takes, I want my character to be more like yours. I want to grow and be a better person than I am now." Has everything that has happened to me been because I've prayed prayers like that? Could it that there's sometimes a terrible price to be paid to truly become a more faithful disciple of Christ?

I'll have to meditate on that a lot more.

promise keeper

Judges 11

Jepthah was a man of his word. and like Abraham,he followed the Lord faithfully. Unlike Abraham however, no angel came to intervene at the last moment. but I do have to wonder, what was he expecting to come out of his house and greet him, his dog?

hello, mcfly!?

interesting how Judges 10 says God replies to the Israelite's cries of distress stating how he has delivered them in the past. I'm thinking - if God is so open with you to speak to you like so, hello, wouldn't you think that He's the God that you should be following?

this time for sure

15 But the Israelites said to the LORD, "We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now." 16 Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD. And he could bear Israel's misery no longer.
Judges 10:15-16

It's hard to be forgiven for what you did if you are still doing it. Isreal realizes they have sinned, and then they make an active effort to stop sinning and serve God again. God forgives, but only when we turn away from our evil ways and follow Him.

Bush and black people

One thing I was thinking about while reading this chapter is the casting off of Jephthah because he was the son of a prostitute. This got me thinking about unfair discriminations and about the things going on in New Orleans. How could things have gotten so bad? Why wasn't there better planning on dealing with this? Whatever the reasons are, I can see why people are frustrated... Can you say Kanye West?
Discrimination. Unless you are part of a minority group I'm not sure you can understand totally what it is like to be discriminated against for something you can't control (like race). It's not like I don't do my own fair share of making unfair judgements about people but I at least understand what it is like.
Does Bush hate black people? haha, I dunno, but the way the people of Gilead treated Jephthah reminded me of this last week's events.

bad influences

Judges 10:11-16

"The LORD replied, "When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!"

But the Israelites said to the LORD, "We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now." Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD. And he could bear Israel's misery no longer."

The Israelites were surrounded by many ancient cultures whose beliefs radically differed from their own... and they easily fell prey to their influences, whether it was pagan religions or foreign military domination.

One of the hardest things to break out for myself sometimes is the bad influences of the culture we live in today - selfishness, negativity, nihilism, materialism, etc. Sometimes the influences are so subtle that I forget they're even there and messing with the way that I think about things, especially my own life and personal circumstances. I find myself falling into the trap of measuring my success and goals in life by worldly standards, and I have to resist that.

rejection

What a loving God we serve who forgives us when we wrong Him. So many times the Israelites turn away from God and serve other gods (Judges 10). Yet He has comes to their rescue time and time again. I'm so quick to hold grudges when someone wrong's me or when someone rejects me. I always hope for the worst for someone who does. Or in bad cases actually try and do things to get even or make them feel bad. Why is this? Is it because I feel I'm such a good person and don't deserve bad things should happen to me? I dunno. But it does center around the fact that my mindset is so focused on me. How do I begin to change?

Judges 7:20

That's a gaudy order to receive as a child, to "kill them," especially fr. your own flesh and blood whom you look up to. I probably would have acted similarly to Jether in that situation.

Judges 8:53

This is another example of karma in full effect, as Abimelech reaps exactly what he sows. He had killed his 70 brothers on a stone, and here he is incapacitated by a woman dropping none other than a stone.

Judges 8:33

I suppose that one quirky / unfortunate aspect of the human condition is that if there are no perceived repercussions to carrying out an act, often times it will get carried out, which is what the Israelites did here. And this, despite the fact that they've not only seen, but actually experienced the serious repercussions of those actions.