The Depths of Israel’s Apostasy

Posted on August 1, 2026 by PastorDave

Joshua/Judges/Ruth | Lesson 6 | Lesson Notes / Talking Points

Judges, chapters 17-21

I | INTRODUCTION / CONNECTIONS / CONTEXT

1 / As we have already learned, the Book of Judges is divided up into three distinct larger sections—though each of these sections will have other sub-divisions within them:

[I] chs 1—3.6: The Roots of Israel’s Apostasy [Lesson 3]

[II] chs 3.7—16.31: The Downward Spiral of Israel’s Apostasy [part 1, Lesson 4; part 2, Lesson 5]

[III] chs 17-21: The Depths of Israel’s Apostasy [this lesson]

2 / What will we find in these concluding chapters of Judges? These five concluding chapters of Judges tell two more ‘short stories.’

[1] The first story will be told in chs 17-18. This story is about a man named Micah, a man of the hill country of Ephraim. He has established a shrine, or ‘house of gods,’ or a place of idolatrous worship. He hires a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah who is sojourning in Ephraim, and thinks by doing so, he can invoke the blessing of Yahweh on his idolatry. He ends us losing everything he has made by the works of his own hands. He lost his ‘house of gods’ to tribesmen of the tribe of Dan who paid his Levite ‘priest’ more than he could afford to pay.

[2] The second story is told in chs 19-21. This is a dark, sordid story of murder and sodomy—so dark and sordid that the Judges narrator intentionally invokes numerous parallels between Judges 19 and the accounts of Sodom in Genesis 19. We won’t be able to point out all those parallels, but they are there for the studious reader. What occurred in Gibeah of Benjamin then led to the near extinction of a whole tribe of Israel—Benjamin. That part of the story is told in chs 20-21.

3 / Why are these stories told and included in Judges? They are a fitting conclusion to what we found in the introductions of Judges in chs 1—3.6. There, we found that Israel began their downward spiral into apostacy by two over-arching practices which they have cycled over and over throughout the ‘short stories’ of the judges:

[1] they broke faith with Yahweh and the covenant obedience He had commanded them by their idolatrous practices. They forgot, forsook, and abandoned The LORD to go after all the gods of the peoples around them; and

[2] they failed to drive out the inhabitants of the Land which The LORD had given them for their inheritance. They chose to coexist with the wicked Canaanites; and as a consequence, they became like them.

4 / Each of these two stories contains three scenes or movements. All we will able to do here is give the ‘Cliff’s Notes’ summary of how these stories unfold. But they will tell the story of just how far downward Israel had descended into the abysmal pits of apostacy and corruption when they forsook The LORD. They are representative and illustrative of the effects of sin and disobedience against God.

5 / I will add just one more clue to interpreting the narrator’s purpose in telling these stories—as it relates to his overall scheme in the developing storyline of the coming of Christ, the King, into the world. We are all familiar with the Judges theme of “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” That line is repeated four times in Judges, and all four are found in these two stories: 17.6; 18.1; 19.1; 21.25. That summary statement will ‘book-end’ both of these concluding stories. That line is first of all an indictment against Israel…because they did, in truth, have a King! Their King was Yahweh! But they rejected Him and His rule over their lives, thus leading to their total corruption and apostacy. AND, these concluding stories will also prepare them [and us] for the next chapters of their history when they do choose a king to rule over them. Two tribes are prominently mentioned and repeated throughout these concluding stories: Judah and Benjamin. Judah, of course, is the tribe from which David will come [as we will find out in Ruth]; and Saul will come from the tribe of Benjamin. The influences of both of these tribes will stand out in their future selections of a king. Just as Benjamin does not turn out well in the conclusion of Judges, neither will Saul turn out well in the history yet to come…

II | chs 17-18 | The Story of Micah, his ‘house of gods,’ and his Levite

ch 17.1-6 | Micah’s shrine or ‘house of gods’

This story took place in the hill country of Ephraim which was situated in the allotment just north of Judah’s. The main character’s name is Micah, which means ‘Who is like Yahweh?’ Apparently, this Micah thought ‘whoever I choose to make to be like Yahweh is like, or even better than, Yahweh.’ He stole a significant portion of his mother’s silver; then returned it to her with an apology; then she gave it back to him to make carved images to set up in his ‘shrine,’ or ‘house of gods.’ In the opening movement, the Holy Spirit wants us to see that when you forget God, you then do whatever is right in your own eyes. Look at the commandments he violated: he coveted his mother’s silver; he stole his mother’s silver; he dishonors his mother when he steals her silver; he worships other gods before Yahweh; he makes a carved image; and he takes the Name of The LORD in vain when he and his mother call on Yahweh to bless his idolatry [“Blessed be my son by The LORD,” v 3; “Now I know that The LORD will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest,” v 13]. So this Micah establishes his own place of worship to the gods he has made for himself, ordains one of his sons to be his priest, and sets up his own religion—all IN THE NAME OF THE LORD! Here is the first entry of the Judges theme line: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

ch 17.7-13 | Micah’s ‘ordination’ of a Levite to serve as his priest

We are introduced in v 7 to a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. Remember: the Levites had no physical inheritance in the Land because The LORD was their inheritance. They were charged with serving the priests in the Tabernacle in the worship of Yahweh. But they were given cities and fields in numerous locations among the other tribes. This Levite lived in Bethlehem in Judah. He goes to live in Ephraim where he meets up with this Micah, who sees this excellent opportunity to ‘sanctify’ his man-made religious system and idolatrous ‘house of gods’ with a Levite. So, he hires him to be his priest and thinks that he has obligated Yahweh to bless him.

ch 18 | The Danites steal Micah’s ‘house of gods’ and his Levite priest

1 / But, Micah’s religious system is short-lived. When you depart from the Living God and strike out on your own to practice the religion of your own choosing and making, then your ‘god’ and your religion are up for grabs to the highest bidder for whatever religious fulfillment you are seeking. And so it happened to Micah and his priest and house of gods. Here is the second repetition of “In those days there was no king in Israel [and we supply in our minds, “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”]

2 / What happened here was that the tribe of Dan had failed to drive out the Canaanites from the allotment that was assigned to them in the original allotment [see ch 1.34-35]. So they start trekking northward to see if they can find another locality where they can settle. The Danites sent out a search party to scout the lands to their north, and they happened to come to the city and house where Micah had set up his house of gods. Lo, and behold! they recognize the voice of Micah’s Levite ‘priest.’ He tells them about his cushy arrangement he has found for himself. So they ask him to inquire of God for them to see if their mission will be blessed by The LORD. Of course, he tells them that The LORD has blessed them. They do go a little farther north and do find a spacious city, Laish, and lands that are wealthy—and unprotected. An easy take for themselves. The scouts go back to their fellow Danites and give them this good news. So now 600 armed Danites to take the city and lands for themselves. However, on their way, they stop again at Micah’s house of gods—and long story short, they outbid Micah for the services of Micah’s Levite priest. They re-hire him for more money than Micah is giving him and offer him a more prestigious position he can’t refuse: “‘Keep quiet; put your hand on your mouth and come with us and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel?’ And the priest’s heart was glad. He took the ephod and the household gods and the carved image and went along with the people,” ch 18.19-20. Poor Micah! All he can do is helplessly protest, cry, wring his hands, and mourn his losses: “You take my gods that I made and the priest, and go away, and what have I left?” v 24. The Danites then go on to destroy the city of Laish, burn it to the ground, kill the inhabitants—then rebuild the city to live in it, and renamed it Dan. This city will come up again centuries later when Jeroboam, the first king of the newly-seceded kingdom of northern Israel, will again set up an idolatrous calf in Dan for Israel to worship. In Jeroboam’s day, there will be a counterfeit king in Israel who is again…still…doing what is right in his own eyes! [1 Kings 12.25-33].

3 / Our Judges narrator now reveals the name of the Levite ‘priest,’ and what a shameful besmirching of his family’s name—he is a great-grandson of Moses! see ch 18.30.

III | chs 19-21 | The Story of the Benjaminite’s’ Abominations and Near-Extinction

ch 19 | The Benjaminites have become Sodomites

1 / Here in this second ‘short story’ of Israel’s plunging into the depths of apostacy, the opening line is the third repetition of In those days, when there was no king in Israel… [see also 17.6; 18.1] And here we will see the depths of the moral depravity, debauchery, and perversion to which Israel had descended. The events of this chapter transpire in the city of Gibeah. Gibeah is in the tribal allotment of Benjamin. The narrator is taking us back to the opening introduction of Judges, back to ch 1.21, where the failure of Benjamin to drive out the Jebusites from their allotted inheritance—but rather chose to let them live and live among them is recorded. [As we have seen earlier, Gibeah is also the king Saul’s hometown later on.] But when the Benjaminites failed to drive out the Canaanite inhabitants, they became just like them.

2 / The story also is about another Levite. In the previous story, that Levite went from Bethlehem to the hill country of Ephraim. In this story, this Levite will go in reverse: from the hill country of Ephraim down to Bethlehem. The gist of this story is that this Levite had taken [married—he is called her husband] a concubine from Bethlehem and brought her to Ephraim to live with him. But she abandoned him and went back to her father’s house in Bethlehem [just like Israel had unfaithfully abandoned her Heavenly Husband, Yahweh]. But her Levite husband loved her and arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her back [19.3]. This is the same theme and language of Hosea. When he arrived in Bethlehem to fetch her back, her father was glad to see him; and through a lot of cajoling, he persuaded him to stay for five days—two days longer than he had intended—while he hospitably wined and dined him. Until on the evening of the fifth day, the Levite husband insisted they had to go, even though it was late in the day. They did leave—the Levite husband and his wife—and they traveled north.

3 / As the evening fell, they came to the city of Jebus [Jebusites—which would later become Jerusalem]; but the Levite husband didn’t want to risk spending the night among Canaanite ‘foreigners.’ “We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners, who do not belong to the people of Israel, but we will pass on to Gibeah [Benjamin]” ch 19.12. At least there, they will be among their own people. But what they found out is that the Benjaminite inhabitants of Gibeah were worse than the Canaanites—or at least just like them. No one in Gibeah offered them hospitality of staying the night with them, so they ‘camped out’ in the city square. But there was an old man coming home from working his fields; he saw them there in the open square; and knowing more about the Gibeah-ites than they did, told them they would not be safe in the square, and brought them home with him. He hosted them hospitably until they could resume their journey in the morning.

4 / What happened overnight is one of the most sordid stories in the Bible. And it happened in one of Israel’s own tribal cities—Gibeah of Benjamin. This is where the narrator lays his story here in Judges 19 right alongside the story of Sodom in Genesis 19 to show us that when you forget, forsake, and abandon the Kingship and Lordship of God [apostacy] to do what is right in your own eyes—then there are no boundaries to the depths of perversion to which you will sink. The men of Gibeah surround the old man’s house and demand that he “Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him” [v 22]—that is, have sodomite, homosexual relations with him. The old man offered them his own virgin daughter and the Levite’s concubine, but they insisted on the man. The concubine was thrown out the door, and the men of Gibeah sexually abused her to her death. It is called ‘murder’ in ch 20.4-5.

5 / The Levite goes out first thing in the morning only to find her dead on the threshold. He is heart-broken [remember v 3], and takes her body home to Ephraim. He wants to publicize what an abominable, outrageous, evil act has been committed—even here in Israel. So “he took a knife, and taking hold of his concubine, he divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel,” ch 19.29. We don’t know how much explanatory commentary he sent with the pieces of her body—we do know he will tell the whole sordid story when the elders and armies of the twelve tribes gather at Mizpah and he tells them what happened in Gibeah in ch 20.1-7. What we also know is that “all who saw it said, ‘Such a thing has never happened or been seen from the day that the people of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day…,’” [ch 19.30]. Such is the depths of depravity, debauchery, and perversion to which a people will sink—even professing covenant people—when they forsake, forget, and abandon Yahweh their God to do what is right in their own eyes.    

ch 20 | Civil War–The tribe of Benjamin is attacked and all but exterminated, annihilated

1 / We will be able to only briefly summarize the events of these next two chapters. But this was the consequential, resulting bloodshed and destruction that came upon Israel, and especially the tribe of Benjamin, for their evil, abominable, and outrageous acts they had done in the sight of The LORD. “Then all the people of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled as one man to The LORD at Mizpah…400,000 men on foot that drew the sword,” vv 1-2. They heard the Levite husband’s story behind his sending his concubine’s dismembered body parts to them. They determined that the responsible Gibeah-ites must be executed “that they may repay Gibeah of Benjamin for all the outrage that they have committed in Israel,” v 10. But when they demanded that the tribal elders of Benjamin deliver up the people of Gibeah “that we may put them to death and purge evil from Israel,” v 13, Benjamin instead rallied to the support of Gibeah.

2 / So what happened was: Israel declared civil war against the whole tribe of Benjamin—their brothers—with the intent of exterminating and annihilating the whole tribe. Benjamin was heavily out-numbered: 400,000 Israelites v. 26,700 Benjaminites and Gibeah-ites. That’s a 15 to 1 numerical [dis]advantage! What ensued was a three-day war with Israel suffering substantial casualties during the first two days of combat [vv 19-28]. Israel succeeded, though, on the third day by setting ambush strategies against Benjamin—and they were all massacred [vv 29-46] with the exception of 600 men who escaped to a wilderness hideout where they stayed for four months [v 47]. “And the men of Israel turned back against the people of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, the city, men and beasts and all that they found. And all the towns that they found they set on fire,” v 48.

ch 21 | Israel schemes to find wives for the 600 surviving men of Benjamin

1 / Then the men of Israel had a kind of change of heart. “And they said, ‘O LORD, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that today there should be one tribe lacking in Israel?’” [vv 3]. They were left with 600 surviving Benjaminite men without wives—without which, they could not perpetuate they tribe. But Israel had sworn a great oath to The LORD that no Israelite could ‘willingly give’ his daughter to a Benjaminite as a wife. So, what follows in ch 21 is a whole series of pragmatic compromises they made to the ‘great oath’ they had made to The LORD at Mizpah. At the very best, these compromises were ‘loopholes’ or ‘work-arounds’ so they could at least maintain the appearance of keeping their oath—but yet give their fellow Israelites a way out of total extermination and annihilation.

2 / However, what follows is yet more slaughter of fellow Israelites of Jabesh-gilead which supplied 400 of the needed 600 wives [vv 8-15] and a deceptive ‘kidnapping’ and ‘stealing’ of the remaining 200 wives from among the virgins of Shiloh [vv 16-23]. None of this was on the ‘up and up’ in keeping with either Yahweh’s covenant obedience, nor even with the keeping of their two-part ‘great oath’ they had made before Yahweh [vv 5-7]. It was all still on the ‘down and down’ … further and further into the ‘depths of Israel’s apostacy.’

3 / All of which makes our narrator give his fourth summary thesis of everything he’s written in Judges:

“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”  

Joshua-Judges-Ruth.L6.Judges 17-21.The Depths of Israel’s ApostacyDownload
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The Downward Spiral of Israel’s Apostacy, part 2

Posted on July 25, 2026 by PastorDave

Joshua/Judges/Ruth | Lesson 5 | Lesson Notes / Talking Points

Judges, chapters 6-16

The Downward Spiral of Israel’s Apostacy, part 2

I | INTRODUCTION / CONNECTIONS / CONTEXT

1 / As we have already learned, the Book of Judges is divided up into three distinct larger sections—though each of these sections will have other sub-divisions within them:

[I] chs 1—3.6: The Roots of Israel’s Apostacy [Lesson 3]

[II] chs 3.7—16.31: The Downward Spiral of Israel’s Apostacy [part 1, Lesson 4]

[III] chs 17-21: The Depths of Israel’s Apostacy [next lesson]

2 / Of course, just from looking, you will note that the over-arching theme of Judges is ‘apostacy,’ that is, ‘standing away from’ where you formerly stood or had stationed yourself. In Israel’s case, their ‘standing’ was in the covenant Yahweh had made with them and given them, going all the way back to Abraham. But now, after Yahweh had faithfully fulfilled every covenant promise He had made to them by delivering them from bondage and slavery in Egypt, faithfully leading and providing for them in their wilderness wanderings, and now bringing them into the Promised Land as their inheritance and rest … but now, they are forgetting, forsaking, and abandoning their commanded obedience to Yahweh. And they did this in the most blatant and egregious ways! See again the historical summary in the introduction, ch 2.6-23.

3 / So, the Book of Judges describes Israel’s ever-repeating cycles of apostacy. We have itemized them before, but I will name them here again so we can see them played out in the stories of the judges who are named in this present lesson section: [1] Sin (apostacy); [2] Subjugation / Servitude (being subjugated to serve their neighboring oppressors); [3] Supplication (crying out to The LORD for deliverance); [4] Salvation (The LORD raised up the judge to deliver them); [5] Sin ‘again’ (returning to their apostatizing ways—even more so) … and cycle re-cycles. See also the ‘seven steps’ of apostacy, Lesson 4 / III.

4 / We will now do a quick and brief survey of the second section of this larger ‘centerpiece section’ of the Book of Judges: “The Downward Spiral of Israel’s Apostacy.” This larger section [chs. 3.7—16.31] contains the ‘short stories’ or biographies of the twelve named judges plus one renegade, rogue ‘king wannabe’ by the name of Abimelech [ch 9]. He is a kind of outlier here among the other judges, but yet he also serves as an illustrious example of the apostatized faithless and rebellious spirit that pervaded this whole period of Israel’s history: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” [ch 21.25]. In truth, they did have a King, Yahweh—but they rejected Him!

5 / To get a clearer ‘bird’s-eye’ view of the Judges narrator’s writing plan [structure] for this book, this center section of these twelve judges’ biographies is further divided into two sections. Lesson 4 surveyed the first section [chs 3.7—5.31]. In that section are the stories of three major judges [Othniel, Ehud, Deborah/Barak] and one minor judge [Shamgar]. Now, in this second sub-section, we will again review the stories of another three major judges [Gideon, Jephthah, Samson] and another five minor judges [Tola, Jair, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon]. The total number of judges [12] may also be an intentional indicator by the narrator that all twelve tribes of Israel were participants in this wholesale apostacy from Yahweh…

6 / And so, as you read through the Book of Judges, here is the order you will follow [Major / Minor]:

  • Othniel (1st major judge—tribe of Judah) [3.7-11]
  • Ehud (2nd major judge—tribe of Benjamin) [3.12-30]
  • Shamgar (1st minor judge—tribe unknown) [3.31]
  • Deborah/Barak (3rd major judge—tribe of Ephraim) [4.1—5.31]
  • Gideon (4th major judge—tribe of Manasseh) [6.1—8.35]
  • Abimelech, apostate ‘king’ [9.1-57]
  • Tola (2nd minor judge—tribe of Issachar) [10.1-2]
  • Jair (3rd minor judge—tribe of Gilead-Manasseh) [10.3-5]
  • Jephthah (5th major judge—tribe of Gilead-Manasseh) [10.6—12.7]
  • Ibzan (4th minor judge—tribe of Judah?) [12.8-10]
  • Elon (5th minor judge—tribe of Zebulun) [12.11-12]
  • Abdon (6th minor judge—tribe of Ephraim) [12.13-15]
  • Samson (6th major judge—tribe of Dan) [13.1—16.31]

II | chs 6-8 | Gideon / 4th major judge [see Hebrews 11.32]

1 / “The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of The LORD…” is the opening line of this second sub-section of the twelve judges—corresponding with the first sub-section in ch 3.7.

2 / The oppressors during the judgeship of Gideon were the Midianites along with numerous allies from the Amalekites and the people of the east [ch 6.3]. Several times throughout this narrative, we are told that they invaded Israel with vast hordes of armies and camels [chs 6.5; 7.12]. Their oppression consisted of ravaging the crops and countryside of everything that was edible, leaving the Israelites without food. This went on for seven years. In fact, when the angel of The LORD appeared to Gideon to call him to serve as Israel’s deliverer, he was hiding down in the winepress pit, beating out some wheat he had salvaged. Gideon was a reluctant judge from the get-go. He doubted himself every step of the way. But Yahweh worked wonder after wonder for him to witness—just so he would be sure that when deliverance did come, it would be the work of Yahweh: “But the Spirit of The LORD clothed Gideon…” [6.34].

3 / Gideon was the son of Joah; and just to show you how far Israel had apostatized from Yahweh, Gideon’s first commission from The LORD was to destroy his own father’s altars and images of Baal and Asherah that he had established for community worship. But The LORD was calling Gideon to overthrow the Midianites and lead them back to Yahweh. In spite of all his flaws, faults, and foibles—and his repeated lack of faith and trusting Yahweh [as we shall see], he is still listed in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11.32.  

4 / Gideon is best known to us for his ‘fleece’ signs that he asked Yahweh to show him. We still talk about asking for some kind of specific sign to discern God’s will as ‘putting out a fleece’ [ch 6.36-40]. Gideon is also well-known for his military conquests with only ‘Gideon’s 300’ [ch 7.1-8]. That number of only 300 soldiers was whittled down from the original 32,000. 22,000 were disqualified under the first test, and then the remaining 9,700 were disqualified in the second test. This was to show Gideon that any victory that ‘he’ won against the innumerable hordes of Midianites would be Yahweh’s doing! In fact, even these 300 men went to war against the Midianites without swords of their own! The only weapons they ‘fought’ with were clay jars, the torches they concealed in the jars, and trumpets they would blow at Gideon’s command. Their shout of their military might and power was “For The LORD and for Gideon!” and “A sword for The LORD and for Gideon!” [ch 7.18, 20]. The way they defeated the Midianites was that The LORD turned the Midianites against themselves—and they killed each other! “When they blew the 300 trumpets, The LORD set every man’s sword against his comrade and against all the army” [ch 7.22]. When Yahweh turned them upon themselves—they self-defeated!

5 / There is a sad ending to Gideon’s story, though, because at the end of his own life, he established himself as a spiritual cult-leader of a sort and led Israel away from Yahweh during his own latter lifetime. “And Gideon made an ephod [a counterfeit religious vestment/garb] … and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family” [ch 7.27].

III | ch 9 | Abimelech / renegade/rogue ‘king wannabe’

1 / Abimelech’s story begins at the end of Gideon’s. Abimelech was the son of Gideon’s concubine in Shechem [NOTE: Gideon as also called Jerubbaal, chs 7.1; 8.29; 9.1]. As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel once again turned from Yahweh to serve their local false gods [ch 8.33-35]. This son of Gideon, Abimelech, took advantage of the apostacy of Israel where he lived and persuaded his hometown folks in Shechem to anoint him as their ‘king’ rather than serve the other seventy sons of Gideon [ch 8.29-32]. They were all too glad to follow Abimelech. NOTE: the Judges narrator highlights this self-appointed ‘kingship’ of Abimelech to show the stark contrast to the over-all theme of the book: “There was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” [ch 21.25]. What we must keep in mind—not only here, but all throughout this book—is that there was a King in Israel all along. Yahweh was their King! It’s just that they would not recognize or obey the King they had! They rejected and apostatized from their True, Righteous, and Rightful King! This prepares us for the need of a Messianic King!

2 / At any rate, Abimelech ruled over Israel three years [ch 9.22], until The LORD sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech…[ch 9.23]. They betrayed Abimelech. This, too, was from The LORD to avenge the blood of Gideon’s seventy sons whom Abimelech had executed. In the series of a civil war battles that ensued, Abimelech was killed when a lone woman dropped a millstone from the roof of a tower where the inhabitants of Thebez had fled when Abimelech besieged it. That was the end of Abimelech and his story.

IV | ch 10.1-5 | Tola and Jair / 2nd and 3rd minor judges

These two minor judges are recorded in these five verses. Tola was from the tribe of Issachar. He judged Israel twenty-three years, and he died. Jair was a Gileadite from the tribe of Manasseh. He judged Israel in his locale for twenty-two years, then he died. He does appear to be quite a figure among his people since he was known for having thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities. And the narrator notes that Jair’s legacy and lore continued for generations following, even to this day [10.4].

V | chs 10.6—12.7 | Jephthah / 5th major judge [see Hebrews 11.32]

1 / Jephthah was another Gileadite [Gilead was the inheritance of the half-tribe of Manasseh on the east side of Jordan]. Except that, Jephthah was an illegitimate son of his father Gilead with a prostitute [11.1-3]. So his brothers expelled him from their inheritance, and he went and settled in a secluded area. Then when they came under servitude and subjugation, they sent to him and asked him to deliver them. Again, Jephthah is the third judge of whom it is said: “Then the Spirit of The LORD was upon [him]…” [11.29].  

2 / The Ammonites were the oppressors in his day. The Ammonites contended with Jephthah to give them back the land that Moses had conquered enroute to Canaan. These were the kingdoms of Edom, Moab, and especially of Sihon king of the Amorites. Jephthah just repeats back to them the stories of those days when Yahweh delivered these kingdoms and lands into the hands of Moses and the Israelites [11.12-28].

3 / Jephthah is well-known for the vow he made to Yahweh—“If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be The LORD’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering” [11.30-31]. The LORD did give the Ammonites into his hand…and to his dismay, who was first to run to meet him when he returned home—but his daughter, his only child! So, scholars have debated ever since: did Jephthah actually slaughter his daughter and offer her as a burnt sacrifice? Or was she devoted to The LORD as an unmarried virgin servant for the rest of her days? [11.34-40]. [See Deuteronomy 12.31; 18.9-12]

VI | ch 12.8-15 | Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon / 4th, 5th, and 6th minor judges

Their three stories are briefly related in the narrative…

VII | chs 13-16 | Samson / 6th major judge [see Hebrews 11.32]

1 / Of course, Samson, a Danite, is best known for his super-human strength [as well as his super-weakness for forbidden women, and his rebellious self-will]. And, no doubt, Samson had the physical physique through which Yahweh would work. But, for the fourth time, the Judges narrator credits Yahweh with all of Samson’s victories: “And the Spirit of The LORD began to stir him…” [13.25; 14.6,19; 15.14]. Samson’s strength was in his availability and usability of Yahweh to carry out His judgments of vengeance against the Philistines [chs 13.5, 7; 14.4; 16.28-30]. His ‘Nazirite’ dedication, with all its distinctive lifestyle exclusions [13.4-5, 7, 14; 16.17] designated Samson as an agent through which Yahweh would work His salvation purposes and power. ‘Nazirite’ means ‘devoted, consecrated.’ But, without the immediate Presence of Yahweh, Samson’s strength was no more than any other man’s [16.17, 20, 22-30].

2 / Samson repeatedly violated his Nazirite vows throughout his lifetime, but in the end, he repented of all his failures and called upon Yahweh one last time to fulfill His purposes through him…which He did!

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The Downward Spiral of Israel’s Apostacy, part 1

Posted on July 18, 2026 by PastorDave

Joshua / Judges / Ruth | Lesson 4 | Lesson Notes / Talking Points

Judges 3.7—5.31

The Downward Spiral of Israel’s Apostacy, part 1

I | INTRODUCTION / CONNECTIONS / CONTEXT

1 / This is now the second of four survey studies we will be conducting here in the Book of Judges. All we can hope to do is survey the ‘landscape’ of the book.

2 / The over-arching theme of the book is Israel’s apostacy. Apostacy means ‘to move away from [apo] where you once stood [stacy] to stand or station yourself in another place. In Israel’s case, it meant moving away from standing in faithful obedience to Yahweh and the covenant commandments He had given them. They moved away from faithfulness to His covenant obedience to ‘stand’ or ‘station’ themselves as worshipers of the false gods of the nations around them in the Promised Land, Canaan.

3 / This apostacy is summarized for us in the opening paragraphs of Judges, especially in ch 2.11-15. These same scenes summarized here will play in loops all throughout the book in the twelve ‘short stories’ or biographies of the judges whose stories are told in the book.

II | STRUCTURE: DIVISIONS / SECTIONS OF JUDGES

We will divide the book into four sections in this summary survey. The book clearly divides itself into three sections—with the second section sub-dividing itself into two sections also. Here are the sections:

[I] chs 1—3.6: The Roots of Israel’s Apostacy. Here, the narrator will give us the background information that will lead them into their apostacy from covenant obedience to Yahweh. The roots of their apostacy are explained in two scenarios. [1] ch 2.21, 27-36 describes how tribe after tribe did not drive out the Canaanites as Yahweh had commanded to do in Deuteronomy 7. ‘Incomplete’ obedience is disobedience. When they did not drive out the Canaanites, but chose rather to coexist among them, the Israelites conformed to their ways. As a result, they repeatedly were subjugated by the enemies they had been commanded to drive out. [2] As we have already noted above in ch 2.11-15, instead of loving The LORD their God with all their hearts—as they were commanded to do in Deuteronomy 6—they did what was evil in the sight of The LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth [abominable false gods of the Canaanites] … abandoned The LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them … They abandoned The LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth… As we shall see, this cycle was repeated during the 300-350 years or so of the Judges.

[II] chs 3.7—16.31: The Downward Spiral of Israel’s Apostacy. This is the real ‘meat’ of the book. These chapters will give us the twelve ‘short stories’ or biographies of the various judges whom The LORD raised up to save them from their local oppressors. But the reason there are so many cycles of apostacy is stated in ch 2.19: But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. Over and over again this cycle repeats itself over this Judges span of time. [We will divide this section into two lessons: chs 3.7—5.31 and chs 6.1—16.31.]

[III] chs 17-21: The Depths of Israel’s Apostacy. These chapters are not a continuation of the biographies of the judges, but they did occur at some point during these times. But what we will find in those stories when we get to them are two representative narratives of just how far Israel had apostatized from Yahweh’s covenant faith. These two stories will relate some of the darkest, most debauched and sordid accounts in Israel’s history. Yes, there are still some graphically dark events yet to come during the days of some of the kings, but these are representative of just how deep into apostacy Israel descended during these early days of their times in the Promised Land.

III | CYCLES [& RE-CYCLES] OF ISRAEL’S APOSTACY

1 / As we get into these ‘short stories’ or biographies of the twelve individual judges, we will see this cycle of apostacy repeat itself each time. I have given you in our last lesson a series of five stages in each cycle:

[1] Sin (apostacy);

[2] Subjugation (being subjugated to their neighboring oppressors);

[3] Supplication (crying out to The LORD for deliverance);

[4] Salvation (The LORD raised up the judge to deliver them);

[5] Sin ‘again’ (returning to their apostatizing ways—even more so) … and cycle re-cycles.

2 / Or, we can break it down even more into these components:

[1] Israel does evil in the sight of The LORD;

[2] The LORD ‘sells’ or gives His people over into the hand of their enemy oppressors;

[3] Israel cries out to The LORD to save them;

[4] The LORD raises up the judge, or deliverer;

[5] the judge delivers Israel from the hand of their oppressors;

[6] the land has rest and peace for a period of time;

[7] the judge dies, and the people revert once again to their covenant-breaking, Yahweh-forsaking ways.

3 / NOTE: Everyone of these seven elements may not be found in all of these judges biographies—but the Judges narrator includes them in enough of the individual accounts to let us know that they are present and active even if each one is not specifically detailed.

IV | TWELVE ‘SCENES’ OF APOSTACY & JUDGES IN TWO ACTS

Let me give you just one more clue to help you follow the writing plan or structure of the Book of Judges. This will help you see what the author/narrator wants to show us about this downward spiral of Israel’s apostacy. As you read through this section of Judges that gives us the narratives of these twelve judges, we will discover that this lengthy section is actually divided up into two sub-sections. Each of these two sub-sections will give us the biographies of three ‘major’ judges with six other ‘minor’ judges inserted into the narrative.

[1] In chs 3.6—5.31 there are three major judges: Othniel, Ehud, and Deborah/Barak. There is also a ‘minor’ judge, Shamgar, who is given one verse in ch 3.31, with another honorable mention in ch 5.6.

[2] In chs 6.1—16.31 there are three more major judges: Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson. There are also five ‘minor’ judges who are noted during this narrative: [Abimelech, ch 9, is technically not a judge like the others, but a self-declared king wannabe–interloper], Tola and Jair, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon.

V | ch 3.7-11 Othniel

 1 / Othniel is the first judge to be named. In his account, we will find every one of the seven components of the judges apostacy cycles noted above in III (2/). What the narrator wants to do here is to set the pattern we will find in each of the following judges’ biographies. We would do well to fix this pattern in our minds as a template into which we can fit all the following accounts.

2 / In Othniel’s time, the neighboring oppressor was Cushan-rishathaim [‘Cushan the double-wicked’] king of Mesopotamia. Locate Othniel on the map I have provided for you on page 4 down in the south-central regions of Israel in Judah. Mesopotamia was a then-current superpower to the NE of Israel. Sometimes it is called ‘Aram,’ and is the regions around the Euphrates River. This is the same region where Abram was when The LORD called him to come south to the land He would show him and give him. And, it is also the same region where Jacob fled to live with Laban when he was fleeing Esau.

3 / We have met Othniel before in ch 1.11-15 and Joshua 15.13-19. Othniel was the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother—Caleb’s nephew. And being from the tribe of Judah [the prophetic kingly tribe, Genesis 49.10], it is fitting that the first ‘deliverer’ whom The LORD raised up would be from Judah—the tribe, of course, from whom Christ will come. This family of Caleb, Kenaz, and Othniel seem to be a God-fearing family who like Caleb ‘wholly follow and trust Yahweh.’ In other words, they were a covenant-keeping family.

4 / Note also that Israel’s faithless covenant-breaking sin is described as ‘They forgot The LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.’ This forgot is not a lapse of memory—rather it is a blatant and intentional disregarding and turning away from—apostacy.

5 / In all of these accounts, like we noted in our survey of Joshua, the prominent actor is not the human judge or deliverer. The judge is only the human agent in each space and time. The prominent Actor is Yahweh Himself! “Therefore the anger of The LORD was kindled against Israel, and He sold them… But when the people of Israel cried out to The LORD, The LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel who saved them… The Spirit of The LORD was upon him… and The LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim…into his hand.”

6 / “The Spirit of The LORD” will also come upon three other judges: Gideon, ch 6.34; Jephthah, ch 11.29; Samson, chs 13.25; 14.6, 9; 15.14.

VI | ch 3.12-30 Ehud

1 / The second of the three major judges in this first series is Ehud. NOTE the 7th element in the apostacy cycle we have listed above [OR #5 in the previous steps of apostacy: “Sin ‘again’”]: ‘the judge dies, and the people revert once again to their covenant-breaking, Yahweh-forsaking ways.’ Ch 3.12 says, “And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of The LORD…” And so the second cycle of apostacy begins…

2 / In Ehud’s time, the oppressor was Eglon the king of Moab, a neighboring nation to the SE of Israel on the eastern coast of the Dead Sea. The Moabites were the descendants of the incestuous relations Lot had with his two daughters, Genesis 19.36-37. [Moab is also the country from which Ruth will come.] Locate Ehud’s notation on the accompanying map on page 4 in central Israel just W of the Jordan River.

3 / “The account of Ehud is filled with humor, irony, wordplay, and graphic scenes of deliverance. If these events were to be depicted on television or film, they would certainly come with a strong parental warning.” Miles V. Van Pelt, ESV Expository Commentary.  Long story short, Eglon king of Moab was a very fat man, and Ehud delivered Israel from his hand by paying Eglon an official visit and assassinating him by stabbing him in his belly, rupturing his intestines, and leaving his dagger in his belly.

VII | ch 3.31 Shamgar

Shamgar is given one verse of text, though he is mentioned one more time in ch 5.6. You can locate Shamgar on the judges map in the extreme N region of Israel—though his activity was probably more down in the S region on the Mediterranean coast where the Philistines inhabited: Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gaza. He serves as a bridge between Ehud [‘after him’] and the accounts of Deborah and Barak

VIII | chs 4-5 Deborah and Barak

1 / Deborah’s service is located in the central part of Israel. The oppressor during her time was Jabin king of Canaan. Deborah was a wise woman who gained a wide reputation for giving counsel and judgment. Deborah’s role is a credit to her for sure; but her service also more importantly shows the absence and neglect of the men of her time from ‘manning up’ and serving as they should. This is emphasized and accentuated by her charge to Barak to assume the role of deliverer [ch 4.4-7]…and Barak’s cowardly response that “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go” [ch 4.8].

2 / The LORD did deliver Israel by the hand of Barak [and Deborah’s charge to him], but the means by which Yahweh chose to deliver Israel was facilitated by another noble and brave woman, Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite [ch 4.9, 17-23]. Jael hammered a tent peg through the temple of Sisera, Jabin’s general and delivered him dead to Barak.

3 / The song of Deborah and Barak in ch 5 is a hymn of praise to Yahweh for His spectacular intervention in saving Israel.

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Introduction to Judges / Israel’s Roots of Apostacy

Posted on July 11, 2026 by PastorDave

Joshua / Judges / Ruth | Lesson 3 | Lesson Notes / Talking Points

Judges 1—3.6

Introduction to Judges / Roots of Israel’s Apostacy

I | INTRODUCTION / CONNECTIONS / CONTEXT

1 / BRIEF EDITORIAL NOTE: I have titled this lesson ‘L3,’ or Lesson 3, not because this is the third lesson in this 13-lesson course, but because it is the third lesson for which I have prepared these printed lesson notes. There have been a number of life events which have prevented me from preparing lesson notes for each of the lessons—or even from attending and teaching all of the lessons. But, here I am picking it back up and resuming with this one…

2 / We will introduce the Judges segment of this course on Joshua/Judges/Ruth. We will devote four lessons to this rather extensive and detail-laden book; so that means all we can do is break down the book into its literary sections, and then summarize the contents of each section, and show how they all fit together to manifest the narrator’s theme and purpose for writing it.

II | What is a ‘judge’?

What is a ‘judge,’ and what did the ‘judges’ do, and why were they called ‘judges’? We need to kinda re-align our thinking from the get-go here about what a ‘judge’ is. They were not judges in a legal sense like we first think. They didn’t adjudicate legal laws and cases. When you think of these judges, think ‘liberator, savior, or deliverer.’ See Judges 2.16, 18; 3.9-10, and so throughout the book. But, they were ‘judges’ since The LORD used them to lead His people into their holy wars to exact His ‘judgment’ and justice against their enemies. The ‘judges’ were Yahweh’s instruments of judgment!

III | Span of historical / redemptive timeline of Judges

What portion of Bible history does the Book of Judges record? That is easy to answer: it is from right after the death of Joshua until just before the birth of Samuel—who, of course, would anoint David as king of Israel. See Judges 1.1 and 1 Samuel 1. Samuel goes down in Biblical history as the last of Israel’s judges, 1 Samuel 7.6. In that way, Samuel serves to bridge the gap between the times of the ‘judges’ and the kings of Israel, particularly David. That is also one of the significances of the phrase that is repeated four times in Judges, “In those days, there was no king in Israel…” [17.6; 18.1; 19.1; 21.25]. There was NO KING IN ISRAEL—YET! BUT A KING IS COMING IN THE KINGDOM PLAN OF GOD!” [The Book of Ruth will confirm and chronicle that covenant plan!]

IV | Approximate number of years in Judges timeline

How many years of history are covered in the Book of Judges? Probably in the range of 300-350 years according to the dates of the events we have mentioned. If you add up all the years that are recorded in the Book of Judges, it ends up being more than that—410 years. But, keep in mind, that some of these events recorded in the Book of Judges are happening in different locales in Israel and some of them are happening and overlapping each other at the same time. See the accompanying map on page 5.

V | Authorship of Judges

Who wrote the Book of Judges? Again, like the Books of Joshua and Ruth, we don’t know. What we do believe is that these events were carefully recorded and kept in their historical chronicles as they happened, and then composed as an official document some time later.

VI | Some prominent themes of Judges

Why was the Book of Judges written? There are numerous theme-threads that are all woven together throughout the Book of Judges. For the purposes of this brief summary study, we will focus on one of the most comprehensive and over-arching themes as it applies to Israel: Apostacy. But, here are just a few theme breakdowns…

[1] The Book of Judges documents the failure of the Israelites to keep their part of Yahweh’s covenant He had made with them. He was faithful to every word and promise of His covenant as the Book of Joshua says [Joshua 23.14]. But, Israel failed in every respect, even in spite of all their promises to be faithful to Yahweh [Joshua 24.14-28].

[2] Time after time in the cycles of history that are repeated throughout Judges, “And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of The LORD and served the Baals. And they abandoned The LORD, the God their fathers … They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them … They abandoned The LORD and served the Baals and the Ashteroth” [Judges 2.11-13; 3.7, 12; 4.1; 6.1; 10.6; 13.1]. These introductory summaries to the various sections and cycles of Judges are Yahweh’s witnesses against their apostacy from Him.

[3] And yet, Yahweh remains faithful to the covenant promises He has made to preserve His covenant nation for the purpose of bringing our Ultimate Deliverer into the world [Romans 11.25-27]. Every time they apostatized, they would cry out to Yahweh for deliverance, and He would raise up a judge to save them from their oppressors. For example, “But when the people of Israel cried out to The LORD, The LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them…” [ch 3.9]. In this case, it was the first judge, Othniel. But the same pattern is repeated throughout the cyclical narratives in the book.

[4] Most importantly, though, here is the primary purpose for all the records of these judges in this book: this book chronicles the abject inability and failure of the people of Israel, God’s Kingdom, to rule themselves in covenant obedience to Yahweh. The people repeatedly failed, and even after their God-provided human judges delivered them—those judges died, and the people returned once again to their faithlessness and covenant-breaking disobedience. The grand summary conclusion of the book “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” [ch 17.6] begins to prepare us to look and long for a judge—a King, even—who will not die but will secure the obedience of His people forever! The judges point forward to the person and work of Christ, the only One who will deliver us from all our enemies, provide for our obedience, and lastingly, eternally secure our inheritance for us to enjoy…with Him!

VII | Four-fold cycle of apostacy

So, here is the four-fold cycle that will be repeated and recorded all throughout Judges:

[1] SIN [faithless, covenant-breaking apostacy]: the people of Israel will sin against God and go after the gods of the nations around them…

[2] SUBJUGATION: their enemies will gain mastery over them, subjugating them to service to them…

[3] SUPPLICATION: they will cry out to God in their distress, begging Him to save them from their distresses…

[4] SALVATION: Yahweh will have pity on them, raise up a judge and empower that judge with His Spirit, and save them from their oppressors…

[5] REPEAT: and then after The LORD saves them, they will return to their sinning again, going even deeper into their apostacy…

VIII | Literary structure of Judges

What is the literary structure of the Book of Judges? The Book of Judges clearly divides itself into three broad divisions:

chs 1—3.6: The roots of Israel’s apostacy

chs 3.7—16.31: The downward spiral of Israel’s apostacy

chs 17—21: The depths of Israel’s apostacy

IX | Judges 1 – 3.6 | The Roots of Israel’s Apostacy

What we will do here for the rest of this lesson is open up this first section of Judges. Because here in Judges 1 – 3.6, we will find the narrator’s accounts of Israel’s failures to do their part of what Yahweh commanded them to do in order to completely subjugate and occupy the Land as their promised inheritance. They failed to drive out the native inhabitants of the Land as Yahweh had commanded them to do [see Deuteronomy 7, especially vv 1-5]. We will break down this section paragraph by paragraph … and briefly summarize how that paragraph establishes the primary themes that will be developed and illustrated throughout Judges [see VI above].

ch 1.1-26 | Judah rises as the leader-tribe [pointing to David…and on to Christ]

1 / The Book of Judges begins with “After the death of Joshua…” This forms the connection with the end of the Book of Joshua and continues on with the storyline of the OT without interruption. What is significant about this paragraph is that the people of Israel did what they should have done: “…the people of Israel inquired of The LORD, ‘Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?” Joshua had been their leader since the death of Moses—now, who should replace him to lead them? How did Yahweh respond? Who should be their leader? IT WAS THE TRIBE OF JUDAH! What we see here is Yahweh’s covenant intention that their leader should be from the tribe of Judah. As we are repeatedly told here in Judges, ‘There was no king in Israel,’ but Yahweh will give them a King in His time, and He will be from the tribe of Judah! See Genesis 49.10. And, of course, God will provide his king just a few centuries later from the tribe of Judah—David. And, Christ Himself will be the ultimate King of kings and will finally and forever conquer all our enemies and victoriously lead us into our eternal rest and inheritance [see Revelation 5.5 & 22.16].

2 / But Judah successfully fought against the Canaanites who inhabited their portions of their inheritance. Why? Because they ‘wholly followed The LORD’! Judah was led by Caleb who was a faithful follower of Yahweh, even going all the way back to Kadesh-barnea [see Joshua 14.6-15]. We also need to note that in all these successful campaigns to possess the Promised Land, it was The LORD Himself who gave them the Land [see vv 2, 4, 19, 22]. Every tribe who trusted Yahweh to give them their Land—conquered it by the faithfulness of Yahweh to His covenant promises. The one exception in this opening paragraph is Benjamin, v 21. This same tribe of Benjamin will prove their faithlessness all throughout the book until we find them wholly given to apostacy and debauchery in the end of the book. Benjamin apostatized until they became Canaanites themselves, practicing all the worst debaucheries of the Canaanites!  

ch 1.27-36 | The roots of Israel’s apostacy

1 / What follows in these verses is a listing of the tribes who failed to drive out the Canaanite inhabitants from their portions of their inheritance. They chose instead to follow the unfaithful example of Benjamin in v 21 instead of the examples of Judah and Simeon in the other verses of vv 1-26. In all their conquests, they relied on the promised Presence of Yahweh, “and The LORD was with them,” fought for them, and delivered their inheritances into their possession.

2 / Instead, these other tribes—Benjamin, Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, Dan—they chose to coexist with the Canaanite inhabitants of the land. This was in blatant violation of the charge Yahweh had given them in Deuteronomy 7. NOTE: they didn’t fail to drive out the Canaanite inhabitants of the land because the Canaanite inhabitants were too strong for them; but rather because they would not wholly follow The LORD–fully trust Him to drive them out before them as He had promised He would.

3 / As a result, the Israelite tribes didn’t influence the pagan Canaanite peoples—it was the other way around! The Canaanites influenced the Israelite peoples, and the Israelites became like them! The Canaanites did become the servants of the Israelites. “…they became subject to forced labor” [vv 28, 30, 33, 35]. But that wasn’t Yahweh’s plan or command to them. We will not ‘manage’ our sins or peacefully ‘coexist’ with them. Either we kill our sins, or our sins will kill us! We are commanded to ‘mortify’ or ‘put to death’ the ‘members of our fleshly desires’ ‘that war against our souls’! [Romans 8.13; Colossians 3.5; Galatians 5.24; 1 Peter 2.11].

ch 2.1-5 | Yahweh’s scathing indictment against Israel

1 / Yahweh comes onto the scene in the person of the angel of The LORD. This is reminiscent of the appearance of the Commander of the army of The LORD who appeared to Joshua in Joshua 5.13-15. This angel identifies as Yahweh by using the first person “I” throughout His indictment. What Yahweh reminds them of is His impeccable and unerring faithfulness in everything He has promised them going all the way back to the promises He made with Abraham in Genesis 12 and thereafter. Yahweh had faithfully kept every detail of every promise He had made to them. “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ but you have not obeyed my voice. What is this that you have done? So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” And once again, Yahweh refers them back to that seminal covenant confirmation event in Deuteronomy 7.

2 / And so, the Book of Judges will chronicle Israel’s faithless covenant-breaking alliances with all the godless nations that Yahweh had commanded them to drive out. Instead, they chose to coexist with them, and in the end, Israel learned, adopted, and worshiped their gods and followed their ways.

ch 2.6-10 | A second ‘introduction’ to the Book of Judges

1 / In this brief paragraph, the narrator return again to the death of Joshua just as he did in ch 1.1. Why this second reference? Because in this account, the narrator will give the historical, sociological, and theological explanation for Israel’s apostacy. Israel followed Yahweh all the days that Joshua lived to lead them and remind them of Yahweh’s great deliverances from Egypt. In other words, Joshua and all the other Egypt-era elders who survived Joshua kept Israel’s focus on Yahweh—serving Him, trusting Him, obeying Him. But then, “…there arose another generation after them who did not know The LORD or the work that He had done for Israel” [ch 2.10].

2 / This will provide the background for the over-arching trajectory of the Book of Judges: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” [ch 17.6].

ch 2.11-23 | A summary of the four-fold steps of apostacy in Judges

Again, remember that what we are reading here is the narrator’s summaries of what we will read in the more detailed events that will follow throughout the rest of the book. Here is the Book of Judges ‘in a nutshell,’ or ‘the Cliff’s Notes’ version of the book.

[1] SIN—apostacy, disobedience, faithless covenant-breaking against Yahweh…

[2] SUBJUGATION—Yahweh would not deliver them from the oppression of their enemies, but rather turn them over to be oppressed and subjugated by them…

[3] SUPPLICATION—they would cry out to Yahweh in their distresses. See v 18b: “For The LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them.”

[4] SALVATION—“Then The LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.”

[5] REPEAT—“Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of The LORD, and they did not do so” [ch 2.17]; “But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways” [ch 2.19].

ch 3.1-6 | The nations Yahweh left in the land to test Israel’s covenant obedience

1 / These verses will complete the introduction and theme-setting for the rest of the book by enumerating some of the nations that The LORD used “for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of The LORD, which He commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses” [ch 3.4].

2 / In the next lessons, we will commence the stories of their judges with the first one, Othniel.

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Taking the Land (Joshua, chapters 6-12)

Posted on June 20, 2026 by PastorDave

Joshua / Judges / Ruth | Lesson 3 | Lesson Notes / Talking Points

Joshua, chapters 6-12 |Taking the Land

I | INTRODUCTION / CONNECTIONS / CONTEXT

1 / In our first lesson, we set the historical timelines we are on this juncture in the Bible—and the historical/redemptive plan of God in His OT preparations to send Jesus Christ into our world to be the Savior of His people.

2 / We also provided an outline of the major narrative divisions of the book of Joshua. If you go to the last verses of these section ends, and the first verses of the next sections’ beginnings, you can see how the writer is developing his narrative and the transitional, connecting phrases he uses to keep the storyline intact and developing into its next series of events…

  • chs 1-5: Crossing into the land
  • chs 6-12: Taking the land
  • chs 13-21: Dividing the land
  • chs 22-24: Serving The LORD in the land

3 / So, in this lesson, we’ll cover the six chapters in the second division—chs 6-12: Taking the Land. Due to the amount of text we’ll need to survey in this one lesson, what I will do here is just give you the themes of each chapter and the major verse divisions in each. We’ll have to be content for now with just some few sentence summaries of each chapter’s narrative and how it advances the narrator’s writing plan for the whole book.

4 / What we will see is that the author of Joshua covers the whole span of Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land in this section: “Taking the Land.” That miliary conquest will be comprised of three major military campaigns or ‘theaters’ of conquest:

  • The Central Campaign / Jericho, Ai, Gibeon, and the anti-Gibeonite coalition / chs 6 – 10.28
  • The Southern Campaign / ch 10.29-43
  • The Northern Campaign / ch 11 

5 / And this will bring us to the end of this section in ch 11.23: “So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that The LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.” Then, this will lead us into the next section: Dividing the Land, chs 13-21.

6 / ALSO, I have included a map on page 4 that I hope will help us to visually follow the narratives of these conquest campaigns as they progress over these chapters. I have added some text boxes to help us locate the strategic places of action. And I have also highlighted the various theaters of the conquest campaigns and the portions of Joshua where they are narrated.

THE CENTRAL CAMPAIGN BEGINS [see map]

II | Joshua, chapter 6 | The Fall of Jericho

“See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor”

6.1: Jericho secured

6.2-14: Yahweh’s commands and Israel’s actions for days one through six—and for day seven

6.15-21: Yahweh’s commands and Israel’s actions on day seven—the fall of Jericho

6.22-25: The rescue and arrangements for Rahab

6.26: Jericho is cursed

6.27: Joshua affirmed

III | Joshua, chapter 7 | Rebellion and Restoration in Israel [Defeat at Ai and Achan]

“Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them … I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you … You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.”

7.1: Sin in the camp

7.2-5: Israel’s first campaign against Ai—and their humiliating defeat

7.6-15: Joshua’s prayer to Yahweh and Yahweh’s response

7.16-25: Yahweh’s judgment against Achan and his punishment

7.26: Yahweh’s anger is abated

IV | Joshua, chapter 8 | The Second Campaign against Ai and the Covenant is Renewed

“Do not fear and do not be dismayed … arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land.”

8.1-2: Yahweh instructs Joshua with His battle strategy [ambush]

8.3-9: Joshua sets the ambush troops

8.10-29: The destruction of Ai

8.30-32: Joshua builds an altar and copies the Law [see Deuteronomy 27.1-13]

8.33: The groupings and positions of the people for the readings of the Law

8.34-35: Joshua reads the Law to the people [see Deuteronomy 27-28]

V | Joshua, chapter 9 | The Deceptive Ruse of the Gibeonites and How it was Resolved

“…but [they] did not ask counsel from The LORD…”

9.1-2: The Canaanite kings assemble to fight against Joshua and Israel

9.3-15: The Gibeonites trick Joshua and Israel into making a peace treaty with them

9.16-27: The Israelites discover their ruse and subject them to servitude

THE CENTRAL CAMPAIGN CONTINUES [see map]

VI | Joshua, chapter 10.1-28 | The war at Gibeon—where the sun stood still

“There has been no day like it before or since, when The LORD heeded the voice of a man, for The LORD fought for Israel.”

10.1-5: Five kings form a retaliatory coalition against Gibeon

10.6-8: The Gibeonites appeal to Joshua and Israel to come and save them

10.9-14: The LORD fights for Israel—Joshua prays for more daylight and the sun stands still

10.15: Israel returns to Gilgal [their base camp in the Promised Land]

10.16-28: The five Amorite kings are captured and executed, and their capitol city is captured

THE SOUTHERN CAMPAIGN [see map]

VII | Joshua, chapter 10.29-43 | The cities conquered in the Southern Campaign

“…because The LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.”

10.29-30: Libnah

10.31-33: Lachish with Gezer

10.34-35: Eglon

10.36-37: Hebron

10.38-39: Debir

10.40-42: Summary of the Southern Campaign conquests

10.43: Joshua and Israel return to their headquarters base–Gilgal

THE NORTHERN CAMPAIGN [see map]

VIII | Joshua, chapter 11.1-15 | The Northern Campaign is detailed

“And The LORD gave them into the hand of Israel…”

11.1-5: The Northern coalition is formed

11.6-9: The battle at the Waters of Merom

11.10-15: Hazor and its allies are defeated

IX | Joshua, chapter 11.16-23 | Summary of all the land’s campaigns and conquests

“For it was The LORD’s doing…”

11.16-17: The geographical summary is repeated and updated

11.18-20: Yahweh’s purposes and promises [theological summary] is repeated and updated

11.21-22: The destruction of the Anakim is summarized

11.23: The Land had rest from war

X | Joshua, chapter 12 | Summaries of the kings Israel defeated since leaving Egypt

12.1-6: Kings defeated by Moses East of the Jordan

  • Sihon, king of the Armorites
  • Og, king of Bashan

12.7-24: Kings defeated by Joshua West of the Jordan

  • 31 of them, listed with their kingdoms
  • see v 24b: “in all, thirty-one kings”

NOTE: Throughout this outline, I have repeatedly used a sentence or phrase that includes some action by Yahweh to sum up what occurred in that section: “The LORD did…” or “The LORD gave them into their hand…” That is because, as we said in our introduction to this Book, Joshua may be the primary human agent and character of the events, but he is NOT the primary actor or ‘cause-er’ of the events—YAHWEH IS!

And this, too, points us to the promise of Christ who will come “in the fullness of time” as our NT Joshua to fight our battles for us, destroy all our enemies, and lead us into our eternal ‘inheritance’ and ‘rest’—God’s eternal Kingdom of the New Creation! [Hebrews 3-4]

Joshua-Judges-Ruth.L3.Joshua 6-12.Taking the LandDownload
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50 years ago today! | 18 June 1976

Posted on June 17, 2026 by PastorDave

Yes! The Big Golden 5-0! 50 years ago today!

My, how time flies when you’re so in love [and we are!] and having so much fun [and we have!]!

“…still crazy after all these years…!”

That’s 18,250 glorious days of undying, uninterrupted, and overtly-expressed love with all the multiplied thousands of touches, kisses, and verbal “I love you!”(s) generously blended throughout.

That’s 200 meteorological seasons—and too-many-to-count seasons of life and experiences with family and ministry. Many ups and downs, good times and bad times. Endless vicissitudes. And, we have shared them all together. We have loved, nurtured, sustained, and faithfully cared for one another “for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health…till death do us part.”

And, through them all, Debbie has been my constant, faithful companion, lover, strength, support, and surety. She was “the dawn of my new day” of love; and every day for the past 50 years, she has continued to be “my sun to be my light … and my star to be my guide”! https://daveparksblog.com/2018/06/19/youre-the-dawn-of-my-new-day/

Truly, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from The LORD” [Proverbs 18.22]—and so I have…

“Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that He has given you under the sun…” [Ecclesiastes 9.9]—and so I have…

And it would take another 50 years to express my gratitude to God for His abundant mercy and grace in giving Debbie to me … and to Debbie for giving His grace—her grace—to me!

So, Debbie, my Dove, this is for you!

On this golden occasion, I want to ‘repeat and renew my vows of love’ to Debbie again with the words of a couple songs I wrote and sang to her in the months leading up to our marriage. We also included them on a program we printed for our marriage ceremony.

They are just some simple verses that I composed from my heart and set to tunes. I would sing them to her to the accompaniment of my autoharp. No one else knows the tunes but us because I can’t write music, but they are just a couple other love-notes I wanted to promise her, and I renew those promises here:

“SWEET RESIGNATION“

O, sweet resignation,

Love, I now resign to thee,

All the love of all my heart for all eternity!

            I here surrender all I have,

            And all I am I give—

I forfeit all my claims to self,

And pledge for thee to live.

“WE TWO“

We two … we stand together now,

We two … in living, loving union, we are one—we are only one.

Only one—only one to love,

Only one—only one to care,

Only one—one to give and share.

Only one—to honor and uphold,

Only one— to comfort and console,

One—to encourage and inspire,

One—for the need of every hour.

We two—forsake all others now,

We two—exchange our happy vows,

We two—we are only one.

We two—we’re joined together now,

We two—no longer ‘you’ and ‘me’—but only ‘we’

For we are only one.

I have written several other love tributes to Debbie over the years—especially on our special occasions—highlighting some of the scenes and vignettes of our love story … mainly because I just want Debbie to know my undying love for her. And also, if anyone else cares to see and read them, I want everyone else to know just what a noble and virtuous lady she is, and how worthy she is of my love for her.

Like…

Here is at least a partial reference to how we first met—my first sight and introduction to her: https://daveparksblog.com/2023/06/17/otd-1976/

And, then, just a little background story about my marriage proposal to her and our engagement to marry [and yes! it was in Lexington Cemetery!]:

“I love you for love’s sake…”

And about my specific promise to ‘honor’ her in obedience to 1 Peter 3.7: https://daveparksblog.com/2023/03/27/and-show-her-honor-1-peter-3-7/

And, I have never gotten over my smitten-ness with her beauty and virtuous character:    

“My Dove, my perfect one, is the only one!” ~Song of Solomon 6.9
That’s what she looks like to me!

I still look at and adore her this same way…

And so, Debbie, I want to renew today the same promise I have written in all those numerous cards and love-notes I’ve given you for 50 years:

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My loving, personal tribute to my long-time true Friend, Bobby Creiglow

Posted on June 15, 2026 by PastorDave

MEMORIAL WORSHIP SERVICE

FOR BOBBY CREIGLOW

25 July 1926—4 June 2026

[NOTE: We conducted a memorial worship service for my long-time true friend, Bobby Creiglow, on 12 June 2026. I have included a brief order of service, link to his obituary, and link to a FB live-stream recording at the end. Here is my loving, personal tribute contribution…]

            Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”

            So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the new world [regeneration]], when the Son of Man sits on the Throne of His Glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

            And there is no one who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or lands, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.” [Matt 19.27-29; Mk 10.28-30; Lk 18.28-30]

Bobby and I talked about these verses numerous times over the years. Bobby lived by this self-sacrificing rule of Kingdom economics all his life. When Jesus called Bobby into service, Bobby forsook everything to follow Jesus. Bobby never kept anything the Lord ever gave him. Either he used it in the service of the Lord—or he gave it back to the Lord or to one of the Lord’s servants to help them. At the end of his life, Bobby would say, “The Lord has been faithful to every word of His promise. He’s given me back much more than I ever gave Him—and I’m looking forward to seeing what more lies ahead!” Now, he knows…

********************

Bobby charged me to preach the Gospel here during this service. “I want you to give them one last Gospel witness for my sake.”I told him I would—but also, that even this would not be his ‘one last Gospel witness’by any stretch of the imagination.

Because all the witnesses to the Gospel that Bobby gave during his lifetime here will continue to go on. That’s the way Gospel witness ‘seed’ grows: it dies in the ground and germinates, sprouts up, and bears fruit—and then that fruit also becomes seed that bears yet more fruit … and on and on from one generation of fruit to another.

The Gospel witness that Bobby has given for these 67 years in all the places where he’s been have not only borne fruit when and where they were given, but they continue to bear fruit as those who received it pass it on wherever they go. And it goes on and on until Jesus comes back.

I guess that may be at least part of what Revelation 14:13 means:

“Then I heard a voice from Heaven saying to me, ‘Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes! says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

Bobby’s works will continue to follow him into the successive generations until we all arrive and stand together in that united praise chorus of the redeemed that John foresaw in Revelation 7:9-10:

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the Throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the Throne, and to the Lamb!’”

That was Bobby’s mission and message … and many among that great multitude on that day will have heard the Gospel of the Lamb of God from Bobby Creiglow.

We are also told that all of the activities of Heaven—and there will be many—are all summed up this way in Revelation 14:4:

“These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.”

But you will not be among the followers of the Lamb there …

if you do not first follow Him here, in this life.

And that’s what the Gospel is all about. And that’s the story of Bobby’s life. We can’t give Bobby’s testimony apart from the Gospel of salvation he believed and the Christ he followed.

Bobby was born in sin and separated from the favor of God just like every human being has been … ever since Adam disobeyed God, and fell into sin, and brought upon himself and all of us the just condemnation of our sins and the curse of the Holy wrath of the Holy God.

“But God—” in His gracious Providence brought Bobby under the influence of a Baptist pastor in Sanford FL … a preacher of the Gospel by the name of Bill Stevens. Pastor Stevens befriended Bobby and witnessed the Gospel to him.

One night in January of 1956, Pastor Stevens sat at their kitchen table and told them again how Christ had died for their sins, was resurrected, and that he needed to trust Christ and be saved.

Bobby repeatedly told me:

“I was convicted of my sins as he quoted Proverbs 14:12: ‘There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.’ He warned me if I continued on my way that seems right to me, trusting in my own goodness to make me right with God, I’ll die in my sins and be separated from God forever. But Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I trusted Christ, and God saved me from my sins!”

And that night, both he and Betty put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

Bobby was baptized in a city lake in Sanford FL on the 29th of January. And, yes, even in Florida, the water is cold in January. But Bobby wanted to publicly profess his faith in Christ as He commands.

And here’s his life’s testimony … anyone who’s ever hung around Bobby long at all has heard this story over and over … this became his credo for the rest of his life.

I’ll tell it as he would tell it:

“The church congregation had gathered on the bank of the lake to sing as I was baptized. As Brother Stevens brought me back up out the water, and the water ran out of my ears, the first sound I heard was them singing, ‘Wherever He leads, I’ll go.’ I determined then and there, that wherever Jesus leads me, I will go…”

1. “Take up thy cross and follow Me,” I heard my Master say;
I gave My life to ransom thee, Surrender your all today!

Chorus
Wherever He leads I’ll go; Wherever He leads I’ll go;
I’ll follow my Christ who loves me so; Wherever He leads I’ll go.

2. He drew me closer to His side, I sought His will to know;
And in that will I now abide, Wherever He leads I’ll go…

3. It may be through the shadows dim, Or o’er the stormy sea;
I take my cross and follow Him Wherever He leadeth me…

4. My heart, my life, my all I bring To Christ who loves me so;
He is my Master, Lord, and King— Wherever He leads I’ll go.

It was as simple and committed as that. And that’s what Bobby did for the next 67 years. And the Lord did call him—and Bobby went every time and every where from that moment … until the day he died from here last Thursday.

He started immediately by assisting Pastor Stevens. And then, one day, Pastor Stevens said, “Bobby, you’re preaching next week.” That was news to Bobby—he’d never preached before. But he did, and he continued preaching and serving in his local church there. And even helping plant a church in another part of their city.    

Bobby was always the missionary.

First, it was to Florida.

Then shortly after that, it was to Brazil. Here’s how that came about. Bobby was also influenced by another brother by the name of Bruce Lunsford. Brother Lunsford was a missionary in Brazil, supported through Baptist Faith Missions. Very quickly, through their association, the Lord laid the burden on Bobby’s heart to go to Brazil and carry the Gospel there.

So, Bobby met with Hafford Overbey who was the Executive Secretary of Baptist Faith Missions. Brother Overbey said: “You’re not ready yet … go and start a church, get some experience, and then we’ll talk about Brazil.”

So, Bobby did just that. He and Betty moved a few miles away to a community called Gotha FL and began visiting around among the neighbors, witnessing the Gospel, calling on them to repent of their sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. ‘And the hand of the Lord was with him, and a number of them came to the faith.’ (Acts 11:21).

Bobby led in the formation of Park Ridge Baptist Church and became their pastor. And Park Ridge is still one of our partnering churches. Those works are still following him…

So, Bobby and Betty were sent by Park Ridge to Brazil through the support of Baptist Faith Missions in 1960. Bobby would spread the Gospel throughout Brazil for the next 33½ years.

He started out in Manaus for the first year to learn the language and get oriented. By this time, he had partnered again with Bruce Lunsford—this time in Brazil. Brother Lunsford had been laboring down in the interior—in Cruzeiro do Sul, State of Acre.

Brother Lunsford wanted Bobby to come with him to Cruzeiro do Sul and help him—and Bobby agreed. Except that Brother Lunsford was afraid of flying. So, yes! Bobby agreed to get on a steam ship … and for the next sixty days, they made their way downriver—some 1000 river miles—to Cruzeiro do Sul. He and their family would serve in Cruzeiro do Sul for seven years—living in a houseboat down on the river.

Then, after serving the Lord there, Bobby re-located to the State of Matto Grosso, evangelizing and establishing churches in Cuiaba and Varzea Grande—and in numerous surrounding cities and towns.

They returned to the States in 1993, and Bobby continued to be a missionary…

  • as a pastor in Plant City FL;
  • then serving in a church in Winter Haven FL;
  • before moving here to KY to serve in churches in Richmond and Science Hill;
  • until, following Betty’s death in 2009, he came here to Lexington in 2010 to labor alongside me in the church where I was pastor;
  • and then finally coming here to New Life in 2017.

Also, during all this time after coming back to the States, Bobby remained active in missionary outreach as he partnered with Baptist Faith Missions as Field Representative and on the Council of Directors.

Bobby was always the missionary.

During the years of his pilgrimage here, Bobby was my friend; Brother in Christ; confidant; ministry partner / helper / counselor / encourager; travel companion; evangelism role model and example—and my all-around best buddy.

I have known who he is from the beginning in 1960 when I would see his pictures and read his reports in our newsletter—The Mission Sheets. Then, I had my first face-to-face encounter with him when we both preached at the Clarksville Baptist College conference in 1973. Our first conversation there was a warm, personable, humble, transparent affirmation … from a brother who was at that time twice my age. But that was the Bobby we all came to know and love. Then he made furlough visits to my first pastorate in NC. And, I would see and talk with him on numerous occasions at our Missions Conferences.

But it was in 1998 that we really bonded with one another. Baptist Faith Missions commissioned us to go together to Memphis TN to work with a videographer there to produce a missions promotional video. We rode that trip together, roomed together, collaborated together—and the bond was set.

From that day on, we were friends who stick closer than brothers (Proverbs 18.24). The Lord gave us a relationship very much like a David and Jonathan brotherly love for one another. We became ‘familiar friends’ (Psalm 41.9)—just very comfortable to be with one another. A ‘familiar friend’ is one in whom you can confide … a brother you can trust with your deepest fears, weakest foibles, and your greatest failures. And we did.

To say we grew familiar and comfortable with another is an understatement, really. In fact, we became so comfortable with one another … [you know how we say, “You can let your hair down” with your comfortable friend] … well, Bobby wouldn’t just let his hair down, he would take his hair clean off. He wore a toupee during a season of his life until he got tired of it. So, when we would travel together, we would go to our room for the night, and Bobby just took his hair off! That is comfortable!

We knew and shared each other’s lives transparently, trustingly, and faithfully—from the heart out.

But, Bobby was always the missionary.

During these last few trying years as his strength began to fail, it was my privilege to care for him. I would take him to his numerous doctor’s appointments for weekly check-ups, regular infusions, and frequent blood transfusions. And we would visit and talk—countless hours, all told. It was always about the Lord, about his years of missionary service, about Baptist Faith Missions and our missionaries, and especially about witnessing the Gospel of Christ and seeing people saved.

But, he would often grow weary of the physical burden. More than one time, we would be riding together in the car, and he would be silent. Sometimes, just slumping in his seat. I would ask him, “Bobby, what’s going on?” And he would just reply, “I don’t even know why I’m here. I don’t know why I’m still alive. I don’t know why the Lord is keeping me here — I just feel like I’m no use to anyone … not even the Lord.”

And I would always say, “Well, Bobby, I sure don’t know … but what we both know is that the Lord is all-wise, all-merciful, and all-good. And the only thing I can tell you is that God knows why you’re here and what He still wants to do with you. Surely, there’s somebody else He wants you to witness to.”

But, Bobby was always the missionary.

And his final field of missionary service was Sayre Christian Village. He became too weak to live at home anymore, so he moved into Sayre in August ’23. And from day on, Bobby witnessed to everyone who touched him and served him. Bobby not only touched people’s lives by his gentleness, kindness, winsomeness, quick wit, and personable humor—but Bobby impacted and influenced people’s lives. And some of them for eternity. Bobby captured their hearts. And he did it all in the Name of Jesus Christ and the Gospel. All of them loved him. And some of them listened to His Gospel witness, and God prepared their hearts to receive it … and they confessed their faith in Jesus Christ.

I told the administrators of Sayre in some of our early-on care plan meetings: “I know you all have a staff chaplain here at Sayre—but I’m telling you that Bobby Creiglow over on Unit 3 is the unofficial chaplain of Sayre Christian Village.”

Bobby’s memory and legacy will live on there. Unit 3, especially, will never be the same now that Bobby Creiglow has lived there. 310 will always be “Bobby’s room.”  

Bobby longed for the day when he would see His beloved Savior face-to-face. It would take the same numbers of hours to repeat the conversations Bobby and I have shared—especially here over the past couple of years. And we don’t have that time right now.

But, I promised Bobby back at the beginning of this last final weakness that I would walk with him every step that I could on this side of the valley of the shadow of death. But there would come the time when no one of us could walk with any farther.

And when that time came, he wouldn’t need me, anyway.

We often talked about the actual physical death experience: “What’s it like to die? What will I experience? What will I feel?” Of course, I would always say, “Bobby, I don’t know. Nobody’s ever died and then come back to tell us what it’s like [at least with credible Scriptural authority]. But what I can tell you with assurance is that, according to Psalm 23:4, there’s going to come a time when you’re going to walk away from us. And, as you descend into the valley of the shadow of death, we’ll call for you, but you won’t answer us. But, you can be sure—and we can be sure—that when that time comes, the further you walk away from us, the nearer you will be walking into the Light of the Face of Jesus Christ. He will be with you…and you will be with Him … And you won’t be alone; and you won’t be afraid.”

And then we would quote together:

“Yea. though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup [of joy] runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.”

And that’s the way it went down last Thursday.

And we would talk about our hope of Glory and the hope of Heaven. We would speculate the best we could from what is revealed in the Word of God about what Heaven is going to be like: What will it be like to see Jesus face-to-face for eternity? What will we doing—what kind of activities—as we “follow the Lamb wherever He goes”?

Again, we would have to confess that all we know right now is what we can see ‘darkly’ through the mirror of the Word of God. But we know it’s going to be unimaginably glorious!

And Bobby would quiet down, and shake his head in worship, and say, “God is so good! God is so merciful! God is so faithful—and to think He would want me, and love me, and choose me in Christ before the foundation of the world!”

Some of my friends from our church had a family member in Sayre a couple years ago … I had told them about Bobby, and they dropped in to meet and visit with him one Sunday when they were there. They took some pictures and sent them to me the other day. In one of those pictures, Bobby is sitting in his wheelchair beside his Bible that he had on a reading stand behind a magnifier. I was curious what Bobby was reading that day, so I zoomed in on the page. And, wouldn’t you know! …he was reading John, chapter 17. And sure enough, down in the bottom right-hand corner of the magnifying glass, is verse 24:

“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My Glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”

God sent His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as a missionary into our world—a whole world lost in the darkness of sin. God sent Jesus to seek and save those who were lost and bring them back Home to His Glory to be with Him!

Jesus Christ lived the only perfect, sinless life that’s ever been lived. And then, He died on His Cross as a Substitute for sinners—in our place. In other words, He took upon Himself the blame for the sins we have committed … and suffered the punishment that we would suffer if we keep our sins to ourselves—which is the hell of God’s holy and just wrath against our sins … and eternal separation from God.

But when, by faith, you trust Christ to be your Sin-Bearer and Savior, then God graciously forgives all your transgressions by the merits of Christ’s death … and credits to you the perfect obedience and righteousness of Christ.

And, in that transaction of love and faith in Jesus Christ, Christ promises to bring you Home to Glory to be with Him!

That’s where Bobby is!

And Bobby would say to everyone of you whom he loved and prayed for: “Be there!”

——————–

Just a couple love-notes here before we go…

We all want to express our profound and heartfelt thanks to all of you who not only took care of Bobby, especially during these past four years, but you loved him as you ministered to him.

  • To Dr Scott Pierce & all the staff at St Joseph Hematology Oncology—From the beginning, Dr Pierce treated Bobby not only with the skill of his hands and medical expertise—but also with his heart. For 3+ years, he diligently researched, tested, and pursued every option available to Bobby until the last one was exhausted.
  • And to all the loving personnel, nurses, and aides at Sayre Christian Village—you all loved Bobby, and Bobby loved you. You took care of him, kissed on him, ate his chocolates, and you were his final home and among his final family here. I don’t want to get started naming names, but just from my personal interactions: Amanda, Melissa, Cindy, Spence, Jennifer, Christina— and especially Audrey, whom Bobby affectionately called “Mama” because she mothered him.And a special heart-felt thanks also Bobby Duncan, our faithful transport van driver. Bobby drove us numerous times to our Dr’s appointments. Bobby was not only our driver—Bobby was our friend.

In Bobby’s place, and with Bobby’s voice, I’ll tell you all one more time:

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you all!”

——————–

“Wherever He Leads, I’ll go“

Please join us as we conclude this memorial service by singing together Bobby’s ‘life’s missionary song and testimony’ … and as we sing it together, please consider this your invitation and challenge to personally answer Christ’s call to follow Him. It may be by your repentance from your sins and personal profession of faith to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior—and be saved from your sins. Or, it may be to make a total, unreserved, unconditional commitment of your life to follow Him in service: Wherever He leads, you’ll go.

Here is the link to the FB live-stream recording of Bobby’s memorial worship service…

Here is the link to Bobby’s obituary…

https://www.morrisandhislope.com/obituaries/bobby-creiglow

A brief order of service…

MEMORIAL WORSHIP SERVICE

FOR BOBBY CREIGLOW

12 June 2026 | 12 noon | New Life Baptist Church, Lexington KY

Lydia & Sarah Wainright: Preludes

Pastor Steve Wainright: Welcome / Obituary / Scripture / Prayer

Congregational Song: “It Is Well With My Soul”

Pastor Dave Parks: Eulogy / Tribute / Gospel Testimony

Missionary / Son / Pastor Mike Creiglow: Family Tribute

Congregational Song: “Wherever He Leads I’ll Go”

GRAVESIDE | McKinney Cemetery, Science Hill KY | 3:30pm

Mike Creiglow: Remarks / Scripture / Prayer             

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OTD | 11 June

Posted on June 11, 2026 by PastorDave

On this day, 11 June…

Today marks the 9th anniversary of our very first visit to Buck Run Baptist Church where we now worship and serve the Lord.

In 2017, this day was a Lord’s Day. I had resigned my former pastorate two Lord’s Days previously.

The following Lord’s Day, 6/4, I was in NC for our family reunion. Debbie attended worship with her life-long friend in Salvisa.

Then on this Lord’s Day, we came here. I had talked with then-Pastor Hershael York, and he had welcomed us to attend.

As we arrived, we were still very much disoriented—kind of in a state of shell-shock, very much out of our usual frame of habit, mind, and spirit. But, all we wanted to do was go to a sanctuary of worship—to worship God in His assembly of saints and be refreshed in our spirits, preferably even in anonymity.

Upon our entry into the lobby, we discovered Buck Run to be much larger in size than either of us had ever been used to. And, just the size of the buildings and the numbers of people who were there held out the prospect of the anonymity we wanted—but the warmth of welcome was immediate.

We were first greeted by a brother whom we would later come to know and love in person—Bruce McCutchen. So, everyone at Buck Run understands that there couldn’t be a more personable welcome to any place than Bruce McCutchen! His warm smile, gentle demeanor, and hearty handshake welcomed us in! We all have remembered that first encounter and have talked about it many times since. Bruce has told us, “Well, I knew I didn’t recognize you, so I wanted to meet you and let you know we’re glad you’re here!”

We made our way into the sanctuary—and, of course, down to the front rows. We’ve always been ‘front-row’ people. Then, to our surprise, who should we meet there but our long-time dear friends, John and Sherry Wehrle! Debbie and Sherry knew each other, having worked together in a school setting, and we had numerous other associations from times when they had visited our services in my previous pastorate. So, they welcomed us to sit with them, and we were very glad to do so.

Then, after the service, we were greeted by Pastor Wesley Noss as we were leaving. He, too, didn’t recognize us, so he reached out to remedy that and welcome us! As soon as he introduced himself, I recognized his name because Pastor York had told me in one of our previous conversations, “You need to meet and get to know Wesley Noss. You’ll love him!” And we did and still do! … that love and appreciation for Pastor Wesley has increased and deepened over the past nine years.

And then, after all that on that day … I received a hand-written note card three days later signed by a “Jan Harris” whom I hadn’t met yet—though I shortly would; and she and Russell have become very dear friends also and still attend the SS class I teach. But she wrote in the note something to the effect of “Thank you visiting with us Sunday, and we hope you’ll come again. We think you’ll love our church as much as we have for the past forty years [that was nine years ago].” And we have.

But, in addition to all the welcoming greetings we received along the way, and just the warmness and friendliness of the whole congregation’s spirit, it was the Presence of the Holy Spirit in the singing, praying, and preaching of the Word that welcomed us most! It was very much like being at ‘home’ from that very first visit. We were not just welcomed, we were received and embraced with love.

And those very first impressions have proven to be sincere and genuine over these past succeeding nine years. As I have often expressed, Buck Run Baptist Church has become our…

  • Holy Place … because the Presence of the Lord is honored and manifested;
  • Healthy Place … because the Gospel of Christ in the Word of God is honored, preached, taught, and obeyed;
  • Healing Place … because the love, mercy, grace, and comfort of God is generously shared;
  • and Happy Place … because the joy of the Lord is the very Spirit and ambience of all our shared fellowship.

So, we want to say again, “Thank you, beloved Brothers and Sisters at Buck Run. Thank you for sharing your hearts and home with us! We sure do love you all!”

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The ‘Gatorade Guy’

Posted on June 8, 2026 by PastorDave

“For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you” [Philemon, verse 7].

“…for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people” [1 Corinthians 16.18]

We’ve all seen them, most of the time during breaks in the action of a football game. I just call them the ‘Gatorade guys’ (and gals, too). But when there’s a time-out, and the players run to the sideline for a huddle, the Gatorade guys run out to meet them as they come in. They are carrying their cartons with bottles of Gatorade. The players pull off their helmets as the Gatorade guys squirt the refreshing electrolytes and hydration into their parched and thirsty mouths. Then, back into the game action they go—except that the Gatorade guys have literally ‘refreshed their spirits’ with renewed energy and vigor.

The Gatorade guys are anonymous—nameless to us. We have no idea who they are. They don’t have jerseys with their distinctive number or their name on the back. They’re not on the roster. They are not celebrated. They are not highlighted on the jumbotron. No play announcer ever credits them with any kind of ‘assist.’

They’re not Gatorade guys for the recognition. They’re Gatorade guys to serve refreshment and refresh the spirits of the other team members and participants in the game. That’s what they do. That’s their service. That’s what they want to do. That’s enough. They serve mindlessly of the cameras. They are never looking around to see where a camera is: “Hey, did you get what I just did?”

Our ministries are like that. I have been pastoring in some capacity for over fifty years now. Always low-key. Never widely-recognized or well-known. No prominent platform. Probably considered ‘small-time’ by many metrics. And very content for it to be that way. Just trying to faithfully, day by day, service by service, sermon after sermon, year after year, person by person, encounter by encounter—to refresh someone’s spirit.

To preach, teach, exhort, and encourage everyone whose life I can touch to seek and know the Lord; love God with all your heart; place all of your belief, faith, and trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior; and commit your life to obey, serve, and please Him.

Be encouraged. Don’t quit. Get up and back in the game again.

And then go and refresh someone else’s spirit with the refreshment by which you have been refreshed.

And then go and refresh someone else’s spirit with the refreshment by which you have been refreshed.

And everyone of us can do that: an encouraging greeting, embrace, letter, note, text message, phone call—you get the picture. You never know how low or ‘spiritually dehydrated’ that one you refresh may be or how you may ‘make their day.’

Hey, for all we know, God may choose your refreshment in that moment to change the trajectory of their very life! It means a great deal to everyone of us just to know we are not alone. That somebody else knows and cares we are in the world.

I know. I have received innumerable shots of refreshment myself along the way from so many who have revived me, picked me up, and kept me going—much like Titus did for Paul in 2 Corinthians 7.5 ff. in his low-down moment…

However, there is recognition for ‘spirit-refreshers.’ And it’s really the only recognition ‘spirit-refreshers’ seek—and, that is, that the souls of those whom they seek to refresh are indeed refreshed.

I’ve often wondered whether any of all those football ‘stars’ ever returned even a breath of their refreshed spirit to say ‘Thank you! I really appreciate your refreshing my spirit’ to the Gatorade guy?

I kind of doubt it.

But in Paul’s testimony in 1 Corinthians 16.16.17-18, he names names: “I rejoice at the coming of Stephanus and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people.” Except for Stephanus, all three of these ‘spirit-refreshers’ are ‘one-time honorable mentions’ in the New Testament. For what?  All three of them stand on record as being ‘spirit-refreshers.’ We do hear of Stephanus two other times here in 1 Corinthians (1.16; 16.15), where he and his family are recognized: “…and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints…” Stephanus was a career ‘Gatorade guy,’ a committed and veteran ‘spirit-refresher.’

That’s really all I aspire to be. I just want to refresh someone’s spirit—strengthen and encourage someone along the way. And when and where God doesn’t call or assign me to serve any other way, just let me help refresh the spirits of those who do.

At the end of my life’s day, it will be enough if someone says of me as they said about Elisha’s ministry to Elijah: “He refreshed his spirit” … except that in his case, they said “…who poured water on the hands of Elijah” [2 Kings 3.11].

Here…a shot of Gatorade?

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Crossing into the Land | part 1

Posted on June 6, 2026 by PastorDave

JOSHUA/JUDGES/RUTH | Lesson 1 | Lesson Notes / Talking Points

Joshua, chapter 1

Crossing into the Land | part 1

I | INTRODUCTION / CONNECTIONS / CONTEXT

1 / We are beginning today with a new course of study. For the next thirteen weeks, we’ll be surveying three of the OT books: Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. Of course, there’s a lot of content here for so few studies, so we won’t be able to do any detailed chapter-by-chapter commentary on the contents of any of these books—although we will devote more time to specific content when we get to Ruth, mainly because it is shorter and also because of the historical/redemptive themes relating to Christ.

2 / But, for Joshua and Judges, we will have to content ourselves with giving some background information, along with showing the divisions of the book—how these two books are outlined to advance the narrative the inspired author wish to tell.

3 / So, to begin here with Joshua, let me answer some basic background questions before we get into the introductory chapter 1.

Who is Joshua, and what is his role in this book?

4 / This book is named for Joshua. And, he is the main human character in the book. However, Joshua isn’t necessarily the author of the book. Joshua is mentioned in at least two places in this book as ‘writing’ down events that happened: see 8.32 & 24.26. However, all of the content of the book refers to Joshua in the third person as if someone is writing about him rather than him keeping a journal/log of his own.

5 / The events that happen here in Joshua did occur in their own real times, and someone was keeping a detailed account of the events—but it may have been someone other than Joshua. These detailed accounts were carefully kept.

  • However, we do have some hints throughout the book that the book in its current finished form was completed at a later date. That detail is that: repeatedly, we are told that some event happened or some place was named such-and-such, and we are told ‘as it is to this day.’ That little phrase ‘to this day’ signifies that what happened in its real-time occurrence was still extant in the time when the book was finalized in its present form. The first occurrence of that phrase is in ch 4.9 and is repeated some ~15 times throughout the narrative. So, at least we know this much: whoever authored and edited the book in its current form did so sometime after the events had taken place and were recorded in real-time.

6 / And, here’s another point we need to keep in mind: even though Joshua was the God-appointed leader of the people and the most prominent human actor, he is NOT the main actor in all the narratives. Yahweh, The LORD, God Himself is the main and most prominent Actor in the book! Not only is He the One who first directly speaks to Joshua in the opening line of the book—and throughout—but He appears to Joshua in ch 5.13-15 as “…I AM the commander of the army of The LORD. Now I have come!” to assure Joshua, not only that He is there present on their scenes, but that everything that will be accomplished throughout the narrative of the book will be under His command and direction—and that He will be the One who is doing it!

  • Yahweh also presents Himself as the Divine Warrior who fight all their battles for them and give them all their victories. He is the Divine Presence who accompanies His people throughout all their generations, is evident on every page of the Bible, and will come ‘in the fullness of time’ in the Person of Jesus Christ as ‘Emmanuel-God with us’!

7 / But, who is Joshua, the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim? Joshua had been Moses’ assistant [‘minister’ KJV–that’s what Joshua is called in ch 1.1] since before they came out of Egypt.

  • Joshua was surely among the elders of the people of Israel when they were in Egypt [see Exodus 3.16].
  • Joshua’s birth name was Hoshea [Savior], and Moses renamed him Joshua [Yahweh will save]. That re-naming is recorded in Numbers 13.8 & 17 when Moses sent the twelve spies into Canaan from Kadesh-barnea to ‘spy out’ the land. And, in that instance, only he and Caleb trusted Yahweh to give them the land. So, Joshua had distinguished himself in Moses’ estimation as a trustworthy assistant very early on, not only as a faithful servant, but as an assistant, a protégé.
  • Joshua was also a military strategist and a valiant warrior. So much so, that the first time we meet Joshua in the Bible narrative is in Exodus 17.8-16. This was when the Amalekites [descendants of Esau] attacked the Israelites immediately upon their coming out of Egypt. Moses commissioned Joshua to ‘general’ that battle. This will help illuminate that meeting the Joshua had with ‘I AM the Commander of the army of The LORD’ in Joshua 5.13-15. Joshua may have been the earthly Commander/General of Israel’s fighting forces, but Yahweh Himself was the One who would fight and win all their battles!

8 / Joshua is then mentioned by name some ~30 times throughout the Pentateuch.

How is the Book of Joshua connected with the rest of the Bible—both in time and text?

1 / The book of Joshua is inseparably connected with the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses, that come before it. The chain of events and narrative is unbroken. In fact, when you open the book of Joshua and begin reading it, the very first words are: “Now after the death of Moses the servant of The LORD, The LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant…” This lets us know that Joshua will just pick up where Moses and the Pentateuch had left off with Moses’ death. Everything you will read in Joshua, chapter 1 has already been written—sometimes numerous times—in the previous books of Moses. The LORD now calls Joshua to finish the tasks that Moses had begun.

2 / Some specific Pentateuch texts that will lay the groundwork for this transition of leadership are: Numbers 27.12-23; Deuteronomy 31.23; 34.9; and others.

3 / As for the connections of Joshua with the rest of the Bible narrative, we will see that Joshua is connected with Judges the same way in the opening line of Judges: “After the death of Joshua…” And, then the book of Ruth [these are the three books of our current survey course] opens with: “In the days when the judges ruled…” So you can easily see from the words that authors write in all these books that they are giving us an unbroken, uninterrupted narrative of Israel’s history during those centuries when Israel was being formed as Yahweh’s covenant nations.

4 / And then, from the book of Ruth, the Bible narrative continues on with the histories of Samuel, who followed after the judges—and from there into the histories of the kings of Israel [and Judah]—which will ‘set the table’ for David who is introduced in the book of Ruth—and who will foreshadow and ‘pre-enact’ the Christ, God’s anointed and appointed King of kings and Lord of lords.

What is the Book of Joshua all about? What are its main purposes, themes, and lessons?

1 / The main, primary, over-arching theme of the book of Joshua is God’s faithfulness to fulfill all the covenant promises He has made to His people—both in that immediate historical context, and forevermore! As we see when we begin reading the book, Joshua is all about ‘the land’ Yahweh had promised to give them as their inheritance, place of habitation with Him, and as their ‘rest.’ Over and over, Yahweh repeats the promises that He had made to Abraham first, and then re-affirmed them to the other covenant patriarchs, Isaac and Jacob, in Genesis 12.1-7; 13.15-17; 15.12-21; 17.8; and others. The people of Israel kept this promise of their covenant ‘Promised Land’ in all their longings all during their 400-year enslavement in Egypt. When Yahweh appeared to Moses in the burning bush, He reiterated His covenant promises [Exodus 2.23-25; 3.7-8]. Their entrance into the Promised Land was delayed for 38 ½ years when they faithlessly rebelled against Yahweh at Kadesh-barnea [Numbers 14]. But now, Yahweh has faithfully kept them through their forty years of wandering in the desert and defeated all their enemies along the way. They are now encamped on the east bank of the Jordan, looking westward across the Jordan into the Promised Land.

2 / And so, what the book of Joshua will chronicle for us is how Yahweh faithfully fulfilled everything He promised He would give them and do for them. After all is said and done, the primary theme of Joshua and the purpose for its writing is found in ch 21.43-45: Thus The LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. 44 And The LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for The LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. 45 Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass. And this same theme and purpose is repeated again in a brief historical summary in ch 24.1-13.

3 / There are numerous other themes and purposes that are developed and emphasized throughout the narrative [this is copied from the ESV Study Bible]:

The theological lessons to glean from the pages of Joshua are many:

  • The Lord’s abiding presence as the key to strength and courage (e.g., 1:5, 9).
  • The centrality of the Lord’s instructions for succeeding in one’s mission and acting with insight; land and rest as divine gifts (1:7–8).
  • The ability of the Lord to save the “outsider” (Rahab), and the danger of the “insider” falling away (Achan; see chs. 2 and 7).
  • The Lord as divine Warrior and the reality of judgment when iniquity is full (e.g., 10:42; 11:19–20).
  • The danger of presumption and failure to inquire of the Lord (e.g., 9:14).
  • The Lord as protector of the covenant (e.g., 10:1–15, esp. v. 11).
  • The unity of the people of God (18:1–10; 22:34).
  • The sovereignty of God in giving his people place and rest (1:13; 11:23; 21:43–45).
  • The faithfulness of God in fulfilling all his good promises (1:2; 21:43–45).
  • The necessity of removing false gods and worshiping God alone (ch. 24).

The list could continue.

How does the Book of Joshua point to Christ?

1 / This is one of the most essential lessons we must learn and keep in mind as we read anywhere in the
Bible. As Jesus said in Luke 24.27: And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them an all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. And again, in v 44: “These are the words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” And so, everything that is written in the book of Joshua speaks of Christ.

2 / But here are just a couple ‘Christ-themes’ that jump out at us as we look ahead and also from a NT hindsight and retrospect:

  • The very name ‘Joshua’ is the Hebrew OT name for the NT Greek ‘Jesus.’ The name translates as ‘Yahweh [Jehovah] saves’ [see Matthew 1.21]. In fact, in the KJV, Joshua is called ‘Jesus.’ In fact, in the KJV, Joshua is called ‘Jesus.’ This is not only because their names are the same in OT and NT, but also because the OT Joshua ‘pre-enacts’ or serves as a historical type and foreshadowing of what Jesus the Christ will do when He comes in ‘the fullness of time.’
  • And so, in his OT role, Joshua led the military charges to save Israel from all their enemies who were occupying Israel’s Promised Land and inheritance.
  • More importantly and pointedly, the OT Joshua led God’s covenant people into their promised ‘rest’ [see ch 1.13, 15, and numerous other references throughout]. In the over-arching redemptive covenant plan of God, Joshua was ‘pre-enacting’ how our Jesus came to lead us into our eternal New Covenant ‘rest’ in the New Creation—after He has redeemed us, delivered us from our bondage to sin, fought all our battles for us, conquering and subduing our enemies, and delivered us to the Father [see Hebrews 3-4].

How is the Book of Joshua divided—and what does each section describe?

The theme of Joshua is “the land” and how Yahweh fulfilled all His covenant promises to give them their inheritance in “the land.”  Even just in ch 1, the phrase is repeated over and over: “the land I have given you … the land I am giving you to inherit … the land that I swore to their fathers to give … just as I promised to Moses” etc. So, the whole narrative of Joshua is an account of how Yahweh gave them their Promised Land. We will recognize and point out those same developments of the narrative, and they will be the titles of the five lessons we will survey [:

  • chs 1-5: Crossing into the land [two lessons]
  • chs 6-12: Taking the land
  • chs 13-21: Dividing the land
  • chs 22-24: Serving The LORD in the land

Joshua, chapter 1 | Crossing into the land, part 1

Since we have already referred much to the various elements of the content of chapter 1 in our introductory remarks, I will just give you here a brief breakdown outline of the chapter. Chapter 1 is composed of three conversations; so that is how we will follow it:

1 / vv 1-9: Yahweh’s charge to Joshua.

  • After reminding Joshua of Moses’ death and His previous Divine appointment of Joshua to be Israel’s God-appointed leader, The LORD re-affirms the promises He’s made before to give them their Promised Land. Even the surveyed boundaries of their inheritance had been pre-announced, and now The LORD commits to give it all to them. See Deuteronomy 11.24-25.
  • The LORD gives Joshua His personal assurance of His Presence: Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. This promise is given to us all in Hebrews 13.5.
  • But Joshua must continue to trust Yahweh in all their ways. He must be strong and courageous … Only be strong and very courageous. But Joshua is not only commanded to be strong and very courageous in his military campaigns and wars, but also in being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left… [Those are sometimes the hardest times to be brave—when our implicit trust and faith in God is required and obedience is difficult…] “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
  • The LORD re-asserts His absolute authority to command all the servants and agents of His Kingdom—but also promises and commits: …for The LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

2 / vv 10-15: Joshua relays commands to his ‘officers of the people’ according to what The LORD had commanded him. Everyone must prepare to cross the Jordan when Yahweh gives the command. But do so in full confidence that The LORD will faithfully accompany them: “…to take possession of the land that The LORD your God is giving you to possess.” Then follows specific instructions to what we call ‘the two and a half tribes’: Reuben, Gad, half-tribe of Manasseh. Their story goes back to Numbers 32.19-32. Remember, they are still on the west banks of the Jordan—they haven’t crossed Jordan yet. But these tribes had asked Moses back then if they could receive their inheritance in those regions since the landscape was well-suited to their agricultural and herdsmen vocations. Moses [from Yahweh] gave them permission to inherit Transjordan on one condition: they must cross over with their brothers and fight their battles with them until their inheritances were secured. Then, they could return back to their chosen inheritances Transjordan.

3 / vv 16-18: This third brief conversation is the response of the Transjordan tribes that they will live up to that commitment—and then they encourage Joshua to lead them all as Yahweh had commanded him—“Only be strong and courageous.”

Joshua-Judges-Ruth.L1.Joshua 1.Crossing into the Land-part 1Download
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