Read Judges 15-17 at Bible Gateway.
Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life. Jud 16:30
We had started to see yesterday that Samson might be a type of Messiah. Today we see that he destroyed more Philistines by his death than he had by his life. The Scripture is again preaching the gospel of grace, for it was by His death that Messiah triumphed over Israel’s enemies, who are principalities, powers, rulers of wickedness in heavenly places, and all the power of sin, hell, and the devil! He wrought deliverance for Israel by His death, just as Samson’s death prophesies.
Samson was the last judge in Israel which is recorded in the book of Judges. The rest of the book, from Jud 17-21, tells the history of two extraordinary events which took place in Israel, when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was high priest before the ark of covenant in Shiloh (Jud 20:28). We are not told when these events took place, but we assume that they might have been when there was no judge in Israel, because of the lawless nature of these two events.
The first is the history of Micah, who apparently was not ashamed to first steal his mother’s silver, and then make a carved idol out of it for his household. This is the way the Canaanites and pagans lived – every household had its own household idols. But also, we see perhaps that Micah was not alone in his idolatry at this stage, because the silversmith made him an idol without batting an eyelash, that we are told.
How could Israel have fallen so far from the LORD, that they are making household idols, and thinking that they will have YHVH’s blessing on their house, because they have hired a Levite to act as priest for their idol? This is how it happened: there was one book of the Law that was kept with the two tablets of the Ten Commandments, with the ark of the covenant. Households did not have their own books of the Law, that they could read and be instructed in the right way to go. If the Levites and priests did not teach the people the Law, then Israel must remain ignorant of the ways of God, and this is exactly what happened.
The book of Judges is a visual aid lesson for us, of what happens to a people and a nation — God’s covenant people and nation — when they neglect to do the four things Moses commands Israel to do over and over again in Deuteronomy, to ensure that they remain steadfast to the LORD their God only: Listen to God’s word. Pay attention to God’s word. Observe God’s word. And teach God’s word to the children (Deu 6)!
Parents, education in the Word of God, including the Law of God, is a more vital education for your children than mathematics, science, or even history (and I believe a thorough knowledge of history ought to be part of every child’s education)! It is the most important subject a child must learn, because the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (Pro 1:7).
How many ultra- educated fools with all kinds of letters behind their names, are running around out there, proposing the most outrageous lies as truth, being thoroughly deceived in their own minds! Even Richard Dawkins believes that the very first life was seeded here by aliens, and he is supposed to be the most brilliant man the God- rejecters have.
Well, I have gotten off on a bunny trail, I apologize. God charges us to not neglect His word, over and over again, for a reason – let us not be deceived in that!
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