Judges 13:1-14:20

The book of Judges is as R-rated as it comes. Actually, an R rating may not be strong enough caution. There is lots of violence, sex and language in the book of Judges. Let's just say it aint your grandmother's book! For some this could be disturbing and may be hard to sort out in light of our understanding of Jesus, the prince of peace.

Again and again, as with Samson, in our reading today, "the Spirit of the Lord came upon such and such" to accomplish a task (see 13:24). A recurring theme in the book of Judges is that God's power comes upon a leader to give them strength and power to accomplish a task, often in battle. Remember, this is set in approximately the same time period as the battle of Troy and the epic battles between men and "gods". There is a larger-than-life heroic kind of flavor to the writing of this day. And so, in that cultural context, the author of the book of Judges is painting a picture of the mighty work of the Lord on behalf of Israel.

Another recurring line is, "then the Israelites did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord" (see 13:1). This cycle repeats itself over and over in Judges. The cycle goes something like this:

1. The spirit of the Lord comes upon someone to deliver the Israelites from their enemies
2. They experience the wonderful blessing of God
3. They do what is evil in the Lord's sight
4. The Lord allows their enemies to capture them
5. They cry out to the Lord again for help.

This cycle is repeated throughout the book and we see this again in the story of Samson.

As I reflect on this I am convicted that my own life seems to fall into this pattern from time to time. I often forget what God has done in my life and go on in my own strength. I need to be reminded to trust in the Lord and ask God to fill me with the Spirit to win my daily battles.

Prayer: Lord make me your servant, fill me with your Spirit and strengthen me that I might be able to experience victory in my life.