Author: Meredith Beatty

Like I said yesterday, Judges is a tough book. By the end it’s tempting to feel like the nation of Israel is beyond hope and nearing complete destruction.

But God always has a remnant. I highly recommend reading Judges and Ruth back to back because the impact of the righteousness seen in Ruth is that much greater compared with the depravity of Judges.

The most striking thing to me is the treatment of women in Judges compared to Ruth. At the end of Judges there is the tragic story of the Levite and his concubine. They travel to Gibeah, which belongs to the tribe of Benjamin. While staying in an old man’s home, some worthless men of the city come to the house and demand to have relations with the Levite. Instead,  the concubine is forced into the town square where she ends up being viciously raped and left for dead. In the morning, the Levite callously takes her dead body home and proceeds to dismember it! He then sends the pieces of the body throughout all the twelve tribes of Israel to exact revenge on the men of Gibeah. What happens next is nothing less than civil war in Israel.

What a contrast in Ruth. Boaz is the exact opposite of the Levite in the way he treats women, and not just Israelite women. He goes above and beyond in providing for Ruth, a Moabite. He protects her and the other women who work on his land.

Ruth and Naomi begin their story as two women without hope or protection. In the end, they find a refuge in their kinsman redeemer Boaz. And what seemed like a hopeless story for Israel begins to look better. God hasn’t forgotten his promises. Hope is coming.

Judges is a hard book. The descent down into apostasy starts off like the bunny slope at the ski resort but quickly transforms into a scary double black diamond.

It can be confusing at first because at the end of the book of Joshua, Joshua proclaims that all of God’s promises to Israel have been fulfilled. And they were! They successfully took the land that God had promised and settled in it. Each of the tribes received their inheritance.

But…

Even though they had received their inheritance in the land, not all of their enemies had been defeated yet. In fact, God leaves some of their enemies in the land for a purpose. He wants to know what’s in their heart. Is he ignorant of their true heart inclinations? Of course not! But love must be tested. Was their emphatic declaration of loyalty to God really sincere in Joshua 24?

And so the downward cycle of turning away from God begins in the next generation. They do not know the Lord. They do not remember what he has done. It strikes me that the reason for this isn’t a dramatic one. God had put in place the structures and laws that would’ve prevented it. The priests and Levites were in charge of the sacrificial system and for instructing the people. They were supposed to read the Law to all the people. The people were supposed to talk about the Law with their children on a regular basis according to Deuteronomy 6.

Consistency and faithfulness in what seems monotonous turns out to be crucially important.

God is still merciful, he still sends relief in the form of judges. But the longer you read in this book, the steeper that ski slope gets. Sin becomes more severe and the judges become less and less noble.

After this morning’s reading I opened my prayer app to start praying. The first prompt was this Scripture from Titus:

“But when the goodness and lovingkindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:4-7

I’ve known this verse and prayed this verse for a long time, but it’s amazing how it took on greater depth and vitality after reading Judges.

Joshua was right. The Israelites could not serve the Lord in their own strength based on past successes. Neither can we! They (and we) needed God’s grace to appear in the form of the perfect Judge and Savior, the Lord Jesus. We needed to be regenerated – not just a second or third (or a millionth) chance – we needed a completely new heart. And praise him for that word ‘richly’! The judges in Israel only had a temporary anointing of the Holy Spirit. He has been poured out on us richly!

There is certainly nothing in us that deserves God’s mercy. And left to ourselves we quickly abandon him and end up utterly wrecked and ruined at the bottom of that black diamond ski slope.

There was so much that stood out in today’s reading, but focusing on Joshua, I continued to see an example of strength and faithfulness. Yesterday he panicked and God told him to get up. He did get up and he faithfully led the Israelites into the Promised Land and into their inheritance.

From the time of their entrance into the Promised Land to the end of Joshua’s life is a span of about 30 years. He witnesses so many victories and he sees the faithfulness of God’s people. But, I have to think that in the back of his mind he is always remembering his commissioning and how God predicted the future apostasy of Israel. (see Deut. 31)

That is why the end of the book of Joshua landed with greater force on me today. Joshua knows the Israelites will fall away, but he doesn’t resign himself to it. Like the strong leader he is, he calls Israel to renew their covenant with Yahweh. He recounts their history and how God took Abraham from a pagan country and made a nation for himself. Then he puts the choice before them:

“Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Joshua 24:14:15

The people respond saying, “Of course!! How could we not serve the LORD!” But Joshua obviously knows them too well. He says they are not able to serve the Lord. Perhaps Joshua thinks the people are drunk on their own success thinking that things will be easy now that they’re in the Promised Land. So again he gives them a warning to serve the Lord and put away foreign gods. But again the people assure Joshua that they will serve the Lord.

Joshua led Israel through a very high point in their history. But he knew the low points were coming. He knew that God was faithful to his promises, but that didn’t excuse the people from their responsibility to choose faithfulness to him. Every day, every month, every year, and every generation is another chance to choose faithfulness, to choose who we will serve.

Unfortunately, by the end of today’s reading, just one generation later, the people of Israel do not know the Lord or the work he had done for them.

I call it panic prayer. Something bad happens and I’m thrown for a loop. I cry out to the Lord as if it’s the end of the world. It’s not – but it feels like it. I don’t stop to consider the Lord’s character or his promises.

I think Joshua did that in chapter 7. He’s been told by Moses and God several times to be strong and courageous. Things start out very strong – Jericho has fallen. Then, just as quickly, Israel is defeated at Ai. I think Joshua goes into panic mode in verse 7:

And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord GOD, why have you brought this people over the Jordan  at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been   content to dwell beyond the Jordan!  O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned   their backs before their enemies!  For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will   you do for your great name?”

All of a sudden it seems like Joshua has plunged into hopelessness. Where is the strength and the courage? But I love how God responds. He doesn’t pat him on the head and say, “There, there.” He says, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face?” Israel has sinned and Joshua needs to address the problem.

Get up! Sometimes I need to hear that. Stop panicking. God hasn’t gone anywhere. He is still there, still faithful to his promises.

Today I finished Deuteronomy and with it the first five books of the Bible. It’s been very interesting to read this fast through the Bible so far. I feel like I’ve gotten a very good picture of this first part of redemptive history.

What struck me today was God’s blatant description of Israel’s future disobedience. In chapter 31 of Deuteronomy God calls Moses to bring Joshua before him so God could commission him. Moses and Joshua present themselves before God but God doesn’t commission him right away. From verse 16 thru verse 22 he gives a description of how Israel would turn away from him.

What?! Joshua is just about to lead them into the Promised Land and God says they will forsake him? What must Joshua be thinking? God doesn’t say when they will forsake him, but they definitely will. How would you feel if you were given a huge assignment and right before taking it on you were told something devastating would happen in the future?

But look at what God says to Joshua in verse 23:

“And the Lord commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, ‘Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you.'”

God told Joshua what he needed to hear. Moses had told Joshua these same words twice earlier in chapter 31.

Leaving Deuteronomy and going into Joshua tomorrow, I will focus on Joshua’s character and how this prediction of Israel’s future disobedience affects him.

Grace in the Old Testament? Yes, it does exist, and more than you would think. Most people have the impression that God is solely a God of wrath in the Old Testament. But God has always been a God of tremendous grace. If not, I wouldn’t be typing these words right now. God would’ve stopped the human race when Eve took that first bite.

Another example of this tremendous grace is in Deuteronomy 9. The new generation of Israelites is about to enter the Promised Land. Their parents all died in the wilderness because of their grumbling and disobedience. Deuteronomy begins with calls to remember what God has done and to teach it to successive generations. Here, God tells the next generation to be careful not to think they have earned an entrance into the Promised Land because of their righteousness.

Their parents were denied entrance because of their unbelief but this next generation is flesh of their flesh!

“Know, then, it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people. Remember, do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness; from the day that you left the land of Egypt until you arrived at this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord.” Deuteronomy 9:6-7

Stubborn

Provoking

Rebellious

This is our nature apart from God. We have such an inflated view of ourselves. The Israelites were closer to God than any people ever created. They witnessed more of his mighty saving acts on Earth than anyone has. Yet, they still couldn’t overcome their stubborn hearts and rebellious ways.

Grace is the only reason they were allowed entrance into the Promised Land. God is committed to his covenant and to his people. He desires to bless his people.

It is all grace.

I’ve been challenged to read through the Bible in 90 days. I am on day 18. Reading that fast has its drawbacks but it has its benefits. Reading faster increases the impact of the story.

Reading Genesis in 5 days has helped my mind grasp more clearly how God brought humanity from Adam to Jacob. God is the one who pursues a people for himself.

Reading Exodus in 4 days has helped me see the enormity and power of God’s deliverance. He is sovereign over any nation and over any man’s heart. 

Reading Leviticus in 4 days has helped me see more keenly the great separation between God and man that sin causes. But God provides a way for his people to approach him so he can dwell with them!

Reading Numbers in 5 days has helped me understand more deeply the impact of Israel’s grumbling and rebellious spirit. I have been more convicted of how devastating grumbling can be. Disobedience is serious business but God is incredibly longsuffering and will not go back on his covenant.

Today I started Deuteronomy and was filled with new appreciation for this book. God desires the best for his people. Love and obedience to God cannot be separated from one another. And God loves his people because he loves them.

When your child is born, they are completely dependent on you. And as a mother, God gives you a deep urge and motivation to care for them. I remember when mine were babies waking up a split second before they cried. It happened many times.

Maternal instinct. One website uses the words ‘gravitational pull’ and ‘drive’ to describe it. It’s that overwhelming feeling that you need to care for this small person; you need to provide for and protect them.

This is a good thing. I believe God has designed women to feel this. It’s a reflection of his own character:

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” Isaiah 49:15

But maternal instinct doesn’t mean you have ultimate control over your child. This is a hard lesson to learn as your children grow. At first, you control almost everything because you have to. They need you for just about everything except breathing. But slowly, they grow up and they learn how to do more and more for themselves. Your influence is strong but you realize how little real control you actually had in the first place. It’s one thing to feed and diaper a person. It’s a whole different ballgame to try and control their heart. That cannot be done.

The gravitational pull I feel to protect and provide for my children is still strong even though the youngest will graduate high school this year. I desire the best for them, but can’t give them the things that are most important. They have to learn and suffer and grow on their own.

If I stopped there I would be tempted to despair. Fear and despair often knock on the door of my heart. But praise God for what he is showing me in his Word! After Genesis 3, there is a lot of mess, even in the people God has chosen for himself. Abram and Sarai use Hagar to try to fulfill God’s promise on their own. But God is gracious. Isaac and Rebekah play favorites with their children and try to control God’s blessing. But God is gracious. Laban cheats Jacob into marrying Leah before Rachel. But God is gracious. Joseph’s brothers throw him into a pit to get rid of him. But God is gracious. All throughout these stories you see God’s sovereign hand and his compassion in all the details.

So don’t take the gift of the maternal instinct and mistakenly believe that you have ultimate control over your children. Only God is sovereign and he is full of compassion and grace. The maternal instinct is a gift to teach you about the compassionate heart of God.

I have been praying a lot for friends lately. Several of my friends are going through some really hard things and I’ve found myself crying out to God in ways I haven’t before.

And I am learning something about how prayer works.

Prayer reveals what you really believe about God. When my friend is left sleepless for many nights in a row caring for her autistic son, is God really good? I have another friend who has been dealing with chronic pain and a daily headache for five years. Her son was just struck with a rare type of lupus. Is God sovereign? Does he really care?

In my most honest moments of prayer I come face to face with these questions and the rawness of it all can throw me off balance.

I come at God with an exasperated, “Seriously!!” and, “Come on! Can’t you give her a break!?”

I don’t understand and I don’t get it. I thought I really believed in God’s goodness and his sovereignty but the hard reality of life on this sin-stained planet causes me to step back and really evaluate what I believe. And then I press into Him even harder because there’s nowhere else to go.

“Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.'” John 6:68-69

James 5:16 says:

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” NIV

“The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.” CSB

“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” ESV

“The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” NASB

What makes prayer effective? Is it how long we pray? No. In Numbers 12:13, Moses used four words to ask God to heal Miriam. He did. In Nehemiah 2:4, Nehemiah prays quickly for God’s favor. He gives it. In Matthew 6, Jesus warns of praying like the Gentiles who heap up empty phrases thinking they will be heard for their many words. Jesus tells his disciples to not be like that, for God knows what we need before we ask him. Quantity of words does not guarantee quality of response.

What about the kinds of words we use? Is there any magic in the kind of words we pray? No.

All throughout Scripture we see many kinds of prayer. In the psalms there are prayers of praise and thanksgiving, prayers of repentance and prayers of judgment. The psalmists use different kinds of words to address God in their need. Quality of words does not guarantee quality of response.

Going back to Matthew 6, Jesus says to go into our closets and shut the door and pray to our Father who is in heaven. He gives us the Lord’s prayer, but this isn’t some magic formula. Later in the New Testament, we see Paul praying all kinds of things, not one rote prayer: prayer for open doors for the gospel, prayers for people to grow in their faith, prayers for people in authority, prayers for times of suffering, prayers for healing.

The word effective means adequate to accomplish a purpose. Other translations use the word active or earnest. It’s obvious from James 5:16 that James wants us to believe that prayer is powerful and accomplishes much. He wants us to be diligent in prayer. In fact, in the next verse, James uses Elijah as an example to encourage us. Elijah was a man just like us and one time he prayed that it wouldn’t rain and it didn’t rain for three and a half years!

This is staggering to me. Does it mean I should pray for it to stop raining? No. Elijah was a man with a specific mission for a specific time. But that is the only thing different between Elijah and us. James’ point is that Elijah didn’t have some superpower. He was just like us: flesh and blood. He got tired. He got depressed. He doubted God.

So what is the key to effective prayer? Is there a key? Yes and no. No, in that the Bible doesn’t work in the way we want it to. It’s not like those click bait articles you see all over the Internet encouraging you to just do these 10 steps or use this one technique. But the answer is also yes, because when you look a little more at James 5:16, there’s something else to notice.

Each translation has the word righteous. The prayer of the righteous person is effective. God doesn’t hear everyone’s prayer. It’s not because he has a hearing problem. He is omniscient, he knows all things. But the Bible is clear that access to God is limited to those who fear him, who are in right relationship to him.

“The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.” Proverbs 15:8

“The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.” Proverbs 15:29

So putting it all together, we get this picture of prayer: Those who are in right relationship with God, who have been declared righteous in God’s sight solely on the basis of the shed blood of Christ, should be encouraged to be active and earnest in prayer because their prayers effect real and powerful change. James is not as specific as we would like about what kinds of change our prayers produce. The reality is that we don’t always see the results of our prayers. But, we should take courage and be spurred on to pray boldly and continually because prayer changes things. God didn’t have to set up his universe this way, but he did, and it is a great privilege. Let’s not waste it.