Darash Chai - Seek Life!

The story of Gideon is over, but for the first time in the course of Judges, we are told a story that does not include a single Judge. Instead, we are treated to a narrative that covers the lives of Gideon's children, and in the lives of his children we find the great tragedy of Gideon. The legend and hero in his own time passed on his own self-importance to at least one of his sons, and that son takes steps that destroy Gideon's name and legacy.

The initial battle for Israel is over, but there is more fighting to be done. Just like the heroes of legend and popular media, Gideon is on a journey, and as the war wraps up, he takes those final steps of the hero's journey. Coming home. And just as with every other hero who completes the Hero's Journey, Gideon returns home to find that while his home had not changed, he himself has. And in this change there is a trap and a warning about the treachery of men's hearts when a man is thrust into fame.

The story of Gideon is one of the more famous stories in the book of Judges. It is the story of a commander who is forced by God, to whittle down his own forces before facing an enemy of massive size. And when we tell of this story we often highlight Gideon, the man, the hero, the legend. But what we fail to recognize is that the reason that Gideon's forces were whittled down was so that Gideon would be made weak. So that God would get the glory for the victory, not a man. But we, just like everyone else, we make it about the man, and in doing so we ignore the weakness inherent in this man.

The next judge in the book of Judges is Gideon. A mighty man of valor who will fight the enemy before him with only a small band of unarmed combatants. A man who is called by many a coward when the story begins. But when we stop and consider what Gideon is doing and the opposition that he faces we find a completely different story. Gideon is a man of great courage, but he is also a man full of doubt. A combination of traits that God can work with to accomplish his plans.

Judges 5 is a unique chapter in the book of Judges. While every other chapter is narrative and tells of the exploits of one judge or another, chapter 5 is a song that was sung by Barak and Deborah in celebration of their victory over Sisera and Jabin. So why is it that this book takes a break from the story at this point in the narrative in order to hold a musical number? Well, the answer is found in the story that the song tells.

In chapter 4 we are introduced to a new judge for Israel. And the identity of this judge is quite controversial. The common assertion that is made is that it is Deborah who is the judge of chapters 4 and 5, but others say that the judge is Barak. So is there any indication anywhere else in scripture of who this judge is? Let's find out.

There are 12 Judges spoken of in the book of Judges but we only read stories of 6 of them. And when we stop and examine the sort of men that we are told of in these longer narratives, we find that they are not the rich and powerful. Each of the men chosen to be a judge has a problem. There is something about them that would keep them from leadership in this society, and yet these broken men are the men that God chooses to enact His will and bring salvation to Israel.

There is in the stories of Judges a cycle that repeats over and over and over again. It is a seven step cycle that starts and ends with Israel in a state of sin and seeking salvation. And this cycle is one that every Christian is likely familiar with as we experience this cycle repeatedly in our own lives. So what is this cycle and is there a way to break this cycle?

The book of Judges is a difficult read for many Christians. This book is violent and disturbing and often confusing. It is the most R rated book in the Bible and few of the stories contained in this book end well. But when we really start to examine and study this book we discover that this book is a warning, and not just a warning for ancient Israel. It is a warning for each believer in the God of Jacob today.

Throughout the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul has been imploring the church at Corinth to seek unity over division in their dealings with each other. And each chapter of this book has been leveraged towards attempting to address areas of division within the body. But when we get to chapter 16 it seems as if all of that simply goes out the window in favor or personal greetings and Paul's future plans. But when we really stop and examine the chapter in full we find that Paul has not abandoned his previous topic, he is simply brining it full circle.

If there is one place in scripture where a person can turn to read the contents of the good news of the Gospel, that is 1 Corinthians 15. But when people approach this chapter, they often stop after verse 9. But that presents an issue, because the entirety of the gospel is not contained in just the first 9 verses. It is the entire chapter that relates the gospel message.

In the course of the Bible, there is only one chapter that even begins to talk about the practical application of Spiritual Gifts in the corporate worship service. And when covering this topic Paul uses two gifts in particular to make his point. Tongues and prophecy. Perhaps the two most controversial gifts in the modern age. But when we get down to it, there is one focus that is put on the church service when it comes to the gifts. Order over Chaos.

Ahh, the love chapter. So sublime. So poetic. So perfectly descriptive of the depths of love. Often when we come to this chapter in 1 Corinthians our minds shut down because we get lost in the depths of the love that is described in this chapter. But this chapter does not stand alone. It appears in the midst of Paul's description of the usage of the gifts of the Spirit. Why is it that Paul takes this moment to stop and extoll the greatest virtue of love?

In chapter 10 of 1 Corinthians Paul introduced a metaphor for the church that is aptly descriptive and yet goes much deeper than most realize. Yeshua while on this earth walked in a body. When His body left the earth in the ascension, you might assume that His body is no longer present. And yet, in 1 Corinthians Paul calls the church the body of Christ. And if we are the body of Yeshua then what are the implications of this line of thought?

For the past 3 chapters of 1 Corinthians, Paul has been addressing concerns that were raised in a letter that he received from them. In these chapters he has offered great insight into the role that the Christian should play in these situations. If we stop and examine all of these past four chapter and the problems that are addressed we will find that the solutions that Paul offers are not many. There is one solution. A solution that solves each of the issues that the church in Corinth faced.

The idea of sacrifice is all throughout scripture. From the very beginning when Cain and Abel offer the first recorded sacrifices, to the NT where sacrifice is something that becomes more personal. In the city of Corinth sacrifice was a ubiquitous practice but not to God. There were many gods worshipped in the city of Corinth, and food that was available to purchase had likely been offered in sacrifice to one of the many gods in the city. What was the Christian in this situation to do?

Paul has made the case in the previous chapters that there comes a point where a Christian should limit their actions when it comes to causing others to stumble. But in this chapter, Paul brings this topic home as he turns to the one thing that nearly everyone can agree is an important matter. Finances.

For many, the desire to be right is central to their belief. After all, truth is of vital importance and so defending what we see as true is a just cause. But there is a danger to the focused defense of the truth. A side effect that leaves victims in our wake as we seek to elevate our own ideas of what is true over the ideas of others. And as Paul continues in this letter he has addressed this danger, but in this chapter he brings his thoughts on the matter to the front.

When coming to Christ is is all too easy to become zealous. Zealous for God, for His kingdom, and for truth. But all too often this zealousness confuses being right with righteousness. And this can be a problem, because when we become zealous for being right, the outcomes can be detrimental to everything that Christ stands for.

There will from time to time arise issues between believers. We are human and we make mistakes, so what do we do when this occurs? Do we take it to the courts, or do we take it to the church? Well, Paul recommends taking these disuptes to the church, and his reasoning for saying this is quite profound.