John 10- Judges 9-11

Judges 9-11
Abimelech approaches people and asks if it's better to be ruled by 1 person or 70 people. He then took the liberty of murdering the 70 except for one!

22 After Abimelech had governed Israel three years, 23 God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, who acted treacherously against Abimelech. 24 God did this in order that the crime against Jerub-Baal's seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, might be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers.

31 Under cover he sent messengers to Abimelech, saying, "Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you. 52 Abimelech went to the tower and stormed it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, 53 a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull. 54 Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can't say, 'A woman killed him.' " So his servant ran him through, and he died. 55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home. 56 Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father by murdering his seventy brothers.

Judges 10:31 says that people were stirring up the city against Abimelech. A good reminder that words and grumbling can accomplish a lot of good or harm!

I love when God uses women to accomplish His plans! Here, people have gathered into a tower and as Abimelech approaches to burn it and all the people inside, a woman dropped a millstone on his head!

10:6 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the Philistines. And because the Israelites forsook the LORD and no longer served him, 7 he became angry with them. He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, 8 who that year shattered and crushed them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites.

Judges 10:6-16 Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, "We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals." 11 The LORD replied, "When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, 12 the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? 13 But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. 14 Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!" 15 But the Israelites said to the LORD, "We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now." 16 Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD. And he could bear Israel's misery no longer.

The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. They served idols, again!
18 years, the Israelites were oppressed. They served other gods and forgot God! God said to cry out to the gods they've chosen but, they repented of their sin, throwing the idols out and God showed grace and mercy again.

11:27 I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. Let the LORD, the Judge, decide the dispute this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites." I like that this verse Jephthah has a clear conscience and is able to say with truth, "I have not wronged you". I need to be careful of whom I wrong so I can say that too with a clear conscience!

Jephthah's family drove Jephthah away but when they needed help, they searched for him and asked him to be their leader!

This chapter, Jephthah made a vow to God that he'd sacrifice the first thing that came out his door if the Lord would let him win the battles against his enemies. This reminds me to watch what I promise the Lord! The first thing out of his door was his only child, his daughter. This is different from when God tested Abraham with Isaac. Verse 39 says that her father did to her as he had vowed, meaning he sacrificed his daughter to God!

John 10-
14-15"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—
15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 17The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30I and the Father are one."

The Jews ask Jesus to tell them if he's the Son of God. He responds saying "I and the Father are one" and the Jews pick up stones to stone him! (Vs 31)

Thank you God for the gift of eternal life! Thank you Jesus for laying down your life on your own accord! Thank you that no one can take me away from you Lord.