Hi there,
This is my first contribution at this forum. I love studying the Bible and sharing the gems it contains.
One of the things which excites me about the Scriptures is that it hardly matters which section you consider, careful contextual reading never fails to provide tremendous encouragement, wise instruction and perhaps above all, insight into the character of the God of Israel and His beloved son Jesus Christ who we are called upon to try and emulate.
I've recently concluded a study on Judges 17-21. What a section of scripture! It's a murky period of Israel's history to say the least and yet there are some huge lessons and principles that emerge from a careful reading of it.
If you've never looked much at the book of Judges before, I hope and pray that you'll join me in studying this section of the scriptures and I hope it 1) opens up a part of God's Word to you that perhaps you haven't looked at too much before and 2) it proves to be an example of how powerful and relevant the word of God can be to us today.
There's a couple of important scriptures which serve as good prefaces for a study deep in the Old Testament like this:
Firstly, the words of the Apostle Paul in 1st Corinthians 10 where he is commenting on incidents recorded in the books of Exodus and Numbers:
11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. (ESV)
This principle applies to the section of Judges we'll be looking at. The things recorded there will also be effective for our instruction.
And also this very revealing verse in 2 Timothy 3, in which the Apostle Paul writes this:
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it
15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, (These 'sacred writings' would have been the Old Testament scriptures - including the book of Judges!) which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (ESV)
So let's see what this section of Judges will equip us with!
^_^
This is my first contribution at this forum. I love studying the Bible and sharing the gems it contains.
One of the things which excites me about the Scriptures is that it hardly matters which section you consider, careful contextual reading never fails to provide tremendous encouragement, wise instruction and perhaps above all, insight into the character of the God of Israel and His beloved son Jesus Christ who we are called upon to try and emulate.
I've recently concluded a study on Judges 17-21. What a section of scripture! It's a murky period of Israel's history to say the least and yet there are some huge lessons and principles that emerge from a careful reading of it.
If you've never looked much at the book of Judges before, I hope and pray that you'll join me in studying this section of the scriptures and I hope it 1) opens up a part of God's Word to you that perhaps you haven't looked at too much before and 2) it proves to be an example of how powerful and relevant the word of God can be to us today.
There's a couple of important scriptures which serve as good prefaces for a study deep in the Old Testament like this:
Firstly, the words of the Apostle Paul in 1st Corinthians 10 where he is commenting on incidents recorded in the books of Exodus and Numbers:
11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. (ESV)
This principle applies to the section of Judges we'll be looking at. The things recorded there will also be effective for our instruction.
And also this very revealing verse in 2 Timothy 3, in which the Apostle Paul writes this:
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it
15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, (These 'sacred writings' would have been the Old Testament scriptures - including the book of Judges!) which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (ESV)
So let's see what this section of Judges will equip us with!
^_^