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The Rest of the Judges

The most recent episodes of “In the Fire” brought us through a mini-series on the Book of Judges. In those four episodes (Episodes 110-113), we covered the most well-known judges: Deborah, Gideon, and Samson. If you haven’t listened (or if you want to listen again), these were some great episodes that went in-depth on these three strong yet complicated figures in Biblical history. You can listen to each of them here:

Episode 110: The First Big Judge

Episode 111: Giddy(on)-Up!

Episode 112: Samson, Part 1

Episode 113: Samson, Part 2

Because those episodes only cover three of the twelve judges accounted for in the Book of Judges, this blog post gives some information on the others, as well as some basic information on the book as a whole!

The Book of Judges: An Overview

Historically, the Book of Judges comes at a time after Israel moved into its “Promised Land” but before Israel’s peak as a nation. That is, the Book of Judges precedes the time of Samuel, David, and Solomon. Before Israel demanded a king, God provided for His people in many ways. One of these ways was through the judges, individuals that God called and sent to deliver His people from oppression and from the threats that surrounded their land. The judges are largely a mixed bag, as you will find out by listening to our episodes on the topic (especially the episodes on Gideon and Samson). On one hand, the judges deliver Israel in profound and miraculous, and often violent ways. Thus, they carry out God’s will and protect Israel. On the other hand, these judges far too often fall into the trap of personal vengeance, impropriety, temptation, and impulsivity (much like any of us). In that way, the judges encapsulate humanity and its relationship with God. And in the end, the book leaves us wanting the peace, protection, and fulfillment that only Christ provides. You can learn more about all of this by listening to our episodes on the judges!

The Rest of the Judges

The twelve judges are divided into major and minor judges. The distinction is essentially based on how much information we have on each of them; that is, how much writing is devoted to the history of the specific judge. Below is a brief description of each judge (other than Deborah, Gideon, and Samson), drawn from what the Bible tells us about them.

Othniel: Othniel was the first judge, and was called by God to deliver Israel from the oppression of Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram Naharaim, who oppressed the Israelites for eight years following Joshua’s death. Othniel led God’s people in war, overpowering Israel’s oppressors.

Ehud: After Othniel’s time, Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord and was oppressed by the nation of Moab for 18 years. God sent Ehud after Israel cried out for help, and Ehud went alone to the king of Moab and killed him on his throne. Then, Ehud led an assault on the people of Moab and reclaimed the lands that Moab had taken from Israel.

Shamgar: After eighty years of peace, Shamgar was called to help God’s people from the threat of the Philistines. Shamgar killed six hundred Philistines (and that is all we know).

Tola: Tola judged Israel for 23 years following Gideon’s time.

Jair: Jair led Israel 22 years following Tola’s time.

Jephthah: Besides Deborah, Gideon, and Samson, Jephthah is the judge that we have the most information about. The Israelites continued to do evil in God’s eyes. Because of their evil, God “sold them into the hands of the Philistines,” who “shattered and crushed” the Israelites for 18 years. Other nations also threatened and oppressed the Israelites in this time. God’s people repented and called for help, and Jephthah, a mighty warrior, rose to the occasion. Jephthah was the son of a prostitute and was driven away from his tribe because of that fact. Nonetheless, Jephthah’s people turned back to him in their time of need, and Jephthah strategically and boldy opposed Israel’s oppressors. Jephthah acted boldly in his faith, and soon enough the Spirit of God came upon him and Jephthah devastated his enemies. Jephthah made a promise to the Lord to sacrifice “whatever came out of the door of his house” upon returning home after defeating his enemies. This backfired, as Jephthah’s daughter emerged from his house upon Jephthah’s return. Jephthah, however, let his daughter roam away for two months before following through with his vow (at his daughter’s request). This story adds to the ambiguity we see from other judges (largely Gideon and Samson), where their actions are loyal to God in part but also morally cloudy. These stories leave us wanting more, and wondering about righteousness in all of this.

Jephthah’s story goes on to discuss conflict among the tribes of Israel, leading to more ambiguity and uneasiness as tribes fight against each other and kill each other, all over the pronunciation of the word “shibboleth.” But this is a blog post for another time…

Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon: These were three more judges following Jephthah and preceding Samson, and not much detail is given.

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A Recap of Romans

For the last many episodes, we have been talking through a series on the Book of Romans. This series covered the entirety of the book, which is one of the Bible’s most impactful and lesson-filled books. Romans, a letter from Paul to the church in Rome, discusses a variety of spiritually challenging and enriching topics. The episodes in our Romans podcast series go in-depth on each of these topics, as those episodes gave us the time and space to discuss details and lessons from throughout the book. If you want to hear more about the lessons and themes from the Book of Romans, check out In the Fire on Spotify and listen in, starting at Episode 100 (the first episode on our Romans series). But in the meantime, here’s a quick recap of some of our biggest lessons learned from Paul in his letter to the Romans:

Justification and Salvation for Jews and Gentiles Alike

From the first few chapters of Romans, Paul establishes the fallen state of mankind and the inexcusability for anyone to not worship God. This applies equally to the Jew and Gentile (non-Jew). Deep down, all humankind has ample knowledge of the law and how we each violate the law. Further, none of us may be found righteous under the law, regardless of our efforts and regardless of our heritage (Romans 3:19-20). Justification and salvation come only through Christ. Romans 3, 4, and 5 dig into this idea in more detail, as they discuss salvation through Christ, the interaction between the law and faith, and our identity under the grace and redemptive power of God. For more detail, check out Episodes 100-102 of In the Fire.

Sanctification and Our Lives with Christ

Another focus of Paul’s letter is the changing nature of our hearts, desires, and beliefs when we are saved by Christ. For this, take a look at Romans 7 & 8, as well as Episode 103 of In the Fire. These chapters discuss how our faith in Christ changes us over time by way of the Holy Spirit taking up residence in our hearts. Faith in Christ frees us from the shackles of the law and enables us to live freely in Christ. Christ’s sacrifice imputes Christ’s own works onto our lives to the point where sin can no longer condemn us; instead, we are free from its grasp.

God’s Sovereignty

This topic comes up primarily through Paul’s discussion of the election of believers in Romans 9. One of the more complicated portions of the Bible, the idea of “election” has been heavily debated by believers and theologians for centuries. In the end, however, one thing we can all agree on is that God is supremely sovereign in His decisions regarding who will join Him in Heaven and how that will happen. One other thing we can all agree on is that we all have the opportunity and ability to believe in Christ as the Son of God who saves us from our sin. God sent Jesus to deliver us from our sin, and it is God’s sovereignty and plan that redeems us. We simply must respond and repent. For a greater discussion, check out this blog post from In the Fire and listen to Episode 104 of our podcast.

God’s Plan for Salvation

Through the discussions of salvation for both Jew and Gentile, as well as the discussion of election and the sovereignty of God, Paul makes it very clear that God had a plan for salvation from the very beginning, and Jesus came as the fulfillment of that plan to save all who would believe, regardless of status or heritage. Thus, it was always God’s intention to bring salvation to both Jew and Gentile. Jesus came as the savior of both. This was a difficult concept for the Jewish people at the time to wrap their heads around, but Paul makes it abundantly clear throughout the second half of the book. Romans 11 and 12 dive into this topic, as does Romans 15.

Unity Among Believers and the Stumbling Block Principle

A big topic of discussion throughout the last few chapters of Romans, Paul’s call for unity among believers is key to this book. Romans 11-15 (covered in podcast Episodes 106, 107, and 108) comprise what we call the Romans “hortatory” and the “stumbling block principle.” The hortatory is a call to unity, peace, and action among believers to live our lives in a way worthy of our calling under God. As believers, it is our job to live at peace with others, not stir up useless conflict, and protect/guide other believers. We are not to place stumbling blocks in the path of any others, even if it means adapting our preferences (non-salvation opinions) so that we can remain at peace with one another and build a stronger, unified church.

The above topics provide just a sampling and short description of a few of the important themes from the Book of Romans. In reality, there is so much more to these letters that we discuss in more detail in our episodes. In fact, there is so much detail that we don’t even cover everything in the podcast! To that point, read Romans for yourself, give some of these episodes a listen, and pay attention for the important themes laid out above. And if you have any questions, comments or feedback on our Romans series, please reach out and let us know!

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Perspectives on “Election” of Believers

In the latest episode of “In the Fire” (episode 104), we continued our series in the Book of Romans by reading through one of Scripture’s more challenging chapters: Romans 9. In particular, Romans 9 causes difficulties for some Christians (even some of the most well-known theologians) because of its discussion of “election.” For Christians who ascribe to the Arminian concept of election, predestination, and the like, Romans 9 can be a lot to grapple with. In a sense, this is because Romans 9 is a key passage for those who agree with the more Calvinist viewpoint, and it is cited often by those believers as evidence for their point of view. In another sense, though, it is a difficult passage because it is just that - a difficult passage. For anyone, Romans 9 poses questions of faith, will, and justice that no one may have the perfect answer to (besides God and Co. . . . and Paul). While we recommend listening to Episode 104 of “In the Fire” for more background and for our discussion on this topic and what it ultimately means for our salvation, we also thought we’d add some resources here so you can learn more and discover your views on election on your own.

Election from the Calvinist Point of View

R.C. Sproul: TULIP and Reformed Theology - Unconditional Election

Tim Keller: 3 Objections to the Doctrine of Election (don’t be fooled by the title!)

John Piper: Five Reasons Calvinists Love Election

Election from the Arminian Point of View

James Rochford: Biblical Defense of Arminianism

Five Points of Arminianism

So, what does this all mean? Well, as we discuss in our latest episode on this, the Calvinism vs. Arminianism debate is not necessarily a salvation-defining one. That is, whichever perspective you take on the topic, both sides agree that God, in his sovereignty, chooses to bestow mercy on whom he chooses, and it is the duty of all of us, as humans and as Christians, to accept God’s mercy. That choice falls on us, no matter what. Jesus died for us so that we can have the ability to accept this wonderful forgiveness. So, in the end, no matter your belief on election and predestination, the core principles of the Gospel and the Great Commission remain. So don’t be discouraged if it is difficult! It’s been difficult for Christians and theologians for hundreds of years. And don’t be discouraged by those people who take the debate too far and make it more divisive than it needs to be (this is far too common). Instead, focus on how you can learn about these viewpoints and grow in faith. After all, in the words of our favorite theologian Charles Spurgeon, “I have been called an Arminian Calvinist or a Calvinistic Arminian, and I am quite content so long as I can keep close to my Bible.”

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