Interview with Jessie (Youth)

by Grace Wu

Today’s youth profile highlights Jessie, who just started high school this fall. She has also been attending LBC since its very beginning, and is going to share her perspective on the youth group.

How long have you been a part of Lumos?

For a little over three years now.

How have you changed since first being in Lumos and now?

When I first came to Lumos, I was quiet and didn’t know the staff members that well. Now, I do know the staff members; I’m getting involved; and I also have the privilege of seeing my sister in Youth Group, too.

You’ve been through all stages of LBC’s children’s ministries (nursery, children’s, and now youth). What is it like growing up in Lighthouse?

I don’t remember Nursery or Sparklers… In Children’s, I began to learn about God and what the Bible. In Youth I learned about the Bible, but in way more depth. Growing up in Lighthouse has made it my second home! I know a lot of the members and I get to talk and learn from them.

What is one significant lesson God has been teaching you lately?

One significant lesson God has been teaching me lately is that vacation is not a time to be slacking off (devotionals and homework included). During vacations, it’s easy to get sidetracked with free time and fun time.

What was the transition from middle school to high school like?

The transition middle school to high school was very stressful… New teachers, classes, location… but I think I’ve adjusted to high school life pretty well now.

What is one thing you want people to know about you?

I seem not talkative, but I like talking to other people. Please say hi!

What are your hobbies?

I like reading, origami, arts and crafts, running, and playing volleyball.

BOB – Ruth

by Stephen Rodgers

RUTH IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“Loyal daughter-in-law pictures God’s faithfulness, love, and care.”

TITLE

The title of this book takes its name from Ruth the Moabitess heroine who is mentioned by name 12 times in the book itself. The name “Ruth” most likely comes from a Moabite and/or Hebrew word meaning “friendship.”

The 13th (and only other) time that Ruth is mentioned in the Bible is in Matthew 1:5…as an ancestor of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

The author of Ruth is unknown, although Jewish tradition ascribes it to Samuel (Baba Bathra 14b-15a). While that is certainly possible (after all, Samuel did not die until after he had anointed David as God’s chosen king) (1 Sam 16:6-13; 1 Sam 25:1), some scholars disagree since Samuel died before David actually became king, and Ruth 4:17-22 can be interpreted as implying that David’s kingship was already an established fact at the time of writing.

Generations of Israelites would have read Ruth to get a glimpse of what true faith looked like during a time of religious impiety and moral degeneracy.

DATE

Ruth takes place during the time of the Judges (Ruth 1:1), specifically sometimes around the judgeship of Jair (Judges 10:3-5) from circa 1126 BC to 1105 BC. However it was most likely written sometime after that.

For reasons mentioned above, the story most likely was written during the reign of David. Given the fact that Solomon isn’t mentioned, it most likely was written prior to his ascension to the throne, putting it somewhere between 1011 BC and 971 BC.

BACKGROUND & SETTING

Ruth begins in the town of Bethlehem (for those of you unfamiliar with the Bible, it will be significant later), transitions to Moab (located East across the Dead Sea), and then transitions back to the town of Bethlehem for the remainder of the story. The story from beginning to end unveils in four main scenes, over a total of 11-12 years:

  1. Ruth 1:1-17 – Ten years in Moab
  2. Ruth 1:19-2:23 – Several months in Boaz’s field
  3. Ruth 3:1-18 – One day in Bethlehem and one night at the threshing floor
  4. Ruth 4:1-22 – About one year in Bethlehem

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

Three themes consistently surface throughout Ruth:

  1. Acceptance – Ruth shows that participation in the family of God is not based on nationality or ethnicity, but on faith and obedience.
  2. Kindness and Faithfulness – The transformation of Naomi from an embittered woman (Ruth 1:20) to a joyful grandmother (Ruth 4:14-16) as a result of the loyalty and kindness of Ruth reflects the character and provision of God.
  3. Redemption – Boaz’s redemption of the land, Ruth, and the family are all symbolic of Christ’s redemption of the church and his people.

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

There are a number of issues that have been raised in regards to the propriety of events in the book of Ruth. Generally, these objections can be grouped into a racial category and a moral category.

In terms of her racial status as a Moabitess, much has been made of the fact that she would have been forbidden from entering the assembly of the LORD (Deut 23:3) or from even marrying an Israelite in the first place (Ex 34:16; Deut 7:1-3; Jos 23:12).  The former is partially true; the later is completely false.

  • The command God gave forbade Moabites from entering the assembly of the LORD for “ten generations” can be understood literally or figuratively.  If taken literally, then it is likely that at least that many generations had passed in that time.  If taken figuratively (as Neh 13:1 implies) as a metaphor for “forever,” the problem can seem much more difficult.  In actuality however, either case would be undone by the fact that Ruth was a devout proselyte of Jehovah (Ruth 1:16-17) and therefore would be like the foreigner of Isaiah 56:1-8 who joined himself to the LORD.
  • It is true that the Israelites were commanded not marry any of the people who possessed the Promised Land. However, the Moabites were not in the Promised Land (Deut 7:1). They were outside it.

In terms of moral objections, some fuss has been made over the fact that Boaz and Ruth spent the night together prior to their marriage (Ruth 3:3-18). What these objections fail to deal with is the fact that the uncovering of a man’s feet and laying down is a known ANE custom of requesting a marriage request (Ruth 3:1-4). The subsequent spreading of a cloak (Ruth 3:9) is symbolic of God’s covering Israel (Eze 16:8). The Bible doesn’t record even a hint of impropriety.

LITERARY FEATURES

There is a reason that Goethe reputedly commented on Ruth as “the loveliest, complete work on a small scale.” Simply put, Ruth is a masterpiece of literature.

The ESV Study Bible puts it this way:

In terms of compact storytelling, Ruth is a masterpiece of narrative art. It is densely packed, yet the charm of the book is evident even to the most unsophisticated reader. The book of Ruth is the classic love story of the Bible. Few stories in the Bible are told from a woman’s viewpoint, but in the story of Ruth, not only is a woman the protagonist but the world of the story is a woman’s world, and the writer gives attention to feminine values and feelings. Of course Boaz in his role as kinsman-redeemer cuts a striking figure as a man who embodies the Lord’s own kindness. The story exalts virtuous womanhood and strong manhood.

The overall genre is story or narrative, but several further subtypes converge as well. Ruth is a love story. It is also an idyll, i.e., a brief story describing a simple, pleasant aspect of rural and domestic life. As that definition suggests, Ruth has affinities with pastoral (rural) literature, and in this case the idealized rural world provides a setting for the idealized romance of the book: even though readers know from the first verse that the story is set in tumultuous times, these do not come into view. The story is also a hero story built around the life of an exemplary heroine as well as featuring an idealized male hero. Boaz is a rarity in the Bible, a character who gets a uniformly positive portrayal; most other characters reveal their flaws. But this reflects the literary function of Boaz as the embodiment of the Lord’s kindness.

The plot of the story of Ruth is a quest story in which the stated goal is to find Ruth a home (Ruth 1:9 and 3:1). The plot follows the conventional U-shape of literary “comedy,” with events first descending into potential tragedy and then rising to a happy ending as obstacles to fulfillment are gradually overcome.

OBJECTIONS

In a rather remarkable departure from the usual pattern of these articles, there are no significant objections to the reliability or validity of Ruth (at least, that I am aware of). It has occasionally been challenged as a legitimate historical account (primarily due to the fact that the author is unknown), but it’s complete compatibility with both Judges, 1 Samuel, and 2 Samuel, argue heavily for its authenticity.

Ruth is far more often challenged on the basis of internal issues, which are outlined above in the INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES segment.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Ruth 1:16

DID YOU KNOW?

  • The land of a family or clan could not be sold permanently, only temporarily. (Ruth 4:1-3)
  • While giving someone your sandal seems a strange way to conduct a legal arrangement (Ruth 4:7), there is historical evidence that other ANE societies had the same practice (see the Akkadian Nuzi documents).

Other Works Referenced

  • Apologetics Study Bible, “Ruth Introduction”
  • Archaeological Study Bible
  • ESV Study Bible, “Introduction to Ruth”
  • MacArthur Study Bible, “Ruth”
  • NET Bible, Ruth
  • NIV Study Bible, “Ruth”
  • Reformation Study Bible, “The Book of Ruth”
  • Know Your Bible
  • Driscoll, A Book You’ll Actually Read On the Old Testament
  • Knight, The Layman’s Bible Handbook

Lessons from a Child’s Heart: Sin of Complaining

by Elder Mike Chon

I have been blessed to have three children that are full of energy and who love to be with each other. There is no shortage of laughing at our house but at times, believe it or not, our children complain. I’m sure this is something that all parents have experienced more than they would like. Whether it’s a toy they want, having to brush their teeth, or a response to the type of food that is given to them…there is no shortage of complaining. As parents we continue to remind them that they have no reason to complain if they learn to be content (Phil. 4:11). We continually teach and remind them that we have been created by God and that everything we have is truly a gift from the Lord. Therefore we have no reason to complain but instead we should be thankful for all things.

Even though we can observe children and how silly their complaints can be (for instance, when they complain that they can’t get a certain toy when they have almost the exact same one already at home), we need to look at ourselves and see how easily it is for us to complain. How many times have we complained about how long the line is, or how slow the service is, or how our kids are always complaining? The discontent in our heart is the same discontent in our children’s hearts. That is definitely a great lesson that we have been learning through our children. No matter how silly their complaints are we realize that our hearts are also complaining. God calls us to be thankful in all things (Colossians 3:15) and to stop complaining (Phil. 2:14). What message are we sending to our children when we quote verses and teach them that they should be content when in our own lives and hearts we complain?

Most of us have complained about something but we may not even give a second thought to the seriousness of that type of attitude. It reveals that we are not content first and foremost in our relationship with Jesus Christ. We complain because life does not go the way that we would like it to go. We are almost shocked when someone gets in the way of our plans, our desires, and our comforts. Complaining only shows our lack of trust in God and our lack of a thankful heart to God. As believers we are challenged to be a light in this world (Phil. 2:14-15) and most of the time that comes in the context of the little choices and attitudes that we display every single day. Our complaints are different than those of children, but they all stem from the same heart issues. May we find our contentment in Christ alone and follow the example of our Lord as He faced injustice, affliction, ridicule, punishment, and was rejected but never complained (Isaiah 53:7).

He Shall Save His People from Their Sins

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Matthew 1:21

Many persons, if they are asked what they understand by salvation, will reply, ‘Being saved from hell and taken to heaven.’ This is one result of salvation, but it is not one tithe of what is contained in that boon. It is true our Lord Jesus Christ does redeem all His people from the wrath to come; He saves them from the fearful condemnation which their sins had brought upon them; but His triumph is far more complete than this. He saves His people ‘from their sins.’

Oh! sweet deliverance from our worst foes. Where Christ works a saving work, He casts Satan from his throne, and will not let him be master any longer. No man is a true Christian if sin reigns in his mortal body. Sin will be in us-it will never be utterly expelled till the spirit enters glory; but it will never have dominion. There will be a striving for dominion-a lusting against the new law and the new spirit which God has implanted-but sin will never get the upper hand so as to be absolute monarch of our nature. Christ will be Master of the heart, and sin must be mortified. The Lion of the tribe of Judah shall prevail, and the dragon shall be cast out.

Professor! is sin subdued in you? If your life is unholy your heart is unchanged, and if your heart is unchanged you are an unsaved person. If the Saviour has not sanctified you, renewed you, given you a hatred of sin and a love of holiness, He has done nothing in you of a saving character. The grace which does not make a man better than others is a worthless counterfeit. Christ saves His people, not in their sins, but from them. ‘Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.’ ‘Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’ If not saved from sin, how shall we hope to be counted among His people. Lord, save me now from all evil, and enable me to honour my Saviour.

2.8p

Weekly Links (12/2/2011)

There is no other object of knowledge in the universe that exposes proud, man-exalting thinking like the cross does. Only humble, Christ-exalting thinking can survive in the presence of the cross. The effect of the cross on our thinking is not to cut off thinking about God, but to confound boasting in the presence of God. The cross does not nullify thinking; it purifies thinking. (John Piper, Thinking, Loving, Doing.)

by Richard Shin

Alright, folks. We have another set of weekly links. Enjoy!

  • Michael Patton writes about heretics and whether they can be saved. What would you call a heresy? And were you once a heretic, but no longer?
  • Jesse Johnson gives us four reasons to be thankful when hurt by sin. It’s a Thanksgiving post I tucked away until after the fact, but it’s application is timeless (within this lifetime, at least).
  • Jonathan Leeman, who came to speak at our retreat last year, has a great article on how we ought to respond to those who express desire of leaving the church.
  • Ray Ortlund gives us an inside look at how the devil conjures his plays.
  • Elisabeth Elliot (through Ray Ortlund’s blog) shares six ways that helped her in the midst of suffering. These are well-worth reading.

That’s it, y’all. Hope you guys have a great time at Flocks. Catch you on Sunday.

Coram Deo

A Sports Fan and a Children’s Ministry Coordinator’s Reflection on Penn State

by Abram Kim

It is not often that my worlds as a sports fan and a Children’s Ministry coordinator intersect. However, with the recent news that a former assistant football coach at Penn State (Jerry Sandusky) allegedly abused young boys on their campus, these two worlds collided in a surprising and horrific way.

This scandalous story has no relevance to sports except that it happened in a sports context (a major university’s football program). But not just any sports program. It happened at one of the most well-known and storied programs in the entire nation. This is why my sports fan side is so vested. This also happened to kids. Though I am not a parent yet, I work with the kids at our church regularly and are often around young children. I have been entrusted by the church to oversee our Sunday School hour and several summer VBS’s. This is why my Children’s Ministry side is so vested in this story.

Any time news like this hits the papers (though now, more aptly, the web) it is tragic and sad, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families. But there are at least two additional factors that make this particular story more relevant to the average sports fan as well as to the Children’s Ministry worker. The first is that this all happened under the eye of legendary Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno. He is known to be a man of integrity and character. He has built his football program and, by influence the entire campus, on this kind of character, doing things the right way. Penn State is synonymous with Joe Paterno. Every college football fan definitely knows “Joe Pa,” and so would most sports enthusiasts. Because of this familiarity, many people across the country seem to have a vested interest in this story, including me. And to think that this horrific abuse occurred during Paterno’s tenure at Penn State has forever tarnished his legendary coaching career.

Secondly, part of the tragedy of this story is why the abuse was allowed to continue for the last 13 years without any apparent criminal or civil charges. Over that span, there seems to be over a dozen boys that were allegedly abused by Sandusky, most of whom have not come forward to testify until recently. Part of the anger and outrage people feel are related to this extended length of time when apparently nothing was done to put Sandusky in prison. These allegations were brought to the district attorney and to coaches and school officials over this span of time, but it had never been reported to the police until this past month. In 2002, Paterno and other top school officials were notified of these allegations of Sandusky by Mike McQueary, a grad assistant at the time and current coach on the Penn State football team, who witnessed Sandusky in the showers molesting a young boy. Journalists and former Penn State players reported seeing Sandusky on the Penn State campus the following year after this incident was reported to top school officials, though not to the police.

Why do these two particular factors grab my attention? The main reason is that this news hits home, in the sense that if this can happen there, it can happen here. It’s easy to think that this could never happen at our church or that people would essentially turn a blind eye to such abuse, especially for such an extended period of time. But the fact remains that churches are very much a hunting ground for sexual predators because of the grace and trust we extend to everyone (more on this topic later in the article). Paterno built his legacy around honor and integrity and character, but now his legacy is forever tarnished with his sin of omission for almost 10 years.

Part of the pain and anger we feel when we hear this story is that, if it can happen at a place like this, under the watch of someone like Paterno, can this really happen where we are? Can this happen at LBCSD? The simple answer is yes. Why? Because we are all sinners, depraved and wicked to the core. The potential for this perversity is innate in all of us, save the grace of God. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). There is none righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10, Proverbs 20:9; cf. Jeremiah 17:9).

There is one more aspect of who I am that played the deciding factor in how I interacted with this news, me as a Christian. As I heard and read more news about this story, I felt disgusted, angry, shocked, disappointed, and horrified. But the more I dwelt on these particular emotions, I realized that these are the kinds of emotions I should feel towards all my sins. When news like this emerges, they are ways God uses to remind us of the ugliness of sin. This is the kind of ugliness that Christ died for. My sins aren’t some quaint, not-too-bad, not-too-terrible blips on God’s radar that needed a little clean-up by Christ’s blood. Every white lie, every little gossip, every thought of payback or manipulation to get my way. Each one is as ugly as the Penn State scandal to God, for He is perfectly holy and cannot look upon evil (Habakkuk 1:13).

I was reminded of Jesus’ explanation as to what our response should be when we hear of terrible local news (Luke 13:1-5). Jesus said our response needs to be to repent, else we perish like them. This ought to be the Christian response to 9-11, or Katrina, or other natural disasters. All of us deserve such destruction, and these incidents remind us of the need for a Savior. I am not trying to take the analogy too far to suggest that sinners (including children) deserve abuse like what happened at Penn State, but I do think that this ought to again remind us of the need for a Savior. The disgust and anger I felt and still feel over what happened to these young boys is the kind of disgust I need to have towards my own sins, for that is how God sees my sins. Events like this ought to remind the church of the ugliness of sin and the great price Christ paid to atone for this kind of wickedness.

So where does this leave our Children’s Ministry? My last thought above, I think, ought to be the starting point. We must start with the gospel of Jesus Christ that is able to save us from the uttermost (Hebrews 7:25), even from the kind of scandalous sins revealed at Penn State. Our accountability as a ministry is first and foremost to God. In other words, all of our Children’s Ministry workers must be a regenerate, true believer and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are justified by grace through faith. We also have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, empowering us to live righteous lives and to put off the old man, with its perversities like the ones witnessed at Penn State.

As a genuine Christian, we are also accountable to the local church where we hold our membership, so that is the next level of accountability. God has designed the church to carry out His mission on earth, including raising the next generation to know and fear the Lord. The elders of the church watch over the members of the church and do their best to ensure that the conduct of all her members, including Children’s Ministry workers, align with the teachings of Scripture and are in accordance with being a Christian who has put off the old man and has put on the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-24). The elders have appointed helpers like myself to maintain a close eye on all the staff involved in our ministries. I, of course, take this charge very seriously. This is why I take this news so seriously.

The safety of our children are of utmost importance to the Children’s Ministry at Lighthouse. We have specific policies and guidelines in place to protect the children and to help remind all the staff to remain above reproach. But we must be steadfast and diligent in our efforts and not be complacent, lest incidents like the Penn State scandal creep into our church. To better improve our due diligence in matters of our children’s safety, all our Children’s Ministry staff must have a background check performed at a minimum of every 2 years. In addition, we have been notified by Elder Mike Chon to report any suspicious activity to him and the ministry coordinators immediately. If there is any concern of abuse (physical and/or sexual), the staff must report it to Mike and the police. Every adult can now be found culpable if not reported to the proper authorities, including the police, on matters as serious as this. We as a Children’s Ministry will make every effort to protect our kids to the best of our abilities.

At the end of the day, will any of the children at our church be abused, regardless of the measures we place to protect them? Statistically, and considering the makeup of our church, probably not likely. But when news like this Penn State scandal breaks, all statistics and likelihoods are thrown out the window. The gravity of the issue rises to the forefronts of all our minds. Guards must be enhanced and measures must be evaluated to make sure all of us are doing our due diligence to protect the safety of each child God has entrusted to us, as parents, as the Children’s Ministry, and as the local church.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this topic, please feel free to talk with Mike Chon or myself at church.

BOB – Judges

by Stephen Rodgers

JUDGES IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“Israel goes through cycles of sin, suffering, and salvation.”

TITLE

The title of the book takes it’s name from the unique leaders that God provided for His people (Judges 2:16-19). The Hebrew word means “deliverers” or “saviors” (Deut 16:18; 17:9; 19:17).

The book of Judges recounts the stories of the first 12 of these judges. There are three more: Eli and Samuel (who came later), and God Himself (Judges 11:27).

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

The author of Judges is unknown, although late Jewish tradition ascribes it to Samuel (Baba Bathra 14b-15a).

The audience would have been the generations of Israelites after the time of the Judges who needed to be reminded of their ancestor’s rebellion against God and their need for a divine leader and deliverer.

DATE

Pinning down the exact date that Judges was written can be a bit difficult, but best estimates would be that the majority of the text was written after 1043 BC (since the author refers to a time before a king, implying experience with a king in Judges 17:6, 18:1, and 21:25) but before 1004 BC when David captured Jerusalem (Judges 1:21).

Just to further muddy the waters, the conditions described in Judges 17-21 suggest a time after the Davidic dynasty had been established, leading some scholars to believe this is a later addition to the book as a whole. However, these allusions can be harmonized with a traditional time and date of authorship.

BACKGROUND & SETTING

John MacArthur aptly describes Judges as “the tragic sequel to Joshua.” Following the events in Joshua wherein the people of Israel obeyed God and were blessed, the events in Judges describe cyclical periods of time wherein they disobey God and are punished.  Eventually the people repent and cry out to the LORD, who sends them a Judge to deliver them from whatever enemy He has been using to punish them for their disobedience. Typically this involves civil or military deliverance, although in a few cases it involves spiritual deliverance as well.

This cycle repeats throughout the entire book with minor variations.

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

Three themes consistently surface throughout Judges:

  1. God’s Faithfulness – Throughout the repeated cycles of disobedience/punishment/repentance/deliverance God is seen to consistently judge and forgive sin.
  2. Compromise Brings Destruction – The disobedience of Israel is often predicated on compromising God’s commands and standards
  3. The Need for Godly Leadership – The fragmenting of the Israelite authority structure and the failure of accepted leaders – parents (Judges 2:6-10), priests (Judges 17:1-13), and judges (Judges 8:27) – underscores the need for Godly leadership, which was fulfilled later in the form of Davidic kingship and ultimately in the kingship of Christ.

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

Generally speaking, the challenges involved in reading the book of Judges have to do with the content of the book itself, most notably issues of violence, role models with questionable morals, illicit sexual activity, a degrading depiction of women, and a writing style that occasionally seems to include exaggeration or fabrication.

Somewhat ironically it is precisely because the book contains all of these elements that it is generally accepted to be a straightforward account of events rather than an embellished one.  Where the book an attempt to present a more “sanitized” version of history and events, then the author would not have included the embarrassing and shameful incidents that surprise and alarm even modern readers.

It should also be noted that while the author of Judges honestly records the sins, crimes, and foibles of its characters, the blame for that sin is never placed on God. Rather it is entirely clear that God is the innocent one, while the so-called “innocents” are truly guilty and deserving of judgment.

LITERARY FEATURES

The ESV Study Bible again offers an excellent analysis, so I will simply quote it at length:

The format of Judges is a collection of individual “hero stories;” together, they tell the history of Israel during a specific era. Like Genesis, Judges pictures a mixture of good and bad behavior: the judges are not idealized, nor is their portrait uniformly negative. Mingled with the hero stories are brief units of historical facts about judges whose stories are not told in detail. The famous Song of Deborah (Judges 5) is poetry, while the story of Samson (Judges 13–16) meets the usual criteria of literary tragedy.

The pattern introduced in Judges 2:11–23 shapes the plot: (1) the Israelites do what is evil in the sight of God; (2) God allows the nation to be conquered and oppressed by a neighboring nation; (3) the people cry to God; and (4) God sends a judge to deliver them (see chart). Then the cycle repeats itself. In addition to this cycle, the book is structured on the premise of a double plot. The overall story is one of national descent into lawlessness and apostasy; but within this national narrative lies a collection of stories that celebrate the heroic exploits of judges. Even though they had severe flaws, four of these judges are mentioned among the heroes of the faith (Hebrews 11).

OBJECTIONS

Objections to Judges were dealt with largely in the INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES section above.

However, it should be noted that one point of discussion is reconciling the chronology of the time between the Exodus and Solomon’s fourth year, which the Bible records as 480 years (1 Kings 6:1). If one reads Judges as a purely sequential chain of events, then arriving at this number is difficult. The probable solution is that Judges does not portray a strict chronology, but rather that some periods recorded in the book were actually concurrent with other periods in the book. This would mean that Paul’s estimate of “about 450 years” in Acts 13:19 was just an approximation, as the language would seem to imply.

Some object that this solution relies on a forced reading of the text, but quite frankly Judges appears to be thematically organized rather than chronologically organized anyways. The sequence of events in the book focuses on geographical regions that are tied to tribal inheritances: southern (Judges 3:7-31), northern (Judges 4:1-5:31), central (Judges 6:1-10:5), eastern (Judges 10:6-12:15), and western (Judges 13:1-16:31), which simply isn’t consistent with a strict chronology.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Judges 2:16
  • Judges 7:2
  • Judges 21:25

DID YOU KNOW?

  • A number of references to family size in Judges would seem to indicate the practice of polygamy (Judges 10:4; 12:14; 12:9). However, polygamy as a practice has never met with God’s approval (see articles here and here).

Other Works Referenced

  • Apologetics Study Bible, “Judges Introduction”
  • Archaeological Study Bible
  • ESV Study Bible, “Introduction to Judges”
  • MacArthur Study Bible, “Judges”
  • NET Bible, Judges
  • NIV Study Bible, “Judges”
  • Reformation Study Bible, “The Book of Judges”
  • Know Your Bible
  • Driscoll, A Book You’ll Actually Read On the Old Testament
  • Knight, The Layman’s Bible Handbook

The Joy of Parenting

by Pastor Patrick Cho

As far as I can recall, this is the way I found out. Please keep in mind that it was early, I was tired, and so my recollection of events might be a little foggy. If you want the precise account, you may need to ask Christine!

On Sunday morning, I was awakened to a sudden tap on my forehead. It was still about ten minutes before my alarm was scheduled to go off, so I was a little bothered at first over the interruption to my sleep. When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to see Christine standing next to me holding something in her hand. As my eyes focused, it looked like a pregnancy test. Before I could say anything, she asked, “I think that’s two lines, right?” I focused my eyes further (I was certainly awake now) and looked at the white stick in her hand. “Yeah, that looks like two lines.” We smiled at each other and hugged.

This is how I found out this past weekend that by God’s grace we were going to have a second child. At this point, it is still very early in the pregnancy, but we are overjoyed. I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling since Sunday morning! It has been a lot of fun finding creative ways to break the news to parents, family, and friends. Now that the pregnancy is on Facebook, I suppose it is officially official.

Since Sunday morning, anticipating this significant change in life has gotten me to reflect on what the Scriptures say about having kids. Psalm 127 was one passage that immediately came to mind. King Solomon undoubtedly understood the blessing that God intends by providing children. He only wrote two of the Psalms, but dedicated one of them to this theme. Psalm 127 states:

1 Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Solomon really communicates two major ideas in this Psalm. First, the Lord is the one who builds a house. His sovereignty rules over all and He accomplishes all His purposes, and it would be foolish to attempt any endeavor without the full realization that it will only succeed if God intends it. Because God is sovereign, those who know Him can rest in His sovereignty. Second, children are an incredible gift from the Lord. If the Lord in His sovereignty should allow a couple to have children, it should be received as a wonderful blessing.

Children are a blessing! One clear way we can apply this truth is by having a positive attitude about kids. Sadly, even in the church, too often I hear people tell me they don’t like kids. Sometimes couples will say that they want to put off having kids as long as they can. These kinds of responses manifest a heart that does not trust God’s Word.

Several years ago, I received a gift from a friend but it was something that I really didn’t want. They watched with a smile as I opened the gift, but that smile quickly faded when they realized that I wasn’t entirely happy with it. Unfortunately, I think they could see it in my face. I was acting foolishly. There was nothing wrong with the gift. It wasn’t even a bad gift. If I’m honest, I think most of the disappointment came from my desire for something greater.

As Christians, we need to be careful about the way we treat God in response to His Word. You should feel no disappointment over gifts that come from God, because His will for your life is the best (cf. Rom. 12:2). If children are a gift from the Lord, let us take care not to spurn the gift. Your attitude can and should be adjusted if your view towards children has not been good. We ought to celebrate the gift of life with our families and praise God for His kindness in providing such a wonderful gift.

Thou Shalt Call His Name Jesus

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Matthew 1:21

When a person is dear, everything connected with him becomes dear for his sake. Thus, so precious is the person of the Lord Jesus in the estimation of all true believers, that everything about Him they consider to be inestimable beyond all price. ‘All Thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia,’ said David, as if the very vestments of the Saviour were so sweetened by His person that he could not but love them. Certain it is, that there is not a spot where that hallowed foot hath trodden-there is not a word which those blessed lips have uttered-nor a thought which His loving Word has revealed-which is not to us precious beyond all price.

And this is true of the names of Christ-they are all sweet in the believer’s ear. Whether He be called the Husband of the Church, her Bridegroom, her Friend; whether He be styled the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world-the King, the Prophet, or the Priest-every title of our Master-Shiloh, Emmanuel, Wonderful, the Mighty Counsellor-every name is like the honeycomb dropping with honey, and luscious are the drops that distil from it.

But if there be one name sweeter than another in the believer’s ear, it is the name of Jesus. Jesus! it is the name which moves the harps of heaven to melody. Jesus! the life of all our joys. If there be one name more charming, more precious than another, it is this name. It is woven into the very warp and woof of our psalmody. Many of our hymns begin with it, and scarcely any, that are good for anything, end without it. It is the sum total of all delights. It is the music with which the bells of heaven ring; a song in a word; an ocean for comprehension, although a drop for brevity; a matchless oratorio in two syllables; a gathering up of the hallelujahs of eternity in five letters.

‘Jesus, I love Thy charming name,
‘Tis music to mine ear.’

2.8a

Weekly Links (11/25/2011)

When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs? (GK Chesterton)

by Stephen Rodgers

Since people are doubtless still recovering from yesterday, we’ll keep things…light…today.

  • As usual, Kevin DeYoung nails it.
  • And for something a little more literary, Jesse Johnson has an article on 4 Reasons to Give Thanks When Hurt by Sin. (And on a side note, at Thanksgiving dinner this year I found out that my cousin-in-law occasionally helps keep that blog running…I did not know that).
  • For something a lot more literary, issue 36.3 of Themelios is available. While each issue of that journal is worth your time, this one is noteworthy in that it marks the end of Carl Trueman’s long association with the journal, initially as an editor, and then as a longtime contributor.
  • Looking to buy something this Black Friday? Tim Challies has a post detailing where a lot of deals on Christian merchandise can be found.

I hope your Thanksgiving holiday was an opportunity for you to reflect on what you’re thankful for.  See you Sunday!

Pro Rege