This prophesy from Isaiah has been unfulfilled unto this day. Yet, Damascus is back in the news with Russia, the Assad regime, Iran and Turkey all fighting for control of Syria.
Mark 9:1-32,Mark 9 begins with the Transfiguration and gives an explanation regarding Elijah, he had already come. Then a boy with an evil spirit was healed and the disciples asked Jesus why they could not drive out the evil spirit. He answered: “This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” After that Jesus predicted his death and resurrection but the disciples did not understand it.
Judges 10. Things went from bad to worse with Tola, Jair and Jephthah as leaders, so the Israelites were again oppressed. They finally repented and got rid of their false gods.
Judges 11 describes the glorious victory and tragic vow of Jephthah. Jephthah’s Daughter is forever memorialized.
Psalm 33 is a Psalm about the sovereignty of God in creation and history. Here and in many other places of the Bible it encourages us to “sing a new song”.
Mark 8:22-38. Jesus healed a blind man at Bethsaida, followed by Peter’s Confession and Jesus predicting his death.
Judges 7. Gideon called for fighting men. Eighty-two thousand men gathered to fight. God said that was too many, reduce their number, and in two steps they were whittled down to Gideon’s Valiant Three Hundred men. With that “army” and God the Midianites were defeated.
Judges 8. Gideon Defeated the Midianites, the story is getting complicated but read it anyway. After the great victory Gideon made an Ephod from the Ishmaelites’ golden earrings and this became a snare to them all. Finally Gideon died and immediately after the Israelites fell back into idolatry, worshiping Baal.
Judges 9. The Bible tells it as it is, warts and all. So it is with the story of Abimelech’s Conspiracy and the parable of the trees. All the evil led to Abimelech’s downfall. A take home from this chapter is his last words, after his skull was cracked by a millstone, dropped by a woman. “Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him.”
Mark 8:1-21Mark 8 begins with Jesus as he fed the four thousand, the Pharisees were still looking for a sign, but Jesus warned of the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod, all very confusing for the disciples; they were still not thinking in the spiritual realm.
Judges 4. Every now and then God raises up a woman to lead the people. Deborah was such a woman and judged the people of Israel.
Judges 5 is all about the Song of Deborah. Read it and enjoy!
Judges 6. Things were going bad for Israel, the Midianites oppressed them, God called Gideon. Gideon was reluctant but after speaking with the Angel of the LORD Gideon destroyed the altar of Baal. God wanted Gideon to defeat the Midianites but again Gideon was reluctant, so he demanded the sign of the Fleece (twice). God provided the sign.
Mark 7:24-37. Jesus went to the region of Tyre and Sidon and gave an example of Great Faith: The Canaanite woman, and the healing of her daughter. Then Jesus healed a deaf-mute man, and the people said: “He has done everything well.”
Judges 1 describes the continuing conquest of Canaan, and the Israelites’ incomplete conquest of the land.
In Judges 2 God decried Israel’s disobedience, the author recorded the death of Joshua, and chronicled Israel’s unfaithfulness and sin.
Judges 3. The cycle of straying from the LORD and coming back to Him began for the nations remaining in the land. Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and He raised up Judges: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, and during their time there was peace in the land for 40, then 80 years.
Mark 7:1-23, Mark 7. Jesus explained what is clean and what is unclean.
Ecclesiastes 11 explains the value of diligence. One advice: Seek God early in life.
Ecclesiastes 12. “Remember now thy creator in the days of your youth“. “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
Psalm 31, of David. As was so often the case, David was in trouble. He cried out about his woes to God, and yet, the Psalm ends with praise and total confidence in God.
Psalm 32, of David. “This was Saint Augustine’s favorite psalm. Augustine had it inscribed on the wall next to his bed before he died in order to meditate on it better.” (James Montgomery Boice)
Len Bilén's blog, a blog about faith, politics and the environment. 