Judges through Poets- 4a: Japhthah, Samson and Ruth

Jephthah’s Daughter Continued
11:1-4
Jephthah was a valiant warrior and the son of a harlot. Jephthah is denied his inheritance and thrown out of the Israel community of Gilead. Jephthah fled to Ammonite teriotry.

The god of the Ammonites was Molech
Lev 18:21: And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.
See also Jeremiah 32:35

Jephthah was greatly influenced by foreign religious beliefs due to his upbringing.

Jepthah’s theology was a combination of truth from YHWH and heresy from Molech. This is syncretism. He knew something of YHWH because of his vow to YHWH but he added human sacrifice (influence form Molech).

The method of the seed of the serpent is to dilute the truth of YHWH. The devil loves to combine truth with error.

Problem: Heb 11:32-34
32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

Why is Jephthah listed with the faithful of the OC?
‘The Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon Jephthah’
Jepthah was ‘valiant in battle’, he ‘turned to flight the armies of the aliens.’
Jephthah is not being praised for his sin. He is being recognised for his conquests by faith.

Samson
The story of Samson is the 7th full cycle contained in Judges.
Samson was set apart as a Nazarite He was set apart by the Angel of YHWH to deliver Israel (Judges 13:3-7). ‘Nazirite’ means to be set apart or consecrated. The Nazarites took a vow to abstain from certain things to show there dedication.

Numbers 6:1-21 describes the Nazarite vow
1) No wine or strong drink (v3) (see Judges 13:4,7)
2) No razor to pass over his head (v5) (see Judges13:5)
3) He shall not go near to a dead person (v6) (not mentioned)

The Nazarites were spiritual leaders. Amos parallels the prophets with the Nazarites (2:11-12).
Despite the vow Samson made mistakes
He desired a Philistine woman (14:1-3)
His best friend was a Philistine (15:2)
He had relationships with Philistines (16:4)

Samson serves as a picture of the children of Israel. The children of Israel had spiritual intercourse with the heathen; they were unfaithful to their own vows.

Why was God faithful to Samson in his sin?
To glorify Himself through keeping His covenant

Ruth
1) Important themes in Ruth:
The inclusion of the Gentiles in salvation
The concept of redemption
Ruth’s character in being a godly woman
Boaz’s character as a righteous man
God’s graciousness and sovereignty

2) The focal point of the book: Ruth 4:13-22
V13 Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. The Lord opened Ruth’s womb to conceive. ‘The Lord enabled her to conceive’ (NASV)- God is in control of the whole situation.

God graciously gave a male child to carry on the lineage.

V14-16
God provided a redeemer of the land through Naomi. If this did not happen the land would have been passed on to another clan.

V17 Obed is born. Obed is Jesse’s father and David’s grandfather.

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