▶ Listen to Today's Reading
Today's reading, then a short explanation, then a closing prayer — all one recording.
💭 What This Means
Today's reading shows the brutal consequences of sin and a fresh start with God's mercy. We first see the end of Abimelech, the illegitimate son who murdered his seventy brothers. God sends a spirit of discord, and Abimelech's reign ends in violence, as he destroys Shechem and is ultimately killed by a woman dropping a millstone on his head. This is God's justice at work. After two brief accounts of judges Tola and Jair, the cycle of sin repeats. Israel again abandons the Lord for many foreign gods. God's patience wears thin, and He tells them to cry to the gods they have chosen. But when the people confess their sin, put away their idols, and serve Him, the Lord is grieved by their misery. This leads to the call of Jephthah. Rejected by his family, he's a mighty warrior living in exile. The elders of Gilead, desperate against the Ammonites, come to him for leadership. Jephthah confronts their past mistreatment, but ultimately agrees to lead them, first sending a powerful diplomatic message to the Ammonite king, laying out Israel's rightful claim to the land.
🙏 Let's Pray
Lord, thank You that You are a God of justice, bringing consequences for wickedness, but also a God of compassion. Your heart is grieved for our misery when we turn from You. Help me to confess my sins honestly and turn away from anything I put before You. Thank You for hearing our cry and for raising up leaders, even imperfect ones, to guide Your people. In Jesus' name, Amen.