Heralds Digest

  “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” ‭‭Judges‬ ‭21‬:‭25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The literal difference between objective and subjective rules is simply system rules versus personal (regional) rules or interests. “ In those days there was no king in Israel ” suggests the absence of authority to enforce system rules. Therefore, everyone makes do with the enforcement of personal (regional) rules or interests. And with the advent of kings and state administration, there still remains an unending struggle with the interpretation of right rules in dealing with life’s social, economic, and political systems. Even at the level of the family system, where God instituted oneness in the relationship between husband and wife, there cannot be right rules without the submission of personal interests. In similar argument about right rules between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, Jesus told her “ If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Giv...

  “And the men of Israel turned back against the children of Benjamin, and struck them down with the edge of the sword—from every city, men and beasts, all who were found. They also set fire to all the cities they came to.” Judges‬ ‭20‬:‭48‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ When members of a household of faith, fellowship, or fieldwork fight against one another, everyone in the hostility is usually concerned about the settling of personal scores and individual offences. Whereas, all parties in the household hostility may not be spared from the terror of God. For example, in the hostility between the men of Israel and the children of Benjamin, it was interesting to note that none of the parties was spared from the terror of God and judgment against the evil of idolatry, immorality, and wickedness. Even while Israel represented the religious side with respect for asking for divine guidance before attacking Benjamin, they were defeated by Benjamin twice before the highlighted record of victory. It implies tha...

  “And they said to him, “Be quiet, put your hand over your mouth, and come with us; be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest to the household of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?” So the priest’s heart was glad; and he took the ephod, the household idols, and the carved image, and took his place among the people.” Judges‬ ‭18‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Whenever young entrepreneurs enter the dragons’ den, they know that no matter how convincing their business propositions are, they cannot be sure if the proposition will come out alive or dead. Such was the proposition of an alternative to worshiping God at Shiloh in the days of Micah the Ephraimite. He had tricked his mom to raise a personal altar with carved images. Thereafter, the proposition extended to the hiring of a stranded Levite as priest. Then, the proposition was shortchanged by a counter offer of a bigger office from the Danites to the Levite. And at the moment under ...

  “Then he became very thirsty; so he cried out to the Lord and said, “You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant; and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?” So God split the hollow place that is in Lehi, and water came out, and he drank; and his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore he called its name En Hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day.” Judges‬ ‭15‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Of all the places visited by Samson and in all his many turns in life, the turn in his moment of thirst at En Hakkore stood out as the true and honest desire for God’s intervention. At En Hakkore, he became very thirsty, approached God, and left the presence of God with his spirit returned and revived. Outside En Hakkore and almost in all of his life’s engagements, Samson would turn to physical cravings and carnal appetite that pleased only his eyes, until the Philistines plugged those eyes disgracefully out of their sockets. There have been many turn...

  “Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, and said, “O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born.”” ‭‭Judges‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Prosperous projects start with a good concept, but they do not stop at the concept stage. Good implementation strategies evolve consistently to drive these projects toward great accomplishments. For Manoah and his wife, the conception of the fruit of the womb had led them to wait consistently upon the Lord. And after their prayer appeared to have been answered through the Angel of the Lord’s visitation to the wife, Manoah prayed for the Lord to come again and provide the implementation strategies against unity of purpose on Samson’s parenting. Likewise, be it the project of our parenting at home, partnership in business, or productivity at the workplaces, only the Lord has the best strategies for prosperity and productivity. Sometimes, we struggle with the good concept towards adv...

  “So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you take me back home to fight against the people of Ammon, and the Lord delivers them to me, shall I be your head?”” Judges‬ ‭11‬:‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Home heirs are expected to perpetually enjoy the privileges, communal support system, and the unique potentials within the family. But in reality, selfishness has often resulted into the making of a weapon of destruction out of the family’s commonwealth. In the case of Jephthah among his Gilead family and inheritance, he was discriminated against and disenfranchised instead of being recognized as home heirs. Fortunately, Jephthah recognized the superiority of his heavenly inheritance above his rightful claim as part of home heirs. Consequently, Jephthah was able to develop his potential in and through God when he freely indulged the hatred and ill-treatment of his brothers over the home inheritance. And when it was time to utilize his heavenly inheritance as home help, he was positioned to ask...

  “But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you.” Then Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it there. It became a snare to Gideon and to his house.” Judges‬ ‭8‬:‭23‬, ‭27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The reign of Gideon teaches the absence of reliability in human abilities, breakthrough, and life’s achievements. Even while Gideon’s motive towards the embrace of divine guidance in leadership was commendable, the potent corruption of the heart of man by the desire for position, power, and recognition destroyed the legacy of a man with a might in God’s presence. It shows that the motive for the Lord’s rule in life’s affairs must translate to a reliable reign of His pursuits in the heart. Unfortunately, the desire for absolute position, power, and recognition to reign led to Gideon’s family insurrection and the destruction of his seventy sons (except Jotham), after the reign...