Walk Thru The Bible Judges and Ruth Monday - Judges 1 Fighting the Remaining Canaanites Judges 2 Angel of the Lord at Bokim Judges 3 Leftover Nations to Test Israel Judges 4 Deborah Tuesday - Judges 5 Song of Deborah Judges 6 Gideon Judges 7 Gideon Defeats the Midianites Judges 8 Gideon's Ephod Wednesday - Judges 9 Abimelech Judges 10 Tola, Jair, Jephthah Judges 11 Jephthah's Adventures Judges 12 Ephraim Thursday - Judges 13 Samson is Born Judges 14 Samson's Marriage Judges 15 Samson's Vengence Judges 16 Samson and Delilah Friday - Judges 17 Micah's Idols Judges 18 Danites Settle in Laish Judges 19 A Levite Concubine Judges 20 Israelites Fight Benjamites Saturday - Judges 21 Wives for the Benjamites Ruth 1 Naomi and Ruth Ruth 2 Ruth Meets Boaz Ruth 3-4 A Love Story Sunday is Judges and Ruth make-up day. If you missed any reading or if you read only a few chapters per day make up for lost time by reading for an hour on the Lord's Day. Project: Make a list of the judges and how long and how well they ruled. Ask yourself which one are you most like. Children's Bible Reading It is not easy for a child to read through the Bible nor to sit and listen to long passages being read. We recommend that if you have children in your home that you read daily one story from Ken Taylor's "The Book." Ken Taylor is the translator of the Living Bible. He did that while commuting by train to and from work so that his children would understand the Scriptures. The children have caught up with us. Be sure to go with us to the Old Testament. It is important to follow the program together in order to encourage one another in our readings Monday - 64. Two Brave Women (Judges 4-6) Tuesday - 65. Gideon and His Wool (Judges 6-8) Wednesday - 66.Abimelech Kills his Brothers (Judges 9-10) Thursday - 67. Jephthah's Foolish Promise (Judges 11) Friday - 68. A Visit From an Angel (Judges 13) Saturday - 69. Samson's Riddle (Judges 14) Sunday - 70. Samson the Strongest Man (Judges 16) History: THE JUDGES: Between Joshua's death and the birth of Samuel there is a period of deteriorating faith in Israel. It is a period lacking in leadership in which everyone, "Did what was right in his own eyes." The people had the law, but they did not value it. They still had the Lord but saw no real need to seek him. Judges is a story of failing leadership. When men have no heart to seek after the Lord trouble will surely follow. God even allowed a woman to lead Israel because the men's hearts were far from God. Of all the judges just Gideon stands out as a strong man of God, but even he succumbed to the pressures of mediocrity. As in every age, every nation, every church, and in every family, God is looking for men with a heart after God. Those only are the men God can use. Without a man of God the people perish. MEN, are you that man of God for your own home, for the church, for the community, for this nation? Will the epitaph upon your grave be like that of the judges? ... "He did his own thing." RUTH is a love story. God, in His sovereign wisdom, wants us to know that he loves women and can use them just a much as men. In Joshua we read how God used Rahab to do His will. From judges we admired the leadership of Deborah when God could not find worthy men. Later we will see how God used beautiful Esther to save his people. As you read the story of Ruth think of all the women of the Bible that God used for his glory. Every one of God's children are precious in his sight. The prophecy of Joel quoted by Peter in the first sermon is appropriate: 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: (Acts 2:17-18)