Commuter Bible

Two judges of Israel follow the death of Abimelech, and we know little about them, except that they each judged Israel for over 20 years with no ruckus to speak of. When Israel turns to idols yet again, they suffer under the Philistines & Ammonites. They cry out to the Lord, but he rejects their pleas. When they confess sin and burn their idols, God begins to become weary of their misery. Later, God appoints a ne’er-do-well named Jephthah to deliver Israel from the Ammonites. Sadly, Jephthah doesn’t truly know the Lord or His commands, and he makes a vow to the Lord that is abominable in the Lord’s sight, standing in direct conflict with the statutes handed down through Moses. Thinking that he is being faithful to the Lord, he makes a heartbreaking decision.

Judges 10 – 1:15 . 

Judges 11 – 4:56 . 

Judges 12 – 13:24 . 

Psalm 74 – 16:27

:::
Christian Standard Bible translation.
All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.
Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Bible
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When we last left Gideon and his army, he had attacked the forces of Midian with 300 hundred men. Though he and his small band had already killed 120,000 men, there are still 15,000 left. We begin with a discussion between Gideon and the men of Ephraim who have just killed the two princes of Midian as Gideon’s men routed them from battle. They’re upset that they weren’t called to fight, but Gideon basically tells them their leftovers are better than the full harvest of what his men have reaped. After securing victory, Israel tries to make Gideon their leader, but he refuses and says that the Lord should lead them. Then, strangely he makes an ephod out of gold, which becomes a snare of idolatry.

Judges 8 – 1:12 . 

Judges 9 – 8:36 . 

Psalm 73 – 20:00 .

:::
Christian Standard Bible translation.
All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.
Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Bible
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Our reading today begins by wrapping up the account of Deborah and Barak after Sisera’s defeat. It’s not long, however, before Israel turns, once again, to worship idols. The false gods of Baal and Asherah were meant to bring fertile crops and prosperity, but they only bring despair and a fractured relationship with the One True God. During a period of oppression by the Midianites, the Lord speaks to a young man named Gideon and calls upon him to destroy his father’s idolatrous altars. Later, the spirit of the Lord envelops Gideon as he gathers troops for battle. The Lord then reduces the number of men who will go to battle to just 300 so that Israel will not forget the power of God and His merciful deliverance.

Judges 5 – 1:13 . 

Judges 6 – 7:22 . 

Judges 7 – 16:49 . 

Psalm 72 – 23:15 .

:::
Christian Standard Bible translation.
All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.
Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Bible
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Under the rule of Joshua, Israel was doing well and was off to a good start in obeying the Lord’s commands. Not long afterward, however, they begin to intermarry with the Canaanites, signaling, not only an apathy toward God’s commands, but an acceptance of the gods that the Canaanites worshiped. God declares that he will no longer drive out the Canaanites before Israel, and he leaves them in the land to test Israel’s faithfulness to His commands. When their foes rise to power and they cry to the Lord for help, he raises up judges to fight for them.

Judges 1 - 1:11 . 

Judges 2 - 7:38 . 

Judges 3 - 12:43 . 

Judges 4 - 19:19 . 

Psalm 71 - 24:26 . 

:::
Christian Standard Bible translation.
All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.
Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Bible
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In Matthew’s very Jewish-oriented account we have seen Jesus lauded as the coming King, we have seen the builders reject the cornerstone, and today we will see the Lamb of God who brings a greater Passover and a greater deliverance. Like Abraham’s firstborn, the Son of God is offered to God as a sacrifice, but he also the substitute offered so that we might live. A Jewish audience would have heard and understood all the parallels to Psalm 22, and recalled from Isaiah that the wounds of the suffering servant bring healing. Thankfully, his crucifixion is not the end. Jesus rises from the grave, just as he had said.

Matthew 26 – 1:06 . 

Matthew 27 – 13:43 . 

Matthew 28 – 23:58 . 

Psalm 70 – 27:24 .

:::
Christian Standard Bible translation.
All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.
Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Bible
facebook.com/commuterbible
instagram.com/commuter_bible
twitter.com/CommuterPod
patreon.com/commuterbible
[email protected]