Day 171: OT Judith C1-7: Where is our God? Not of Our Own Strength or Power…

This book tells how the pious widow Judith saved her City, Bethulia, from the cruel general Holofernes. After an account of his campaign and his siege of Bethulia, the book tells how the beautiful Judith tricked Holofernes, killed him with his own sword, and liberated her City from the Assyrians. 

Please see Day 167 OT for meaning of highlighted and italicized nomenclature.

We grow up learning how to control things but it isn’t until we are grown up that we realize that we cannot control everything. We are not perfect. We are not in control. We are not God. God is God along with His Son Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit.

Is there such a thing as “power of power,” pure and simple or is it always corrupted by ego and sin? To be a humble leader, one of service, not abuse of power is a righteous endeavor… Glory to God always and always first!

Now Arphaxad king of Medes had brought many nations under his dominions… And he glorified as a mighty one in the force of his army and in the glory of his chariots… Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians… fought against Arphaxad and overcame him… Then was the kingdom of Nabuchodonosor exalted, and his heart was elevated… and to all that were in Samaria, and beyond the river Jordan even to Jerusalem, and all the land of Jesse till you come to the borders of Ethiopia… sent messengers… But they all with one mind refused, and sent them back empty, and rejected them without honor. Then king Nabuchodonosor being angry against all that land, swore by his throne and kingdom that he would revenge himself of all those countries.

His heart was elevated yet they rejected him without honor? Perhaps something was lost in the translation over 2,000 years and it was his ego that was elevated?

…his thoughts were to bring all the earth under his empire… Holofernes the general of his armies… Thy eye shall not spare any kingdom, and all the strong cities thou shalt bring under my yoke… a hundred twenty thousand fighting men on foot, and twelve thousand archers, horsemen… who covered the face of the earth like locusts… and the fear of them fell upon all the inhabitants of the land.

…they could not for all that mitigate the fierceness of his heart, for he both destroyed their cities, and cut down their groves. For Nabuchodonosor the king had commanded him to destroy all the gods of the earth, that he only might be called god by those nations which could be brought under him by the power of Holofernes.

Fierceness of his heart or wickedness of his ego? Oh what a day of freedom it is that we surrender to the fact that we are not God nor should be want to be! God is God and we are his servants. We do God’s Will through us together seeking the love of Jesus and The Holy Spirit…

Eliachim to the children of Israel:   Know ye that the Lord will hear your prayers, if you continue with perseverance in fastings and prayers in the sight of the Lord.

Remember Moses the servant of the Lord, who overcame Amalec that trusted in his own strength, and in his power, and in his army, and in his shields, and in his chariots, and in his horsemen, not by fighting with the sword, but by holy prayers; so shall all the enemies of Israel be, if you persevere in this work which you have begun.

And they all begged of God with all their heart, that he would visit his people Israel.

…Holofernes being in a violent passion… That the nation of Israel is defended by their God, to show thee that there is no God, but Nabuchodonosor, when we shall slay them all as one man… and thou shalt find that Nabuchodonosor is lord of the whole earth…

Then Holofernes commanded his servants to take Achior, and to lead him to Bethulia, and to deliver him into the hands of the children of Israel… asked him what was the matter, that the Assyrians had left him bound… Achior himself to be put to death by diverse torments, for having said; The God of heaven is their defender.

Children of Israel praying to God: O Lord God of heaven and earth, behold their pride, and look on our low condition, and have regard to the face of thy saints, and show that thou forsakes not them that trust on thee, and that thou humblest them that presume of themselves, and glory in their own strength.

Remembering Moses. Praying and begging that the Lord will see their humbleness and protect them against them that presume of themselves and glory in their own strength…

And when the Lord our God shall give this liberty to his servants…

…praying with one accord, that the God of Israel would show his mercy upon his people…

…and he commanded their aqueduct to be cut off… to refresh themselves a little rather than to drink their fill… and he placed a hundred men at every spring.

Have thou mercy on us, because thou art good, or punish our iniquities, by chastising us thyself, and deliver not them that trust in thee to a people that knoweth not thee, that they may not say among their Gentiles: Where is their God?

Be of good courage, my brethren, and let us wait these five days for mercy from the Lord. For perhaps he will put a stop to his indignation, and will give glory to his own name.

But by holy prayers…

Uncertainty abounds and prayer and trust in the Lord dispels the darkness… we hope…

Day 171: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; Where is our God? Not of Our Own Strength or Power….

Read and inspired by the Old Testament, The Book of Judith, Chapters 1-7

Bible Notes:

This book tells how the pious widow Judith saved her City, Bethulia, from the cruel general Holofernes. After an account of his campaign and his siege of Bethulia, the book tells how the beautiful Judith tricked Holofernes, killed him with his own sword, and liberated her City from the Assyrians. 

Judith Chapter 1:   The power of Arphaxad; Nabuchodonosor defeats Arphaxad; Nations refuse tribute to Nabuchodonosor.

Now Arphaxad king of Medes had brought many nations under his dominions… And he glorified as a mighty one in the force of his army and in the glory of his chariots… Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians… fought against Arphaxad and overcame him… Then was the kingdom of Nabuchodonosor exalted, and his heart was elevated… and to all that were in Samaria, and beyond the river Jordan even to Jerusalem, and all the land of Jesse till you come to the borders of Ethiopia… sent messengers… But they all with one mind refused, and sent them back empty, and rejected them without honor. Then king Nabuchodonosor being angry against all that land, swore by his throne and kingdom that he would revenge himself of all those countries.

Judith Chapter 2:   Holofernes ordered to invade the west; Formation of the army; Victories of Holofernes.

…his thoughts were to bring all the earth under his empire… Holofernes the general of his armies… Thy eye shall not spare any kingdom, and all the strong cities thou shalt bring under my yoke… a hundred twenty thousand fighting men on foot, and twelve thousand archers, horsemen… who covered the face of the earth like locusts… and the fear of them fell upon all the inhabitants of the land.

Judith Chapter 3:   Many submit to Holofernes; The fierceness of Holofernes.

Let thy indignation towards us cease; for it is better for us to live and serve Nabuchodonosor the great king, and be subject to thee, than to die and to perish, or suffer the miseries of slavery… Let all we have be subject to thy law. Both we and our children are thy servants. Come to us a peaceable lord, and use our service as it shall please thee.

…they could not for all that mitigate the fierceness of his heart, for he both destroyed their cities, and cut down their groves. For Nabuchodonosor the king had commanded him to destroy all the gods of the earth, that he only might be called god by those nations which could be brought under him by the power of Holofernes.

Judith Chapter 4:   Israelites prepare to resist Holofernes; Prayer for help; Eliachim encourages the Israelites.

Then the children of Israel, who dwelt in the land of Juda, hearing these things, were exceedingly afraid of him. Dread and horror seized upon their minds, lest he should do the same to Jerusalem and to the temple of the Lord, that he had done to other cities and their temples… And the children of Israel did as the priest of the Lord Eliachim had appointed them.

And all the people cried to the Lord with great earnestness, and they humbled their souls in fastings, and prayers, both they and their wives… and that they might not be made a reproach to the Gentiles.

Eliachim to the children of Israel:   Know ye that the Lord will hear your prayers, if you continue with perseverance in fastings and prayers in the sight of the Lord. Remember Moses the servant of the Lord, who overcame Amalec that trusted in his own strength, and in his power, and in his army, and in his shields, and in his chariots, and in his horsemen, not by fighting with the sword, but by holy prayers; so shall all the enemies of Israel be, if you persevere in this work which you have begun.

And they all begged of God with all their heart, that he would visit his people Israel.

Judith Chapter 5:   Anger of Holofernes; Achior tells Holofernes Israel’s history; Achior warns Holofernes of God’s power; Anger of Holofernes’ supporters.

This people… they worshiped one God of heaven… And when there was a famine over all the land, they went down to Egypt, and there four hundred years were so multiplied, that the army of them could not be numbered… the God of heaven opened the sea to them in their flight… And after they came out of the Red sea, they abode in the deserts of mount Sina… and for forty years they received food from heaven… their God fought for them and overcame… and very many of them were led away captive into a strange land… they are come together and are gone up into all these mountains, and possess Jerusalem again, where their holies are… but if there be no offence of this people in the sight of their God, we cannot resist them, because their God will defend them; and we shall be a reproach to the whole earth.

Judith Chapter 6:   The great rage of Holofernes; Achior exiled to Israel; Achior reveals Holofernes plan to Israel; The prayer of Israel; Ozias entertains Achior.

…Holofernes being in a violent passion… That the nation of Israel is defended by their God, to show thee that there is no God, but Nabuchodonosor, when we shall slay them all as one man… and thou shalt find that Nabuchodonosor is lord of the whole earth…

Then Holofernes commanded his servants to take Achior, and to lead him to Bethulia, and to deliver him into the hands of the children of Israel… asked him what was the matter, that the Assyrians had left him bound… Achior himself to be put to death by diverse torments, for having said; The God of heaven is their defender.

Children of Israel praying to God: O Lord God of heaven and earth, behold their pride, and look on our low condition, and have regard to the face of thy saints, and show that thou forsakes not them that trust on thee, and that thou humblest them that presume of themselves, and glory in their own strength.

And when the Lord our God shall give this liberty to his servants…

Judith Chapter 7: Holofernes besieges Bethulia; Holofernes deprives Bethulia of water; The people wish to surrender; Ozias asks for five days of patience.

…praying with one accord, that the God of Israel would show his mercy upon his people…

…and he commanded their aqueduct to be cut off… to refresh themselves a little rather than to drink their fill… and he placed a hundred men at every spring.

Have thou mercy on us, because thou art good, or punish our iniquities, by chastising us thyself, and deliver not them that trust in thee to a people that knoweth not thee, that they may not say among their Gentiles: Where is their God?

Be of good courage, my brethren, and let us wait these five days for mercy from the Lord. For perhaps he will put a stop to his indignation, and will give glory to his own name.

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