Justin Houtz

Hi. I’m Justin. I write code and things but enough about that…

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  • Daily Bible Study

    Judges 2, Hebrews 9

    DateVersionReading Plan
    August 1, 2025ESV (2016)OT/NT Plan 2025 – 2027

    Judges 2

    Observation & Interpretation

    Judges 2:1 – The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim

    • Travel denotes a physical presence
    • Either an embodiment of Yahweh Himself or an angelic representative of Yahweh (FSB)

    Judges 2:1-2 – A contrast between God’s covenant with the Israelites and the covenant they were not to make with the inhabitants of the land

    • God initiated the covenant with His people and the people would be the initiators of the covenant between themselves and the inhabitants of the land

    Judges 2:10-11 – Directly following the description of how a generation arose after Joshua that did not know the LORD, we read that the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD

    • Without acknowledgment of the one true God of the one, true God, people default to sin and transgression
    • The previous generation had not taught their children to fear the LORD and keep His commandments. The neglect of the fathers led to the apostasy of their sons (BBC)

    Judges 2:16 – The LORD initiated the raising of judges who saved the people out of the hand of those who plundered them

    • The judges are mainly military leaders (FSB)

    Judges 2:18 – The LORD was with the judges that He raised, saving the people from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge

    • There is no mention of repentance by the people; the judges were raised up as the result of the LORD’s pity on their groaning. [By this] the Lord showed himself to be “a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth.” (Exod. 34:6) (CSB Notes)

    Judges 2:19 – The office of the judge is not passed down from parent to child, lik that of a priest or king. Rather, judges are raised up by God without any concern for succession (ESVEC – Comment)

    Judges 2:22-33 – Provides a theological explanation for Israel’s future. If the conquest had been complete, it was because God had chosen not to immediately annihilate the nations to test His people. Israel, however, quickly failed the test (FSB)

    Hebrews 9

    Observation & Interpretation

    Heb. 9:5 – The author says that he cannot speak in detail of the tent and ark of the covenant

    • The writer stops with this brief description. It is not his purpose to go into great detail, but merely to outline the contents of the tabernacle and the way of approach to God which it depicted (BBC)

    Heb. 9:9 – The author makes note of how the holy places of the tent not being opened while the first section is standing is symbolic for the present age

    • The tabernacle system was symbolic for the present time. A picture of something better to come, it was an imperfect representation of Christ’s perfect work (BBC)

    Heb. 9:13-14 – Contrast between the blood of goats and bulls for purification of flesh with the blood of Christ that purifies our conscience from dead works to serve the living God

    • Christ’s blood cleanses the conscience from dead works to serve the living God. It is not merely a physical purging or a ceremonial cleansing but a moral renewal that purifies the conscience. It cleanses from those dead works which unbelievers produce in an effort to earn their own cleansing. It frees men from these lifeless works to serve the living God (BBC)

    Heb. 9:22 – Blood must be shed for the forgiveness of sins

    • There were exceptions that dealt with atonement, or covering of, sin, although generally speaking a blood offering was required even for atonement. But as far as remission of sin is concerned, there is no exception: blood must be shed (BBC)

    Application

    Heb. 9:15-22 – Our Hebrews preacher calls us to deep seriousness and to high joy: seriousness because transgressors of God’s holy commands deserve utter ruin at his hands, but joy because God sent his Son as High Priest and blameless sacrifice in order to redeem us from ruin by bearing wrath in our place and to bestow upon us an eternal inheritance (ESVEC – Response)

    Resources

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