We will often unite against outside forces. But as soon as the threat is over, it seems like we turn our fight inward and begin warring with each other. This weakens any nation, community, family, or church. Without unity we cannot be strong. Diversity is only our strength if we unify. If our differences cause us to be divided, then we will be weak.

When Israel no longer faced a threat from without, the Ephraimites turned on their fellow Israelites. First, we study Israel's civil war, then we look at ourselves and what we can do to unify while also recognizing the tactics of the enemy.

What happens when you open your mouth? Do others benefit from what you say or would it often be better for you to have just kept quiet. In our lesson today, one time Jephthah speaks eloquently and intelligently and the next he makes a promise without thinking it through and it costs him his daughter. We also talk about keeping our vows to God, if we should ever break them, and when that is. At the end we go through many verses that talk about speaking wisely, thoughtfully, and to the benefit of others.

Have you ever had a friend who does not call until they need something? They do not pursue a real relationship with you. They may not even know what is going on in your life or seem to care. Maybe they do not even like you, or at least not as much as others. But if they think you have something to offer, then all of the sudden, they are your best friend. This is how the Israelites treated God. They repeatedly betrayed Him, then begged for His forgiveness when they needed Him. They were constantly testing His patience and taking advantage of His love for them. Do we do the same?

A refuge is the person or place that we run to when we need protection, comfort, advice, or help. Though God is the only adequate refuge, because we cannot see Him or hear His voice audibly, we often go to the people and places we can see and talk to. Then, a king is the one that we cede all our power to, the one we trust with our lives, the one we submit to. God alone is worthy of such power or faith.

But the people of Shechem repeatedly took refuge in their houses of Baal, yet their god was not able to protect them. Their worship of foreign gods along with their desire to make a man betrayed their loyalty and reliance on the One True God and King. We may not worship other gods or turn to them for refuge, but do we look to the Lord and bow to only Him or do we rely on ourselves and others while placing other things above Him?

Is God your King or do you profess Him to be king, yet rule yourself? You can say God is the King, but do you serve Him or your own selfish desires? You may say you have no right to rule yourself, but do you still act like you are in charge, doing what you please instead of submitting to His ways? Do you gather riches and glory for yourself instead of gathering riches in heaven and directing your praise to Him? Are you faithful servants to your King, focused on pleasing Him?

Sometimes, it is hard to know whether the voice we hear is that of God, Satan, or ourselves. Some people who proclaim the name of God are actually false teachers, and it can be hard for us to spot the difference. Or it may not be a person we are trying to discern but our own thoughts. Is that the angel on our shoulder or the devil if you happen to remember the old cartoons.

Have you ever felt God calling you to do something, but ignored it? Have you ever known what needed to be done, but didn’t have the will to do it? God called Barak to rescue His people but he ignored Him until Deborah called him out. Then, because he didn’t want to take full responsibility, he also wasn’t allowed to take all the glory. He must share it with Jael, who is a woman and not another soldier.

So, are you willing to answer the call? He can call someone else if we refuse but we will talk about a few people who could not escape the call on their life no matter how hard they tried. We are made to serve Him and we all have something He wants us to do, big or small, momentary or long-term. So, say to Him, "Here I am Lord. Send me."

Throughout history, God’s people have strayed without good leaders. They had the law, but still found it difficult to follow without a strong leader. We have the law too, but we also have Jesus. He is the Good Shepherd who guides and cares for us, but also laid down His life to save ours. Then, he gave us the Holy Spirit and the church. The elders are supposed to shepherd His flock and we are supposed to be good sheep who listen to them and don’t make their job difficult. So, we don’t have to be like the Israelites who go astray without a leader. We have the Bible to guide us, and in it Jesus’s example, and we have the church.

Everyone in our story today takes the easy way that they want instead of the way that God told them to do things. Micah doesn't want to travel for worship so he makes his own house of God and hires his own priest and the tribe of Dan don't want to fight the people in their allotted land because it's too hard so they conquer a vulnerable group of people up north instead and take their land. They also steal from Micah so they can have their own house of worship and their own priest so they won't have to travel now that they have moved so far up north.

We should always ask God what He wants first and go His way instead of our own. But also, we must be careful not to make worship about ourselves instead of God. Then there is a reason we go to church and don't worship at home like Micah. We need each other and we will talk about why..

Superficial head knowledge of God will not be enough for you to follow Him faithfully. We must grow past that to a deeper more personal understanding of who He is. The more we know Him, the more we will love Him, and the more we love Him, the more we will want to serve Him. This is the AWANA motto and it definitely pertains to this lesson. This is a long lesson so maybe you can listen to it in increments because it's so good!