Passage is Judges 10. After Abimelech, Tola was judge for 23 years, then for 22 years Jair, who had thirty sons. Then the Israelites turned away from God and to the Baals, which angered the Lord who let the Ammonites and Philistines oppress them for 18 years till they cried out, repented and returned to the Lord. The Israelites assembled at Mizpah and prepared to attack the Ammonites.
Why did they assemble at Mizpah? Why did Jair’s son ride on donkeys?
Mizpah was the place where Jabob met Laban after he’d run away from Laban, taking Leah and Rachel, who, unknown to him, had taken Laban’s household God.
Mizpah was also where David sent his parents for safety during the time Saul was pursuing him. In today’s passage it’s where the desperate Israelites gather, seeking a leader to attack their oppressors.
Mizpah is a place where agreements are made. Where is my Mizpah?
I have three Mizpahs.
One is my school where I make agreements every day with students, teachers, staff, or parents.
My best agreements come after prayer.
The most recent one was to hire Jim Strong as our new ESL teacher.
My wife is a Mizpah, too, because we are always making agreements so that we can live together in reasonable harmony.
Today we agreed to go to a funeral together after work.
We will have a small date and then participate in a funeral worship.
My wife is my Barak partner.
We are bound to each by our promise to God and each other.
Wooridle is my main Mizpah because I meet the Lord there in song, in prayer, in worship, in mokjang.
I agree to humble myself before the Lord.
I agree to seek his will in my life.
I agree to carry my cross.
I agree to confess and repent.
I agree to tell my story to others.
I agree to meet God each day in QT.
Lord, let me always agree to meet you. Inspire me with your desire to have me walk more closely with you.
