Notes on the Bible - Edwards - XII - Joshua, Judges, Ruth

Required reading

Read Joshua and Judges in Notes on the Bible in Vol 2 of the Works by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) by reading up to '[92] 1 Sam. i. and ii. chapters. By Hannah’s song after the birth of Samuel, I am ready to think that Peninnah and Hannah were designed for types of the church of the Jews, and the church of the Gentiles.'

My summary

Today we read the notes on Joshua and Judges. We hear about:

(i) rebuilding of Jericho;

(ii) the sun and moon standing still;

(iii) Achan's sin;

(iv) Caleb's daughter;

(v) the battle with Sisera;

(vi) Gideon's fleece;

(vii) Jephthah's daughter;

(viii) Samson;

(ix) Ruth.

What grabbed me

I was interested to see that Edwards didn't believe Jephthah's daughter was sacrificed:

'And therefore when we have an account that after Jephthah’s daughter had been let alone two months, to go up and down the mountains with her companions to bewail her virginity, we are told that she returned to her father, who did to her according to his vow. That which Jephthah did was, that he took her up to the sanctuary before the Lord, and presented her before the priest, that he might estimate her, then paid according to her estimation. Thus the Jews that came out of the captivity vowed that they would offer the first-born of their sons. Neh. x. 35. Whereby she was redeemed from being made a burnt-sacrifice, according to the law; and by thus presenting her in the sanctuary, and offering up that which is accepted instead of her blood, she was actually separated according to the vow; her separation began from that time, and thenceforward she was to begin her strict abstinence from all legal impurities, and to spend her time in sacred offices; and it is probable that Jephthah thenceforward left her in the sanctuary, to dwell there as long as she lived, as Hannah did to her son Samuel, whom she had devoted to be a Nazarite. 1 Sam. i. 22. “I will not go up till the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever; and as the other Hannah, or Anna, did with herself after she had devoted herself to perpetual widowhood as a Nazarite, of whom we read, Luke ii. 37. “That she was a widow of fourscore years old, and departed not from the temple.” And there probably Jephthah’s daughter continued in supplications and prayers, night and day, for she was eminently disposed and prepared for such duties by that remarkable spirit of piety that appeared in her resignation, with respect to the vow her father had made concerning her, and what time she did not spend in duties of immediate devotion, she might spend in making of priests’ garments; Exod. xxxv. 25, 26. in other business subsequent to the work of the sanctuary, as there might be enough found that a woman might do.

II. The nature of the case will not allow us to suppose that that was done that was so horrid and so contrary to the mind and will of God, as putting of her to death, and offering her as a burnt-sacrifice.'

Next week's reading

Read Notes on the Bible in Vol 2 of the Works by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) by reading up to [434] Concerning the Book of Psalms. That the penman of the Psalms did pretend to speak and write by the inspiration of the Spirit of God as much as the prophets when they wrote their prophecies, the following things do confirm...'

Now it's your turn

Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.