Judge #12 Abdon
“After Elon, Abdon son of Hillel, who was from Pirathon, judged Israel. He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons, who rode on 70 donkeys. Abdon judged Israel eight years,”
Judges 12:13-14 HCSB
Judge #12 Abdon
Some people theorize that Abdon is also Bedan of 1 Samuel 12:11
“Then the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around, so that you lived in security.”
NASB1995
While most translations translate Bedan to Barak, who was instrumental during the judgeship of Deborah.
“So the Lord sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel. He rescued you from the power of the enemies around you, and you lived securely.”
So who was Bedan? He was from Pirathon, in Ephriam’s territory 10 miles southwest of Shechem. Shechem is famous for the place where Abimelech judged and where Rehoboam was made King.
“When Abimelech had ruled over Israel three years, God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the Lords of Shechem. They treated Abimelech deceitfully,”
Judges 9:22-23 HCSB
“Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.”
In the timeline of the Judges, Bedan was the last judge before the oppression of the Philistines for 40 years. God would raise up Samson and Eli as judges against the Philistines. So Bedan’s sons and Grandsons would not carry on the favor of God and would allow the nation of Israel to do what was evil in the Lord’s sight. Once again we find sons not following the ways of their father as we do with Eli and Samuel.
While we have no guarantee that our sons will or will not serve God, God gives us His Word that if we are to teach them the ways of God then when they grow old they will remember what we have taught and will follow our teaching and example.
“Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
I have a theory that 50% of kids who grow up in a Christian family, go to church and follow God when they are older. The number might go down if one or both of the parents are not active in their personal relationship with Jesus, but I suppose if both of the parents are active in their personal relationship with Jesus that the percentage will go up to 100%. Now being active in our relationship with Jesus is not pouring everything into your local church, but pouring into your family and serving in the things God has for you. Those of you who do not have kids or grandkids at home, do you have more time to pour into the things God wants you to do? But now do not neglect your spouse in doing so! Those of you who live alone spend your time pouring into the things of God.
“However, each one must live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called him.
This is what I command in all the churches. I want you to be without concerns. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord — how he may please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the things of the world — how he may please his wife — and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the things of the world — how she may please her husband.”
1 Corinthians 7:17, 32-34 HCSB
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