Jessi Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast
Jessi Morgan in 2023 had a traumatic experience that shaped how she views life and her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God has laid it on her heart to share her experiences and inspire others to put God first in every aspect of their life like she finally did in hers. Having her daughter born 4 months early really made Jessi lean on the Lord for comfort and guidance. And today she stands here starting her own 10-15 minute podcast focusing on weekly devotionals about what God can do for you and what He's done for her.
Jessi Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast
Makes no sense Sin - Conclusion of Judges
Text if you need me? Prayer or just need encouragement…
Have you ever watched something spiral so far out of control that it made you sick to your stomach? That's exactly what the final chapters of Judges feel like—a society in complete moral freefall.
Diving into Judges 17-21, we confront some of the Bible's most disturbing passages—stories filled with idol worship, sexual violence, tribal warfare, and moral chaos. These chapters repeat a haunting refrain: "In those days Israel had no king, and everyone did what was right in their own eyes." For the first time in the book, God doesn't raise up a judge to deliver His people. It's as if He steps back to let them experience the full consequences of abandoning His ways.
I draw an unexpected parallel with Disney's The Lion King, comparing Israel's deterioration to Scar's disastrous reign over Pride Rock.
This devotional doesn't shy away from difficult truths but points toward hope on the horizon. The chaos at Judges' conclusion sets the stage for Ruth and Samuel, eventually leading to King David and ultimately to Jesus Christ. Sometimes God allows things to fall apart so we can recognize our desperate need for Him. No matter how dark things get, grace offers a way forward. Won't you join me next week as we begin our journey through Samuel, where we'll witness God's preparation for bringing the King who changes everything?
Follow me on Substack for application questions & reflection on each episode. Share your comments
Download Birth of Jesus E-book Here - Scroll and download
Click Here for Devotional Link
Follow Jessi Morgan on social:
IG - @JessiMorganlife
TikTok - @JessiMorganlife
IG dedicated to Home & Design - @JessiMorganHome
Website: www.jessimorganhome.com/devotions
Contact: jessi@jessimorganhome.com
Podcast Music by: prazkhanal
Song: Whip
Hello, hello. You're listening to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast, episode 62. This week's devotional is titled Makes no Sense Sin the Conclusion of Judges. So excited, let's go. Hi, I'm Jesse Morgan. I used to just share home decor and renovation tips on social media, but now I'm sharing something even closer to my heart my journey and love for Jesus Christ, my Savior. Welcome to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Hot Podcast.
Speaker 1:This is a weekly devotional. I started back in May 2024, but the inspiration for it came much earlier. It was rooted in a faith journey that began when my daughter was born, four months early in 2023. Through that challenging time, god worked in ways that truly amazed me. On this podcast, I share personal stories of faith, woven together with scripture, to show just how incredible God's word can be in our everyday lives. My hope is that through these stories, you'll be encouraged, uplifted and reminded of God's love and presence, no matter what you're going through. So I invite you to spend less than 15 minutes with me each week as we reflect on these devotionals together. Let's all pray within. Makes no sense sin Key passages, judges 17 through 21.
Speaker 1:Hey everyone, welcome back to the podcast. I know I took a week off, but I'm excited to be back and just really, really pumped to conclude our study of Judges. Hopefully you've enjoyed it as much as I have. So today is a very interesting take on the last like five chapters. It was probably some of the toughest reading I've ever read in the Bible and I really encourage you to read it on your own. It's just chapters that I just didn't even knew existed within the Word of God, and I understand why they're there. So let's dig in.
Speaker 1:So let's start off with a question have you ever watched something spiral so out of control that it left you sick to your stomach? That's how I felt after reading the last five chapters of Judges. I mean, oof, the level of what I call makes no sense. Sin is unreal. I honestly don't remember ever hearing a sermon on these chapters growing up, and now I kind of see why they are dark, messy and just flat out ugly. I'm not even going to dive into every detail because you can read it for yourself, but it's filled with false priests, theft, sexual violence, lying and civil war, all within Israel, god's chosen people. It's complete chaos. Just like watching someone unravel and not knowing how to stop them and then, for some reason don't laugh the movie the Lion King came to mind for me. Now, this might not resonate with everyone, but just hear me out.
Speaker 1:I'm a huge Disney fan, grew up during that Disney Renaissance era. Some of the best movies ever made in Disney history Little Mermaid, aladdin, beauty and the Beast, hercules, pocahontas, mulan, all of it but one of my all-time favorites is the Lion King. I think it's one of its best and we all know the story, or many people know it's. Simba, the young cub destined to be king, runs away from tragedy when it strikes. He has to wrestle with guilt, identity and legacy before finally stepping into his purpose. But while Simba's journey is so powerful, I want to really talk about Scar.
Speaker 1:Scar, simba's uncle, the villain of the movie, as we would say. Scar was consumed by jealousy. He wanted to be king so badly that he murdered his own brother, mufasa. And after Simba fled, scar got exactly what he wanted the throne. But what he did with it, you know, was just always got me. He gave control basically to the hyenas, the enemy of the lions, even in, you know, natural habitat.
Speaker 1:Under Scar's rule, pride Rock, which is where they lived, simba and his family and all of them lived, became desolate. The water dried up, the vegetation died, the animals left. Scar's leadership was just so destructive that even the lioness, the ones who did the hunting, couldn't find anything to keep the pride alive, couldn't even find anything to eat. But Scar, drunk in his own power, said so be it, we'll just stay, we'll just leave, we'll just die here. And of course, mufasa's widow Sarabi looked at him and said it's over, there's nothing left. We have to leave Pride Rock. And he just refused. And still he wanted to cling on to that title of king. That scene always just got me, you know.
Speaker 1:And Scar's pride, his refusal to repent, his inability to pivot, it destroyed everything. His leadership spiraled so far that he started abusing the very lions who could help him survive. Sound familiar? That's exactly what I see in Judges 17 through 21. No one's repenting, no one's turning back to God. Really, they just keep going deeper and deeper into sin until it totally collapsed. And what's even more wild is in these final chapters there's no judge. For the first time in the book, god doesn't raise up a rescuer, a deliverer. It's as if he stepped back and said let's see what they do without me. Spoiler alert it wasn't good.
Speaker 1:There's a story of a Levite, someone from the priestly tribe, who stumbles into a man's house and the man his name was Micah just makes this Levite his personal priest. Like what? No direction from God, no process, just vibes. And that same man, micah, had previously stolen money from his own mother and then turned it into, you know, his mother and him, turned it into some type of idol. There's another story within these five chapters where a horrific crime led to a brutal civil war within Israel Israel against the Benjamin tribe and basically one tribe or one like the rest of Israel, wiped out. Another tribe there was. There is rape in this.
Speaker 1:In these chapters, there is abuse, there is violence. It's the worst of humanity that I've ever read and you know in the Bible it's Scar letting the hyenas take over the, taking over Pride Rock. So the repeated phrase in these chapters says it all. In Judges 21-25, it says in those days Israel had no king and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. That same phrase is repeated over and over again within these chapters. So, basically, no guidance, no unity, just spiraling chaos. And honestly, is that not what we live in today? We're watching people make terrible decisions, blame each other, ignore truth and walk away from God. We see it in tragedies like Sandy Hook and violence that targets the innocent, and leadership who just refuse to lead properly. And in a world that seems to be constantly divided, it makes no sense sin all over again. But here's the hope in all this Sometimes God lets things fall apart so that the people can see how much they need them. After Judges, we step into Ruth and then we step into 1 Samuel.
Speaker 1:1 Samuel is a transition into a new era. Basically, god is preparing to bring a king. First a flawed one, saul, then a faithful one, david, and eventually King Jesus, the King of Kings, jesus Christ. I can't wait to dig into 1 Samuel with you, studying. David sets the stage for Jesus in such a profound way and it connects the dots between the chaos of sin and, like, the hope and grace that comes with redemption.
Speaker 1:So this week I just want to remind you sin is ugly, sin is hideous. When there's no spiritual leadership, things crumble. But the beauty of grace is that you don't have to stay in the mess, you don't have to spiral. Even if you've made terrible decisions, jesus still gives you a way out. Always, let's be people who don't let the hyenas take over. Let's be people who recognize the signs of decay and run to the only one who can bring life back, and that's Jesus. Let's make that shift. Who's with me? So on to Samuel 1. But first let's pray.
Speaker 1:Heavenly Father, I thank you so much for the study of Judges. Never thought in a million years that I would touch this book and I'm so glad I did with the amount of heroes and the amount of war and the amount of faith that was brought in this book, with those amazing deliverers that delivered Israel when you needed them to Lord, and the amount many times that Israel, you know, repented and then they went back into their old ways. But it also showed, lord, how much you loved your people and how much you love us. We send, we go in and out all the time and you always are there to be the deliverer when we call upon you and we change our ways. And, father, I thank you so much for the study. I thank you so much for the continuation of this podcast. Bless everyone who hears it. Lord, we love you. We praise you in Jesus' name. Amen. Love you all Till next time.
Speaker 1:Well, that wraps up this week's episode. I hope these devotions help you draw closer to God each day. If this episode encouraged you, please share it with someone who might need the same message and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a weekly episode. Also, if you feel compelled, leaving a nice review would be so appreciated as well. For more information or to reach out, check the show notes or visit jessimorganhomecom or find me on Instagram at jessimorganlife. Remember God's timing is always perfect. Keep trusting him Until next time. This is Jessi Morgan praying off. Jessi Morgan Devotions the Scenes starting right now. Hello, hello, welcome back to the Jesse Morgan's Behind the Scenes, so excited to be with you today. Just to kind of like wrap up Judges, conclusion of Judges.
Speaker 1:I will say this has been one of the most fulfilled studies I've ever done. Judges is so hard to read at times. It's just so brutal, it's violent, it's just cutthroat. But I feel like God put that book in the Bible for a reason and that book, or this book, is to anchor that pathway as we shift into, like the next phase in the Old Testament, where we shift into the first Kings of Israel and the main king that's going to come, which is Jesus Christ and judges.
Speaker 1:It amazes me the cycle that Israel went through, where they would rebel, they would be oppressed, then they would repent and then God would rescue them through a judge, and then they rest and then they do it all over again and, if you really think about it, we're all guilty of being in a bad cycle, whether it's a relationship, whether it's temptation from a specific task or a thing that you like to do that's not good for you. We all deal with our cycles, and that is what Judges is all about, is you have to get out of that cycle but then also understand that you make a mistake, you repent. God is going to help deliver you. He's going to want to rescue you because that's how much he loves you and those judges represented that.
Speaker 1:And it's so interesting because all those judges had so many different backgrounds. I mean, one was left-handed and seen as a freak. One was born of a concubine and that was looked down upon, especially back then. One was a woman. I mean one was born with amazing strength and, honestly, was super arrogant. I mean there's just so many things, so many different types of deliverers, and it just shows you that God can deliver you, god can save you in so many different ways and I feel like that's what Judges represents and I just encourage you to never be afraid to look at this book, never be afraid to talk about it. It's a tough book to read, it's a tough book to explain. Hopefully I did the best I could and I just appreciate all your love and support. Lane, hopefully I did the best I could and I just appreciate all your love and support.
Speaker 1:I'm excited entering 1 Samuel. I think Samuel is the anchor between the end of one portion of the history of Israel and entering the next. As we all know, or if you don't, samuel is a prophet, but he's also the judge. He's the last basically judge before Israel is set up to have a king. He's the last basically judge before Israel is set up to have a king. And I'm just so excited to get into that next study with you and I thank you so much for your love and support and I'm excited to keep going.
Speaker 1:Like I said before, I'm big on studying as I go. I like to read scripture and do my devotional, you know, days before I post it. I do not like to schedule out five weeks out. Like you know, I'm a teacher with their lesson plans. No, I try to do it as I go because I think it's more authentic that way and hopefully you feel that way as well. But thank you so much for your support. Love you guys Praying for you all out there Till next time signing off. Love you all, jesse Morgan.
