Book of Judith: Part I
The Book of Judith is not a section of the Bible I have heard about often. I decided I wanted to read it to discover some of the spiritual nuggets it has scattered throughout.
Judith is a woman that is spoken of as the Instrument of the Lord in the description of the Book. It is broken into five parts; I just started studying this book and I am excited to share some thoughts with you about Part One, which includes Chapters 1-3 and outlines the Assyrian threat that Judith and her people were facing. This will be short and sweet, so let’s dive in!
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Judith is the first book I have explored since purchasing my Blessed Is She Catholic Journaling Bible: I love it so much. I gave a little better description of it in my recent post, 8 Best Bible Journaling Supplies. It is the only Catholic Journaling Bible on the market, to my knowledge!
Ancestors + Purpose
Sometimes, I struggle with chapters that are laden with geography and lineage. I think we all do? A good chunk of the first section of Judith is enveloped in this kind of background and historical data. Here is what I take away from it: Jesus had to come from the line of David. Someone needed to record lineage so that we would eventually be able to trace it from David to Jesus. So, if this information helps lead me to Jesus, I am game. I also take it as an opportunity for God to reinforce the need for me to know where I have come from: both the people that preceded me in my family and the places they resided. I do not think it is a mistake that this information is so prominent throughout the Bible.
Revenge + Schedule
In chapter two, I found it really interesting that the author discussed plans for revenge and then promptly made note of the “huge, irregular force” that made up the army of King Nebuchadnezzar (Judith 2:20). Reading this, my heart drew the conclusion that revenge is huge, overwhelming. It spreads discord and irregularity. That part was not a shock, but upon further consideration, schedule kept coming to mind. I have been focusing on creating a family schedule and routine lately, because I am reading A Mother’s Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to Your Home and Peace to Your Soul by Holly Pierlot. Maybe my intense focus on schedule made me pick up on the discord in this chapter. I think we can all agree revenge does not reap a bountiful harvest, though I had never considered the negative impact that revenge and hatred foster against productivity and positive routine and schedule.
Read through Judith 1-3 and let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Follow my Instagram or Pinterest for more reflections and tools! And be sure to pin the image below to reflect back on as you work your way though the Book of Judith. I will update this post with the additional chapter reflections as I write them!
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