Turning On Each Other...

Judges 20:24 So the people of Israel came near against the people of Benjamin the second day. 25 And Benjamin went against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed 18,000 men of the people of Israel. All these were men who drew the sword. 26 Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept. They sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 27 And the people of Israel inquired of the Lord (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28 and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days), saying, “Shall we go out once more to battle against our brothers, the people of Benjamin, or shall we cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand.”

Things seem to go from bad to worse in the accounts of the judges.  The passage above was a response to the terrible things we saw in the last chapter. The cycle of disobedience spiraled downward to the point that the Israelites were turning on one another instead of driving out the pagan nations.  Many lives were lost. Three times Israel had to call out to God for direction. Finally, things came to a resolution, and all were set into the territories assigned, but many lives were lost and long-term distrust was created, which pops up again when a king was chosen.  How often do God's people turn on one another instead of the real enemy?

Things Can Get Worse...

Judges 19: 23 And the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brothers, do not act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, do not do this vile thing. 24 Behold, here are my virgin daughter and his concubine. Let me bring them out now. Violate them and do with them what seems good to you, but against this man do not do this outrageous thing.”25 But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and made her go out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until the morning. And as the dawn began to break, they let her go. 26 And as morning appeared, the woman came and fell down at the door of the man's house where her master was, until it was light. 27 And her master rose up in the morning, and when he opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way, behold, there was his concubine lying at the door of the house, with her hands on the threshold. 28 He said to her, “Get up, let us be going.” But there was no answer. Then he put her on the donkey, and the man rose up and went away to his home

The further we get into Judges, the darker things got. The unbelievable was going on: a Levite who was supposed to be a servant of God had a concubine; there was a lack of hospitality, which was supposed to be a characteristic of God's people; things looked a lot like Sodom and Gomorrah all over again. And if you read on, things got worse.  We are looking at a culture falling apart, and it's almost like looking in a mirror.  How much worse can things get?

How Far Will You Go?

 Judges 18:23 And they shouted to the people of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you, that you come with such a company?” 24 And he said, “You take my gods that I made and the priest, and go away, and what have I left? How then do you ask me, ‘What is the matter with you?’” 25 And the people of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and you lose your life with the lives of your household.” 26 Then the people of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home. 27 But the people of Dan took what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, and they came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire.

A couple of times in this chapter we are reminded that it was a time when everyone was doing what was right in their own eyes.  The tribe of Dan was still wandering around trying to settle down. They finally found a place they wanted to settle, which they took from a quiet, unsuspecting people. They also took their own priest with their own ephod with their own idol and set up their own place of worship. They were not keeping with the original plan of the unity of Israel and not acting like a people for his name. How far will you go to get what you want?

Fighting for What Really Matters

Judges 16:24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god. For they said, “Our god has given our enemy into our hand, the ravager of our country, who has killed many of us.” 25 And when their hearts were merry, they said, “Call Samson, that he may entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars. 26 And Samson said to the young man who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them.” 

Samson had quite a wild life.  Set apart and called by God to deliver His people from the Philistines, Samson usually made it all about him. His great feats were often driven by his personal desires and punishing those who offended him.  But now that he had forfeited his freedom and lost his sight, all he could hear were the jeers of his enemies against God and for their false God. Samson had this one last chance to be the deliverer God had always intended. As he pushed the pillars, the walls came tumbling down, and the chronicler concludes: So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life. When you are fighting for what really matters - the Glory of God, you can really make a difference.

Listen to the Words...

 Judges 11:26 While Israel lived in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon, 300 years, why did you not deliver them within that time? 27 I therefore have not sinned against you, and you do me wrong by making war on me. The Lord, the Judge, decide this day between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon.” 28 But the king of the Ammonites did not listen to the words of Jephthah that he sent to him.

One of the most wicked peoples whom God wanted driven out of the promised land were the Ammonites. They, like several other peoples decided now was the time to strike against Israel, while they were floundering in their mission to take the land.  God sent a message through Jephthah to back off, but the Ammonites would not listen.  Jephthah then proceeded to make a rash vow to God if He would give him the victory over them. God did. God kept his word and made Jephthah keep his. Both the king of Ammon and Jephthah needed to listen to the works coming out of his mouth.

The History You Want to Forget

 Judges 9:26 And Gaal the son of Ebed moved into Shechem with his relatives, and the leaders of Shechem put confidence in him. 27 And they went out into the field and gathered the grapes from their vineyards and trod them and held a festival; and they went into the house of their god and ate and drank and reviled Abimelech. 28 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? 29 Would that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech. I would say to Abimelech, ‘Increase your army, and come out.’”

Judges 9 contains a lesser-known account of the self-proclaimed king Abimelech. It is a twisted account of self-promotion, mass murder, failed revolt, and especially, the infiltration of idolatry.  It is a fitting account to follow what we observed in Gideon's rule at the end of yesterday's study. Because of the events of this chapter, the city of Shechem became a by-word for generations.  This chapter shows how far people can stray when they turn from God to idols and worldly leaders. May we not contribute to a history we regret.

Weak Spot

Judges 8:24 And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25 And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels. 27 And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family. 

We have already seen that Gideon was one of those hesitant leaders called by God, yet he went ahead and obeyed and serves Him as a judge over Israel.  He became a hero. But God does not hold back from showing and sharing the shortcomings of His leaders. Gideon saw this as his "golden" opportunity. Notice that his act became an idol to the people and a trap for Gideon and his descendants. It came back to haunt them.  Beware the dangers of short-lived success.  Often dreams come true become nightmares for all.  They can bring out the worst in any man. 

Taking a Stand! Hesitantly.

 

Judges 6:25 That night the Lord said to him, “Take your father's bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it 26 and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down.” 27 So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night.

Gideon is an interesting study. He wanted to do something great for God, but he wasn't always so sure. He "put out the fleece" (literally) and questioned his call. He obeyed God no matter what others believed (as long as they were not watching) and showed other signs of hesitation.  But take a stand he did, and he not only made a difference; he left a legacy. To take a stand you do not need to be loud, obnoxious and brash; you don't even need a lot of courage. You just need to take steps of faith and obedience when God speaks. Almost every great leader did hesitate at first (and often more than once.) What stand will you take today?

One of Israel's Greatest Hits

 

Judges 5:24 “Most blessed of women be Jael,
    the wife of Heber the Kenite, of tent-dwelling women most blessed.
25 He asked for water and she gave him milk;
    she brought him curds in a noble's bowl.
26 She sent her hand to the tent peg
    and her right hand to the workmen's mallet;
she struck Sisera; she crushed his head;
    she shattered and pierced his temple.
27 Between her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still;
between her feet he sank, he fell;
where he sank, there he fell—dead.

The songs of Israel found in scripture are interesting summaries of historical events.  Judges 4 and 5 tell of Deborah, who stepped up when no men would, and of Jael, who struck the deciding blow, as well as Sisera's mother, who never saw him come home.  Women are not bystanders and make some of the best song writers. The show us what is really going on in culture.  What do the songs of our day tell us?

He Passed Beyond the Idols...

 Judges 3:26 Ehud escaped while they delayed, and he passed beyond the idols and escaped to Seirah. 27 When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the people of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was their leader. 28 And he said to them, “Follow after me, for the Lord has given your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites and did not allow anyone to pass over. 29 And they killed at that time about 10,000 of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; not a man escaped. 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.

As we saw yesterday, the time after Joshua is filled with the word "but." The people of Israel had much success, BUT they did not fully obey God.  This passage talks about God allowing the Moabites to be a major problem for Israel. Ehud delivered Israel by sneaking in and killing their king. What may not be obvious is why God had allowed Moab to bother Israel, but twice it mentions that Ehud "passed the idols." Israel had allowed Moab's false idols to infiltrate their land, setting them up near Gilgal, a holy city. How much trouble do we bring into our lives by allowing the idols of this world infiltrate our lives and homes? 

Lasting Effects

 

Judges 1:21 But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites have lived with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day. 22 The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them. 23 And the house of Joseph scouted out Bethel. (Now the name of the city was formerly Luz.) 24 And the spies saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him, “Please show us the way into the city, and we will deal kindly with you.” 25 And he showed them the way into the city. And they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go. 26 And the man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city and called its name Luz. That is its name to this day.

As we move into the book of Judges, Joshua dies and each tribe and clan takes responsibility for finishing the task of completing their allotment. Sometimes tribes worked together, and that was a good things. All was proceeding well, but... That is the key word to look for in this book, as seen in verses 21 and 25 above. They did not drive out all the wicked peoples as God had commanded them to. We need to recall that God was judging the peoples of the land for their wickedness and using the people of Israel to do so. Their refusal to fully obey was going to have long lasting effects.  The phrase "to this day" can be either good or bad, and often in Judges, and our lives, it is the latter. 

The Stone That Hears...

 Joshua 24:24 And the people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.” 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem. 26 And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. 27 And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God.” 28 So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.

This is part of the final address by Joshua to the people of Israel. The most well-known verse of the chapter is earlier, verse 15: And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” The people respond by saying they will serve the Lord. Throughout this book we have seen numerous piles of stones as memorials to God's power and their promises. Here there is one stone - another reminder and witness of their promises. That stone would stay there and "remember" for them.  What promises have we made, heard by the walls, the sky, other people, and especially, God? Have we kept them? Have we forgotten them, intentionally or by accident?

Crossing the Divide

 Joshua 22:25 For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the Lord.’ So your children might make our children cease to worship the Lord. 26 Therefore we said, ‘Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, 27 but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, “You have no portion in the Lord.”’

When some of the tribes of Israel settled on the eastern side of the Jordan, there was a natural divide between the tribes - such a divide that it seemed to divide into two nations.  When it came time for the soldiers of Israel to return home to that side, they wanted to make sure they stayed one united nation. So they build an altar of witness. In fact, they named it "Witness."  Much like the piles of stones they had been leaving along their journey, this was to serve as a reminder of who they were and how they had gotten there. They made it clear it was not a second or different Tabernacle, dividing them, but a reminder to unify them. May the things we devise do the same.

A Place to Call Home

Joshua 21:20 As to the rest of the Kohathites belonging to the Kohathite clans of the Levites, the cities allotted to them were out of the tribe of Ephraim. 21 To them were given Shechem, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasturelands, 22 Kibzaim with its pasturelands, Beth-horon with its pasturelands—four cities; 23 and out of the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its pasturelands, Gibbethon with its pasturelands, 24 Aijalon with its pasturelands, Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands—four cities; 25 and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with its pasturelands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands—two cities. 26 The cities of the clans of the rest of the Kohathites were ten in all with their pasturelands.

The one tribe without an allotted territory was that of Levi, as they had been called to serve God as priests and their assistants.  But God did give them cities scattered throughout the other tribal allotments. That did two things: it gave them the security of a place to live, and it gave a Levitical representation to each tribe. These forty-eight cities were scattered appropriately among the tribes by size and space, with each clan of the Levites having others in their clan in the same region, providing variety, yet unity. Wherever we are as God's people we need such balance.

To the Sea...

 

Joshua 19:24 The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the people of Asher according to their clans. 25 Their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, 26 Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. On the west it touches (H)Carmel and Shihor-libnath, 27 then it turns eastward, it goes to Beth-dagon, and touches Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtahel northward to Beth-emek and Neiel. Then it continues in the north to (I)Cabul, 28 Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, Kanah, as far as (J)Sidon the Great. 29 Then the boundary turns to Ramah, reaching to the fortified city of Tyre. Then the boundary turns to Hosah, and it ends at the sea; Mahalab,[a] Achzib, 30 Ummah, Aphek and Rehob—twenty-two cities with their villages. 31 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Asher according to their clans—these cities with their villages.

After covering the more important tribes, Joshua assigns each tribe their territory and cities belonging to it. Again, it is easy to get caught up in the names of the places and how to pronounce and spell them, but some of the important details are in the plain simple English, like the boundary ends at the sea (verse 29), referring to the Mediterranean.  What becomes abundantly clear in the history of Israel is they never quite made it all the way.  The coastal cities (and other boundaries) were always a challenge.  How many of God's promises to we never fully realize because we never fully obey?

The Little Brother

Joshua 18:21 Now the cities of the tribe of the people of Benjamin according to their clans were Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz, 22 Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, 23 Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, 24 Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, Geba—twelve cities with their villages: 25 Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, 26 Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah, 27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, 28 Zela, Haeleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah and Kiriath-jearim—fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the people of Benjamin according to its clans.

After allotting the land designated for Judah, Joshua then allotted land for the largest tribes: Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph. The third tribe allotted land was Benjamin, the only full brother of Judah. It was land in the core of Israel and bordered by Judah, in a sense very well-protected.  It is no surprise that this was the one tribe that joined with Judah when the rest of Israel rebelled and withdrew in the divided kingdom.  Israel also chose their first king, Saul, from Benjamin, which is like many things we do in life - choosing almost what God wants. They should have known their king was to be from Judah (as mentioned yesterday).

First Dibs

Joshua 15:20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Judah according to their clans. 21 The cities belonging to the tribe of the people of Judah in the extreme south, toward the boundary of Edom, were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 25 Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor), 26 Amam, Shema, Moladah, 27 Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet, 28 Hazar-shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, 29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, 31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon: in all, twenty-nine cities with their villages.

Last time we noted the areas allotted to the tribes of Israel east of the Jordan by Moses, and the areas yet to be inhabited west of the river by the rest of the tribes.  After giving a specific city to Caleb for his faithfulness, the first tribe listed is Judah.  You don't need to memorize all the names above for a spelling test, but do realize that Judah is mentioned first.  There is a reason for that. Judah had become the spokesman for the brothers and the promise of One to come someday was given through the line of Judah. It was never a pride or show-off kind of thing, but there was an understanding that Judah was first in line.

Yet to Be Completed...

Joshua 13:24 Moses gave an inheritance also to the tribe of Gad, to the people of Gad, according to their clans. 25 Their territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites, to Aroer, which is east of Rabbah, 26 and from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir, 27 and in the valley Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, having the Jordan as a boundary, to the lower end of the Sea of Chinnereth, eastward beyond the Jordan. 28 This is the inheritance of the people of Gad according to their clans, with their cities and villages.

At first glance, one must ask: "Wait! Wasn't Moses already dead?" The answer is "yes." This chapter takes place when Joshua is old and he and God are reviewing what lands have been occupied and what lands were yet to be taken by Israel.  Some were set as an inheritance yet not received as of that time. But wasn't that Joshua's job? Yes, but God has a way of finishing our jobs for us when we do not see them completed. He keeps working after we are gone, just as he had with Moses, and now Joshua.  God put it this way in verse 6: I myself will drive them out from before the people of Israel. Only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. God gives us our part to do, but it is His promise to fulfill, not ours. 

The Longest Day - More Stones

Joshua 10:24 And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.” Then they came near and put their feet on their necks. 25 And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” 26 And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees. And they hung on the trees until evening. 27 But at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they set large stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.

Often called "The Day the Sun Stood Still", this battle was another memorial for Israel. The Amorites were among some of the most vile and wicked inhabitants of Canaan. Having seen and heard what God had been doing to nations along their path, the king of Jerusalem had other kings join him to attack Gibeon, which now was an ally of Israel. The battle was long and hard, but God brought them through. Notice how Joshua uses this victory to pass on the challenge God had given him at his call: Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. God is able to take you through the longest struggle.

The Two-Sided Story

 Joshua 9:22 Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell among us? 23 Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.” 24 They answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you—so we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing. 25 And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it.” 26 So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them. 27 But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, in the place that he should choose.

The people of Gibeon had heard about everything God had done for His people, and they were rightly afraid of them.  Since Israel was fast approaching them, they came up with this plan to trick them. So, on the one hand, this incident shows the wisdom of God's plan thus far.  On the other hand, what makes this incident especially significant is the phrase found before in verse 14 So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord. That is the real story here.  The leaders fell for their deceit because they did not seek the Lord for wisdom.  They were already forgetting that He was the one calling the shots and giving the victory. They were self-assured. How quickly do we do the same?

Another Heap of Stones

 

Joshua 8: 26 But Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had devoted all the inhabitants of Ai to destruction. 27 Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as their plunder, according to the word of the Lord that he commanded Joshua. 28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it forever a heap of ruins, as it is to this day. 29 And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening. And at sunset Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city and raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day.

As noted earlier, the initial defeat at Ai was extremely disheartening.  Israel could not go on with roller coaster ride of victory, defeat, victory, defeat.  Joshua made sure the people completely obeyed God in carrying out his instructions. In the verses that follow, he led the people in a recommitment to their covenant with God - the whole covenant, every command - before all the people of Israel. There were to be no excuses that someone did not know.  The commandments were etched in stone as a constant reminder to all of the covenant and the conditions of victory.  How many reminders do we need?

A Third Stone Memorial

Joshua 7:24 And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.

After the dramatic victory at Jericho, the defeat at Ai must have been devastating to the people of Israel. God had made the walls fall and the fortress was no more.  The problem was not there, but within the camp of Isreal.  Keeping the spoil had been forbidden - even a little bit.  Once again, precedent was necessary.  The people needed to see and remember not to contradict God's plan and instructions, not even a little.  This third memorial of stones is like any threes we see in Scripture: the final word.  May we have learned our lesson and set up reminders, lest we forget. Significantly, Hosea was given a prophecy of hope over this valley to share with the people.  God can and does turn these memorials to a positive use.