Introduction Lesson 1 Series

A. INTRODUCTION

1. Joshua told how God used strength for victory and conquest. The book of Judges tells us how God uses weakness for victory.

2. Only two generations from heresy. “So the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord . . . now Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died . . . another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord . . . the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord” (Judges 2:7-11).

3. Seven main judges (total of 12) who delivered Israel. “The anger of the Lord was hot against Israel and He delivered them into the hands . . . of their enemies . . .they could no longer stand before their enemies . . . the Lord raised up judges which delivered them . . . when the judge was dead, . . . they corrupted themselves” (2:14-19).

4. There are five steps in the cycle in Judges:

1. Israel sinned

5. Israel had peace

2. Defeated by enemies

4. Delivered by Judge

3. Israel cried to the Lord

B. HISTORICAL AMNESIA

1. Things they did that brought punishment.

a. No belief. “Forsook the Lord” (2:12).

b. No obedience. “Turned quickly from the way” (2:17).

c. Did the opposite. “Served Baal and Ashtoreths” (2:13).

d. Flaunted evil. “Did evil in the sight of the Lord” (2:11).

2. Things they didn’t do.

a. Ignorance. “Did not know the Lord nor His works” (2:10).

b. Halting obedience. “Not obeyed My voice” (2:2).

c. Incomplete obedience. “Did not drive them out” (2:21, 27, 29-31, 33).

d. Complete disobedience. “Ashtoreth dwelt among the Canaanites” (1:32).

3. Things they lost.

a. Separation. “The Canaanite dwelt in Gezer” (1:29).

b. Lost edge. “The Amorites forced . . . Dan into the mountains” (1:34).

c. Lost freedom. “They were greatly distressed” (2:15).

d. Lost their identity. “Gave their daughters to their sons; and served their gods” (3:6).

e. Lost their ability to fight. “To teach them war” (3:2).

C. GOD USES UNLIKELY PEOPLE

1. Each judge was characterized by a weakness.

a. Othniel – Nepotism – married general’s daughter – hen-pecked.

b. Ehud – left handed – sign of weaknesses.

c. Deborah – woman – heart not strength.

d. Gideon – youngest – no family recognition.

e. Jehthah – son of harlot – rejected and despised.

f. Samson – the flesh – sexual weakness.

g. Eli – indecisive – couldn’t say “no”.

2. God still uses weak people today. “God has chosen what the world calls foolish to shame the wise. He has chosen what the world calls weak to shame the strong. He has chosen things of little strength . . . that no man may boast in the presence of God” (1 Cor. 1:27-28, Phillips).

WHY WEAK THINGS?

• So people will see God, not man

• So people will worship God unrestricted

• So people will be motivated to service

• So the Body will work together

• Because that’s God strategy

D. WHAT IS THE PRINCIPLE?

1. Not I but Christ. When we live above our weaknesses. “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ who dwells in me and the life which I live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God” (Gal. 2:20).

2. God’s work not done in a worldly way. “You don’t see among yourselves many of the wise . . . many of the ruling class . . . many of the nobles . . . who are called” (1 Cor. 1:26, Phillips).

3. To glorify God. “God has chosen the weak things . . . that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Cor. 1:28-29).

4. For God to work through us. “My strength (Christ) is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).

5. To manifest God’s power. “My power works best through weak people” (2 Cor. 12:9, TLB).

6. Loose confederation doesn’t work. “There was no king in Israel: each man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).

7. God calls a man/woman and does His work through them. “The Lord raised up a deliverer” (3:9).

E. WHAT MUST WE DO SINCE WE ARE “UNLIKELY?”

1. Personally repent.

2. Commit yourself to righteousness, even if you have to go against the crowd.

3. Identificational repentance: repent for our national church sins and our society’s sins.

4. Recognize America’s biggest problems are not with the government, media, public scholars, or judges, but God’s biggest problems are with the church.

5. Pray for God to raise up leaders who lead His people back to prayer and righteousness.