Re-cap on previous points of ‘Living with the enemy’: Slide 1
21 chapters spanning almost 400 years Slide 2
The six major judges slide 3
The territory taken from Jericho slide 4
Israel continued a cycle of apostasy, oppression, crying out to God, then deliverance.
It wasn’t a single nation, but numerous states with own territories, governments and armies.
They lost their fighting spirit
They lost their relationship with God
They sought other ways of dealing with life
They thought the battle was over
They became comfortable now they had entered God’s promised land
They settled in nicely with their neighbours and compromised what they could have had, so well, that they behaved like them
Illust
Living with rats!
Judges 1:1-7
Joshua was dead, now the people looked for a deliverer.
The land was still occupied by the enemy.
Judges 1:21-34
We read:
· Benjamin didn’t drive them out
· Joseph compromised and let one go; he went on to build a city = Hittites
· Manasseh didn’t drive them out
· Ephraim didn’t drive them out
· Zebulun didn’t drive them out
· Asher didn’t drive them out
· Naphtali didn’t drive them out
· And, Dan was forced into the mountains!
Dan failed to claim the power of God; in fact they accepted defeat and moved out!
Num 33:55-56
It was intended that the Canaanites should be dispossessed (evicted)
If the Israelites fell in with them, and learned their way, then they would be dispossessed
God’s displeasure would be greater against them than against the Canaanites; hear this, and fear.
If we do not drive sin out, sin will drive us out
If we don’t kill our lusts, our lusts will kill us
There were strongholds then and there are strongholds now.
The work was incomplete
You must complete what God has told you to do
Caleb still going strong after Joshua’s death
Age no excuse
When God gave the land to them it was a slice of His covenant
Man breaks the covenant with God, but He never breaks His to man.
He is faithful.
There were strings attached = to keep God’s honour
Because they were content to live with the enemy, God showed them His faithfulness in keeping His promises:
· Blessings as well as curses
But we’re not under the curse!
No, but God cannot revoke His word; if you choose wrong you gain the consequences
Illus:
Children doing wrong at school
Judges show how Israel failed to keep covenant
Leaders failed
God had told them to drive out the enemy, but they thought they had a better plan than God.
God’s plan doesn’t make sense.
Paul, and the apostles, when confronted by the many gods and lords that people worshipped used the ONE SUPREME and ETERNAL BEING, they were confounded, scattered, annihilated
The "weapons" with which this warfare is managed are the Scriptures of truth, the sword of the Spirit, the word of God 2 Cor 10:4 (discussed previous wk)
Mighty through God
An armoury, out of which may be taken weapons of all sorts, both offensive and defensive; both to establish and secure the doctrines of the Gospel, and to refute the errors of the wicked
We dare not take off any of our armour to use as a weapon. It would leave that part of our spiritual being open and vulnerable to the attack of the enemy
The weapons of our warfare are numberless
Some preach we only have one weapon = the sword
Out of His boundless resources, “He has by His own action given us everything that is necessary for living the truly good life…” 2 Peter 1:3
These weapons are not what we would expect them to be.
He may give us some unique weapons for spiritual warfare.
God gave Gideon three rather unusual weapons to fight a secular war (See Judges 6 and 7) Trumpets, jars and torches
The weapon given in Prov 15:1 When someone is blasting us with every vile word a person can express, the world teaches us to “fight fire with fire.”
Our natural reaction is to begin blasting back. However, the Word says “a soft answer” is the weapon that “will turn away that wrath.”
Make sure your ways please the Lord!
When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him Prov 16:7
Jesus defused situations
God has an abundant arsenal of heaven and can equip us with weapons suited for any particular situation
Let the Holy Spirit to be the ammunition chooser (using the sword/word to devour our own brothers and sisters can be damaging)
The Corinthian Christians tended to rely on and admire carnal weapons for the Christian battle.
Instead of the belt of truth, they fought with manipulation.
Instead of the breastplate of righteousness, they fought with the image of success. Instead of the shoes of the gospel, they fought with smooth words.
Instead of the shield of faith, they fought with the perception of power.
Instead of the helmet of salvation, they fought with lording over authority.
Instead of the sword of the Spirit, they fought with human schemes and programs.
To rely on carnal methods, and carnal thinking, is a true stronghold.
It stubbornly sets down deep roots in the heart and mind, and motivates our actions and thinking.
Pull it down!
God’s spiritual weapons are scorned by the world, but feared by demonic powers.
We must fight with:
Truth
Righteousness
Evangelism
Faith
Salvation
The Word of God
Prayer
Then no principality or power will stand against us.
Pulling down strongholds: Strongholds in this context (at Corinth) are wrong thoughts and perceptions, contradicting the true knowledge of God and the nature of God. These strongholds are expressed in arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.
Are you ready for war?
We are usually defensively prepared, but we are fighting an offensive battle
Is your armor is secure?
Are you clothed in His righteousness?
Does His truth abide in you?
Are your feet ready to march forward with His Gospel of Peace?
Is He is your shield, and is your faith firmly placed in Him?
Is He is your salvation in which you are protected?
The spiritual armour God has provided is able to withstand any attack
Some one once said, ‘ Have you put it on?’ and the response was, ‘when did I take it off?’
Let’s conclude with the capture of Adoni-Bezek Judges 1:6
lord of Bezek; king of the Canaanite city of Bezek
He was a mighty King who had captured 70 other kings and had cut off their thumbs and big toes.
He was feared, but Judah and the Simionites captured him.
They did the same to him. (He reaped what he had sown)
He said,
"Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them."
How is this relevant to us today?
He symbolizes Satan
God will repay him for his part in the fall
But we needn’t fear, Jesus has metaphorically cut his thumbs and toes
He cannot hold a weapon effectively now
He cannot run or keep his balance to fight
He is rendered helpless!
Let’s praise God that we are more than conquerors through Him that loves us!
Take your inheritance the armoury is at your disposal.
Matt 2: 6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’
