INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• Have you ever done something that had repercussions in the future? Maybe what happened impacted even future generations of your family?
• The nation of Israel when commanded to take the Promised Land made a couple of mistakes that impacted several generations into the future.
• As a matter of fact of the roughly 330 years which make up this period of Israel’s history, about 111 of those years are spent in oppression or about a third of their history.
• Ouch!
• In The Story we come to a roughly 330 year period known as the period of the Judges.
• This period begins just before the death of Joshua and runs another 300 plus years.
• When we think of a judge today we think of a person in a robe who presides over a trial. Maybe Judge Judy comes to mind? This is not what the book is about.
• The book of Judges is about a vicious cycle the nation of Israel was following during this period in their history.
• The people are in the Promised Land, the sacrificial system existed for forgiveness of sins, God was present in the tabernacle, the Law was there as a guide for them to live and know how to please God.
• The nation had a lot of reasons to feel blessed. But there was an ever-present problem, a problem that still exists today, SIN!
• During this period in history, God would eventually get tired of the people following the false gods, and then after the nation would be in the throes of oppression, God would hear their cry and would send one of the judges to deliver the people from their oppression.
• The book of Joshua demonstrated what Israel did right, while the book of Judges shows what they did wrong.
• Today we will be covering a lot of ground, my prayer is that we can learn from some of the failures of the nation so that we will not repeat their mistakes on our lives today.
• Going back to my opening remarks, the ones about doing something that has long and far reaching repercussions, we will start with one of the root of their problems Israel would be facing.
• SLIDE #2
SERMON
I. Israel’s two mistakes after conquering the land.
• God had commanded the Israelites to purge the land of ALL the inhabitants. The reason for this command was the fact the inhabitants were extremely evil.
• In the days of Joseph, God needed to get His people out of Canaan because at some point God’s people would be polluted by the people of Canaan.
• So the first mistake made was…
• SLIDE #3
A. They did not drive out all the Canaanites.
• What Gods knew would happen, did happen. Because the Israelites did not out the inhabitants problems arose.
• SLIDE #4
• Judges 2:11–13 (NIV) Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. They forsook the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the LORD’s anger because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
• The inhabitants of the land help Israel down the path of sin and idolatry.
• If those influences were not there, the chances that Israel would have followed the false gods would be been significantly less.
• When they started down the path, they awoke God’s anger. You need to remember that God LOVES them, yet He was very angry with them.
• We need to always understand that our environment can always influence us toward doing wrong.
• Think of many of the times you got in trouble, it was usually with someone else, it was usually some influence in your environment that contributed to your fall.
• It is so important that we are aware of our surroundings.
• The second mistake the nation made was…
• SLIDE #5
B. They failed to teach their children about their great God.
• During the life of Joshua God had done so many wonderful things for the Israel that you would think the people would have been eager to tell their children the great victories that God had given them.
• Clear back in Deuteronomy God commanded that His word be shared with the children
• SLIDE #6
• Deuteronomy 6:6–7 (NIV) These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
• God told Joshua to always meditate on the Law that is should not depart from His mouth. (Joshua 1:8)
• Well, Houston, we have a problem!
• SLIDE #7
• Judges 2:10 (NIV) After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.
• Hmm? You do see that this happened BEFORE verses 11-13 where Israel started shirt chasing other gods?
• What we see from this example is the fact that Christianity is always one generation away from extinction!
• In a day where parents are lacking taking responsibility for their children, we are risking their futures by this “IT IS NOT MY FAULT, OR IT IS THE CHURCHES JOB TO TEACH MY CHILDREN.”
• Now from the passage just shared we see that God was none too happy with the nation, so that begs the question, why did God send the judges to deliver the nation from the various oppressions they faced?
• SLIDE #8
II. The two reasons that God raises up the judges.
• It would be easy for God to let the nation fall apart, but the raising up of the Judges to deliver the nation was another display of God’s grace and love.
• So the first reason for God raising up the Judges was…
• SLIDE #9
A. God had blessed Israel and He wanted the nations to see the goodness and blessing He had given to Israel.
• God had blessed the nation beyond belief, the nation was faltering, now it was time to show the world His grace and love by allowing Israel to be delivered from the throes of oppression.
• The gods of the day was cruel and aloof, people were always afraid to make the gods angry.
• The TRUE GOD is a different story, He wants to give you EVERY opportunity to be with Him.
• How many chances would you give your own children to get back on track? God is even MORE loving and forgiving!
• Next we see…
• SLIDE #10
B. God’s mercy shows by powerfully intervening when His people cry out to Him for help.
• See the surrounding nations are watching to see how this God they KNEW to be all-powerful would deal with the disobedient nation. Wrath or grace, which would win out?
• The nations saw God’s discipline but is that all they needed to see? I believe true love and mercy shows up by how we deal with the one who has been disciplined AFTER the discipline.
• Will there be grace and mercy shown to the one disciplined? The false gods of the day were not into the grace and mercy.
• Our God is!
• When the nation finally would come to their senses and cry out to God in repentance, He would powerfully intervene. Who would not want to serve a God who does not hold your mistakes against you for eternity if you are willing to repent?
• Who would not want a relationship with such a loving and gracious God?
• Next we see…
• SLIDE #11
III. The endless cycles the nation of Israel experienced.
• This cycle was repeated 6 times in the book of Judges. You would think after a couple of times a lesson would be learned. It starts with…
• SLIDE #12
A. A nation reveling in sin.
• The people would fall from God and would be lured into pagan worship with all if its debauchery.
• This is not why God blessed them and gave them the Promised Land! God did not give you salvation through Jesus for you to throw your life away to idols and self-worship either!
• SLIDE #13
• Psalm 37:4 (NIV) Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
• SLIDE #14
B. A nation suffering oppression.
• The nation got the point where God would say, if you do not want to follow Me, then you do not need my protection!
• God used 6 pagan nations for 111 years to oppress His people! Judges 2:22 reveals why!
• SLIDE #15
• Judges 2:22 (NIV) I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the LORD and walk in it as their ancestors did.”
• SLIDE #16
C. A nation focused on repentance.
• The people finally start to get it, they cry out to God, they are ready to do a 180 and follow God again! They turn or return to God!
• That opens the door for…
• SLIDE #17
D. A nation enjoying deliverance.
• God raised up the Judges to serve as delivers! Othniel, Ehud, Deborah (the only female), Gideon, Jephthah, and the last Judge, Samson!
• The nation would enjoy freedom until these great leaders died and then it was back to the cycle!
• Now you would think all these folks were perfect, no issues, and that if we were simply writing a story, which is what we would do BUT…
• The judges were flawed human being, now I want to conclude by looking at two judges who illustrate the fact that…
• SLIDE #18
IV. God uses imperfect people.
• This is an encouragement to me and should be for you also! You do not have to be perfect or anywhere near perfect to be used by God!
• First we see…
• SLIDE #19
A. God used a weakling.
• Gideon, one of the most unlikely to be used by God because he was from the weakest clan and the weakest family.
• He was being told he was going to lead the nation out from under the oppression of the Midianites! What does he do, SURE GOD, LETS DO IT!
• No, he has to put out the fleece twice before he would come out of hiding in his cave!
• Then God has a sense of humor. Gideon somehow is able to raise an army of over 32,000! That should build confidence, but God tells him the army is too big, He tells Gideon to let those who are afraid go home.
• 22,000 run home to mom! Ok, now there are 10,000 left, God says, too many!
• Then then God sifts the army down to 300! And they were not Spartan Warriors!
• God tells Gideon why the army was too big!
• SLIDE #20
• Judges 7:2 (NIV) The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’
• Next we go the opposite direction.
• SLIDE #21
B. God used a man full of himself.
• If there was a man full of pride and full of himself it was Samson!
• He was always getting into trouble but God was use him. He was arrogant and immature and that lead to his death.
• When he gets into his discussion with Delilah, he would get close to the secret of his strength, until he finally gave in. Each time when he toyed with her, he would be able to escape and defend himself.
• But the final time, it did not happen.
• SLIDE #22
• Judges 16:20 (NIV) Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the LORD had left him.
• He did not even know God had left him because he took it for granted.
• Despite his weakness, God used him in a mighty way!
CONCLUSION
• The lessons we can learn from the nation of Israel during the time of the Judges can help keep us out of a lot of trouble.
• We need to do all we can to avoid the destructive cycle the Israelites suffered through.
• We sin—we don’t keep God on the throne of our lives. 1 John 1:8
• We are oppressed—our fellowship with God and others is broken. 1 John 1:6
• We repent/confess—we are restored through the blood of Jesus. 1 John 1:9
• We experience deliverance—we experience joy and fruitfulness. 1 John 1:7
• Which cycle are you in today?
• Avoid the cycle, give yourself fully to Jesus today!
