Judges 1:1-7
I don’t tell you this story to be intentionally gory. I have a reason for it.
But I have a good friend who is a retired Full Bird Colonel. He served many years in the U.S. army. He served all over the world but one of his assignments was to be in charge of a large group of soldiers stationed in Saudi Arabia. While there his commander ordered him to take a group of soldiers to the downtown area of the city where they were stationed. The leader of the area had requested that a group of U.S. soldiers come and witness their form of justice. To get along with the Saudi’s, this commander told my buddy to take the group on down there.
When they got there it was an open area with little hand rails set up in a row. The local government was going to punish those who were guilty of THIEVERY. STEALING. As everyone watched, the police brought out both men and women and tied their right arm down to these handrails. In a very systematic way a person would come along and wipe the wrist down with some form of antiseptic and then another person came behind with a scalpel and CUT OFF the Right Hand, right at the wrist and threw it in a bucket. There was no pain killers. The people would SCREAM OUT in pain. Some would faint. The open blood vessels were tied off and some stitches were put in and that was about it. If the person had family they would take them home to recover. My buddy said the whole ordeal was done in just a few minutes.
Now folks, I’ve heard people say, “We ought to take care of criminals like they do over in Saudi Arabia. We wouldn’t have so much thieving if we did.” Maybe not, but I’ll be honest with you. I really don’t want to live in that type of society. A society that would permanently maim someone for stealing.
I’m all for stiff penalties against law breakers. I believe in Capitol Punishment. I believe it is a deterrent. If I know that I will be killed for killing someone else, it does make me think twice before committing the CRIME. And in this passage we’re going to read, the PUNISHMENT that was dealt out to King Adoni-Bezek was for more than just a way to be CRUEL. It was a DETERRENT.
Let’s go ahead and read Judges 1:1-7 and we’ll get into our message.
“Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the Lord, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them?
2 And the Lord said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.
3 And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.
4 And Judah went up; and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.
5 And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
6 But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.
7 And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.”
This punishment that the men of Judah and Simeon dealt out seems so CRUEL and maybe UNCALLED FOR. But yet it was JUSTICE. Plain and Simple. King Adoni-Bezek had it coming. He says it himself there in Verse 7,
“So God hath Requited me.”
“God has RETURNED the PUNISHMENT that I have DEALT out to others.”
I believe every part of the Word of God can be related to our lives. I think that’s the JOB of the PREACHER. And that’s what I want to do this morning. I want to bring out the message that God has given us today.
So before we get into this message I want to ask _________ to come up and lead us in Prayer.
You know when I read this it’s really great to see the Children of Israel doing well. Their leader, Joshua, has died and what do they do? They INQUIRE of God, they ask the Lord who should be the first to go up and fight against the Canaanites? And God answers them ….. “JUDAH”. Judah says, “Ok, Simeon, will you help us?” And Simeon says, “YOU BET, we’ll go and help you fight.”
So Judah and Simeon take the first step and GOD does the rest. Verse 4.
“And Judah went up; and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.”
Like I said, they took the first steps and God did the rest.
I’m thankful for a God who will do my fighting for me.
I’m thankful for a God who is waiting and watching for YOU and I to do HIS WILL and then He will bless us. Psalms 1:1-3 tells us:
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
Let me tell you something I have discovered throughout my years of serving God. “If you’ll do YOUR PART, God will ALWAYS do HIS.”
“If you will HONOR HIM in every part of your life, He will BLESS YOU.”
“If you will be OBEDIENT to Him, He will BLESS YOU.”
“If you will put God FIRST in your life, He will BLESS YOU.”
But too many times times God comes in SECOND.
Second to other GODS in your life.
Second to all of your FLESHLY WANTS.
Second to all of your LUSTS.
Second to how much MONEY you can make.
Second to how much “So-called FUN you can have.”
Second to EVERYTHING ELSE in your life.
And let me tell you something. It’s about time GOD moves from SECOND place to FIRST place in your life. If YOU WILL DO THAT God will BLESS YOU.
Now that doesn’t mean you’re going to win the Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes. God’s BLESSINGS will make the Publisher’s Clearing House look like Chump Change. He will BLESS you in ways you never imagined.
But how does this all come about? How do you put God first in your life? I mean, how do you go from LIVING a life for SELF and begin LIVING a life that is PLEASING to God?
I think this is something that SO MANY Christians BATTLE WITH on a DAILY BASIS. How to REALLY put God first in their lives. How to BREAK the STRONGHOLD that Satan has over you.
You see, I believe there are CHRISTIANS, people who have really committed their life to God, but yet they still battle some things in their life.
Peter closes out 2 Peter 3 by saying,
“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:14 and 15,
“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”
And Paul tells the Jewish folks in Hebrews 5 that it’s about time that they GROW and MATURE so that they can TAKE the MEAT of the WORD and not just DRINK MILK.
And before I get into the main part of my message I want to say something to you. Listen, I say this IN LOVE. I’m NOT MAD. I don’t have a BURR under my SADDLE. I LOVE YOU ALL.
But MOST of you all KNOW what the Bible says.
You’ve been TAUGHT.
And yet there are still folks IN THIS CHURCH who need to GROW and MATURE. You’ve got things in your life that you need to LEAVE BEHIND. You need to do the right thing.
So I want us to look at what Judah and Simeon did to DEAL with this WICKED KING.
Adoni-Bezek is a DEFEATED KING. He runs for his life. And Judah and Simeon pursue him and he is captured. Three things then happen to him. And that’s what I want to talk to you about this morning. The THREE things that were done to King Adoni-Bezek.
I. First of all, BOTH of his THUMBS are CUT OFF.
This seems so CRUEL and BARBARIC doesn’t it? I’m not sure how this was done but probably a knife was used to first cut away the flesh from around the THUMB JOINT. The tendons, muscles and ligaments would be cut and then the THUMB JOINT would be popped out and the THUMB removed. All without any pain killers.
And the reason King ADONI-BEZEK’s thumbs were removed was because he had done the same thing to 70 other kings which he had defeated. And he admits it himself that it was a JUST PUNISHMENT. But why? Why would the thumbs be removed? This wasn’t just something that King Adoni-Bezek had done to others. The Greeks and the Romans also did this. Well I think I know why. (Act it out!!!)
No longer would this king be able to grasp a SWORD to fight.
No longer would he be able to pick up a JAVELIN and throw it toward an advancing army.
No longer would he be able to HOLD a BOW and DRAW BACK the STRING to send an arrow flying.
This KING was STOPPED from ever being able to FIGHT AGAIN.
And folks, I want to tell you something. It’s about time that YOU CUT the THUMBS off the DEVIL. Because for TOO LONG he has been able to cause DAMAGE in your life. He has had a HOLD. A STRONG GRASP on your LIFE!!!
So let’s DIG IN, let’s CUT BACK the FLESH, CUT the TENDONS and LIGAMENTS and TAKE AN HONEST LOOK at where the DEVIL has a STRONGHOLD in your life. Ephesians 4:22-27 tells us,
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27 Neither give place to the devil.”
Put off the OLD MAN.
The THINGS you talk about.
Corrupt things. Things that ARE NOT pleasing to God.
Deceitful Lusts. Things that will SATISFY the FLESH and NOT the SPIRIT.
When you CUT the THUMBS off your ENEMY, the DEVIL, things begin to change. He NO LONGER has POWER over you. When you look at Ephesians 4, Paul says to,
A. Put off the OLD MAN and put on the NEW MAN. Let God give you a NEW SPIRIT. A NEW OUTLOOK on LIFE. A NEW SENSE of PURPOSE.
B. You can begin to live a life that is pleasing to God. RIGHTEOUSNESS and TRUE HOLINESS.
C. And no longer do you LIE. Now you speak TRUTH with those you come in contact with. You become KNOWN as a person who is HONEST.
D. And you begin to CONTROL your ANGER. Your TEMPER is no longer an issue. I think I’m talking to someone RIGHT NOW. Somebody listening needs to CUT SATAN’S THUMBS OFF.
E. One more thing. Look at Verse 27. “Neither give place to the Devil.” If you cut his thumbs off he CANNOT keep a GRIP on your life.
II. Then we see BOTH of King Adoni-Bezek’s BIG TOES were CUT OFF.
I don’t know how this was done. Maybe the same way as his THUMBS. Meticulously removed.
But I just wonder if they might have used an AXE and a BLOCK of WOOD. Kind of like when I used to help my mama BUTCHER CHICKENS. Go into it …
Just CHOP IT OFF!!!!!
“Hey King Adoni-Bezek, put your foot RIGHT THERE and hold real still.”
THUMP …. and the BIG TOE was gone.
I know this is NOT pleasant.
I know this might be bothering you if you’re kind squeamish.
But there was a REASON that King Adoni-Bezek cut off the BIG TOES of those 70 other kings. And there’s a reason that Judah and Simeon CUT his BIG TOES off. It was a JUST PUNISHMENT for King Adoni-Bezek.
But there’s more to it than it being a JUST PUNISHMENT.
If you have your BIG TOES removed, you will NEVER be the same. You will have to learn to walk ALL OVER again. Your BIG TOES help with balance.
I was reading on the INTERNET about this subject. This expert said,
“Yes, you can learn to walk again, but it will be a different way of walking.”
If your BIG TOES toes are removed you will never WALK, RUN or JUMP as well as you did with your BIG TOES.
King Adoni-Bezek would never run and lead his TROOPS into BATTLE.
He would never leap into his CHARIOT.
He would never JUMP over obstacles again.
He was MAIMED. He was HANDICAPPED. He would NEVER be an EFFECTIVE LEADER again.
And let me tell you something folks. Maybe it’s time you CHOP OFF some things in your life that maybe you don’t think of them as sin.
Maybe they aren’t one of the 10 commandments.
Maybe it’s hard to find it in the Bible.
But YOU KNOW it ain’t doing you ANY GOOD.
These things HINDER YOU.
They keep you from having GOOD BALANCE.
And LISTEN, you will never be an effective leader if you have these things in your life. Let me give you some examples here.
Smoking Cigarettes. Yes I said it. They may not send you to Hell but you smell like you’ve already been there. They cost you money you could be giving to a WORTHY CHARITY or the WORK of the LORD. They DESTROY your body.
Smokeless Tobacco. Same thing. You don’t smell as bad but your TEETH look rotten. LOL
Casinos. You know what you’re doing when you go to Casinos? You’re hoping to GAIN what somebody else LOST. You say, “Well, I can afford to LOSE IT. It’s just entertainment.” What about the DADDY who takes his paycheck down to the casino and loses the GROCERY MONEY for that week. And YOU WIN IT!!! Do you feel GOOD about that? I wouldn’t.
Let me tell you something. I could go into other things but if the LORD convicts you of these things you BETTER GIVE IT UP. You better CHOP IT OFF.
III. And in closing, I want to look at the LAST THING it tells us about King Adoni-Bezek.
His nation has been destroyed. 10,000 of his soldiers are killed in BATTLE. He will never lead his country again. He is CAPTURED and MAIMED. And he will He will EAT the CRUMBS from the TABLE of his captors the rest of his life. We don’t know how long he lived after all of this took place but it tells us there in Verse 7.
“And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.”
None of his sons would ever be king.
His family would no longer live in a palace.
Every thing dear to him was GONE.
In Matthew 18, Jesus doesn’t talk about cutting off a THUMB or a TOE. No, He talks about chopping off your WHOLE HAND or FOOT. He talks about PLUCKING out your EYE. Look at Verses 18 and 19 in Matthew 18.
“Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.”
Listen, I’m not here telling you to CHOP OFF some part of your body. I AM TELLING YOU that in the PAST there were some things that I, OK ME!!!!!!, NEEDED to get rid of. And I AM TELLING YOU that there may be some things in your life that you would BE a WHOLE LOT BETTER OFF ……. WITHOUT THEM. And I believe Jesus gave us this lesson so we would understand the IMPORTANCE of getting rid of things in our lives that will HINDER US. Things that might get in the way of YOU and I making it into Heaven. That’s what these verses are talking about.
Maybe it’s MORE PERSONAL than the things I mentioned. Maybe you’ve got a PROBLEM with PRIDE and EGO. Maybe you need to CHOP some of those things out of your life.
I bet OLD KING ADONI-BEZEK was PRIDEFUL. I bet he thought he had the TIGER by the TAIL. He had WHOOPED 70 other kings and CUT OFF their THUMBS and BIG TOES. He had HUMBLED THEM. He had DEFEATED THEM. He had DESTROYED their lives.
But let me tell you something today. He had NEVER MET the TRUE and LIVING GOD until Judah and Simeon came against him and there was NO WAY he could win. As his THUMBS and TOES were cut off I’m sure he thought back to his LOSS. To his DEFEAT.
Listen, if you’ve never met the TRUE and LIVING God, He’s waiting for you. He longs to be your God. He longs to free you from the SIN that may have you bound. He longs to give you peace and take away the DOUBT that you have in your life.
He longs to be THE ONE and ONLY God in your life. Jesus said you’re either for me or against me. He would love NOTHING MORE than to do your fighting for you. Drive the DEVIL right out of your life. He wants to give you a NEW LIFE.
2 Corinthians 5:17,
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
And if you’ve accepted God’s salvation and you want that CLOSE RELATIONSHIP with Him, you have to be willing to let GOD CUT some things out of your life. Satan may think he’s got you. He may think you’ll never be free from his influence. But listen, TOTALLY SURRENDER to Him. James 4:8 tells us,
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”
Let God do a work in your heart and life today.
