Big Idea: The compassionate saving God who is looking for faith
I want to tell you a story
There were these people who had a god – but not just any old god – a god who had rescued them from captivity – they had been slaves in a foreign land – they lived under the authority of a bad king and had to serve him in all they did – but through a course of events they were rescued – and were promised a new land a new home where they would find rest And what happened to them – well over the course of time they were given a land by their god – a special land which would be theirs – a land full of good things – no longer would they be under the rule of an evil dictator they would now live in a new place – they could be their own people. This was not done because they were good or wise or noble. But simply because their God loved them. And their god helped them live in this land – he helped them to win their battles – he was with them. He promised to always be with them if they lived for him.
They were not the only people who lived in this land. Surrounding them were many other people with their own gods – gods who could help with the harvest, gods who would help bring in more children – different gods, interesting gods - (at least that is what they thought) and as time went on they forgot about their god, and they forgot about where they had come from.
The other gods were too interesting – new, exciting – and so they served these gods – they forgot their god who had looked after them and rescued them. This made their god angry – he loved them and as all good parents know – true love also brings discipline – without discipline bad habits are reinforced, bad character is cultivated. So their god let them start losing battles – he let them realize that without him nothing good could come – without him they would be like everyone else – have no certainty.
But their god was a god of compassion – he was the god who had rescued them in the first place, he was the god who had brought them into the good land. So in his goodness, from his compassion he raised up special people – people who would help them win their battles, who would save them ‘saving people’ if you want – and they did – and you would have thought that was the end of the story that the people and that they all lived happily ever after
But no they didn’t live happily ever after – they lived happily chasing after other gods – they went back to their old ways following the old gods in the land – the interesting gods, the different gods, the new gods. And over time it got worse and worse and worse – they became more and more filled with badness – their god still had compassion – but their spiral of badness and evil got worse. So their god decided he would no longer help them win their battles – but would let the other people live around them remain to see who would return to him and live for him amidst this melting pot of gods. Who would be faithful and keep his way…. Will my people be faithful in this generation
And that is where our story will end – it starts with an enslaved oppressed people and it ends with an enslaved oppressed people. A people who start off serving a foreign King and end up serving foreign gods – and fall deeper and deeper into evil.
But what is the moral of the story?
Is it Watch out for interesting gods?
Is it Don’t disobey your God
Is it Be a good follower of God
God will get you out of your problems by sending someone when you need them
Who has ever played snakes and ladders – young – and there were was always 1 snake and 1 ladder – and you didn’t want to land on the snake because you know you were going down. In the same way the people of Israel were in some mega game of snakes and ladders – the way they played the game meant they kept landing on snakes sliding further and further down – yet God placed them on a ladder – to bring them back up again. Yet no matter how many ladders he provided they always seemed to find a snake. Michael Wilcock in his commentary on Judges provides a helpful cycle of rebellion, retribution, repentance and rescue.
Well lets go back to the Bible text and see where the root of the problem lie.
Vs.10 , and vs.12 –
The Bible is clear the 2 problems were they forgot the Lord and they forgot their story.
The story of their rescue, the god who cared for them – and what happened they looked at the immediate the surroundings, the gods who were more visible. They looked for the visible and chased after that.
The signs of a faithless people were forgetting the Lord and forgetting the story
So what would have been true faith – well to know the Lord and to know their story.
Let’s thing about why these were so important
To know the Lord
Well He was their Creator and Rescuer – he was the reason they were in the land in the first place. The people couldn’t reminisce about some religious experience their forefathers had – they needed to enter in their own experience of the Lord. To know the goodness, the compassion, the justice of their God and that he wanted a relationship with them. That was their life purpose that was why they were created
“Augustine: We will never find our rest till we find our rest in thee”.
To know their story
Their God had rescued them – he had brought them out of Egypt – he had led them through the desert he had brought them into the land – yet they forgot this – they looked at the immediate the up to date story
“the lights and sounds and all that glitter – (hold their sway). Let’s look at the 2 god’s mentioned here. Baal and Ashtaroth – These were Canaanite Gods – the Canaanites were the people who were in the land before the Israelites. Baal was the god of “storm and rain” – therefore the controller of the crops. No rain no food is a truth not only know but also in the Bible. – The Israelites were a farming people so they needed storms and rain – and therefore they assumed they must need Baal – “He provides the rain we must need him if we are to be successful”. Does our god know about rain & crops – he was the god of the desert – what does he know – he was good for his purposes but what about know
Secondly ashtoreth was the Goddess of “war & fertility” – without an increasing population how would Israel grow – how would they have the sufficient manpower to do the job. Our God just seemed to kill people when we were in the desert – if we’re going to be a big people lets follow Ashtoreth – she will help us increase our population.
Highly logical – highly plausible – yet wrong – There was only one true God – Yahweh, and the consequences of the people following these Gods
Just on an aside For me one of the evidences of Christianity and the self evident truth of Christ is the changes he brings to peoples lives. Let truth be seen by the fruit it brings – let folly be seen by its consequences.
Here the folly of their so called faith could be seen by the consequences – they forgot their story and chased after the immediate.
And this led to their disobedience. Then the Lord sent Judges – rescuers – but again people forgot their God and forgot the story of their rescue (this time the rescue by the Judge). The judges in the book had special mental & moral qualities, wisdom and military prowess Some of the more famous ones were Samson, Deborah & Gideon
And we see at the end of the passage this picture of the compassionate God who is almost posing the tantalizing question “Will my people be faithful in this generation or will they simply be absorbed.
When did all this happen?? 1200 & 1000 BC
Lets move forward 3000 years
The great judge has come – Christ not the one off Saviour, not the Saviour of a people group in Israel, not the Saviour of the Jews, but Christ the Saviour of the World has come, dies and risen so that we might be forgiven for the bad things we have done against God.
3000 years ago the people of God lived in a “pre-Jewish” pre Christian period with many sights and smells to attract them – the more immediate Gods of “Baal” & Ashtoreth. The lived for the gods of what could be seen and not the Great God of the unseen God.
We now live in a “post-Christian” society – and we too have our Baal’s and Ashtoreths – the gods of the visible – the gods of the immediate – the gods of cash, consumerism of a comfortable lifestyle. Too often we live for the gods of what can be seen and not for the great God of the unseen.
3000years ago God had laid down a challenge “will my people be faithful?” The cry is echoed in the New Testament to us
“Will the Son of Man find faith when he comes”
Friends if these people needed to know their God and know their story. How much truer is that for us
Too often I know I can beat myself up about being more obedient – I must serve him more – no, I must try harder NO NO no – we must know HIM more.
Because the more we know the Lord the more we want to serve him – the root to obedience comes through relationship. And when we forgot our story and all that he has done – we become disobedient – we become less faithful we lose our heat & passion. Know the Lord and know your story
What does it mean to know our God – well we seek out those quiet places where we talk and listen and read his Word? Will we seek to learn from others here at Stoneleigh? Will we carve out space and time away from the Baal’s and Ashtoreths for the one true God. Will we sit down and repent and acknowledge when we chase after the seen, the immediate that which gratifiers us know.
What does it mean to know our story. Well in some way this is on 2 levels. Firstly will you learn your story as the people of God – if you want the story of the Bible – the story of Jesus all he did and how he died for you, and how he will return to bring you home – If Christ is your Lord then His Story is also our story. As a Christian you are no longer some isolated island – the Bible talks about how you have been grafted in – once you were not a people now you are a people. There is so much we can learn from not only the Bible but the stories of our brothers and sisters who have gone before us.
But just as importantly if not more so you will you learn your story as a son or daughter of the King – do you remember how God rescued you – do you remember the blessings and answered prayers. Do you write down the way the Lord has been working in your life. This is your story. Forget it at your peril.
But this not only builds us up it can build up others. I often see a lot in the papers about how we can maximize our giving for those around us when we dies – how to maximize the use of your assets – how to ensure you can maximize your legacy to others. Well this knowledge of God and story as the people of God, and our own personal story is the greatest legacy we can leave to those around us. What else is of more value – they may not accept it – but it is the only thing of true value we can pass on to them. James tell me about God and what he has done in your life. If I have spent my life knowing Him and the story of Him in my life what a great gift to leave my family
So to answer the question what is true faith The Israelites problems cam when they did not know the Lord and know their story. When in the midst of all around them they forget. Faith is truly being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
In the words of Churchill “May we never ever ever forgot
Let us pray - Read Hebrews 12:2-3
