TODAY’S READING IN THE ONE YEAR BIBLE:
Judges 4-5:31; Luke 22:35-53; Psalm 94:1-23; Proverbs 14:3-4
Because I did not blog this weekend, I thought I would catch up with you faithful readers and provide a summary of the first five chapters of the Book of Judges:
In the Book of Judges we have the record of approximately 350 years of Israel’s history after the death of Joshua. There are seven cycles of spiritual declension and deliverance. About 100 of those 350 years are “mini-dark ages” in which the people turn away from God to serve their preferred idols.
The Hebrew title of the Book is “Shophetim”, meaning, “judges”, “rulers”, “deliverers” or “saviors”. Some are “warrior-rulers” (Othniel and Gideon), one is a priest (Eli, in the Book of 1 Samuel) and some are prophets (Samuel and Deborah). These various offices point to the Messiah.
The Book demonstrates the need for a righteous savior to provide deliverance and put us in a right relationship with God.
The Book records 7 apostasies, 7 servitudes, 7 heathen nations and 7 deliverances.
The verse that describes the period historically and spiritually is:
“In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 17:6; also 21:25)
This book, like the Book of Ruth that follows it, was written many years after the events occurred, when Israel had satisfied its request to have a king like other nations (Judges 17:6;18:1; 19:1; 21:25; Ruth 4:17,22)
Our contemporary culture of relativism is well reflected in the words, “every man did what was right in his own eyes.”
The Holy Spirit inspires the historical record of this period in such a way as to provide warning and instruction for us today.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; [17] so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Tim. 3:16-17
We read about the Holy Spirit coming upon certain individuals: Othniel (3:10), Gideon (6:34) Jephthah (11:29) and Samson (13:25) to help them accomplish God’s purposes.
The Bible is the story of the return of the King. We were created by God to be governed by Him (in the kingdom of God). There can be no kingdom without an enthroned king. In the first century A.D. when the apostles preached about the kingdom of God they were announcing that Israel’s true king had come, Jesus of Nazareth. However rather than receiving Christ as king, many despised and rejected Him. He came unto His own, but (as a whole) His own received Him not (John 1:11).
You will remember that David was anointed by the prophet Samuel as king, while there was another king on the throne (King Saul). King Saul represents the natural man. When the greater David, Jesus of Nazareth, the prophesied Son of David, was announced, the rule of the natural man (the kingdom of self) stood in the way. Therefore the gospel of the kingdom is a call to repentance of sin (self-rule with its ways of self-redemption) and turning to the Living God through faith in the person and work of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Joshua failed to disciple a successor. He did manage to challenge his generation to leave their preferred idols for a season (either the idols of the previous generations in the wilderness and Egypt, or the idols of the Amorites and Canaanites) and join him in serving the Living God (Josh 24:14-15). However when Joshua died at the age of 110, enemy strongholds remained in the promised land.
Israel had been warned of the spiritual and moral compromise that would occur if they failed to obey their marching orders to fully drive out the enemy.
This is a reminder that each one of us must pursue the process of sanctification(1 Thess 4:3, Heb 12:14; 2 Cor 7:1; Eph. 4:24; 1 Tim 2:2). It is the will of God that we fully pursue holiness in every area of our lives with uncompromising obedience to the Captain of our salvation, the overseer of our souls (1 Peter 2:25).
1 Thes. 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
A doctor can prescribe medicine for you to take for your illness. But if you do not take it, you are a “hearer of the word” but not “a doer” (James 1:23). The process of spiritual declension begins when we are “hearers only”. We may practice a form of godliness but be denying the power that makes obedience unto godliness possible.
As in the previous six books of the Old Testament we are reminded that in spite of the frailty and disobedience of human instruments, God persists in advancing His purpose. After the death of Moses, the plan for Israel to receive their inheritance in the Promised Land was not abandoned. Joshua pursued the God-given objectives. Now Joshua had died, and although there were many failures, God was not hindered from moving forward towards His stated objectives which would be fulfilled in Christ. Although His people experience defeats, He will not be defeated and His purposes will not be thwarted.
In the first chapter of the Book of Judges we have the record of the failure of the tribes to drive out the enemy and possess the land.
Judah is victorious at first. This tribe is the first to take the challenge to go up and fight. Judah’s successes are recorded in verses 2 to 18. The city of Bezek is taken and the Canaanites are defeated at Jerusalem, though not driven out. The tribe of Judah is successful in defeating Zephath (Hormah), Gaz, Eskelon, and Ekron.
Then we come to the word “but”. It is a word that is used often in this chapter to point out Israel’s failure to do what they were told.
Now the Lord was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country; BUT they could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had iron chariots. (Judges 1:19)
A similar thing is said of the tribe of Benjamin.
BUT the sons of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem; so the Jebusites have lived with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day. (Judges 1:21)
The house of Joseph (the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh) also compromise with the enemy. They let a man and his family go free who then built another fortified city of resistance named ‘Luz’ (1:22-26).
Judges Chapter 1 continues to list the failures of the tribe of Manasseh (v.27); Ephraim (v. 29); Zebulun (v.30); Asher (v. 31); Naphtali (v.33). The tribe of Dan was constricted (hindered) by the Amorites. In the New Testament we see that Satan is a hinderer and will do what he can to hold us back from obedience (1 Thess 2:18).
We have a summary statement in verse 28:
Judges 1:28 It came about when Israel became strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely.
Because the writer had the advantage of being able to reflect upon these events, he is able to identify the 7 cycles of apostasy, in which the people of God turn away from Him, call out to Him for a deliverer, and then receive a deliverer whom He raises up to restore their peace.
THE LORD’S REBUKE
The writer is able to see the continuity of God’s purpose. The commander in chief remains, the angel of the Lord, the captain of the Lord’s host whom we met in Joshua 5:13). The angel claims to be the one who brought them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. He rebukes the Israelites for making covenants with the enemy and not tearing down false altars. He rebukes them with these words:
Judges 2:3 “Therefore I also said, 'I will not drive them out before you; but they will become as thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.' "
The rest is history. They name the place where the angel announces this bad news “Bochim” which means “weeping”.
How is it possible that the people of God who had been delivered and provided for by the good hand of God should turn again to Baal worship? (2:11-12)
A whole generation grew up that did not know or believe the good news of who God is and what He had done for them (a prefiguring of the gospel).
Judges 2:10 All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel.
They served Baal and the Ashtoreth. These counterfeit gods allowed for the indulgence of carnal pursuits, sensuality and sexual immorality. By bowing to these idols the children of Israel were denying that Yahweh was the One True God. They rationalized that they could have Yahweh plus Baal and Ashtoreth for “the best life now”. If Baal was appeased, he promised fertility, success and prosperity. These gods dominated the culture then just as they do our culture today.
When we refuse to be separate from the spirit of this age, we find that, like the children of Israel, “we can no longer stand before our enemies” (2:14)
The history of the period is reflected in another summary verse:
Then the Lord raised up judges who delivered them from the hands of those who plundered them. [17] Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they played the harlot after other gods and bowed themselves down to them. They turned aside quickly from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do as their fathers. (Judges 2:16-17)
An important truth to recognize is that God will allow us to face difficult circumstances to test us. These are the trials of our faith. The hard times and false ways cause us to be spiritually exercised, gain experience and grow in spiritual discernment.
Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to test Israel by them (that is, all who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan; [2] only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war, those who had not experienced it formerly). (Judges 3:1-2)
The Lord’s will of command was for Israel to drive out the nations. The Lord’s sovereign will was to use the nations that remained as a result of the Israelite’s disobedience to further His objectives.
In Chapter 3:5, the declension and deliverance pattern that characterizes the period of the Judges begins.
THE FIRST CYCLE OF DELIVERANCE - OTHNIEL
DECLENSION
The sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; [6] and they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. (3:5-6)
DELIVERANCE
When the sons of Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to deliver them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.
Othniel is the first of 15 Judges in this period. His victory brought 40 years of peace.
THE SECOND CYCLE OF DELIVERANCE - EHUD
DECLENSION, DEFEAT AND ENEMY DOMINATION
After Othniel’s death, the Israelites were defeated and served Eglon the king of Moab for 18 years.
DELIVERANCE
When the sons of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up left-handed Ehud, who with his secret weapon, a short two-edged sword, attached to his thigh and hidden under his cloak , killed the obese King Eglon and led the sons of Israel to strike down 10,000 robust valiant Moabite men. Ehud secured peace for 80 years.
After Ehud came another judge, Shamgur, who struck down 600 Philistines with his simple weapon of an oxgoad. It appears that he did this single handedly. He must have been a man of great passion and persistence (Judges 3:31). It would require great stamina and resolve to carry this out. He was driven by conviction but we wonder how effective he was as a leader, especially when he is mentioned in Deborah’s song in Chapter 5.
Judges 5:6 (NIV) 6 "In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the roads were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths.
People did not travel on the main roads for some reason. Perhaps they were not safe from attack. Or maybe the roads were in poor repair. Shamgur may have been successful in some areas but it appears that he neglected some other important areas of concern that required his leadership.
THE THIRD CYCLE OF DELIVERANCE - DEBORAH
DECLENSION, DEFEAT and ENEMY DOMINATION
The sons of Israel once again turn away from the LORD and do that which is evil in his sight. They are defeated and dominated by Jabin king of Canaan. His commander was Sisera. The enemy’s army had 900 iron chariots. They oppressed Israel for 20 years.
DELIVERANCE
Deborah, the prophetess, was judge at this time. When the sons of Israel cry out to the Lord for deliverance (v.3) and the Lord called Barak to take ten thousand men to Mt. Tabor where the Lord promised to draw out Sisera and give him into his hand.
But Barak balks at this, refusing to go unless Deborah goes with him.
She agrees to go but prophesies that the honor would not be his but that of a woman. “The Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.”
God’s plan is to use both men and women in His purposes. Both are gifted with leadership. However God’s pattern is expressing His image as male/female partnership and male headship in the church and the home.
Deborah and Barak and 10,000 men are able to rout out the army of Sisera and Sisera escapes on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. Jael invites Sisiera to stay the night and then kills him with a tent peg while he is sleeping.
Later as Barak is seeking to destroy Sisera he comes to Jael who shows him that the enemy he seeks to capture has already been killed by a woman, herself, according to the prophecy of Deborah.
In Chapter 5 Deborah and Barak sing of the victory that God gave His people. (5:1-31)
They rejoice that God’s people rallied to the cause.
As a local pastor I often think of these lines from Deborah’s song. They reflect my appreciation for the volunteers in the work of the church.
Judges 5:9
"My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel,
The volunteers among the people;
Bless the Lord!
How wonderful it is when all of God’s people are spiritually exercised and in the battle!
"That the leaders led in Israel,
That the people volunteered,
Bless the Lord! (judges 5:2)
It’s a beautiful thing when each one functions in their spiritual gift- when leaders lead, teachers teach, administrators administrate, and helpers help!
We have instructive words in verse 23 of the song:
Judges 5:23
'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the Lord,
'Utterly curse its inhabitants;
Because they did not come to the help of the Lord,
To the help of the Lord against the warriors.'
There are situations and hours in which neutrality becomes criminal.
Jesus said if you don’t gather with him, you scatter.
Not too long ago, during the Communist’s rule of the Soviet Union, one orthodox priest wrote a letter:
“We are at the front, in the front line. And this front line is all around us because the enemy has surrounded us on all sides. We are surrounded by the press, art, theater, schools, official institutions, everything is occupied by the godless. The laws are designed to suffocate religion. We have been at the front line for a long time. Many of us have been taken prisoner. One might say that the whole front has been captured. Anyone who can hear us, respond. Do not believe those who are trying to dismiss the danger. The aim of the enemy is to destroy us. He has not other aims. But having destroyed us, he will destroy you as well.”
Do we give in to a culture where all do what is right in their own eyes? Do we condone spiritual compromise and idolatry in our own hearts? Do we stand with the Lord against the enemy? Or are we complacent, like Meroz? (5:13)
Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephes. 6:11-12)
Due to Deborah’s leadership and Jael’s bravery, Sisera was defeated and the land was in undisturbed peace for 40 years.
PRAY FOR THE NATIONS – from the Prayer Guide “OPERATION WORLD”
COLOMBIA
Republic of Colombia
Latin America
Geography
Area: 1,141,748 sq km
Northwest corner of South America. The fourth-largest country on the continent. Mountains in west; plains, forests
and jungles in east.
and jungles in east.
Answer to Prayer
Colombia is moving toward stability and order. Murder, kidnapping and crime rates show significant decreases in recent years with crackdowns on violent groups on both sides of the political spectrum. Thousands of guerrillas and paramilitaries are demobilizing due to government amnesty. Problems still abound and Colombia is far from peaceful, but clear progress in the last several years is an encouragement to most.
Challenge for Prayer
Colombia remains volatile and dangerous, although a strong government has stabilized the nation in recent years. Levels of violence, kidnapping and assassination are still abnormally high. Leftist guerrillas and right-wing paramilitaries both seem to have abandoned ideological agendas and have effectively become gangs profiting from cocaine and kidnapping. Political or religious leaders who oppose such groups are targeted. Cocaine production has actually grown despite the government’s efforts to reduce it. Crop destruction has driven the rebels and coca growers into national parks and ecological reserves where they are destroying much of Colombia’s rich ecosystem and biodiversity. Pray for a government that will be strong in opposing violence and wise and just in moving the nation forward. A number of key government figures have been exposed as having ties to paramilitary groups. This is a revelation that will ultimately prove healthy for transparency and accountability, but will shake many people’s trust in the government in a land where faith in state institutions is already weak.
Yours in the harvest,
Pastor David
So, naturally, we proclaim Christ! We warn everyone we meet, and we teach everyone we can, all that we know about him, so that, if possible, we may bring every man up to his full maturity in Christ. (Colossians 1:28, J.B. Phillips paraphrase)
New Life Community Church, Concord, MA 10742
Meeting Sundays at 10:30 AM at the Emerson Umbrella for the Arts, 40 Stow Street, Concord MA
Mailing Address: Post Office Box Five, Concord, MA 01742
Church Offices: 35 Bypass Rd. Lincoln, MA 01773 978-369-0061
Home Office: 978-371-3176
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