In those days there was
no king in Israel,
but every man did that which
was right in his own eyes.
Judges 17:6
The Book of Judges has been called the account of the Dark Ages of the Israelite people. The people forsook God (2:13), they cried about the messes that they got themselves into, God heard their cries and helped them. And yet, they eventually forsook God again - and again - and again.
There was a constant liberty of man, woman and child because there was no single leader. But it was a godless liberty, as God was not chosen to be their leader.
In those days there was no king in Israel,
but every man did that which was right in
his own eyes.
Judges 17:6
As a Christian today, in our own day-to-day affairs, we also have no single earthly leader. Our community leaders have given up God's ways - our educators have given up God's ways - our military has given up God's ways - our state leaders have given up God's ways - our national leaders have given up God's ways - even our religious leaders have given up God's ways!
In fact, today's leaders are making every effort to make God's ways illegal & WRONG in the eyes of our young people and punishable by fines, confiscation and / or jail terms.
More and more, as we do our small part in witnessing, we find that most people today - even fellow Christians - are giving up God's ways - just like what the Israelites did in the Book of Judges - they did what is right in their own eyes.
We can certainly understand that coming from the lost world. They are actually throwing out more and more of the laws that differ between right and wrong. According to their own education, sciences, psychology, and their own man made religions, they are only doing what they think is right.
But when God's own people refuse
God's ways, they also must lay claim to that verse,
every
man did that which was right in his own eyes. And
that is a shame when God's own people are willing to forsake their own
Father - just like a child rebelling and forsaking their own father today.
God will be our leader through Jesus Christ, but most Christians have thrown
out His words and thus they have thrown out their leader in Jesus Christ
through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us and speaks to us through the Holy
Bible. You throw out the Bible - KJV1611 -you have quenched and grieved
the Holy Spirit, you have thrown out Jesus Christ and have forsooken God
as your leader - just as the Israelites did throughout the book of Judges.
As a new creature created in Christ,
with God's righteousness
and having the faith of Jesus Christ,
we also have come from a long era
of bondage - to the world - and to sin.
Our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.And just as in time of the Book of Judges, our new life in Christ is not as easy as one would have thought when we were first presented with the true Gospel of Christ. One might expect a perfect life the moment we are saved. As God's children, you would think he would take wonderful care of us - no temptations, no difficulties in life, the perfect job, great children, no conflicts, wonderful peaceful days everyday until we die a peaceful death - with no pain and no suffering. But we know things will not be that way, amen?Romans 6:6,7; 17,18; 21-23
For Israel, it was a new hour in
their history, but it was a difficult time.
We will see, however, that
this was at their own choosing.
For us, as Christians, our new life is also a difficult life.
As we study the Book of Judges,
we will see that many of our own difficulties
are also a result of our own choosing
- just like the Israelites.
We also like to do what we think is right in our own eyes!
We, as God's people today, are also being called on for some great exploits - great deeds.
Dan:11:32b ...the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
As born-again people - our final
promised land is yet to come! We do know our God! God has already
provided us with our victory in the end. Until then, though, we have
a land similar to what the Israelites went through with these judges.
God would like to use his people today to do those great exploits - those
great deeds! God would give us victories today if we would just learn
to follow Him!
In Touchet Baptist church today...
Where are the Ehuds? (left handed assassins
- chpt 3)
Where are the Deborahs? (God's woman
- chpt 4 & 9:53)
Where are the Gideons? (a farmer
- chpt 6)
Where are the Shamgars? (a common
working man who used a ox goad - chpt 3:31)
Where are the small groups of men? (like
Gideon's small pitcher-armed group of men - chpt 7)
Where are the jawbones of a bunch of asses? (like
what Samson used - chpt 15:14-19)
In the Book of Judges, we find God's people falling away & worshipping the gods of the nations around them. They forgot that God had chosen them for a purpose - to tell the world the truth - that there is but one true God.
Today. we also find God's people falling away and worshipping the gods of the world around us.
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly,
that in the latter times some shall depart
from the faith,
giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines
of devils;
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience
seared with a hot iron;
I Tim 4:1,2
Many Christians have forgotten that God has chosen us for a purpose - to tell the world the truth - that there is but one true God, one true Saviour, one true Holy Bible and one True Salvation!
We are going to spend some time in the Book of Judges and learn some things from these people and from these judges - each one has a different story that we can apply in our lives, today!
Joshua gives his last message to the people in Joshua 24:1-13. He calls everybody together "before God" Joshua 24:1 and reviews everything that God had done for them.
Joshua 24:13
And I have given you a land
for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell
in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.
And now, the same for us as a Christian - God has given to us everything at the cost of His Son! Even as a nation, we were blessed by God - God made it all happen! (read some good Christian history sometime!)
All God asked of His people was to fear Him, serve Him in sincerity AND in truth - put away false gods. Joshua 24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
God asks the same from His people
today.
Rom:12:1 I
beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service.
Joshua then states as your
pastor now states:
Joshua 24:15
And if it seem evil unto you
to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve;
whether the gods which your
fathers served that were on the other side of the flood,
or the gods of the Amorites,
in whose land ye dwell:
but as for me and my house,
we will serve the LORD.
The people answered:
and still answer today:
24:16 And
the people answered and said,
God forbid that we should forsake
the LORD, to serve other gods;
21: And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD.
24: And
the people said unto Joshua,
The LORD our God will we serve,
and his voice will we obey.
Judges chapter 1
Right away, after Joshua died, Israel had some work to do. God had already given them their orders.
Deuteronomy 7:1: When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; 2: And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: 3: Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. 4: For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly. 5: But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. 6: For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
So they quickly forgot what they had promised to God!
Judges 1:21: And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.
Judges 27-35: Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land. 28: And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out. 29: Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them. 30: Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries. 31: Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob: 32: But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out. 33: Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth-anath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became tributaries unto them. 34: And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley: 35: But the Amorites would dwell in mount Heres in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim: yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became tributaries.
Thou shalt smite them
Utterly destroy them
Make no covenant with them
Shew no mercy unto them
Neither shalt thou make marriages
with them
thy daughter thou shalt not
give unto his son
nor his daughter shalt thou
take unto thy son
Ye shall destroy their altars
Break down their images
Cut down their groves
Burn their graven images with
fire!
Are we really? In this
day and age?
Aren't we suppose to love everyone?
What about unity?
Are we really suppose to those
'negative' things?
Yes, We are!!!
Rom 16:17
Mark them which cause divisions
and offences contrary to Bible doctrine.
I Tim 1:3
We are to teach no other words or doctrine other than Jesus Christs own!
I Jn 4:1
Try every spirit whether they
are of God:
because many false prophets
are gone out into the world.
II Cor 6:14-17; 7:1
14:
Be
ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship hath righteousness
with unrighteousness?
and what communion hath light
with darkness?
15: And
what concord hath Christ with Belial?
or what part hath he that believeth
with an infidel?
16:
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?...
17:
Wherefore
come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord,
and touch not the unclean thing;...
7:1b ...
let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit...
Eph 5:11
And have no fellowship with
the unfruitful works of darkness,
but rather reprove them.
Gal 1:6-8
talks of another gospel - a perverted gospel -
a gospel that will curse you!
I Jn 2:15
Love not the world, neither
the things that are in the world.
And even with our own brothers in Christ
II Thess 3:6,14,15
6: Now
we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that ye withdraw yourselves
from every brother that walketh disorderly,
14: And
if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man,
and have no company with him,
that he may be ashamed.
15:
Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Why?
Deut 2:4:
For they will turn away thy son from following me,
that they may serve other gods:
so will the anger of the LORD
be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.
6:
For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God:
the LORD thy God hath chosen
thee to be a special people unto himself,
above all people that are upon
the face of the earth.
That is us, today!
Adopted into His family!
Sons of God!
Children of God!
Joint-heirs with Christ!
Heavenly Citizenship!
A Priest of God!
A Friend of God!
Baptized into Christ's body!
Buried with Christ!
Indwelt by Christ!
Kept in His hand!
Seated with Christ in heavenly places!
Born Again!
Sealed by the Holy Spirit!
The temple of God!
Forgiven!
Justified!
Redeemed!
Sanctified!
Possessor of God's own Righteousness!
Victorious over Sin!
An Ambassador for Christ!
Made free now, soon to be Set Free!
But we can be just as guilty as the Israelites, amen?
We do not drive out all the enemy!
We often dwell with the children
of the world!
We put the world to tribute
- we need their money to survive!
We do not 'utterly' drive them
out!
The world dwells among us, and
becomes tributaries unto us!
1: And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. 2: And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?
3: Wherefore
I also said, I will not drive them out from before you;
but they shall be as thorns
in your sides,
and their gods shall be a
snare unto you.
Keeping the enemy in your life will leave you with: guilt, sickness, waste valuable time, family arguments, unhappiness, misery, quenching & grieving of the Holy Spirit, corrupt manners, cause you to err from the faith, many sorrows, a life so busy you can't serve God like you know you should!
5: And
they called the name of that place Bochim:
and they sacrificed there unto
the LORD.
When the cat is away, the rats will play!
When the parents aren't in, the kids will sin!
As we have put our faith and trust into Jesus Christ, we ask Him to be our Saviour; but as time goes by, we act more and more like our Saviour is gone! How do we do that? By not reading our Bible and acting on what the Lord tells us! People ignore His words and then wonder why it seems like Jesus Christ is dead - no power in their life - no victory - no comfort - no direction. They eventually start doing things that they think are right in 'their own eyes'. Shame on us, Bible believing Christian! Let Jesus Christ be your leader again!
Open that Book!
Let Jesus Christ be your King, not just your Saviour!
Do what is right in His eyes, nor your own eyes!
Put YOUR eyes back into the Holy Bible
KJV 1611!
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Chapter 2 of Judges