Slavery, redemption, journey through the desert lands, and finally taking possession of the promised land. Israel was finally at its height. One would think. All the warnings to remember. The promises to God and from God. Covenants that the people would follow God, no matter what and put no one above Him. Now, having reached the land, we come to the book of Judges. Judges is a book of bloody violence, failures, and God’s redemption played out repeatedly. Why did God include the book of Judges? Well, therein lies some of the most powerful truth about life on this earth: 1. the depth of sin that lies within the human heart 2. the futility of human wisdom, 3. the sovereignty of Almighty God and 4. overwhelming mercy of a loving God who remains faithful to His Covenant.
When the hardship passes and prosperity arrives, the human heart turns to folly. Throughout the book of judges, we see the same pattern of the people. Complacency and prosperity led to tolerance. Tolerance ultimately led to assimilation. Assimilation then turned to imitation which led to rebellion against God. This becomes the recurrent theme throughout the book of judges. When God commanded them to destroy the evil idolatrous nations, Israel would become content to either tolerate their presence or even use them for slavery. But as time went by, their ideologies were intermixed with those of other nations and religions, thus assimilation would occur. The more they saw the humanistic desires fulfilled in the false idolatrous religions, imitation began. Ultimately, rebellion against God occurred as He was then the one who commanded they do not indulge in these idolatrous rituals and pleasures.
And so, the cycle continued. Tolerance, assimilation, imitation, rebellion, enslavement, cry out to God, and God’s deliverance.
Powerful Truth about Life—Sin cycle
Now the angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you, 2 and as for you, you shall not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed Me; what is this thing that you have done? 3 Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out from you; but they will become like thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’” 4 Now when the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people raised their voices and wept. 5 So they named that place Bochim; and there they sacrificed to the Lord. Judges 2: (NASB)
But then what happened?
10 All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and another generation rose up after them who did not know the Lord, nor even the work which He had done for Israel.
In other words, they failed to teach their sons and daughters about God. The first step in a nation’s demise is to fail to teach the children of the wonders of God. No wonder we are in trouble, and this is an important truth we must know.
11 Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals, 12 They abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. And they followed other gods from the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them; so they provoked the Lord to anger. 13 They abandoned the Lord and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. 14 Then the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He handed them over to plunderers. And they plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies around them, so that they could no longer stand against their enemies.
15 Wherever they went, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had spoken and just as the Lord had sworn to them, so that they were severely distressed.
But God, Faithful to His Covenant
This story is bigger than just the story of the Israelite people. God’s plan of redemption, based 100% on grace, meant these people would survive in spite of themselves.
16 Then the Lord raised up judges who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them. 17 Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they committed infidelity with other gods and bowed 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 the same as their fathers. 18 And when the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge and saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who tormented and oppressed them.
19 But it came about, when the judge died, that they would turn back and act more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and bow down to them; they did not abandon their practices or their obstinate ways. 20 So the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this nation has violated My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to My voice, 21 I in turn will no longer drive out from them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, 22 in order to test Israel by them, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk in it as their fathers did, or not.” 23 So the Lord allowed those nations to remain, not driving them out quickly; and He did not hand them over to Joshua.
Facing these nations is a test. We too are under a test. Is my heart truly, fully devoted to Him? If not all my efforts are in vain.
POWERFUL TRUTH: Our Sin filled Heart is Worse than We Know
As we even look through the groups of judges listed, we find some of the most corrupt, weak, and humanly incompetent people. Yet, God chose them. Not because they were the most upright and perfect people. Instead,
26 For consider your calling, brothers and sisters, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the insignificant things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no human may boast before God. 30 But it is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written: “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1 (NASB).
Every prophet or preacher who were allowed to see the Glory of God, fell to the ground in utter despair. The moment they saw Him, they realized the depth of their own sin filled heart.
God never hid the failures of His people, even His chosen. Why? Because the glory for anything good goes fully to God and not to the people. They were chosen by Grace and grace alone. What they did to the Glory of God was in spite of their heart, as God performed His will through them.
POWERFUL TRUTH: The Futility of Human Wisdom
Each fall came when the people determined their human ideologies were better than God. After all, why should we condemn their idol worship? We will just tolerate their words and ideas, so as to be more loving. Isn’t that Godly? But tolerance leads to assimilation—intermingling of the ideologies. After that comes imitation of the sin and ultimately absolute rebellion against God. We also know this is a major problem due to every time the Bible says they did what they think is right in their own eyes, it led to disaster.
24 And the sons of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and each one departed from there to his inheritance. 25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Judges 21 (NASB).
Also noted in Deuteronomy 12:8, Judges 17:6 or as noted in Proverbs.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a person who listens to advice is wise. Proverbs 12:15 NASB
Every person’s way is right in his own eyes, But the Lord examines the hearts. Proverbs 21:2 NASB
Our wisdom is but foolishness.
Powerful Truth: The Sovereignty of Almighty God
All things happened by God’s direct Will and Sovereignty. Every detail has been God working forth His will. He is all in all perfect in all that He does. Salvation through Jesus Christ was His plan. Even if that meant He used Samson with all His flaws to preserve His people. Ruth went to Moab, not an act of faith. There her husband and sons died. She returned with Ruth, a Moabite daughter-in-law who became the grandmother of David in the lineage of Jesus Christ.
Regarding Gideon, God won the battles with only 300 men so that no one could claim themselves to be strong or smart. They won to the praise of God’s Glory. And Gideon, was a frightened young man, who did mighty things in the strength of God. He then made a monument to Glorify God and a reminder to all the people. But they chose to worship the object after Gideon’s death, instead of worshipping God, Himself. Again, the foolishness of human wisdom and proof of the depth of sin in human hearts.
Powerful Truth: Overwhelming Mercy of a Loving God who remains Faithful to His Covenant.
God, in spite of the frailties of sin filled human hearts marches forward with Overwhelming Mercy of a Loving God. Faithful to His Covenant, He has marched throughout history to perform all that He Will.
We, who know Him, are most humble, free, and thankful that He has called us—though unworthy of His love.
And because of all this: I suggest each morning you ask yourself:
Is knowing Jesus better than ______________? (Fill in the blank with what you are pleading for)
Am I willing to live the life God asks me to?
Is there anything in my life that doesn’t please God?
Am I available to be use by God however He sees fit?
From sermon by Keith Simon, The Crossing Church
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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DISCLOSURES
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Credits
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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