Judges Chapters 2:1- 3:11
A)It was a time period in the History of the
Children of Israel that was Characterized by 2 phrases
that appear repeatedly in the book
B) The First Phrase is And
Everyone in Israel did what was right in his own eyes
1)
We
noted in our study last time this is what we would call today Relativism
Define right & wrong/ good & evil by my own Standards
C) NO ABSOLUTE TRUTH no Absolute Moral Standards
1)
So
a Prevalent theme in the book of Judges is this Everyone was doing what was
right in their own eyes
D) 2nd Phrase: is really the by Product
of the First: And Israel did that which was
Evil in the sight of the Lord
See here was the
Assumption: They were doing what they thought was right assuming in some
cases it was ok w/ God
A)But in reality what they were doing was Evil in
the sight of the Lord
B) The Result was a series of Break
downs One Compromise after another
1)
We
saw the first of those Compromises in Ch.1 last time where we read of tribe
after tribe that did not completely drive out the
Cannanites
C) What happened is they would reach a point where they felt comfortable with the amount of the enemy they had driven out/ so they stopped
1)
They
allowed a remnant to remain to cohabitate amongst them and in some cases be
cheap labor for them
D) They were comfortable that they had gotten rid of
the majority of evil influence among them & thought we dont need to do more FINE
1)
God
had given them the Victory they only needed to exercise it
But they chose to stop short of the goal
Compromise
We
noted how their dealings with the Canaanites was symbolic of our flesh dealings
w/ the flesh
A)How when we come to Christ He has one goal as it
relates to our future He wants us to be more like Him { Sanctification Process
B) SO the Lord wants us to deal with our Flesh old nature { He convicts us concerning areas of our flesh that needs to die be removed
1)
And the Father has given us the Victory given us all that we need in
order to grow & move forward in HOLINESS
2 Peter 1:3
His divine power has given to us all
things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who
called us by glory and virtue, NKJV
Rom 6:6
6 knowing this, that our old man was
crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we
should no longer be slaves of sin. NKJV
Rom 6:11Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to
sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. NKJV
Rom 6:12-13 12
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in
its lusts.And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to
sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your
members as instruments of righteousness to God. NKJV
C)
So We Know that like Israel God has given to us the Victory over our flesh we
just need to appropriate it & walk in it
1)
But
like Israel we can be guilty of only going so far weve grown we have
experienced the blessing of God
D) So We know that we have a long way to go before
we are like Christ but we have changed we like the person we have become
1)We are Comfortable with areas of our Flesh { No
big deal little thing but that little thing begins to weaken us
Sin is
always Progressive never dormant like cancer it spreads & grows: Little compromise will turn into a big
compromise
A)That is what we see happening as we move now into
Ch. 2 V. 1-3
B) Now The Angel of the Lord here is clearly God Himself, appearing in a human form Christophony
1) Jesus Christ appearing to the people of Israel before His incarnation
C). We know this is Jesus, because the Angel of the Lord here claims divinity by saying that He is the one who led Israel up from Egypt,
1)The one who made a covenant with Israel, and personally called Israel to obedience.
D)
Notice The first thing Jesus does is remind Israel of His great love and
faithfulness to them. He has delivered them from Egypt's bondage
1); He has given them an abundant land of promise; And He has given them a covenant that He will never, ever, break
E) Note: Before God EVER CALLS us to obedience or confronts our sin, He reminds us of His great love and faithfulness to us.
1)Because We can only obey Him when we are walking in His love, and abiding in His covenant with us
So
Jesus confronts Israel in love & then says you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?
A)The question is stinging in its simplicity; Because there is never a good reason for our disobedience- He is looking for Honesty
B) Always a Price to pay for Sin: SO Jesus announces that He will allow the work of possessing the land to go unfinished,
1) The inhabitants of the land will be like Thorns in side Pain & Snares
HINDER PROGRESS
4 So it was, when the Angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept.
A)They began to cry & weep Moan oh we are so bad oh we are so sorry They wept AND they a SACRIFICED V. 5
5 Then they called the name of that place Bochim; and
they sacrificed there to the LORD.NKJV
B) They wept / they Sacrificed they did everything
but repent
2 Cor 7:8-10
9 Now I rejoice, not
that you were made sorry, {Not rejoicing in your sorrow Once told
a guy many ups & downs I feel so bad }
but that your
sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you
might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance
leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces
death.
C) Godly sorrow results in a Change: That didnt
occur they wept they sacrificed but they didnt turn from the sin
1)
They
didnt deal with the Flesh drive out the Canaanites !!!!!
D) Now v. 6-9 is sort of a side bar the writer is
looking back where hind-sight is always 20/20 to give us insight into the
problems of the nation {RD}
When
Joshua and the Elders of Israel were Alive the people walked with the Lord
they were possessing the land / driving out didnt finish
A)But then Joshua & the Elders died and in v. 10
we see the 2nd Breakdown that led to their problems
10 When all that generation had been gathered to their
fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know [Acknowledge] the LORD nor the work which He had done for
Israel.
B) So
the very next Generation doesnt Know the Lord like the first
Not
acknowledging the Lord { doing what is
right in own eyes
1)Notice the result V. 11-13 / - Idolatry : Evil in the Lords sight
E) Asteroth was Canaanite goddess of fertility Multi breasted god
That days form of Pornography
1) Worship of Pleasure/ Sexual Immorality/ of the Flesh
CH.
3: 5-7 Progression { Dwelt among them / taking their wives / and worshipping
their gods Always the way of sin: Progression
A)All of this was a result of the first Generation not
passing on what they believed to the 2nd Generation
B) We need to be careful that we are not guilty of the doing the same thing Although Stats would seem to imply Church today already is guilty of this
C) Consider: Recent study done by Josh McDowell Survey of
Born again Christian kids{ Good Church kids asked Questions
Do you
believe the Bible is the word of God ?
ANS. 39% of born again Church kids say no
Is the Resurrection of Jesus
Christ true?
51% of born again Church kids say No !
Is Jesus
the Son of God?
63% of born again Church kids say no !
Is Satan Real ? 65% of born again Church kids say no !
Do you
believe in Absolute Truth ?
1991 52% of born again Church kids said no!
1994 62% of born again Church kids said no!
1998 78% of born again Church kids said no !
2003 91% of born again Church kids said no !
Now
I would hope that these Stats would not reflect the young people in this Church
But they are very alarming
A)And if these Stats are right as it relates to the Church in America then we as parents have failed in passing on a Strong Biblical belief system
B) Now In his Booklet Beyond Belief Josh MCD says that kids who dont have a Strong biblical belief system will be :
225% more likely to be angry with Life
216% more likely to be resentful
210% more likely to lack purpose in life
200% more likely to me disappointed in life
36% more likely to lie to a friend
48% more likely to cheat on a exam
200% more likely to steal
200% more likely to Physically hurt someone
300% more likely to use illegal drugs
600% more likely to attempt suicide
The
Point in all of this is that what we Believe matters and we need to be
serious about passing it on Concern for the Next Gen
A)I cant reach Moodys Gen - / Cant reach the Gen of
2050 but I can reach this Gen I want to go for it
together
B) Now in verses 14- v.4 of Chapter 3 we are given a look of the cycle Israel was going to be in for the next 350 yrs RD
C)
So here is the Cycle: Sin Compromise / God would raise up a nation punish
Israel / Yrs of Affliction & bondage Finally Cry out
1) Then God would raise up a Deliverer Become a Judge and the people would walk with the Lord until Judge died cycle repeat all over again
D) God would use their enemies to test them to see how long it would take for them to cry out to the Lord & really repent
1) So it was a sad Cycle that kept repeating itself over & over for 350 yrs
Now
before we finish tonight I want us to take a quick look at Israels first Judge
Ch. 3 v. 8
8
Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and He sold them into
the hand of Cushan king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served
Cushan- eight years.
A)Eight yrs before they
cried out Lord get us out of this cycle of
sin
Like Jonah 3 days in the
great fish Me 5 minutes
1) Some of us are really Stubborn { Maybe tonight God
has been trying to get your attention How long is it going to take ?
9 When the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the
LORD raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them:
Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. 10 The Spirit of the LORD
came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD delivered
Cushan- king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-.
11 So the land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
Now
Othniels name is an interesting name because it means God is might !!!!
A)Here is the lesson that God wants us to learn from the first deliverer it is found in his name God is might &
1) And it is found in a single word association with the HS in v.10 the word UPON
B) One day
Othniel is as Common as every other man among the nation of Israel
1)
And
the very next day he is changed into a completely different man and the
difference is that the HS has come UPON HIM
C) Now this is the same word that Jesus used in Acts
1:8 in his final address to the disciples
8 But you shall receive power when the
Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
D) With us / IN US / Upon us Empowering to serve
Listen
every Christian has the HS in them but not every Christian has experienced
the HS UPON THEM
A)Power to be a witness for Christ / Power to walk
like Jesus / talk like Jesus/ respond like Jesus / think like Jesus / have
Motives of Jesus
B) It is the Power to walk in Victory and to be like the Lord where ever we go !! Vista OCSD . Work / School / Mission Field
C) This was the mark of Othniel the thing that
marked his life & made him a deliverer
People
listen especially Young people: Your Generation desperately needs leaders
Only way to be one: Life Empowered by the HS
A)That is what is required to stand against the
Relativism of our day that is what is needed to go against the grain
B) Jesus spoke of the HS influence on a person
in Jn 7 :38 , out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
1)
Not just a Trickle Torrents not a well that is filled but a river
that is spilling over into others
Now as we
approach the communion table tonight do so remembering Christ died to set us
free from sin Paid the price
A)God will not Judge us if Christians Christ bore
the Punishment
B) Now that alone should motivate me to put away the
flesh
C) Also remember Christ is risen & lives in Me
Spirit Upon
1)
Power to walk in Holiness & Victory
D) As you come to the Table Lord I accept Your
Sacrifice & I need your Power
1) Sacrifice for me / Power with in me !!!!