CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST

Judges 1:7 KJV (WS)

And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

Adonibezek was a cruel king in the land of Canaan which had many kings who were over cities. In the conquering of Canaan, Adonibezek was captured and his great toes and thumbs were cut off. This disabled him from fleeing and from doing anything. But he had it coming, for that was his practice in the past when he fought against a king and captured him, he cut off their large toes and their thumbs. This is a beastly practice but many beastly practices occurred in those days. When the big toes and thumbs were cut off of Adonibezek, he made a confession of his evil. It said some important truths about sin.

FIRST—THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF SIN

“Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table.” Adonibezek confesses that this evil being done to him he had done to 70 other men. This confession came a bit late to avoid judgment. We will all have to acknowledge our sinfulness sooner or later. Better that we do it sooner, and not later, for later can be before the judgment of God when it will not do any good for our soul but only confirm the justification of our condemnation.

SECOND—THE AWARENESS OF SIN

“So God hath requited me.” God was aware of his sin. God is aware of all our sin. God knows all we think, say, and do.

Psalm 139.

We can hid nothing from His omniscience. We may hide our sin from people, but we will never hid it from God.

If we would live in the consciousness that God knows all, it would improve our conduct immensely.

THIRD—THE CONSEQUENCE OF JUDGMENT

“So God hath requited me.” Adonibezek recognized that he was being judged by God for his evil. He says two things about judgment here in his confession.

• The certainty of judgment. “So God hath requited me.” You will not escape Divine judgment.

You may escape the policeman and the courts of men but you will not escape the judgment of God.

You may escape judgment in this life but you will not escape judgment in eternity.

Your sin will for certain come into judgment.

• The character of judgment. “So God hath requited me.” The character of judgment which came upon Adonibezek was reciprocation.

What he had done to other kings was done to him. Chickens came home to roost for Adonibezek.

God often brings earthly judgment and chastisement upon people in the same coin in which they sinned.

It is a form of judgment that helps the one who is judged to see why he is being judged.