Judges In Our Eyes

Judges 21:15 Welcome to Israel 1400 BC and Western Civilization in 2023 AD.

· Mrs. Robinson 1968. If America lost its innocence in the 1960’s, we lost our minds 2023.

· Carl Trueman – The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self.

· Three themes repeated through Judges which are true for today.

1. The Problem is Idolatry

2. Most Solutions Ignore the Problem

3. Our Only Hope is the one True King

The Problem – Idolatry. Judges 2:6-13

· Judges 2:6-7 Joshua and his generation chose to serve the Lord (Joshua 24:14-18)

· Judges 2:8-10 Next generation arose who did not know the Lord…

· Judges 2:11-13 They worshipped the gods of their neighbors. Nature of idolatry.

o Exodus 20:1-6 No other gods before (besides, near, around).

o We worship whatever we ascribe ultimate worth to.

o Gods of Canaan Culture – Baal and Ashtaroth (more on this later)

o Modern gods – “Whatever controls us is really our god….” (Rebecca Pippert)

· Consequences Judges 2:14-15

o They were given over to their enemies. V. 14 (Romans 1:18-31).

o The Lord was against them as he had warned. V. 15 (Deut. 28/Joshua 24:20)

Solution (Temporary) – Judges. Judges 2:16-23

· V 16-18 the Lord raised up Judges – military/political leaders (addressed symptom)

· V. 19-20 Things got worse, not better.

o The People become worse – whoring after other gods… Romans 1:18-31

§ Given over to sin, Thinking become futile, they call good evil and evil good.

o The judges get progressively worse – they reflect their culture.

· Our society is moving towards the world of Judges… We have no king (basis for righteousness). Postmodernism says that there is no real truth. It says that knowledge is always made or invented and not discovered. Because knowledge is made by people, a person cannot know something for sure - all ideas and facts are 'believed' instead of 'known.’

Our Only Hope – One True King. Judges 21:15 In those days Israel had no king and everyone did what was right in their own eyes.

· We have no “king”, or foundation for righteousness -

· The Solution – We need a king who brings a kingdom. We need a king that can change hearts…

· Pilates Question – Are you a king? John 18:33-39

· Communion -