Dont Get Stuck in a Cycle

Israel’s Unfaithfulness

Book of Judges is about cycles of Disobedience, Discipline, Repentance and Deliverance

It shows what happens to a society when it falls away from following God, just look around us now.

Judges 2:11–15 KJV 1900

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim: And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger. And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

At this point Joshua is dead and before the rise of the monarchy, so Israelites had no leader

Israel’s repeat cycle began after all the generation that had first received the promises had died. By then the younger generation had already forgotten God.

Judges 17:6 KJV 1900

In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

We can get ourselves is some trouble pretty quick when we don’t do what’s right in Gods eyes and do what we think is right.

Instead of Israelites culture rubbing off on the Canaanites, the enemies culture was rubbing off on them.

Look at the world today, what is wrong with our culture? Is the culture rubbing off on you?

The Baals, the chief god worshiped by the Canaanites, was a god of fertility, rain and vegetation. Baal worship includes practice of cult prostitution and child sacrifice, which was evil and a horrible offence to God.

Ashtaroth was Canaanites goddess or war and fertility. Ashtaroth was the female counterpart to Baal.

God was so angry with the Israelites that He turned them over to spoilers which spoiled them.

What is Spoiled? valuables taken by violence; especially in war, whether people or goods.

Since they submitted to the evil system, God allowed the system to rule them.

This isn’t just bad luck, God himself was working against them. So if God is against you, it doesn’t matter what you got going for you.

The Lord Raises up Judges

Judges 2:16–19 KJV 1900

Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so. And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

God felt sorry for them when they cried for help and raised up a judge to deliver them. Then when the judge would die Israel turned back to their idols. and every time this cycle would happen they became more wicked.

We can sometimes have things going good in our life then we can get wrapped up in the worldly things and push God to the back burner.

Then we will have some kind of crisis in our life, then we’ll cry out to God to help us.

Then things goes good again, then we push God to the back burner again.

If we aren’t careful we will caught up in the same cycles as the Israelites did.

How Can We Break The Cycle?

By learning “The Three Success Secrets of Shamgar”.

Most of y'all probably don’t have a clue to who i’m talking about.

He is the 3rd Judge and only one verse to describe him.

Judges 3:31 KJV 1900

And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.

God allotted him one little verse one little verse, but what a powerful verse it is. He slew 600 men and he also saved Israel

It’s more than likely he killed these men over time and not all at once

He is also mentioned in the song of Deborah

Judges 5:6 KJV 1900

In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, And the travellers walked through byways.

There was so much evil that people couldn’t travel by the main roads, that they had to take the back roads.

So what are the success you ask?

#1 Start where you are

Shamgar started where he was, he was a farmer because he had an ox goad

He wasn’t in a powerful position, he wasn’t famous or he wasn’t wealthy. He didn’t wait til things got better, he started were he was at.

You can waste your life before you do something. Get started now because now is the right time to start where you are.

#2 Use what you got

Shamgar used an ox goad. It’s a long stick with a sharp point on one end to goad the oxen an usually has a flatten curved piece on the other end to clean the plow and chop up roots, so basically he had a spear.

Moses had staff and God said throw it down and it turned into a serpent, then God said to pick it back up and it turned back to a staff (paraphrasing)

David had a sling and 5 smooth stones and slew a giant. Saul even try to give him his armour but it wasn’t meant for him, God already equipped him.

Samson slew 1000 men with a jawbone of an donkey

God has already equipped you with whatever you need so what are you waiting for.

#3 Do what you can

Shamgar done what he could, he slew 600 Philistines and he also saved Israel

Some people can help financially, some by helping physically but there is one thing we all can do and that is P R A Y

When Jesus died on the cross the bible says the Veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom. We have direct access to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ so we all can pray for one another.

Conclusion

True success has nothing to do with your title, your fame or your net worth. True success consist of being where God has put you, using the talent and resources God has given you and carrying out the unique mission God has assigned to you.

God has a plan and a purpose for your life, just as he had for Shamgar. If you will start where you are, use what you have and do what you can for God, He will use you in a mighty way.

You never know what God can do through you until you learn to trust Him and let Him have His way in your life.