Judges Overview
Notes
Transcript
“Holy war”—How can we celebrate what happened here?
“Holy war”—How can we celebrate what happened here?
Don’t we worry about this going against commandments to not kill and take the land?
Exodus 20:15 “You shall not steal.”
Exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder.”
What made the conquests in Joshua and Judges different?
Not about race
Joshua 2 and Joshua 6
Rahab was a racial outsider, but that didn’t matter, because the goal was about getting rid of idols, not the people of particular races
Judges 2:2 “For your part, do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my command. See what you have done!”
Judges 14:3 “But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among your kin, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, because she pleases me.””
Not about imperialistic expansion
God isn’t having Israel plunder; they are to evict the people
Joshua 7 Akin is judged for keeping plunder
Eviction was not a testimony of how virtuous Israel was, but to how spiritually weak they were
War is carried out here as God’s judgment
Joshua 1.1—9 and Joshua 23.1—16
Judges 1:1 “After the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of the Lord, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?””
Why did God command this then?
These are Evil people we’re talking about
Prideful, idol worshippers, violent, rapists, animal abusers and child sacrificers
And God is using these evil people to punish eviler people
What is Judges all about?
What is Judges all about?
Judges 2:6–23 (NRSV)
When Joshua dismissed the people, the Israelites all went to their own inheritances to take possession of the land. The people worshiped the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel. Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred ten years. So they buried him within the bounds of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. Moreover, that whole generation was gathered to their ancestors, and another generation grew up after them, who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.
Then the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and worshiped the Baals; and they abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; they followed other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were all around them, and bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger. They abandoned the Lord, and worshiped Baal and the Astartes. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers who plundered them, and he sold them into the power of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them to bring misfortune, as the Lord had warned them and sworn to them; and they were in great distress.
Then the Lord raised up judges, who delivered them out of the power of those who plundered them. Yet they did not listen even to their judges; for they lusted after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their ancestors had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord; they did not follow their example. Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he delivered them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord would be moved to pity by their groaning because of those who persecuted and oppressed them. But whenever the judge died, they would relapse and behave worse than their ancestors, following other gods, worshiping them and bowing down to them. They would not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel; and he said, “Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their ancestors, and have not obeyed my voice, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died.” In order to test Israel, whether or not they would take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their ancestors did, the Lord had left those nations, not driving them out at once, and had not handed them over to Joshua.
Big takeaways
Big takeaways
Judges is about God offering grace to people who don’t deserve or value it
Judges is about God offering grace to people who don’t deserve or value it
But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the Israelites, who delivered them, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.
Othniel starts the story by initiating the cycle here: there is a constant repetition of salvation followed by abandoning God—these people don’t deserve it, but they also don’t value it.
God isn’t bothered by Israel not deserving it, but He does not put up with them not valuing it
Othniel is the best judge we got: he was, but the people immediately give up on God after He delivers them
Judges is about the tension between grace and law
Judges is about the tension between grace and law
God demands obedience but makes unconditional promises
Liberal view: God will bless us regardless
Conservative view: God will bless us if we’re sorry
Neither true
Then Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day on which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. The Lord is indeed going out before you.” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand warriors following him.
Deborah leads Israel alongside Barak, even though her leadership was against the creation order
This wasn’t her role (she was a prophet)
The men who should have been the leaders failed to step up and be an example
It’s clear that Israel’s victory is not based on their strength but on God’s authority (it’s all about grace and not about how well they are doing)
And again, they fail
Judges shows that God wants lordship over our entire lives; not just some
Judges shows that God wants lordship over our entire lives; not just some
Israel learned to live with idols in their midsts unlike what God commanded—this doesn’t work
The Lord said to Gideon, “The troops with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand. Israel would only take the credit away from me, saying, ‘My own hand has delivered me.’
Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also; for you have delivered us out of the hand of Midian.” Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.”
Gideon’s story illustrates the tension between how we treat God and how He treats us
Gideon treats God like other gods
God reduces Gideon’s army to just 300 men. He emphasizes obedience and faithfulness.
Gideon can’t say that he was strong enough (he had no men)
Gideon can’t say that he impressed God (he had to ask for clarification)
Gideon can’t even say that he was worthy
Judges shows a need for continual renewal: revival cycles die down here (but expand in Acts)
Judges shows a need for continual renewal: revival cycles die down here (but expand in Acts)
repentance
prayer
destruction of idols
appointment of good leaders
So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord at Mizpah.
Jephthah’s leadership is another example of (failure) syncretism:
It was their practice to treat God just like any other god and when he really needed God, the way that he really felt about God came out
then whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return victorious from the Ammonites, shall be the Lord’s, to be offered up by me as a burnt offering.”
Judges shows how we need a true savior, not role models:
Judges shows how we need a true savior, not role models:
What we’ve seen thus far:
Othniel: God has access to the best (can save through all)
Deborah: God can save despite buy-in (through many)—story all about the group
Gideon: God can save despite faith (through few)—story all about the widdling down
Jephthah: God can save without the best
Samson: God can save through one—story all about one man
Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” He strained with all his might; and the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So those he killed at his death were more than those he had killed during his life.
Samson’s story teaches that God saves through flawed individuals, but ultimately, just some dude isn’t enough—a Savior is needed.
Samson, acts out of vengeance, calls on God for strength in his final moments to defeat the Philistines.
End of the day, it doesn’t matter—God can accomplish His purposes through even the worst/ most flawed dude.
What does this tell us:
Salvation isn’t in human role models but in God alone. Because…
Judges shows that God is in charge, no matter what it looks like
Judges shows that God is in charge, no matter what it looks like
In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes.
Repeated throughout: Judges 2:11 “Then the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and worshiped the Baals;”
Judges 3:7 “The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, forgetting the Lord their God, and worshiping the Baals and the Asherahs.”
Judges 3:12 “The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord strengthened King Eglon of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord.”
Judges 4:1 “The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died.”
Judges 6:1 “The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years.”
Judges 13:1 “The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.”
Despite the chaotic period filled with moral monsters where “everyone did as they saw fit,” God is still sovereign.
His plan for Israel continues, especially when it seems like there is no leadership or order. The book ends with the reminder that even in apparent disarray, God is in control, pointing to the eventual coming of a King, Jesus, who will establish true and lasting order.
Full-circle, Judges points us to Jesus
Hebrews 1:1–4 “Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways.” (just like their ancestors)
Hebrews 1:3 “He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being,” (Jesus isn’t one of our flawed leaders, He’s not even just “the best of us”,)
“and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” ) Jesus was in charge back then, and He is in charge now, His will is going to happen no matter what it looks like—it’s just on us to accept Him and be along for the ride.
