A Culture Under Judgement
Notes
Transcript
Review
The leaders of the people were corrupt
The priests failed to teach the people and lead God-honoring worship
The King erected idols and drew people away from the true God.
The leaders have nowhere to hide and no hope of covering up their evil deeds.
I response to all of this, the Lord declares that He will discipline them all.
There was a refusal to repent among the people
A brazen arrogance
Just going through the motions (offering flocks and herds)
4 lessons about a culture that is under God’s judgement
8 Blow the horn in Gibeah,
the trumpet in Ramah.
Sound the alarm at Beth-aven;
we follow you, O Benjamin!
9 Ephraim shall become a desolation
in the day of punishment;
among the tribes of Israel
I make known what is sure.
10 The princes of Judah have become
like those who move the landmark;
upon them I will pour out
my wrath like water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment,
because he was determined to go after filth.
12 But I am like a moth to Ephraim,
and like dry rot to the house of Judah.
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness,
and Judah his wound,
then Ephraim went to Assyria,
and sent to the great king.
But he is not able to cure you
or heal your wound.
14 For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
and like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I, even I, will tear and go away;
I will carry off, and no one shall rescue.
15 I will return again to my place,
until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face,
and in their distress earnestly seek me.
Sin Increases Conflict (7-10)
Sin Increases Conflict (7-10)
What does the call for trumpets often signify in Scripture?
Sometimes triumph.
Warning of impending judgement (7 trumpets in Rev.)
This call for the trumpets to be sounded was perhaps a reference to the judgement that would come in the form of the Assyrian assault and captivity.
Now at the time of this writing, I think that Benjamin was still connected to Judah (south of Israel of course)
So we have Benjamin and Judah in the south and Israel in the north.
Gibea, Ramah, Beth-aven straddled this boundary.
That the horn and trumpet were called to sound shows that all of Israel, right to its most southern border where these territories lie, are in jeopardy.
The human invaders are just tools of God’s judgement. Notice how God refers to Himself in verse 14:
14 For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
and like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I, even I, will tear and go away;
I will carry off, and no one shall rescue.
What provokes this is the people’s sin. The corruption of the leaders and the people as outlined in the first half of this chapter.
Land-grabbing is what is referenced in verse 10
10 The princes of Judah have become
like those who move the landmark;
upon them I will pour out
my wrath like water.
Boundary moving was often seen as a disruption of peace in Scripture:
2 They covet fields and seize them,
and houses, and take them away;
they oppress a man and his house,
a man and his inheritance.
8 Woe to those who join house to house,
who add field to field,
until there is no more room,
and you are made to dwell alone
in the midst of the land.
Every man for himself becomes the minds set among the people. Seeking to strengthen one’s position at the expense of others. This is familiar to us, but it seems it is pictured as indicitive of God’s withdraw from His people. Everyone is seeing others as threats.
And so we see what eventually happens in verse 9
9 Ephraim shall become a desolation
in the day of punishment;
among the tribes of Israel
I make known what is sure.
The way one commentator described this scene is ungodliness leading to cultural barbarism
And if a rejection of God is the culprit here, calling people to repentance is the answer to this rebellion.
But sin increases the conflict between people.
Attempts to Escape God’s Judgement Fail (11-12)
Attempts to Escape God’s Judgement Fail (11-12)
To quickly clarify, ungodly attempts fail. True repentance of our sin is God-honoring.
There is a sobering reality of calamity is stated in verse 11
11 Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment,
because he was determined to go after filth.
And God reiterates that the impending judgement is not ultimately from man. It’s from Him.
What imagery is contained in verse 12?
Moth larvae feeding on plants or clothing or carpets reducing nit to nothing.
Same with the image of dry rot.
So here, another level of God’s judgement is put forward: Not only has Israel lost God as their protector but gained Him as their aggressor.
This is a different side of the imagery of God’s wrath. This reflects what Paul said happens to those who reject God.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
Ungodly Alignments Fuels the Fire (13)
Ungodly Alignments Fuels the Fire (13)
What did Israel do in response to God’s judgement? Turned to Assyria for help.
One commentator says this likely refers to tribute paid in 745 BC by Menahem to secure peace with Tiglath-pileser III
19 Pul the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that he might help him to confirm his hold on the royal power. 20 Menahem exacted the money from Israel, that is, from all the wealthy men, fifty shekels of silver from every man, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back and did not stay there in the land.
While the King of Assyria turned back, the peace did not last long. Assyria wiped out Israel.
What do our efforts to manipulate situations that exist because of our sin, demonstrate about our posture towards our sin? About our understanding of repentance? About our understanding of peace?
God Always Judges Sin (14)
God Always Judges Sin (14)
Lions signify violence and strength.
Lions tear and drag off their prey… this is the imagery here for the judgement of God. Sobering.
Israel was afraid of Assyria, but their fear was misplaced.
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
A Note of Grace (15)
A Note of Grace (15)
God provides a word of comfort: I will return again to my place. What does this make clear about God’s presence among His people?
God makes the conditions of peace with Him clear: until the acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me.
