1 Israel fails 1

Sin Destroys (Part 1)

Judges 6:1-10

What is the word from God?

With the events that took place last night in Iran we long for a word from God.

I wish I had a good word but the only word available is the word that God prepared my heart to speak from the beginning of the week.

Sin is Always deceitful.

Sin usually begins with a blessing.

For Instance: When Israel prepared to enter the land of Canaan they were warned.

Through Moses, God explained that the houses, the land, the crops were all given to Israel as a blessing.

But do not worship the things given to them

Sin happens when we disobey God.

It may seem a small thing.

God has blessed me so I must take care of that blessing.

That is true but not to the point of putting the blessing before obedience to God.

Maybe, we think, I just need to inquire a little more before enacting the plan.

But the result is always the same.

Disobedience.

Today we will look at the Israelites after the conquest of Canaan.

As you know the Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for 400 years.

God delivered them, miraculously, using Moses.

He gave them the land of the Canaanites, the promised land.

He established a covenant with the Jews.

He gave them what they needed to adhere to the covenant.

But they, like us, so often, choose to disobey.

They broke the covenant.

Today we talk about that break.

The way down

Then

Judges 6:1 NASB95

Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord gave them into the hands of Midian seven years.

Sadly, there is always another “then” with the people of God.

Despite all that God does for them, inevitably the people of God choose to turn their backs on Him to pursue their own sinful ways.

Throughout history, God’s people have followed an identical pattern.

They always eventually departed from Him.

God then brought judgment upon them.

In response, the people finally cried out in repentance for their sin.

As a result of the repentance, God delivered them and blessed them once more.

But invariably there was always another “then.” And the cycle repeated itself.

Imagine how far you would be in your Christian life today if there were no more “thens” in your life.

Suppose you had not been distracted or sidetracked from God’s will,

but had, instead, remained relentlessly loyal to God. Just imagine.

But we, like the Israelites of old, have a troubling tendency of being disloyal to our God, despite His steadfast love toward us.

Fiercely guard your heart.

Strive to prevent any more departures, even momentarily, from your Lord.

If there is one regret from my 32 years of marriage and the many years of fatherhood it is that I wish I would have spent more time with the ones I love.

In the Sight of the Lord

Judges 6:1 NASB95

Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord gave them into the hands of Midian seven years.

When the Israelites sinned, they did so “in the sight of the Lord.”

Of course, there is no other place we can sin.

Everything we do is in plain sight of heaven. God sees everything.

From the dawn of mankind, people have been convinced that their sinful actions were somehow concealed from their Maker.

We tend to treat God as if He were merely another person.

We act as if we can hide our actions from Him, just as we can covertly sin without others knowing what we are doing (at least for a time).

But God is not like other people. He is God. He not only knows what we do,

He is also aware of what we say and think.

There is no fooling God.

All of the evidence of our sin lies before Him.

Consider the fact that whatever you do today will be fully in the sight of God. Live accordingly.

I wonder, how much porn would be viewed if we considered that it is in the sight of God?

I wonder, how many affairs would happen if we considered that it all happens in God’s sight?

Could you imagine the horror we would feel if we knew Jesus was sitting beside us as we lied to our neighbor? or stole from our friend? or cheated on our loved ones?

Yet that is exactly what happens when we sin.

The Israelites sinned on the way down in the sight of God.

So

Judges 6:1 NASB95

Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; [so] NKJV and the Lord gave them into the hands of Midian seven years.

God has a response for every sin we commit.

He is often patient in His reaction, but He will inevitably take action.

Typically God allows us every opportunity to come to our senses and to return to Him.

But at a certain point, God raises His voice!

There comes a moment when God refuses to accept our empty promises or insincere platitudes, and He brings judgment to bear upon us.

At times God can directly punish us by sending any number of calamities upon us.

But just as devastating can be when God simply removes His hand of blessing and protection from us so we experience what it is like to live apart from His providential care.

We take God’s presence for granted, until it is removed.

Then we see clearly what a difference He makes in our life for good.

The Israelites had enjoyed God’s favor until they assumed they would always have it.

Once it was removed, however, enemies began to swarm across their borders.

God allowed the Midianites to oppress His people for seven years.

The number seven represents completeness.

God punished His people thoroughly for their sin.

What would it look like for God to punish you or our church or our nation its full and complete measure?

Could you bear it?

Don’t ever take God’s blessing in your life for granted!

Neither should you treat God’s judgment lightly.

The bottom of the barrel

No Answer

Judges 6:2 NASB95

2 The power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds.

There is no human solution to God’s judgment.

When God chooses to discipline us, there is no escape, no alleviation, or no remedy.

Our only proper response is to cry out to God in repentance.

When God allowed the Midianites to invade Israel, God’s people fled.

They built caves and dens and sought to avoid their enemies.

They knew there was no way they could withstand them.

As Gideon would prove later, when God was on their side, no enemy could resist them.

When God forsook them, any enemy could destroy them.

Understand the conclusion of this war with Iran is not a forgone conclusion.

God can raise up any enemy to defeat the disobedient.

God can use any insignificant force to discipline His chosen.

Tragically, some Christians live in defeat and failure for most of their lives.

They expend their efforts attempting to avoid the consequences of their sin rather than turning resolutely away from their transgressions.

Do you know why abortion is a thing today?

It is so man and woman can run from their sin.

Do you know why divorce is so prevalent today?

It is so that man and woman can run from their sin.

More energy is spent enduring their punishment than is expended returning to God.

Are you presently facing the consequences of your sin?

Is it not time to deal with the root cause and to be finally set free?

There is no human answer to God’s judgement.

Impoverished

Judges 6:3 NASB95

3 For it was when Israel had sown, that the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the sons of the east and go against them.

Sin is a liar.

It promises us riches but it leaves us destitute.

It entices us with pleasures but ultimately makes us miserable.

The Israelites had been lured away from God by the idol Baal.

Baal was a pagan god who promised abundant harvests and lavish wealth.

The Israelites were assured they would become rich, if only they compromised themselves with Baal’s standards.

So they did.

Yet rather than immense wealth, pillagers came and removed every possession they had painstakingly accumulated.

Because they had forsaken God for riches, God refused to let them retain their possessions.

It was a cruel irony. Because the Israelites cherished what the world valued, the world lusted after their possessions and ultimately stole them.

The world covets material possessions.

It cares nothing for the eternal.

When we value what the world does, we will always run the risk of losing what we have.

When we treasure what God prizes, no one can remove it from us.

For some Christians, their life is dominated by their efforts to hold on to what they have.

They live in constant fear of losing what they have collected.

And, their fears are well grounded.

For when we collect worldly trinkets,

we become a target for worldly treasure seekers.

Examine your life.

Are you spending more energy protecting your treasures ?

Or, are you investing in God’s kingdom?

Strongholds

Judges 6:4–5 NASB95

4 So they would camp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey. 5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in like locusts for number, both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to devastate it.

It is easy to open the door to sin

allowing sin into your life.

It is not as simple to remove the intrusive guest and close the door once more.

The Israelites had traversed down the road of apostasy to their God, turning from the very God who loved them so much.

They had rejected God’s standards and given their love to other gods.

The result was that they became vulnerable to their enemies.

By the time they realized this; it was too late.

The Midianites and their allies were now encamped across the land as numerous as locusts.

Many a person has mistakenly assumed that they could be careless with their walk with God and yet “handle” the consequences.

By the time the tide of sin had swelled up to their chin, the people realized they have bitten off more than they could chew.

There is no remedy for sin and its consequences apart from God’s provision.

Only He can address every consequence and free us from the bondage in which we find ourselves.

What may have begun as a careless sin in one area of our life soon spreads to every corner of our existence.

Before long, the enemies of our soul have invited friends and our life is captivated by the marauding hordes that rob our life of everything that is good.

If you see the floodgates of sin overrunning in your life, don’t fool yourself into assuming there is still a way for you to escape.

Matters will only grow worse over time if you do not cry out to the Lord.

Instead determine in your heart to cry out to God in repentance.

Conclusion

Take an inventory of your obedience to God.

Is there anything He has told you to do that you have failed to obey?

Are you delaying your obedience?

Are you excusing your disobedience?

While you may have been fixated on what it will cost you to obey God’s word, consider what it is costing you not to obey.

The answer to our current national situation is prayer.

Pray the church will awaken

Pray the government will turn to God for guidance.

Jesus has provided the only way to escape the penalty of sin.

#325 Whiter Than Snow

VERSE 1

Lord Jesus, I long To be perfectly whole; I want Thee forever To ransom my soul;

Break down ev’ry idol Cast out ev’ry foe: Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

VERSE 2

Lord Jesus for this I most humbly entreat I wait blessed Lord At Thy crucified feet

By faith for my cleansing I see Thy blood flow Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow

VERSE 3

Lord Jesus, Thou seest I patiently wait; Come now, and within Me a new heart create;

To those who have sought Thee, Thou never saidst No: Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

CHORUS

Whiter than snow, yes, Whiter than snow; Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.