Judges: Finish Well
Notes
Transcript
I remember my friend inviting me to climb Pikes Peak (14,115 ft.)
1 After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the Lord, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?”
I remember my friend inviting me to climb Pikes Peak (14,115 ft.)
1 After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the Lord, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?”
2 The Lord said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.”
tell the story
Its so easy to give up
Hate giving up
I wanted to finish and I wanted to finish well.
finishing well is so important, and also very difficult.
We are near the end of January, and many have already given up on new year resolutions
There is no glory or joy in running a marathon, or a 5k, and giving up before the end.
When times get hard, its so easy to give up.
failed marriages
often times, not all the time, due to giving up
half-finished educations
There was a running joke in seminary
in the beginning everybody wanted to make straight A’s - a 4.0 GPA
By the second year the 4.0 is gone and you start taking comfort in the fact that C’s get degrees
by the final year the idea that D stands for diploma offers many a great deal of comfort.
To finish well is a calling for all who follow Christ.
in the three synoptic gospels we find the parable of the Sower
Sower went out to sow seed
some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.
Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.
And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.
Only the seed that feel on the good soil finished well, the others fell away due to trouble or persecution, others fall away due to the cares of the world.
As followers of Christ we must devote our lives to running the race God has set for us. And this race is one that leads us toward Christ.
We do so trusting that he is with us every step of the way.
We run the race with confidence that Jesus has gone before us and blazed the trail
We run with a boldness knowing that Jesus has already conquered the evil one, and has guaranteed the victory for those who continue to trust and obey.
And what an amazing truth!
Jesus has already done everything,
he has accomplished everythign,
he has defeated everything -
No matter how afflicted, perplexed, discouraged, sad, or pain we are in, Christ is present.
He meets us in the most challenging struggles of life - no matter how hard it gets, he is there, and he is faithful, and he calls us to follow him through the valley of the shadow of death.
For he has gone before us and has made a way for us,
he now calls us to follow him and by his power submit our lives to the work of building his kingdom on earth.
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you. 13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
2 cor 4 7-11
And this is what it means to finish well, we hold on to Jesus no matter what.
The bible is full of stories telling us about great heroes of the faith who walk faithfully with God even in the face of death. And we should aspire to be like these great men and women.
However, the bible also contains stories of people who in the face of difficulty are like the seeds that die away due to being choked out by the weeds all around them.
Our hears must desire to hear, “well done good and faithful servant” when we come into the presence of Christ, our Lord and King.
The introduction to Judges shows us a people who failed to finish well. Even though God did everything for them, they failed to worship God and God alone.
even though God goes before them, they do not follow him,
even though God has saved them, they do not love him,
even though God fights for them, they do not trust him
And these stories likewise are to be an example for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. And if we pay attention to the text, we see our story weaved into the narrative of Judges chapter 1.
So turn with me to Judges chapter 1
1 After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the Lord, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?”
Up until this point, Israel followed their leader. First it was Moses, and then it was Joshua.
Whenever they had questions about warfare or God’s word to them, they would go to their leader… However, after Joshua dies, they no longer have a single leader.
So the people need direction on who will lead them into the land to fight the Canaanites.
After the death of Joshua…
The author of judges lets us know that the book of Judges immediately follows the book of Joshua.
Joshua’s death is mentioned in both of the two introductions of Judges.
The first introduction begins here in and goes through
The second introduction starts in and goes through
The first introduction, as we will see this morning, focuses in on Israel’s attempt and failure to enter the land God had given them.
The second introduction, as we looked at last week, gives us a theological and thematic introduction to the cycle of the Judges
1. Israel does evil and worships the Baals.
2. God becomes angry and hands Israel over to an enemy nation.
3. Israel cries for help.
4. God raises up judges who deliver Israel from the enemy.
5. Israel returns again to foreign gods.
Yet both introductions begin with the death of Joshua… Look at which is the beginning of the second introduction
The Death of Joshua
6 When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land.
7 And the people served 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.
8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years.
9 And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash.
10 And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.
Judges 2.6-10
So Joshua died, and all those of his generation. However, they did not tell their children the stories of Joshua, they did not tell their children the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, of Moses and god’s power in the Exodus.
They did not “know” (to hear or to learn) of YHWH or the work he had done for Israel.
Their fathers did not tell them the story.
And when we don’t know the story of God’s redemption and power from the past, we won’t know how to apply God’s redemption and power in the present
And what happens when Israel forgets the story? What happens when a generation doesn’t know God nor the power of his redemption?
The People fall into the cycle we see happening over and over in the book of Judges.
1. Israel does evil and worships the Baals.
2. God becomes angry and hands Israel over to an enemy nation.
3. Israel cries for help.
4. God raises up judges who deliver Israel from the enemy.
5. Israel returns again to foreign gods.
So thats the second introduction, and overview of Joshua’s death and Israel’s decent into idolatry by worshiping the Baals.
d God had given them?
1 After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the Lord, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?”
Chapter 1
After Joshua dies, the people of Israel are left without a leader, and they want to know who is going to lead them, as Joshua did, in their conquest of the land.
Who is going to continue the fight Joshua started to drive out the Canaanites and other enemies out of the promised land God had given them?
who is going to fight the Canaanites on behalf of the people?
Who is going to walk faithfully before God?
Who is going to have the faith and boldness to obey God and drive out the enemies from the land?
The Lord tells Israel that Judah shall go up into the land first and fight
2 The Lord said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.”
2 The Lord said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.”
Jud
The Commission
The Commission
The Lord said, “Judah shall go up”
This is the commission
the land that was promised to Abraham is to be taken and ruled by Judah.
the Tribe of Judah is to be the first ones to go and lead the other tribes in the conquest of the land.
Judah is given primacy because they are to be the royal tribe.
Judah was given the promise that his sons will rule
Back in before Jacob died, he blesses his sons and of Judah he says,
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
The descendants of Judah are to be the ones who rule, they are the ones whom the peoples are to obey.
It is through Judah that King David comes
It is through Judah that the kingdom is established
And it is through Judah that the greater David comes, and it is through Judah that the eternal kingdom is established - For Christ is the lion of Judah, the eternal king.
so even here in we see a echo of Christ through the priority of Judah.
So this is why God says that Judah is to go first, they are the ones who are to go and fight and pave the way for the other tribes.
Looking back at
2 The Lord said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.”
“I have given the land into his hand. “
What a powerful and assuring thing to hear from the creator of the world.
If God, the creator of all things, the one who holds the universe together and is sovereign over all things, says that he has given the land into your hands… how much confidence would that give you?
This verse offers so much promise
Victory for Judah and all of Israel is guaranteed, there is no enemy that will be able to defeat them, there is no opposing force that can stop them, for YHWH will fight for them.
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
Judah and Israel only needs to faithfully follow God, they only need to worship him, trust him, and obey him.
Judah is the tribe from which David and Jesus comes
The only thing that would be able to stop Israel is if they stop following God. For Israel to accomplish the mission they only have to keep their eyes on God.
Joshua warned the people before he died saying that if they worship other gods, if they don’t trust and obey YHWH, then God will drive them out and hand them over to their enemies.
Judah was the royal tribe, they were the ones who were to rule the all the land.
So how does Judah respond to this commission to take the land?
well, they start out great
The people Judah and Simeon teamed up and faithfully follow God’s leading.
3 And Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, that we may fight against the Canaanites. And I likewise will go with you into the territory allotted to you.” So Simeon went with him.
So Judges chapter one tells the story of how the different tribes of Israel respond to the commission given to them by God.
Their first enemy Judah comes to is symbolically the greatest and most evil enemy in the book of Judges. And his name is Adoni-Bezek
Their first enemy is symbolically the greatest enemy in the book of Judges. And his name is Adoni-Bezek
This enemy is introduced in vv.4-7
4 Then Judah went up and the Lord gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they defeated 10,000 of them at Bezek.
3 And Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, that we may fight against the Canaanites. And I likewise will go with you into the territory allotted to you.” So Simeon went with him.
10,000 is a nice round number, and its a number that has great symbolic significance.
Judges 1.3-
10 is the number for perfection and completion its a number of totality in the bible.
So when they go into Bezek and defeat 10,000 of them, this is a total and utter defeat. The Lord is completely victorious here by giving Bezek into the hands of Judah.
5 They found Adoni-bezek at Bezek and fought against him and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
However the texts focus more on the the single leader of Bezek than it does on the 10,000 that were conquered.
Look with me at vv. 5-7
6 Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes.
5 They found Adoni-bezek at Bezek and fought against him and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
6 Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes.
5 They found Adoni-bezek at Bezek and fought against him and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
6 Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes.
7 And Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
So when they cought him, they cut off his thumbs and big toes.
Why would they do that?
What we find is that Judah uses Adoni-Bezek’s own weapon against him.
7 And Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
Adoni-bezek is symbolically the most heinous and powerful villain in the book of Judges.
Adoni is the Hebrew word for Lord or master, and Bezek means lightening. So this demonic Canaanite king is called the Lord of Lightening.
His name is one that is given to divine beings - this tells us that he is a satan figure in the book of Judges.
He is the head of the 70 nations, and this serpent figure gets crushed by Judah, YHWH’s royal tribe.
After having his thumbs and big toes cut off he confesses that God is repaying him (an eye of an eye) for he had done.
Adoni-bezek cut off the thumbs and big toes of seventy kings and made them pick up scraps under his table.
Adoni-bezek is a Satanic figure whose name is divine name meaning, “lord of lightening”
This satanic figure had 70 kings under his control.
70 is a number that is often used to refer to the nations of the whole world.
In we have whats called the table of nations, and their are 70 nations mentioned..
So adoni-bezek ruled over 70 kings of 70 nations, thus, symbolically the whole world, was under his control.
So when Judah comes into the land the first enemy he defeats is the satanic figure who ruled the whole world.
After Adoni-bezek was defeated the rest of the tribes just had to mop up.
Judah landed the decisive blow by crushing the political head of the canaanites.
And now those who were supposed to follow and serve Judah only had to go and finish the job.
But what happened?
Judah continued their conquest, and though they started strong by trusting and obeying YHWH, they eventually lost their way.
They defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites
They conquer Jerusalem (which would later be the capital of Judah’s royal dynasty)
****I think its interesting how Adoni-bezek ultimately dies in Jerusalem which is the same place Jesus, the lion of Judah, defeats the crushes Satan’s head on the cross.
They fought against and defeated Adoni-Bezek, when they found him they cut off his thumbs and big toes
Judah then went and battled against the sons of Anak who lived in Hebron - the sons of Anak were giants.
Do you remember when the Moses sent out the spies to look at the promised land? They went to Hebron and saw the sons of anak, who were giants and they were afraid to go in.
But now faithful Judah goes in and defeated those who were in Hebron.
Everything was going good until they came to the plain…
19 And the Lord was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had chariots of iron.
they could not drive out the canaanites from the plains, for they had iron chariots.
The iron chariots were too much for Judah, Judah did fine in the hill country where they could not use their chariots, but when they came down to the plain they were outmatched.
So they failed to drive out the Canaanites who dwelled in the low plains.
It is true that the canaanites were more powerful that Judah with their chariots of iron.
But those chariots of Iron are like cotton balls compared to the power of YHWH.
Judah lost its nerve, because they lost their focus on who it was that was fighting for them.
God gave the great and mighty city of Jericho to his people and all they had to do was march around it, they just had to obey.
Judah forgot about the power of YHWH and because of that failed to trust and obey.
Judah started out strong, but eventually fell short because they didn’t trust in God.
And If Judah is unable to remain faithful, the rest of Israel is doomed to fail
;
the tribe of Joseph starts strong, but eventually disobeys by letting the enemy escape.
And then we see the other tribes utterly fail to take possession of the land God had given them.
27 Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages, for the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land.
English Standard Version Chapter 1
Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages,
29 And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.
30 Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them, but became subject to forced labor.
31 Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon or of Ahlab or of Achzib or of Helbah or of Aphik or of Rehob,
Juds 1 31
33 Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, so they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to forced labor for them.
By the time we get to the last tribe of Dan we see them completely failing
34 The Amorites pressed the people of Dan back into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the plain.
Dan not only failed to drive out the Amorites, but the Amorites actually drove the people of Dan out of the plain.
What a sad testimony of God’s people.
God gave them a commission to go into the land and take dominion
God promised to be with his people until the end. and promised them victory if they would only trust and obey and worship.
God through Judah crushed the head of the enemy by killing the satanic figure, Adoni-bezek (lord of lightening)
God was with his people, and he
However, the people of Israel failed to finish well.
They did not keep stay focused on the mission God had given them.
Though the one who has all power and authority promised to be with them and give them victory, they turned their back on YHWH, and worshipped the Baals.
So how does God respond to Israel’s failur to finish the commission God had given them?
YHWH himself speak to Israel in 2:1-5 where he gives his assessment of their work.
1 Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you,
2 and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done?
3 So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”
4 As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept.
5 And they called the name of that place Bochim. And they sacrificed there to the Lord.
The Lord says to his people,
I have done everything for you,
I have brought you up out of the land of egypt,
I have given you the land I promised to your fathers
I have made an unbreakable covenant with you.
I have defeated the evil king who controlled the nations
Yet, When I give you the commission of going and taking the land you fail to trust, obey and worship me.
What a sad story. Yet it is a story we must pay very close attention too, because this story is our story.
This Story is Our Story
This Story is Our Story
however, we can write a very different ending.
I have mentioned how our story is part of their s
Judges chapter one echoes the story we are living right now.
You see,
Like Israel, we have been commissioned by God himself to go into all the world and make disciples.
Like Judah, God sent the lion of Judah to go before us to crush the head of the ruler of this world.
Like Judah, Jesus defeated satan by his own means, Jesus conquered death by death.
And like the other tribes we go in after to continue the work Christ has begun.
God has told us to go into the world and make disciples
The Response of Israel
The Response of Israel
We go forth into this world with boldness and confidence knowing that Christ has already defeated the greatest enemy.
Judah 1.3-21
And like Israel we go forth with under the blood of an unbreakable covenant.
and like Israel we live out our commission knowing that God is with us always, until the end of the age.
So we must write a different ending to the story.
we must not be like israel and lose our love for Christ, but we need always bow before him and him alone in worship.
We must not be like Israel who failed to trust and obey, but we are to run the race, finish well, and to do that we must trust in the power of Christ, and follow him faithfully.
Church, you have all been commissioned to push back the darkness of our day with the light of the gospel.
You have been commissioned to put to death the deeds of the flesh, and to live according to the power of the Spirit of Christ.
Do not take your eyes off the prize, run the race, fight the good fight, strive for that upward call in Christ.
May we run faithfully and finish well for the glory of God.
Lets pray.
Joseph 1.22-29
The other Tribes