Leadership during Evil Times

Read Judges 2:11-19

What a hard time is when we don’t have a good leader or there is not leader at all. (WE) First day of school. Teacher or some charismatic student breaks the silence.

But real life is no joke, like CHAZ

S What brings chaos and how can we prevent that?

(GOD)

Israel abandoned God after a new generation lived in the land (Setting)

Judges 2:11–12 NET

The Israelites did evil before the Lord by worshiping the Baals. They abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods—the gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped them and made the Lord angry.

The Lord rescues Israel when they cry out to Him (BookPlot) BUT Why?

S Judges 2:18 (NET)

When the Lord raised up leaders for them, the Lord was with each leader and delivered the people from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The Lord felt sorry for them when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them.

S Forgetting God will make our lives chaotic, without direction and surrendered under the enemy’s power

S Seeking God’s help will always be responded with mercy if you truly need Him.

His help comes thru people that have no special powers or status

(YOU)

Othoniel (Character)

S Judges 3:7–11 (NET)

The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. They forgot the Lord their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs.The Lord was furious with Israel and turned them over to King Cushan-Rishathaim of Aram-Naharaim. They were Cushan-Rishathaim’s subjects for eight years. When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he raised up a deliverer for the Israelites who rescued them. His name was Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.The Lord’s spirit empowered him and he led Israel. When he went to do battle, the Lord handed over to him King Cushan-Rishathaim of Aram and he overpowered him.The land had rest for forty years; then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

The most interesting thing about Othoniel is that he was Caleb’s nephew.

Are you living under the shadow of somebody else? God can use you

Ehud (C)

S Judges 3:12–15 (NET)

The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight. The Lord gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel because they had done evil in the Lord’s sight. Eglon formed alliances with the Ammonites and Amalekites. He came and defeated Israel, and they seized the City of Date Palm Trees. The Israelites were subject to King Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.

When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he raised up a deliverer for them. His name was Ehud son of Gera the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The Israelites sent him to King Eglon of Moab with their tribute payment.

The outstanding characteristic about Ehud is that he was left handed.

S God is not calling the famous nor powerful but the ones that have a willing heart.

Deborah (C) Jael (C)

S Judges 4:1–7 (NET)

The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight after Ehud’s death. The Lord turned them over to King Jabin of Canaan, who ruled in Hazor. The general of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim.The Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, because Sisera had nine hundred chariots with iron-rimmed wheels, and he cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.

Now Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She would sit under the Date Palm Tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the Ephraimite hill country. The Israelites would come up to her to have their disputes settled.

She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali. She said to him, “Is it not true that the Lord God of Israel is commanding you? Go, march to Mount Tabor! Take with you ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun! I will bring Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to you at the Kishon River, along with his chariots and huge army. I will hand him over to you.”

S Judges 4:15–22 (NET)

The Lord routed Sisera, all his chariotry, and all his army with the edge of the sword. Sisera jumped out of his chariot and ran away on foot. Now Barak chased the chariots and the army all the way to Harosheth Haggoyim. Sisera’s whole army died by the edge of the sword; not even one survived!

Now Sisera ran away on foot to the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, for King Jabin of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite had made a peace treaty.Jael came out to welcome Sisera. She said to him, “Stop and rest, my lord. Stop and rest with me. Don’t be afraid.” So Sisera stopped to rest in her tent, and she put a blanket over him. He said to her, “Give me a little water to drink, because I’m thirsty.” She opened a goatskin container of milk and gave him some milk to drink. Then she covered him up again. He said to her, “Stand watch at the entrance to the tent. If anyone comes along and asks you, ‘Is there a man here?’ say ‘No.’ ” Then Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg in one hand and a hammer in the other. She crept up on him, drove the tent peg through his temple into the ground while he was asleep from exhaustion, and he died. Now Barak was chasing Sisera. Jael went out to welcome him. She said to him, “Come here and I will show you the man you are searching for.” He went with her into the tent, and there he saw Sisera sprawled out dead with the tent peg in his temple.

So here you have two women which by the context of the time were not fitted for war nor deliverance. But nonetheless God used this two to destroy a powerful enemy of Israel

S Does you or people think that you are not fitted to become an important influence for the Kingdom of God? After these stories you should think twice. God is not afraid to use YOU

This is the response of God to the crying out of His rebellious people

He sent deliverance by rising up leaders that saved the people from their enemies.

S But after a period of peace the people forgot who saved them and betray God once again by following their evil desires.

(WE)

There was apostasy in the land (FA)

S Statistics pic of apostasy in America (We)

Turning against God as a community would bring terrible consequences (First Audience)

S 2 Timothy 4:3–4 (NET)

For there will be a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, following their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things.And they will turn away from hearing the truth, but on the other hand they will turn aside to myths.

S Hebrews 6:4–6 (NET)

For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age, and then have committed apostasy, to renew them again to repentance, since they are crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again and holding him up to contempt.

A godly king was necessary that followed God’s law (FA)

Saul is king (FA)

President of US is king for many but can he save us from chaos?

The only way to prevent apostasy and chaos in our lives is if we have a supreme leader that conquers for us and leads us to God (Us)

S Titus 2:13–14 (NLT)

while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

S Jesus our Godly King (We)