Lesson 2: Introduction Part 2

Lesson 2: Introduction Part 2

Last week we mainly gave a scope of what we are going to be covering in this study – the books that are involved and explained how the make of Israel went from one kingdom to a the two kingdoms of Judah and Israel. This week we are going to look at the subject & precursors to the need of a King Israel.

This is something that God knew in His wisdom, He knew Israel would have to have a king at that point and we will see why. But it starts really in the book of Judges, so tonight we will be looking at some Scripture in Judges and in 1 Samuel.

The book of Judges is a transitional book. It is a book that is that takes Israel from the days of great miracles under Moses and Joshua – to some years of trouble for Israel in Canaan land. There are two key statements in the latter part of the book of Judges that truly give an overview of all that was going on.

They are both contained in one verse

Judges 17:6 AV

In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

So it was a time of chaos for the children of Israel.

I. The Digression of their Faith

A. The apathy toward sin

Judges 17:1-6

1. A Stealing Son

There are not a lot of references in the Bible about children who stole from their parents. The fact is, I could not find any but this one. It is wickedness for someone to take and take, and abuse, and manipulate and to steal from their parents.

The Bible does say the much more strong that I think would cover stealing from ones parents:

Mark 7:11–13 AV

But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

“It is Corban. A formula common among the Jews on such occasions; by which the Pharisees released a child from supporting his parents; and even deemed it sacrilege if he afterwards gave anything for their use.”[1]

2. The excusing of a son’s sin

A mother who made excuses for her child

Notice this women when confronted that her son was guilty, notice what she does in:

Judges 17:2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my son.

One of the great sins of our generation are parents who continue to justify their children’s actions because they believe in their own minds, that little Harold or Gertrude is a little angel and could nothing wrong.

In reality, a mother (or a father for that matter) who justifies the sin of their children is enabling their children to fall deeper into sin.

The parent who does not correct and discipline their children is equally guilty.

As the parent SHOWS the child GOES.

B. Man finding religion that pleases him

Judges 17:7-13

Man is always seeking ways to justify himself before man and God. It doesn’t matter to him what he does wrong, it doesn’t matter to him what sin he has, as long as he has religion in his life.

I have seen religion in every nation I have visited, in most household I’ve been in, everyone has religion, superstitions, rituals they perform – they do this because they don’t want to be faced with their own sin.

Judges 17:13 Then said Micah, Now know I that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.

We love doing rather that being.

But still man wants to show how ritualistic he can be. The picture here that God is given us of the land is a bleak one. It gets a little worse.

C. An apostate priest was in high demand

Judges 18:1 In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.

Judges 18:18 And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye? 19 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?

II. The Progression of their Sin

Judges 19:1 And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.

A. A concubine played a harlot

Yet, he went back to get her. Which he did, and they were after much delay, heading home and lodged in Gibeah.

B. Sodomites ran uninhibited

While there we see the Sodomites wanting to abuse the Levite

C. The concubine is given to be abused

where his concubine was given to the inhabitants, and she was raped and left for dead at the doorstep of the home

Judges 19:28 And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place.

D. A Levite commits horrible sin

Then, the Levite, takes her, cuts her up and sends her body parts all over Israel who all come and destroy every male

E. Israel destroys Gibeah

So all of Israel went and battled against Gibeah and killed 25,000 people and left only 600 men alive.

F. Israel then destroys Jabeshgilead

They then felt bad for cutting of that whole city, so they went at destroyed all the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead for not being a part of the battle, except for 400 hundred virgins and they gave them to the 600 men.

All of this to say, this land was one of anarchy.

When man rejects God, he must have a king, there must be order. And God is a god of order. Praise the Lord today, that even in the worst of governments, bad government is better than no government.

Every man did that every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

You and I as Christians must be able to understand that God is our King. We don’t need our president or the king of the land to tell us what is right to do. We do right because God has told us what is right. His authority is greater, and his standard is higher.

May we not be as these people, who decided in their pride that there way was better, that they knew what was best; who justified their sin and their lifestyle.

Remember the debauchery and sin that was the result.

III. The Corruption of their Faith

Psalm 107:33–34 AV

He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground; A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

A. A compromised leader

Leader could not or would not restraining his sons, who then would follow him into the priesthood

B. Eli’s wicked sons

1 Samuel 2:12 AV

Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

Sons of Belial means that they are the children of worthlessness.

2 Corinthians 6:15 AV

And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

2 Sam 2:22-25

Prophecy of Eli’s family demise is in 2 Sam 2:27-34

This then brings Samuel to be the new priest and prophet:

2 Sam 2:35 was talking about, we are not studying this out, but I believe it first was talking about Samuel, then Zadok, and finally and ultimately, Christ Himself.

C. A demand to be like the world

1Samuel 2:12-17

These children of Belial were certainly sons of Belial.

But the great sin of the house was listed here in 1 Samuel 2:27-36

Judgment was prophesied on Eli and his household, yet the judgment was not because of the sinfulness of the children, the judgment was because of the sinfulness of the father who did not restrain his children.

What a statement God makes here about child rearing. Our children may make mistakes, they will have sin, but woe unto the parent who does nothing about it, justifies it, allows it to go by without correction or discipline, for in doing so, you are risking God’s judgment our your family as well.

Judgment on your children because they may not get saved, and if they are saved and unrestrained, they will become a stain to God’s name, your name, and their name and possibly die because of their rampant sin.

Judgment on the parents because of the pain of heart their children bring to them.

D. The loss of the ark of the covenant

It was their most precious possession

1 Samuel 4:1-11

vv. 14-18 is where Eli was so concerned about it, even more than his own sons.

It gets worse: vv.19-22 tell about Ichabod being born, the glory of God has departed.

E. Samuel’s greedy sons

1 Samuel 8:1-5

1. The Almighty is spurned

1 Samuel 8:6-7

So the downward spiral is complete, the people are doing wickedly, and now we have seen that the judges are not doing their job effectively.

The people have rejected their God who saved them out of Egypt and chose them to be His people. So God turns them over to a harsher master.

The king is a harsher master, we are learning that all the more in our day. Government always grows until they bankrupt themselves.

Look back on annals of history and see nation after nation imploding because of the government becoming so big, overbearing, and unsustainable either because of the greed of power, their greed of money, or their goal of utopia which is impossible with sinful man.

2. The admonishment is stated

o Notice 1 Samuel 8:11-18

[1]TSK – Mark 7:11

Lesson 2: Introduction Part 2