Sermon Tone Analysis

How many of you have heard the advice that you should never try to meet your heroes?

The reason is because we tend to idolize our heroes, and in our minds it seems that they can do no wrong.

Their public accomplishments, their public persona, all the things they they have going for them that cause us to look up to them are not a full reflection of who that person is in their entirety.

Once you meet them you may learn something about them that is.....less than you had envisioned.

Your hero may become an object of disgust in your mind.

I recall a time years ago when there was someone I held in very high regard as someone who was very mature in the faith and very wise.

I began spending more time with that person I learned many things about them that made me scratch my head.

I got to the place where I wondered why I ever looked up to them so much in the first place.

Perhaps you have had similar experiences with those you admire.

Well, I have found the first time someone really begins to study the book of judges, a similar dynamic occurs.

We’ve all heard the amazing stories of Gideon, and Deborah, and Ehud, and they become heroes of the faith!

After all, are not some of them listed in the hall of faith in Hebrews 11?

But then we start moving through the book of Judges itself and we find that these individuals are far from perfect.

They are deeply flawed individuals that were used tremendously of God, but are by no means models to emulate.

In fact, the author of the book of Judges seems to desire to accomplish two primary things in the midst of telling their stories:

Highlight the graciousness of God use to broken people to accomplish his purposes among a people who continually reject Him and his word.

Demonstrate the increasing canaanization or worldliness of the people, including the leaders that God raised up in His mercy.

What this demonstrates is that the people needed a king.

The judges were insufficient leaders, and we know from the rest of the OT that the human kings were also insufficient.

Everything points to the depravity of man, and the need for a divine savior, Jesus Christ.

This highlights the mercy of God in bearing with a people who insist on doing everything they can to depart from their God.

We are about to move into the story of the of Samson.

Samson is the last judge in the book of Judges, though there are several more chapters after his death.

In many ways, Samson represents everything wrong with the Israelite people.

In many ways, the life of Samson stands in stark contrast to the rest of the judges.

He is the only one who gets four chapters devoted to his life.

He is the only one with a birth narrative.

He is the only one to not fully deliver the people from their oppressors.

In fact, it is in this cycle that the people not only fail to cry out to God for deliverance, but they seem perfectly content in their predicament and twice show Samson their displeasure for picking fights with the Philistines.

And yet, once again, we find God at work accomplishing his purposes in the face of a stubborn, godless people and their scandalous judge.

We will be in Judges 13 today, where we find God’s mercy on display through his promise to Manoah and his wife.

The Promise Given

The Promise Reiterated

The Promise Fulfilled