The Book of Judges #16

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:03.480 Dodo, a man of Istakar, and he lived at Shamir in the hill 2 00:00:03.560 --> 00:00:08.519 country of Ephraim, and he judged Israel thirty or twenty three years. Then 3 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:13.800 he died and was buried at Schamir. After him arose Jare, the Guileadite, 4 00:00:13.880 --> 00:00:18.519 the Gileadite who judged Israel twenty two years, and he had thirty sons 5 00:00:18.519 --> 00:00:22.839 who wrote on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities called Havath Jare to 6 00:00:22.920 --> 00:00:26.519 this day, which are in the land of Gilead. And jared died and 7 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:31.039 was buried in Cayman. The people of Israel again did what was evil in 8 00:00:31.079 --> 00:00:35.159 the sight of the Lord and served the balls and Astrath, the gods of 9 00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:38.280 Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of MOAB, the Gods of 10 00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:41.920 the ammonites and the gods of the Philistines, and they forsook the Lord and 11 00:00:41.960 --> 00:00:46.200 did not serve him. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel 12 00:00:48.280 --> 00:00:52.000 and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of 13 00:00:52.039 --> 00:00:57.479 the ammonites and they crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year. For 14 00:00:57.600 --> 00:01:00.399 eighteen years they oppressed all the people of Israel who were beyond the Jordans and 15 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:04.879 the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead, and the ammonites crossed 16 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:10.359 the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the House of 17 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:15.560 Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed, and the people of Israel cried 18 00:01:15.560 --> 00:01:18.959 out to the Lord, saying we have sinned against you because we have forsaken 19 00:01:18.959 --> 00:01:22.959 our God and have served the balls. And the Lord said to the people 20 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:26.480 of Israel, did I not save you from the Egyptians and the Amorites, 21 00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:32.560 from the AMMONITES and from the Philistines? The SIDONIANS also, and the Malakites 22 00:01:32.840 --> 00:01:37.159 and the mayonites oppressed you and you cried out to me and I saved you 23 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:41.760 out of their hand. Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods. 24 00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:45.159 Therefore, I will save you no more. Go and cry out to the 25 00:01:45.159 --> 00:01:48.519 Gods whom you have chosen. Let them save you in the time of your 26 00:01:48.560 --> 00:01:52.439 distress. And the people of Israel said to the Lord, we have sinned 27 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:57.079 due to us. Whatever seems good to you, only please deliver us this 28 00:01:57.200 --> 00:02:00.000 day. So they put away the foreign gods from among them and serve the 29 00:02:00.040 --> 00:02:06.200 Lord and he became impatient over the misery of Israel. Then the ammonites were 30 00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:09.479 called to arms and the encamped and Gilead and the people of Israel came together 31 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:14.520 and the encamped at Mispa and the people, the leaders of Gilead said one 32 00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:17.159 to another, who was the man who began to fight against the AMMONITES? 33 00:02:17.479 --> 00:02:23.400 He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. Thus will end the 34 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:30.919 reading of God's word. Please be seated. Well, last time that I 35 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:35.719 was with you, we looked at one of the worst periods in the history 36 00:02:35.759 --> 00:02:38.680 of Israel and one of the worst periods in the history of the book of 37 00:02:38.759 --> 00:02:45.479 judges. We looked at Abimelech UH, not a pleasant story at all. 38 00:02:45.879 --> 00:02:49.439 We looked at Gaul and ZA bull and the treachery the people of Shek Um. 39 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:53.159 We saw deceit, we saw revenge, we saw back by and we 40 00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:55.759 saw murder. We saw all of these things. It was a terrible time 41 00:02:57.159 --> 00:03:02.039 in the history of Israel. So to its text begins with two relative unknown 42 00:03:02.120 --> 00:03:07.599 judges of Israel, and what we do know about these judges must mostly be 43 00:03:07.719 --> 00:03:14.159 gained by inference. The text really doesn't tell us very much about them. 44 00:03:14.240 --> 00:03:17.680 So we begin by looking at verses one through five. These verses are looked 45 00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:22.719 at is kind of an interlude in the book of judges. As I said, 46 00:03:23.319 --> 00:03:25.120 we know quite a bit about Gideon, we're told quite a bit about 47 00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:30.759 a Bimelech, but now we have two judges who are just briefly passed by 48 00:03:30.840 --> 00:03:35.680 and then after these two men will come another judge. That will happen in 49 00:03:35.800 --> 00:03:39.280 chapter eleven, of whom we know a little bit more and uh, we're 50 00:03:39.319 --> 00:03:45.319 told at least the whole chapter concerning him. His name is Jeff. But 51 00:03:45.400 --> 00:03:51.400 after him they will come another period of time where we have three more judges, 52 00:03:52.120 --> 00:03:54.599 and I would put out as a challenge that I doubt. But after 53 00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:59.039 the service you can tell me if I'm wrong. But I doubt if any 54 00:03:59.080 --> 00:04:02.439 of you could name those three judges that come after J ff. But if 55 00:04:02.439 --> 00:04:04.960 you can, please let me know, because I couldn't have done it. 56 00:04:05.080 --> 00:04:09.159 So Um, that would be that would be pretty good. But if you 57 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:13.919 happen not to know their names right now, their names are Ibsen, Elon 58 00:04:14.280 --> 00:04:16.240 and Ab Dott. So if you didn't know that, those are them. 59 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:21.000 Not Quite as familiar with shadrack Mishak and the Bendigal, so you are forgiven 60 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:26.600 for not knowing. And then after them will came the most famous and the 61 00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:30.839 last judge of Israel. You've probably heard of him. His name is Samson 62 00:04:30.439 --> 00:04:32.879 Um, and so that's what we're going to have here. So right now 63 00:04:33.120 --> 00:04:40.199 and interlude is kind of like there's been different things, similars put out for 64 00:04:40.199 --> 00:04:43.959 this but since we're in Tucson, it's like a little CS. Okay, 65 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:47.000 it's it's it's just a little break into proceedings. It's it's similar to an 66 00:04:47.000 --> 00:04:51.439 intermission in a play where you go and gets yourself a refreshment of some kind 67 00:04:51.560 --> 00:04:56.439 and talk to your neighbors or friends that are there and see people are there. 68 00:04:56.560 --> 00:04:59.240 It's it's that kind of a deal. It is just gives us a 69 00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:02.600 little break here. And and so we have here in the book of judges 70 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:09.399 a forty five year period of which we basically know nothing. We're not really 71 00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:13.720 sure what happens in this time verse. One tells us that after the bloody 72 00:05:13.720 --> 00:05:17.720 reign of Abimelech, there needed someone to rise at Israel who would save them, 73 00:05:17.759 --> 00:05:21.680 and we are told that that someone is Tola, the son of Pua 74 00:05:23.160 --> 00:05:28.399 the son of Dodo, a poor and Dodo. We know absolutely basically nothing 75 00:05:28.439 --> 00:05:33.000 at all, only that Dodo might be a worse name than loathing, like 76 00:05:33.079 --> 00:05:38.800 we saw last week. So I don't I don't think any of the women 77 00:05:38.920 --> 00:05:42.480 we pray tonight that are having a child are thinking about naming their child Dodo 78 00:05:42.920 --> 00:05:45.720 Um. But if you are, again you can tell me after the service. 79 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:50.279 But speaking of bad names, Tola means worm. That's a great name 80 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:54.959 to right. That's that's another name I'm sure you're thinking about naming your child. 81 00:05:55.000 --> 00:05:57.680 But but tola, we are told, as a man of Ishakar. 82 00:05:57.839 --> 00:06:01.480 His actually his name is the same name. Aim has a son of Issachar, 83 00:06:01.879 --> 00:06:04.399 and we're gonna come into the same kind of thing with Jare in a 84 00:06:04.480 --> 00:06:09.560 moment. We're told that tola lives in Shamir, which we don't know. 85 00:06:09.759 --> 00:06:14.879 Some speculate, because the vowels are the same and even the continental sounds are 86 00:06:15.439 --> 00:06:19.560 close, that perhaps Shamir is actually what becomes known as Samaria, but others 87 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:24.720 don't necessarily believe that. But he also lives in Mount Ephraim, which is 88 00:06:25.040 --> 00:06:29.839 in the location of Samaria, so that would fit. We're told he judges 89 00:06:30.040 --> 00:06:33.480 Israel for twenty three years. Then he dies and is buried in Jamir, 90 00:06:33.560 --> 00:06:39.000 where he lived. So basically, as Dr Javin and mcghee notes, all 91 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:44.800 we're told about Tola's life is what is normally found on a tombstone. So 92 00:06:44.839 --> 00:06:48.279 that's what we know about Tola. Born this date, died on this date. 93 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:54.240 That's pretty much it. So we are really only told one thing about 94 00:06:54.279 --> 00:06:58.399 tola that we can kind of grasp on, and that is that the phrase 95 00:06:58.439 --> 00:07:02.639 in verse one that he a roll to save Israel. But there's a question 96 00:07:02.680 --> 00:07:08.319 that might cross your mind at that point. Yeah, but save Israel from 97 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:12.959 what or who? Nothing is said. We're not told of some enemy, 98 00:07:13.240 --> 00:07:16.759 we're not told of anything. So who does he save Israel from? Well, 99 00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:23.279 it probably is that he saved Israel from themselves. As Tim Keller said, 100 00:07:23.319 --> 00:07:28.120 the Church's greatest problem is the church. But at least he saved Israel 101 00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:31.800 from the terrible reign of Abimelech. Barry Webb says of Toldah that he left 102 00:07:31.879 --> 00:07:35.519 Israel better than he found it, and that's a mighty good thing to be 103 00:07:35.560 --> 00:07:41.439 remembered for. And my years of Pastoring, I'm hoping that I can say 104 00:07:41.480 --> 00:07:45.079 that of the Churches I pastored. I'm not talking about temporary ones, so 105 00:07:45.399 --> 00:07:47.879 don't don't count this, but the ones that I think I pastored, I 106 00:07:48.360 --> 00:07:54.000 believe I left in a little better shaped than were founded and I'm thankful for 107 00:07:54.160 --> 00:07:58.480 that. But we're talking about another judge in verses three through five, and 108 00:07:58.519 --> 00:08:01.959 we're told more about him then we're told about tola, but we're still left 109 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:07.360 guessing about his accomplishments. His name is Jaire, which means he enlightens, 110 00:08:07.439 --> 00:08:11.079 which I have to admit, is a better name than worm Um, and 111 00:08:11.120 --> 00:08:16.199 he is a Gileadite. And he also bears the same name as a son 112 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:18.480 of one of the heads of the twelve tribes. Again we run into this 113 00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:22.959 once more. Numbers thirty two, forty one, and Jay or, the 114 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:26.560 son of Manassa, went and took the small towns thereof and called them have 115 00:08:26.759 --> 00:08:33.000 a j are, just like the Jaire sons do in our text today. 116 00:08:33.639 --> 00:08:37.440 But again, what did he do militarily? Who did you deliver Israel from? 117 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:39.480 What did we do? We don't know. We don't know anything about 118 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:45.960 it that at all. We're we're not told about any military accomplishments. The 119 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:50.600 only thing we're really told is that he had thirty sons. That's his claim 120 00:08:50.639 --> 00:08:54.039 to fame, which probably isn't a good thing, because to have thirty sons, 121 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:58.080 he probably had a few wives, which isn't the best thing at all, 122 00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:03.639 and so he's not alone in that department biblically, of course, certainly 123 00:09:03.720 --> 00:09:07.159 there's others, but nonetheless it's not a good thing. We're told a little 124 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:11.399 bit more about his sons that were told about him. They wrote on thirty 125 00:09:11.480 --> 00:09:16.279 donkeys and they had thirty cities that they called have a chair, just like 126 00:09:16.440 --> 00:09:22.480 the ones earlier that I mentioned. And have a chair simply means the cities 127 00:09:22.480 --> 00:09:26.919 of Jaire, or the hamlets of Jaire, if you please. And these 128 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:30.720 two facts that are given to us, even though they're small, and we 129 00:09:30.759 --> 00:09:33.879 said, okay, they thirty sons, wrote on donkeys and they had thirty 130 00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:39.559 cities and they named him the cities of Jaire. But nonetheless it probably indicates 131 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:45.559 to us that Jaire was trying to form a little dynasty and he wanted his 132 00:09:45.639 --> 00:09:52.200 sons to go on and and rule the nation at that time. Now we 133 00:09:52.360 --> 00:09:56.159 have, I think, a different opinion of donkeys than the scripture would have 134 00:09:56.320 --> 00:10:00.720 us. I have an opinion of I I don't really have a high opinion. 135 00:10:01.279 --> 00:10:03.559 I don't. I don't think too many people do, of donkeys. 136 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:09.000 Um. But they were much higher thought of in those days. A few 137 00:10:09.080 --> 00:10:13.440 years ago I was down in New Orleans with my wife and another couple and 138 00:10:13.559 --> 00:10:16.720 uh, I always I had been there before and when I was there I 139 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:18.840 always saw the drawn carts and I thought, oh, what a romantic thing 140 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:22.360 to you know, I gotta bring my wife here sometime. We gotta take 141 00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:26.360 one of these rides through the city. I thought it was great. So 142 00:10:26.360 --> 00:10:30.480 so I did and we got into the into the cart and I immediately asked 143 00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:35.720 the driver of the cart, Um, you know something about the horse and 144 00:10:35.799 --> 00:10:39.639 he said, well, this isn't a horse, this is a mule. 145 00:10:41.360 --> 00:10:43.039 So that tells you a little bit about my horse sense. Uh A, 146 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:46.399 is what I know. But apparently I found out it was illegal to make 147 00:10:46.399 --> 00:10:50.039 horses work in the city. You couldn't do that. So they had to 148 00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:54.559 have mules and in doing that. But but a donkey in those days and 149 00:10:54.639 --> 00:10:56.840 the days of the Bible, was actually looked at as a regal animal. 150 00:10:56.879 --> 00:11:01.519 When we read about Jesus coming to the city and the triumphal entry at a 151 00:11:01.639 --> 00:11:05.399 donkey and we hear about a meek and lowly it's not because the donkey was 152 00:11:05.480 --> 00:11:11.399 meek and lowly, it's because Jesus was meek and lowly. The donkey was 153 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:16.919 a regal animal and is looked at in that way. And it says in 154 00:11:16.960 --> 00:11:22.080 the EXPOSITOR's Bible commentary. It says doctors were signs of royalty, wealth and 155 00:11:22.200 --> 00:11:28.440 military prowess. And then Jair's sons are apparently ruling over the thirty cities and 156 00:11:28.559 --> 00:11:31.559 so they seem to be forming a dynasty with his regal donkeys that they're having 157 00:11:31.639 --> 00:11:37.320 and all these things. And the fact that Jayer lives in Gilead indicates he 158 00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:41.639 had life pretty good. Why do we say that? Or you remember when 159 00:11:41.679 --> 00:11:46.519 the tribes of Israel that on the other side, Gad and Reuben remember whenever 160 00:11:46.519 --> 00:11:48.799 we're going into the promised land. Are Going to go in? They said, 161 00:11:48.840 --> 00:11:52.159 well, you know, we like it here. They were on Gilead, 162 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:54.799 the other side of the Jordan. He said we we like it here, 163 00:11:54.360 --> 00:11:58.480 we don't really want to go get land over there. And Moses said, 164 00:11:58.519 --> 00:12:01.240 okay, but you're gonna fight with your brother until they get their land 165 00:12:01.279 --> 00:12:03.480 and then you can go back. So Gilead must have been a pretty nice 166 00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:09.240 piece of property based on that. So what was happening again in Israel? 167 00:12:09.759 --> 00:12:13.799 Well, we don't know, but when the AMMONITES and the Philistines are getting 168 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:16.639 ready to attack, the AMMONITES will attack under J J fef. He will 169 00:12:16.679 --> 00:12:20.879 be the they will be the enemy he faces, and the Philistines, as 170 00:12:20.919 --> 00:12:24.799 I'm sure you know, will be the enemy that Sampson is going to face. 171 00:12:24.200 --> 00:12:28.000 But it appears that Jare has done nothing, absolutely nothing, to prepare 172 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:33.240 Israel for war with ammon and so we don't have a lot of good to 173 00:12:33.279 --> 00:12:37.360 say about him either. And so let's move the verses six or thirteen. 174 00:12:37.480 --> 00:12:41.519 In in verse six, for the sixth time in the book, we're told 175 00:12:41.559 --> 00:12:46.279 the children of Israel again did what was evil in the side of the Lord. 176 00:12:46.279 --> 00:12:50.600 But we're not told what the evil was that they did. But when 177 00:12:50.600 --> 00:12:54.320 we're told what it is, and there's there's times and judges where it says 178 00:12:54.840 --> 00:12:58.720 the children of Israel did evil and that's all it says. There are other 179 00:12:58.799 --> 00:13:01.720 times it tells us why they did and whenever it tells us what they did, 180 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:07.039 guess what it is. Idolatry. It's always idolatry. And so here 181 00:13:07.080 --> 00:13:11.559 again, it's going to be idolatry, but here they don't just do like 182 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:16.639 they did before and take the gods of one nation, but here they take 183 00:13:16.679 --> 00:13:20.519 the gods of five nations in order to serve them. They serve the God's 184 00:13:20.519 --> 00:13:24.519 Assyria, the Gods of Sidon, the gods of MOAB, the gods of 185 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:28.320 Amin and the Gods of the Philistines. And, as they said, two 186 00:13:28.360 --> 00:13:31.440 of those nations will be the next two enemies that they're going to face. 187 00:13:33.200 --> 00:13:35.080 Sidon, as far as we know in the book of judges, never was 188 00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:41.840 an enemy to Israel that they faced. But anyway, this, this list 189 00:13:41.960 --> 00:13:46.840 here is the longest list in the book of judges of the kinds of Gods 190 00:13:46.120 --> 00:13:52.440 Israel's served, which some belief indicates that Israel's apostasy had reached new levels and 191 00:13:52.519 --> 00:13:56.279 that they were serving all of these different Gods. And it seems to bear 192 00:13:56.320 --> 00:14:01.799 out by God's response to their cry out to God that will see here in 193 00:14:01.799 --> 00:14:05.600 a moment. The only God they decided not to worship was the true God. 194 00:14:05.840 --> 00:14:11.360 They worshiped all the false gods, but they didn't worship the true God, 195 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:15.159 and that God they forsook. And whenever I read something like that. 196 00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:18.159 I always have reminded, and it's a vivid picture in my mind, because 197 00:14:18.440 --> 00:14:22.919 we saw a sister in Israel and the Guide pointed out uh this scripture and 198 00:14:22.919 --> 00:14:26.879 it's always stayed in my mind since then. Jeremiah, to eleven, to 199 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:31.639 thirteen, has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods. 200 00:14:31.080 --> 00:14:35.440 But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. 201 00:14:35.960 --> 00:14:39.960 Be Appalled, O Heavens, at this. Be Shocked, be utterly desolate, 202 00:14:39.960 --> 00:14:43.080 declares the Lord from my people have committed to evils. They have forsaken 203 00:14:43.159 --> 00:14:48.720 me, the fountain of Living Waters, and hued out cisterns for themselves, 204 00:14:48.840 --> 00:14:52.720 broken cisterns. They can hold no water. Think of that. I mean 205 00:14:52.840 --> 00:14:56.879 a fountain, a spring of living waters, but they gave it up for 206 00:14:56.159 --> 00:15:01.120 not only cisterns, but broken sister that can't even hold water, which means 207 00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:07.840 it is a useless cistern. You think by this time that Israel would have 208 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:13.120 realized that this is not a good path for them to follow, but Jeremiah 209 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:16.919 reminds us in chapter seventeen and nine that the heart is deceitful above all things, 210 00:15:18.039 --> 00:15:22.240 and desperately sick. Who can understand it, but every time that they 211 00:15:22.279 --> 00:15:26.559 decide to go and serve the Gods of other nations, they end up being 212 00:15:26.600 --> 00:15:33.919 oppressed by those nations. Peter Martyr Vermigley writes. They considered that they themselves, 213 00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:37.519 who worshiped one God, were few in number, but there was an 214 00:15:37.559 --> 00:15:41.120 infinite number of those who worshiped idols. And for as much as human nature 215 00:15:41.240 --> 00:15:46.960 is of itself ready unto pleasures, hereof it came that they turned onto strange 216 00:15:48.120 --> 00:15:52.840 holy services. And undoubtedly the same causes in our time move the minds of 217 00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:58.159 many, and that's true. The result in verse seven is the anger of 218 00:15:58.200 --> 00:16:03.200 the Lord is kindled again Israel and he sells them into the very nation of 219 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:07.720 whose gods they're serving. The S V says the anger of the Lord is 220 00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:11.679 kindled, but I kind of like the King James Better here, because it 221 00:16:11.720 --> 00:16:17.159 says the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel. I I like that 222 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:21.080 very, very much. But the second part of the verse is a terrible 223 00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:27.159 saying. It says that God sells Israel. Instead of them being in service 224 00:16:27.240 --> 00:16:32.519 to God, now they are sold into the service of the AMMONITES and the 225 00:16:32.559 --> 00:16:37.519 Philistines, which is basically God saying I'm no longer going to be responsible. 226 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:41.240 If you are in a particular job and you decide to leave it for a 227 00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:45.360 different job and you tell your boss and you leave your boss and you go 228 00:16:45.480 --> 00:16:51.919 to your new location, you are no longer the responsibility of your past boss. 229 00:16:51.960 --> 00:16:53.919 He has nothing to worry about whatever you do. It's out of his 230 00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:56.960 hands. He doesn't care. God is saying, if you don't want to 231 00:16:57.000 --> 00:17:03.399 deal with me, fine, I won't deal with you. The result the 232 00:17:03.399 --> 00:17:07.319 E S V gives in very vivid language in verse eight concerning the AMMONITES. 233 00:17:07.480 --> 00:17:12.839 They crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year. The first word for 234 00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:17.759 crush, the King James, translates as vexed. I don't particularly care for 235 00:17:17.799 --> 00:17:22.920 that. Strong says. The word means to break in pieces. So they 236 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:26.720 broke in pieces the Israelites, a very violent word. And the second word, 237 00:17:26.759 --> 00:17:33.039 strong says, means to crack in pieces. Bratt Brown, driver Briggs 238 00:17:33.039 --> 00:17:37.200 says the word means to crush or oppress. So it seems like they endure 239 00:17:37.240 --> 00:17:41.640 a severe oppression. And in verse nine, the ammonites now come across Jordan's 240 00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:45.279 to be in the area where they can fight against some of the tribes of 241 00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:52.599 Israel, specifically Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim. In verse ten we have the 242 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:57.039 common response of Israel when their enemies are coming against them. They cry out 243 00:17:57.119 --> 00:18:02.240 to their own God and they confess their main sin, which is, of 244 00:18:02.279 --> 00:18:07.000 course, idolatry and forsaking the true God and worshiping false gods. And here 245 00:18:07.079 --> 00:18:11.240 we have something in this little story. When I read this, at least 246 00:18:11.279 --> 00:18:14.559 in my mind, I was reminded of the story of Samson. It will 247 00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:19.599 come across a little later, and you might remember Sampson, that when Delilah 248 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:23.880 is with him and she said tell me where your strength lies, and he 249 00:18:25.160 --> 00:18:30.960 three times he tells her something and uh, and each time she does exactly 250 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:33.039 what he says. And then she says the Philistines are upon you, and 251 00:18:33.079 --> 00:18:37.680 he gets up, but he breaks off the cords and destroys the Philistines. 252 00:18:37.720 --> 00:18:40.279 And then she comes back and says, well, you must not really love 253 00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:42.119 me, and and again says to him, you know, tell me, 254 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:45.359 and again he does and he lies. And then there's the third time same 255 00:18:45.400 --> 00:18:49.480 thing is repeated. Uh. And then the fourth time that she says that 256 00:18:49.720 --> 00:18:53.759 he's all finally just kind of overcome and he tells her that if a razor 257 00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:57.599 touches his head he will lose the strength. And in that case, it 258 00:18:57.680 --> 00:19:00.759 says in Verse Twenty of that chapter, he awoke from his sleep and he 259 00:19:00.839 --> 00:19:06.559 said, I will go out at other times and shake myself free. But 260 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:11.519 he did not know that the Lord had left him. So here in chapter 261 00:19:11.640 --> 00:19:15.079 three, verse nine, we saw Israel crying out to the Lord because of 262 00:19:15.079 --> 00:19:18.119 the enemies. Verse Fifteen of that chapter the same thing. They cry out 263 00:19:18.119 --> 00:19:22.680 to God and he raises a deliverer. In chapter four, verse three, 264 00:19:22.720 --> 00:19:26.039 again Israel Christ the Lord and God raises up Debora and Barrick. Chapter six, 265 00:19:26.119 --> 00:19:30.319 verse seventies or cries out to the Lord and God raises up Gideon. 266 00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:36.079 Well, this time, like Sampson, they go to the Lord and God 267 00:19:36.119 --> 00:19:40.880 Says No, I don't think so, not this time, and God doesn't 268 00:19:40.920 --> 00:19:47.279 promise to raise up a deliverer to them. And God reminds them of this 269 00:19:47.880 --> 00:19:52.119 and he tells them in verses eleven and twelve that he had delivered them from 270 00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:56.839 a certain number of enemies. Anybody have a guess as to how many enemies? 271 00:19:57.359 --> 00:20:00.839 Seven good, thank you. Yes, seven enemies. But this is 272 00:20:00.839 --> 00:20:03.640 the fifth time you read of their far crying out to God. And this 273 00:20:03.720 --> 00:20:08.039 time I say they're in for a shock. They expect things to be just 274 00:20:08.079 --> 00:20:12.559 like it was, like Sampson felt. But in verse thirteen God says, 275 00:20:12.599 --> 00:20:18.039 I will save you no more. And in verse fourteen, and Great Irony, 276 00:20:18.200 --> 00:20:22.559 the Lord says go cry to the Gods, you have chosen, maybe 277 00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:27.839 they will deliver you. Now again, when I read this I'm reminded of 278 00:20:27.839 --> 00:20:33.000 another story in the book of Kings where Elijah is challenging the prophets of bail 279 00:20:33.559 --> 00:20:37.920 and they're crying out and cutting themselves with stones and yelling and screaming, and 280 00:20:37.960 --> 00:20:41.119 Elijah finally says to them, maybe you need to cry it a little longer. 281 00:20:41.160 --> 00:20:45.160 He could be going or a little older, could be going to the 282 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:48.680 restroom, you know. And Uh, and I kind of like that challenge 283 00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:51.920 of of Elijah there. But again God said, go to the Gods, 284 00:20:51.920 --> 00:20:56.880 you've chose, maybe they are going to deliver you. Michael Wilcox paraphrases the 285 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:02.279 saying of the Lord, by I know this cry of years is it's merely 286 00:21:02.319 --> 00:21:07.039 a cry for help which might just as well be addressed to the balls as 287 00:21:07.079 --> 00:21:10.960 to me. And Israel is not so much story for their sins, as 288 00:21:10.960 --> 00:21:14.480 their story, for the consequences that have come as a result of their sins. 289 00:21:15.559 --> 00:21:19.119 So we look at versus fourteen through eighteen, fifteen through eighteen, in 290 00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:22.880 verse fifteen, Israel does seem to do the right thing in response to this. 291 00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:26.039 They admit their sin and they say to God, which is a good 292 00:21:26.039 --> 00:21:30.240 thing to say, God, you do whatever you want to us, that's 293 00:21:30.279 --> 00:21:34.160 fine. However you desire, you do it. But he says one thing. 294 00:21:34.200 --> 00:21:40.319 They want, please deliver us this day. And in Verse Sixteen they 295 00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:42.640 put legs to their words and they put away the foreign gods they've been serving. 296 00:21:44.599 --> 00:21:47.880 and has been mentioned by others, this is the most complete show of 297 00:21:47.960 --> 00:21:53.240 repentance we see of Israel in all the book of judges. But is it 298 00:21:53.359 --> 00:22:00.799 sincere? Does Israel really mean business this time? And then it says a 299 00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:07.279 very interesting thing about God. It says he became impatient over the misery of 300 00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:10.240 Israel. Now we always got to be careful when we read a sentence like 301 00:22:10.279 --> 00:22:15.559 that in the Bible and understand that God doesn't have the same infirmities nor the 302 00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:19.920 same passions that we have. And and it doesn't say that he was impressed 303 00:22:19.960 --> 00:22:26.599 with their repentance, but he was impatient with the misery that Israel was enduring. 304 00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:33.960 One translator. Translator says he could bear Israel's misery no longer. So 305 00:22:33.000 --> 00:22:38.519 in verse seventy of the AMMONITES, perhaps sensing an uprising, armed themselves in 306 00:22:38.680 --> 00:22:44.599 camp and Gilead and in response, Israel caps at ms pop and the verse 307 00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:48.839 a teen asked a question has asked three times in the book of Judges and 308 00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:52.559 the question is a little bit different in each time. But here the question 309 00:22:52.680 --> 00:22:56.799 is who is the man who is going to begin to fight against the AMMONITES? 310 00:22:56.559 --> 00:23:00.640 In case you wonder who that is, it's in chapter eleven. Talk 311 00:23:00.720 --> 00:23:03.720 about that next time. And then in the first verse of judges we read 312 00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:07.400 this after the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the Lord 313 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:11.839 who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them. 314 00:23:11.920 --> 00:23:15.000 And then towards the end of the book, Chapter Verse Eighteen, will 315 00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:19.440 read the people of Israel arose and went up to Bethel and inquired of God 316 00:23:19.799 --> 00:23:23.720 who will go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin. 317 00:23:25.319 --> 00:23:30.039 Well, the first question is answered by Jeff Thah and the last two questions 318 00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:34.920 are answered by Judah will be the one. And so here they add to 319 00:23:36.039 --> 00:23:38.559 the question that they asked that whoever that man is, who first goes to 320 00:23:38.599 --> 00:23:42.880 strike against the AMMONITES, that man will be the ruler over the nation. 321 00:23:44.440 --> 00:23:48.359 Well, let me make some applications as I close here tonight. Again we 322 00:23:48.440 --> 00:23:52.319 see in our text time and time again, Israel continues to find themselves worshiping 323 00:23:52.359 --> 00:23:56.240 the Gods of other nations, and we must, we probably do. Maybe 324 00:23:56.319 --> 00:23:59.960 you don't, but I do, shake our heads at it. Think, 325 00:24:00.119 --> 00:24:04.400 come on, don't you people ever learn? I mean how many times and 326 00:24:04.440 --> 00:24:08.640 what are these God's ever ever done for you? Anyway, I don't get 327 00:24:08.720 --> 00:24:15.119 it. And and every time they worship the true God and they forsake their 328 00:24:15.160 --> 00:24:18.079 idols. God sends a deliver delivers them, and it's like how many times 329 00:24:18.119 --> 00:24:22.200 you get hit over the head with the club before you recognize what you're doing 330 00:24:22.359 --> 00:24:27.599 is foolish. And they always go uh finding these foreign deities and then they 331 00:24:27.640 --> 00:24:34.079 always end up serving the God are the people whose gods they were and you'd 332 00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:41.279 think, man, wouldn't they learn? But then you wonder sometimes, first 333 00:24:41.319 --> 00:24:45.319 of all, what about we as a nation? And again, I'm not 334 00:24:45.400 --> 00:24:51.559 a political preacher, and I'm not trying to preach Americanism or anything like that 335 00:24:51.680 --> 00:24:56.279 my sermon, but we know that America was founded by Godly people, for 336 00:24:56.319 --> 00:25:00.920 the most part, I realized, not everyone, but there were many who 337 00:25:00.960 --> 00:25:07.400 fled Europe because of religious persecution and many churches were early established in America, 338 00:25:07.480 --> 00:25:12.200 many godly people it came over here. They weren't perfect people, but for 339 00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:18.079 the most part they worshiped the god of the Bible. But today, how 340 00:25:18.119 --> 00:25:22.920 many of our nation worshiped the gods of Buddha, the gods of Hinduism, 341 00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:30.000 the Gods of tribal cultures and many more gods that I could mention. And 342 00:25:30.079 --> 00:25:33.599 let me ask you this question. Have you ever found yourself committing a sin 343 00:25:34.319 --> 00:25:41.960 that you keep committing over and over again, even though you know every time 344 00:25:42.039 --> 00:25:48.839 you've committed a sin like that you've had embarrassment, a sense of God's presence 345 00:25:48.960 --> 00:25:52.559 forsaking and we do it. We are no different. Our sins may be 346 00:25:52.960 --> 00:25:59.400 different, but we are no different because the things that we do become idols 347 00:25:59.480 --> 00:26:03.960 to us as well. They are different idols, but their idols we all 348 00:26:03.000 --> 00:26:08.960 have, as the puritans used to speak of our darling sins. What Israel 349 00:26:08.960 --> 00:26:15.160 does in this chapter and what God does in response is what Paul will describe 350 00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:18.200 later in the Bible and Romans, Chapter One versus twenty one to twenty three. 351 00:26:18.880 --> 00:26:22.839 For although they knew God, they did not honor them as God or 352 00:26:22.839 --> 00:26:26.839 give thanks to them, but they became futile and their thinking and their foolish 353 00:26:26.880 --> 00:26:30.839 hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchange the 354 00:26:30.880 --> 00:26:36.759 glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and 355 00:26:36.799 --> 00:26:40.640 creeping things. In other words, they forsook the truth, Forsook the true 356 00:26:40.680 --> 00:26:45.640 God and worship false gods. So we read in our text, when Israel 357 00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:49.400 did this, that God sold them into the ammonites and Philistines. Romans says 358 00:26:49.440 --> 00:26:52.880 it the same, but a little different. In Romans, therefore, God 359 00:26:53.000 --> 00:26:59.599 gave them up and the loss of their hearts, to impurity, to dishonoring 360 00:26:59.680 --> 00:27:04.119 their bodies among themselves. They wanted a master different than Jesus, and so 361 00:27:04.319 --> 00:27:07.839 Jesus said no one can serve two masters. So if that's the master you 362 00:27:07.920 --> 00:27:14.279 want, then that's the master you can have. Many people are content to 363 00:27:14.319 --> 00:27:19.039 worship God as long as God doesn't interfere with their idols, then they don't 364 00:27:19.079 --> 00:27:26.680 like it. So Israel in our text shows to us the danger there is 365 00:27:26.759 --> 00:27:32.759 in presuming upon God's grace. Now I do believe, and I've told you 366 00:27:32.839 --> 00:27:37.200 this several times from this pulpit, I believe it firmly, that the humble, 367 00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:42.640 sincere believer who comes to God for forgiveness that God will indeed receive them 368 00:27:42.680 --> 00:27:48.839 and forgive them. But I also want to say there are two cautions, 369 00:27:48.039 --> 00:27:52.599 and I want to close with these tonight. The first caution I would give 370 00:27:52.640 --> 00:27:57.880 you is that although there is forgiveness, there can also be a penalty or 371 00:27:57.920 --> 00:28:06.400 a judgment that comes with that forgiveness. God will forgive David of his adultery 372 00:28:06.440 --> 00:28:11.440 and murder, but the child, the fruit of his sin, is going 373 00:28:11.480 --> 00:28:18.599 to die. God will forgive Israel for forsaking him and worshiping idols, but 374 00:28:18.680 --> 00:28:22.920 there will be an oppression that they need to endure. God will forgive Adam 375 00:28:22.960 --> 00:28:30.359 and Eve in the garden, but Oh what a penalty they have to endure. 376 00:28:30.759 --> 00:28:36.200 God will forgive Asiah for doing what only the priest were allowed to do, 377 00:28:37.359 --> 00:28:40.720 but as I will become a leper to the day of his death. 378 00:28:41.039 --> 00:28:47.640 So we need to be careful because there can be consequences, grave consequences, 379 00:28:47.680 --> 00:28:52.759 to our sin and grace. Oftentimes that doesn't happen. God is many times 380 00:28:52.759 --> 00:28:57.519 gracious to us, much more gracious than we deserve. But the second danger 381 00:28:57.640 --> 00:29:03.680 is we can become a servant to that sin that we allow. Paul says 382 00:29:03.720 --> 00:29:07.319 to the Romans and chapter six and Verse Twelve, let not sin therefore reign 383 00:29:07.359 --> 00:29:11.640 in your mortal body, that you should obey it, in the lust thereof. 384 00:29:11.640 --> 00:29:15.200 He's writing to Christians. And the other thing that that can do is 385 00:29:15.240 --> 00:29:19.599 we begin to serve our lust. Is it can lead to a hardness of 386 00:29:19.680 --> 00:29:27.599 heart. After David committed his sin, he seemed to go along quite well 387 00:29:27.720 --> 00:29:33.000 for a while because his heart was hardened against what he did. But one 388 00:29:33.079 --> 00:29:37.400 day the Prophet comes in and tells David a little story about a man, 389 00:29:37.680 --> 00:29:42.359 a poor man, who had one lamb, and when David gets done here 390 00:29:42.359 --> 00:29:47.720 in the story, he says, show me to that man, and Nathan 391 00:29:47.799 --> 00:29:53.799 says, David, you're the man, you're the one, and then we 392 00:29:53.880 --> 00:29:59.200 see David penitent heart and a psalm like Psalm thirty two or Psalm fifty one. 393 00:30:00.559 --> 00:30:06.039 Let me ask you this question. Do you know what might be the 394 00:30:06.160 --> 00:30:11.720 last line written in our bibles? Now, probably your mind is going to 395 00:30:11.759 --> 00:30:15.920 the book of revelation, and that would make sense and it's very possible that 396 00:30:17.000 --> 00:30:21.440 the last line of the book of revelation is indeed the last line of the 397 00:30:21.480 --> 00:30:26.519 Bible. But you know, John wrote the last four books of the Bible 398 00:30:26.759 --> 00:30:30.359 and we really don't know in what order those books were written. That we're 399 00:30:30.400 --> 00:30:36.119 not sure. Several years ago I was at a graduation at a seminary and 400 00:30:36.119 --> 00:30:44.000 I heard Dr Gaffin talk about first John as making a case for it being 401 00:30:44.240 --> 00:30:48.200 the last book of the New Testament, the last book of the Bible, 402 00:30:48.839 --> 00:30:53.839 and so we emphasized the last line of the book of First John, and 403 00:30:53.880 --> 00:31:00.400 I wonder if you know what that last line of First John Is. It 404 00:31:00.480 --> 00:31:06.799 relates very much to our text tonight. The last line is little children, 405 00:31:07.000 --> 00:31:15.720 keep yourselves from IDYLS. The same danger that Israel faced is the danger we 406 00:31:15.839 --> 00:31:22.440 face. The same exhortation comes to us. It was the problem of the 407 00:31:22.519 --> 00:31:26.279 children of Israel and it's also a problem to the people of God to day. 408 00:31:27.319 --> 00:31:30.079 So let me close by saying to those of you who trust in the 409 00:31:30.119 --> 00:31:34.960 Lord, those of you who believe in him come to the cross, those 410 00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:40.759 of you submitted to the Lord Jesus and received His grace and everlasting life. 411 00:31:41.000 --> 00:31:45.680 May I say to you what may be the last words of the Bible. 412 00:31:45.480 --> 00:31:52.039 Little children, keep yourself from IDYLS. Don Me pray. Let me thank 413 00:31:52.039 --> 00:31:57.759 you for your word, even the words that are somewhat, kind of hard 414 00:31:59.000 --> 00:32:01.680 and, as sad's Lord, even hard to understand, how to relate to 415 00:32:01.759 --> 00:32:05.319 us. But, Lord, you can make them, every word and the 416 00:32:05.359 --> 00:32:09.799 Bible relate to us, speak to our hearts and show us where we're wrong 417 00:32:09.960 --> 00:32:15.000 and show us the path to grace. And we thank you for that. 418 00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:17.400 We thank you God, as we're going to sing in a moment, that 419 00:32:17.480 --> 00:32:22.960 we are very blessed because our trespasses have been forgiven. But I pray, 420 00:32:23.039 --> 00:32:25.920 Lord, you would help each one. And there are those who are not 421 00:32:27.000 --> 00:32:30.039 following you, who have not given themselves to you. I pray tonight that 422 00:32:30.079 --> 00:32:34.319 they may indeed just reach out to you and cry out to you and receive 423 00:32:34.440 --> 00:32:37.920 grace from you. And for those of us that have done that but may 424 00:32:37.960 --> 00:32:42.480 be bothered by a sin that continues to come up again and again in our 425 00:32:42.559 --> 00:32:46.480 life, may we not be like the Israelites. But Lord, help us 426 00:32:46.519 --> 00:32:52.559 to conquer that sin and help us to keep ourselves at all costs from ideals 427 00:32:53.599 --> 00:32:59.759 that can enslave us and can harm us. Lord, I pray God for 428 00:32:59.799 --> 00:33:02.799 Your blessing upon us and the strength that you can give us, for we 429 00:33:02.839 --> 00:33:06.960 ask an in Christ name. Amen. M H