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Sermon about Judges, Civil War, and Samson the Successful Failure

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Here is my sermon on the end of Judges. I had to fly because of the way I sat 1 Corinthians too close to Advent, but you can really only handle so many weeks of failures and bloodbaths of Judges. Sermon audio is below followed by my sermon notes.

Judges Part 3

Judges 10:6–16

[6] The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the LORD and did not serve him. [7] So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites, [8] and they crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the people of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. [9] And the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed.

[10] And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against you, because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.” [11] And the LORD said to the people of Israel, “Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines? [12] The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand. [13] Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. [14] Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.”[15] And the people of Israel said to the LORD, “We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.” [16] So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel. (ESV)

Life is all about city-states and strong warlord leaders. There is an episode in 11 that shows, in spite of all of their chasing after foreign gods and stuff, they have preserved the stories of their history.

There is a dispute about who took what land when the Hebrews came out of Egypt, because the Amorites are fighting to get the land back from Israel, and a guy says this :

Judges 11:22–25

[22] And [the Hebrews coming out of Egypt] took possession of all the territory of the Amorites from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan. [23] So then the LORD, the God of Israel, dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel; and are you to take possession of them? [24] Will you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess? And all that the LORD our God has dispossessed before us, we will possess. [25] Now are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend against Israel, or did he ever go to war with them? (ESV)

This guy, Jephthah, remembers the history of what land the Hebrews took and even the events of Balak and Balam that are written in the book of Numbers. So they haven’t forgotten this stuff. They are just choosing to not obey God.

Jephthah’s Over-Religiousness

Judges 11:29–31
[29] Then the Spirit of the LORD was upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites. [30] And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, [31] then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” (ESV)

Why did he do such a stupid thing? The Spirit of the Lord was already upon him. He was already mighty.

Religious vows like that are just our way of bargaining and trying to control God.

He doesn’t want our vows.

His daughter is more righteous than he is. She insists that he keeps his vow and he ends up killing her. It doesn’t say anywhere that God was happy with that.

Civil War over Who is Fighting Who

Like a bunch of idiots they are fighting about who is called in when they fight other nations. A civil war breaks out, and the Shibboleth event happens.

Judges 12:5–6
[5] And the Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” When he said, “No,” [6] they said to him, “Then say Shibboleth,” and he said, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell. (ESV)

Samson’s Life

(Overview and storytelling as time allows)

Samson was called out from birth to be holy. He was going to deliver Israel from all of her oppressors! He failed every single rule that was put upon him, but God still delivered Israel in some ways and brought judgment on Her enemies.

Starting next week, on the first Sunday of Advent, we’ll talk about the One who came to deliver Israel and the world and obeyed every single thing He was called to obey!

Judges Intro – No King In Israel

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Here are my sermon notes from this high-speed look at several of Israel’s judges. It was a rough time as the whole nation turned into all of the nations around them.

Judges part 1

Israel not Acting like Israel in Israel

They mixed in and chased after all of the foreign people that they were supposed to stay separate from.

2:1 The LORD’s angel went up from Gilgal to Bokim. He said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land I had solemnly promised to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you,

End of Joshua’s influence

2:6 When Joshua dismissed the people, the Israelites went to their allotted portions of territory, intending to take possession of the land. 2:7 The people worshiped the LORD throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men who outlived him remained alive. These men had witnessed all the great things the LORD had done for Israel. 2:8 Joshua son of Nun, the LORD’s servant, died at the age of one hundred ten. 2:9 The people buried him in his allotted land in Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 2:10 That entire generation passed away; a new generation grew up that had not personally experienced the LORD’s presence or seen what he had done for Israel.

This is the summary of what is going to happen throughout the rest of Judges:

2:11 The Israelites did evil before the LORD by worshiping the Baals.  2:12 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.  2:13 They abandoned the LORD and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths.

Othniel

Judges 3:9 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. 3:10 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 Armon and he overpowered him. 3:11 The land had rest for forty years; then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

Ehud!

Judges 3:15 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. 3:16 Ehud made himself a sword – it had two edges and was eighteen inches long. He strapped it under his coat on his right thigh. 3:17 He brought the tribute payment to King Eglon of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.)

It’s not just saying he is a fat man here because he was fat, it is pointing out that he is fat on the taxes contributes of the Israelites. Later in the corruption of the priesthood of Eli and his sons, in first Samuel, they will point out that Eli was fat and it was the same sort of reasons. Being fat represented being unjust and sinful. 

 3:18 After Ehud brought the tribute payment, he dismissed the people who had carried it. 3:19 But he went back once he reached the carved images at Gilgal. He said to Eglon, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” Eglon said, “Be quiet!” All his attendants left.  3:21 Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and drove it into Eglon’s belly.  3:22 The handle went in after the blade, and the fat closed around the blade, for Ehud did not pull the sword out of his belly.  3:23 As Ehud went out into the vestibule, he closed the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

3:24 When Ehud had left, Eglon’s servants came and saw the locked doors of the upper room. They said, “He must be relieving himself in the well-ventilated inner room.” 3:25 They waited so long they were embarrassed, but he still did not open the doors of the upper room. Finally they took the key and opened the doors. Right before their eyes was their master, sprawled out dead on the floor! 3:26 Now Ehud had escaped while they were delaying. When he passed the carved images, he escaped to Seirah.
3:27 When he reached Seirah, he blew a trumpet in the Ephraimite hill country. The Israelites went down with him from the hill country, with Ehud in the lead.

With Israel it was one revolution after another. They would rebel against their oppressor, thank God for their victory, turn away from God again, and then become oppressed.

It really is a caution to us too becuase you become a slave to whatever you serve. Anytime you turn away from God to serve other things, it will become your master.

SHAMGAR

Judges 3:31 After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath. He killed six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. So he also delivered Israel.

Seriously, this is all we get. You can find 30 minute long sermons on this one verse on Youtube. That’s just silly. It is what it is. It’s awesome, but let’s not make up too much extra about it, ok?

Deborah

Judges 4:4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. 4:5 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.
4:6 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! 4:7 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.” 4:8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go. But if you do not go with me, I will not go.” Judges 4:9 She said, “I will indeed go with you. But you will not gain fame on the expedition you are undertaking, for the LORD will turn Sisera over to a woman.” Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh.

Tent peg

Judges 4:17 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. 4:18 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. 4:19 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. 4:20 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.’” 4:21 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. 4:22 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.