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Advent Productions

Benjamin Ng

Israel and the Judges

Our Father in heaven, we thank you for this opportunity we have to come and study the Word again.

Speak to our hearts is our earnest plea and prayer, for we pray in Jesus' name.

Well friends, we are starting a new series entitled The Early Kings, from Saul all the way to Solomon.

We just finished our previous series there.

And our study for today is entitled Israel and the Judges.

As we get into this new series, we're going to begin in the book of Judges as Moses, he's already brought the children of Israel out of Egypt all the way to the borders of Canaan.

Joshua has taken over leadership and brought them into the land of Canaan.

But the land has already been divided up into the 12 tribes already.

And we're looking at the background here because it's important to understand what is it that led the children of Israel eventually to ask for a king.

You see, here in the book of Judges, they are ruled by judges.

There is a figurehead, but definitely not like what a king would be at all.

And so we read in the conclusion, really, in the book of Joshua, just to get a background to the judges, in Joshua 24 and verse 31, the Bible says, And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the Lord that he had done for Israel." You see, the Israelites were faithful to God so long as Joshua was alive.

All the days of his life and even the elders that served under Joshua, the children of Israel, were faithful.

And this is repeated also in the book of Judges.

In Judges chapter 2 and verse 7 we read, And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua.

Sorry, the Bible text there on the screen shows Joshua, but it's actually Judges chapter 2 and verse 7.

The people served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord that he did for Israel.

So it's very clear, this sentiment is given, that the children of Israel were faithful during the days of Joshua and during the elders who outlived Joshua that were still alive until they passed away.

But what would happen after all these great faithful men of old passed away?

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Balaam.

And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them and bowed themselves unto them and provoked the Lord to anger.

So it's not long after Joshua dies that the children of Israel and even the elders as they pass away, the children of Israel, they go and do evil.

When he sees them turn away from him and when they break the covenant that they made with them as something that they entered into voluntarily, now they've broken that pact, that covenant, how does God respond?

In Judges chapter 2 and verse 14 we read, And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before the enemies." So God would let them be overcome by the surrounding nations.

They would be sold to the enemies and the defense that God had been to them had departed from them because they forsook Him.

And so He stopped defending them and protecting them.

He stopped being their constant shield and strength.

Because they voluntarily walked away from Him.

And so why did He feel any obligation and need to protect them?

And so they would go into captivity, they would become slaves to the enemies of the surrounding nations, of which they were meant to conquer?

God would not leave them and forsake them forever.

You see, we read in Judges 2.16, Nevertheless, the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them." So God, he would raise up deliverers, people that they were called judges, to deliver them from the hands of the enemy, to lead them back to the worship of God and help them to be faithful, hence the book Judges, and they would fight for them.

And Israel would come up and be prosperous again.

Then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge.

For it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them." So what was the reason that God sent the judges?

Because when they were oppressed by their enemies, they would realize how difficult life was, how the blessings of God had really been so sweet to them and they despised it.

And so they would cry out to God, they would ask God for help, they would ask God for deliverance, and God would always reply.

He would always hear their cries and when they cried out for help, God would send a judge.

But what would happen as soon as the judge dies?

And it came to pass when the judge was dead that they returned and corrupted themselves more than their fathers in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them.

And they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way." Do you see that, friends?

As soon as the judge dies, as soon as that faithful judge passes away, they would turn back to their old sins.

They would begin to worship other gods again.

It was almost as if their faithfulness depended upon the person that stood before them and not on any of the faith that they had in their hearts for God at all.

You see, if there was someone faithful to lead them, then they would be faithful to God.

But as soon as that person that was faithful to God dies and there was no 1 to lead them anymore, they would be unfaithful and go and worship other gods.

And we see this as a theme running throughout the whole book of Judges.

The whole book of Judges is just this constant cycle that we see.

You see, when there is a judge ruling over them that's faithful, the children of Israel are faithful.

But as soon as the judge dies, and as soon as this person dies that's been leading them, they are unfaithful and they go and worship other gods.

And then as a result, God would sell them into captivity.

The enemies of God would come and conquer them and they would be slaves and serve other people And as a result, they were groaning, they were crying out, they're unhappy about their situation, they cry out to God, and guess what?

God hears them and sends a judge to deliver them.

And of course, all the days that that judge is alive, he or she is faithful to God, then the children of Israel are faithful to God, but as soon as the judge dies, the whole cycle repeats over and over again.

And friends, we see this whole theme running throughout the whole book of Judges.

And this is an important backdrop for this new study series before we look at the early kings, with Saul coming into king.

But let us look at a few examples in the book of Judges about this whole cycle just repeating itself over and over again.

And so let's go now to Judges 3 and verse 7.

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forget their God, and served Balaam and the groves." There's the children of Israel, and they are doing evil again.

Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel and He sold them into the hand of Tushan Rishat Shatham, king of Mesopotamia.

And the children of Israel served this king for 8 years.

So the children of Israel are sold into bondage to the king of Mesopotamia for 8 years.

Because the children of Israel have left God.

And so they're in bondage and what happens next?

And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel, the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

That deliverer is the younger brother of Caleb.

And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war, and the Lord delivered the king of Mesopotamia into his hand, and his hand prevailed against him." So Othniel goes out to fight against the king of Mesopotamia, and guess what?

They are no longer in bondage to this king of Mesopotamia.

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Israel and the Judges

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