Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Wednesday
January 31, 2018
Judges describes the life of GOD’s people from the death of Joshua to the rise of the monarchy, the period of the kings.
JUD 2:16, “Then the LORD raised up judges, who (those judges) saved them out of the hands of these raiders.”
By the time of the judges, The LORD’s promises concerning the land had been fulfilled; it remained only for GOD’s people to claim their inheritance, and then just as important, cleanse the land of idolatry and paganism (no small task to be sure).
You cannot be living a lifestyle contrary to GOD’s word and expect to live a lifestyle in GOD’s plan for your life. GOD kept striking the image of Dagon to the ground, so what did they do? They sent the Ark away, because they couldn’t give up Dagon. Even if he was shown to be powerless, they could not let go of him.
ROM 1:22-23, Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things.
If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart,
then put away the foreign gods direct your heart to the Lord, and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
The phrase: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did as they saw fit.”
Sound familiar? This is total Lawlessness. A nation cannot survive without the rule of law.
“Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals (more than one).”
When they went out to fight their enemies, they were defeated, because the LORD wasn’t with them.
DEU 28:25, “The LORD shall cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you will go out one way against them, but you will flee seven ways before them.”
The book includes many of the most graphic, violent, and disturbing scenes in all Scripture. Some in the name of righteousness, others in the name of evil.
The primary message of Judges is that God will not allow sin to go unpunished.
The Israelites forgot.
But God did not forget HIS covenant, and because of His great love for HIS people, HE disciplined His sinful children so that they might return to HIM.
Instead of doing what God said should be done with these enemies (completely drive them out),
they decide they will use them as they think best – putting these enemies under a labor force for them. We should never accommodate our spiritual enemies in this way.
VS 3, But you have not obeyed ME; what is this you have done? (same words HE used in the Garden). Therefore I will not drive them out before you; but they will become [as thorns] in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.
VS 3, and they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. The sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals.
The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel. When he went out to war, the LORD gave him victory over the king of Mesopotamia.
So, the Lord, unwanted by Israel, allows an enemy to make slaves of HIS people a bondage that would last 8 years!