In Judges 2:11-12: we can see a summary of Judges
Judges 2:11-12: And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim: 12 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.
- Vs.11 says, and the people did evil in the sight of the Lord
- This phrase also is repeated throughout this book
- The evil was that they turned to serve idols
- Rather than the true and living God
- Vs. 12 says that they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger.
- They had the Torah, the first five books of the Bible
- That the Lord had given to them through Moses
- But the Bible says the forsook that (abandoned it, cast it aside, got rid of it)
Judges 2: (the second part of vs. 12) says and “followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were around them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger.
- Other gods (with a small g)
- Which were Idols that were in their lives
2 Corinthians 4:4:In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
We said before: An idol could be anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God
- What is your Golden Calf?
- Some idols are not made of wood and stone
- Some are in the Spirit realm and manifest themselves in the physical
- Those are the ones we need to deal with the most
- Could our idol be:
- Sex (1 Cor 6:18)
- Wealth (Matt 6:24)
- Materialism (Luke 12:15)
- Power (Matthew 23:13)
- Self: (Gal 2:20)
- Technology (Romans 1:22)
- Knowledge (1 Cor 8:2)
- Worldly Status (1 John 2:15-17)
- People (Luke 4:8)
SO FAR, WE SEE THAT THE ISRAELITES WERE IN A CYCLE
- (1) the Lord blessed them in the land of Canaan
- (2) But after Joshua was gone, They did evil. And let the Lord.
- (3) They followed other gods.
- (4) They bowed before those gods.
- (5) and they provoked the Lord to anger.
Judges 2:14-15: 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 their enemies. 15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
Judges 2:16-23: 16 Nevertheless, the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. 17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so.18 And when the Lord raised them up judges, 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. 19 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; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.
SO NOW WE HAVE THE FULL CYCLE THAT ISRAEL WENT THROUGH
- (1) Their prosperity, when obedient to God
- (2) they would forget God and sin,
- (3) fall into the adversity of poverty and bondage as a result,
- (4) then they would repent,
- (5) and God would select for them a Judge or Deliverer,
- (6) there would be deliverance, and return to God would take place
- (7) They would be restored in their relationship with God.
- Then they would go back to forgetting God and sinning
- ISRAEL was on roundy round merry-go-round
- Those listening, do you feel you are on a roundy round merry-go-round
- God wants to break that cycle you are on.
THIS CYCLE WENT ON FOR OVER 400 YEARS
- But the Keypoint is that when they served God, they prospered
- Versus: Falling away from God to the worship of Idols
ISRAEL DID NOT WANT THE RULERSHIP OF GOD IN THEIR LIVES IN THE BOOK OF JUDGES
THIS WAS BEFORE THE BLOOD OF JESUS WAS SHED, AND THE POWER OF SIN WAS NOT YET BROKEN
BUT NOW THAT JESUS CAME, WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, BURIED, AND ROSE AGAIN
THE POWER OF SIN HAS BEEN BROKEN IN OUR LIVES, AND WE DON’T HAVE TO BE SERVANTS OF SIN
1 Corinthians 10:13 – There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].
Romans 6:6: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Romans 6:16: Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness?
THE LORD WANtS US TO COME CLOSER TO THE FIRE AND HIS HEART.
SEEK HIM WHILE HE CAN BE FOUND AND REMAIN COMMITTED AND FAITHFUL TO HIM
2 Timothy 1:9 – Who hath saved us, and called [us] with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
John 15:16 – Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Deuteronomy 14:2 – For thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that [are] upon the earth.
THE WILL LEAD THOSE THAT TRUST HIM AND FOLLOW HIM
Psalms 118:5 – I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, [and set me] in a large place.
Psalms 118:8 – [It is] better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
James 4:7 – Submit yourselves, therefore, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Give your heart to Jesus today by saying this prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. Please forgive me. Come into my life. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Please, help me to live for you the rest of this life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen.