JUDGES (Prelude) “THE PATH OF LIFE” Mark Kolbe

INTRODUCTION

Wisdom is the ability to understand how life normally works, then to apply that knowledge personally so that you decrease the odds of experiencing bad things or increase the odds of experiencing good. This means that part of gaining wisdom is to be able to identify patterns – things that are universally true, or at least consistently true. The book of Judges is about a pattern or cycle that the Israelites follow for about 400 years between the time of Joshua and David. This pattern, which isn’t a good one, is an example of one that you and I should avoid. However, to understand why we should avoid it, we are first going to see where it fits in the context of a more comprehensive pattern – the path of life.

You’ll be glad to hear that you don’t need to be a Biblical scholar or mature Christian to evaluate this path - you only need to be “alive”. As we examine each step or stage you will notice that certain questions will naturally arise in your mind. The answers that we uncover and believe as true will lead us along the way. In this message, we are going to focus on the 1^st four stages of the path. In the next message, we will discuss the remaining stages, then see how this pattern relates to the nation of Israel as a whole, as well as the book of Judges.

As you might expect, if you search the internet for what people think about patterns in life, you’ll uncover a wide variety of opinions. I did that and found several. Some quotes sounded like complicated gibberish, while others were simplistic and shallow. Today, we will be using a diagram I developed to help visualize this path. As we go through it together, we’ll see that the steps on this path provide not only a reasonable overview of life; but as many people have determined, lead to an accurate and joyful explanation of life.

Although this diagram is made up of boxes, laid out from left to right, it’s not meant to be a “timeline”. Technically, from a spiritual perspective, as soon as we were born, we had taken our first couple steps without even knowing it. However, by taking the time to go back through all these steps (or concepts) from left to right, it will help us make the best decision when we come to an inevitable fork in the road.

When we get to the point of discussing this fork, we are going to learn that no matter which path you choose, you will experience pain and happiness. One of the paths doesn’t require any real effort, but it naturally leads to death. The other way is more difficult, but it leads to life and a reward that is worth the risk.

In my opinion, Deuteronomy chapter 30 contains one of the most concise, yet deeply accurate statements about this path of life. When addressing the Israelites, Moses said it this way, “15 -See, I have placed before you today life and ^[a]happiness, and death and ^[b]adversity,” 19B - So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants…. 20 by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding close to Him;”

Since you and I share a lot in common with the Israelites who lived over three thousand years ago, let’s take a journey down this path together. The first three steps we are going to take are largely a test of our ability to look and listen.

1. DESIRE LIFE AND A HOME

If you are a movie buff, you may know of some movies entitled, “Arachnophobia”, “Tremors”, “The Swarm”, or “Empire of the Ants”. These are all movies about some kind of insect taking over the earth. What about the movies called, “The Birds”, or the “Planet of the Apes” – have you watched either of those? These are movies about some kind of animal taking conquering mankind. Movies like this can be entertaining, but have you given much thought about whether it is reasonable to think that one day human life might be destroyed by some kind of insect or animal?

In this first step down the path of life we aren’t going to learn how to defend ourselves against insects or animals, but we are going to learn about some unique characteristics that humans have compared to everything else on this earth.

The first characteristic to take note of is that every human ever born recognizes that people have a desire for life that far exceeds any other living thing. When it comes to the difference between life and death, animals stop at comfort and survival. However, humans are different. Although we don’t always consistently apply our inherent beliefs about the uniqueness of human life, we recognize that when push comes to shove human life should take priority over everything else.

Let’s say you were taking a hike in the Rocky mountains with a group of people, and a large boulder rolled down an embankment, trapping you, unable to move. Wouldn’t you expect someone who witnessed that event to not only come to your side, but to stay with you and do whatever it took to help, even if it meant somehow breaking that boulder into pieces to move it? If you were driving down the road and noticed a dead animal lying there, you would almost certainly react by casually turning the steering wheel to avoid getting animal remains on your car tires and then, you’d continue on your way, unaffected. However, if that were a person lying in the road, your reaction would be entirely different, wouldn’t it?

Something inside us proves that humans are extra special! People don’t just desire to survive, but they want to live forever and experience a life of abundance. We are constantly driving ourselves towards something better, anticipating future events that we hope will make us happier and more fulfilled than we currently are. Those are characteristics unique to humans.

Another notable difference between animals and people has to do with where they live. Animals make places for themselves to live, primarily designed for survival alone. However, as humans we desire a place to live that goes beyond just comfort and safety, one that we can put a personal touch on. That’s why we call it a “home”. Even after being gone away on a nice vacation, after a while we tend to long to go back there. As a girl named Dorothy from Kansas once said, “There’s no place like home.”

The first step in the path of life occurs when an individual recognizes there is something special and different about human life. Questions like “where am I”, “why am I here” “what am I to do” demand an answer.

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Many people who have pondered the questions that naturally occur in this first part of the path of life, somehow come up with answers such as this…“life accidentally formed out of non-life, and it changed and improved upon itself over time, so now we have humans.” “Humans are only special because we have developed above everything else.” “If, during the course of our improving, we can all work together and keep ourselves from destroying this planet, we’ll naturally change into something different, and better in the future.”

It perplexes me to know that so many seemingly “smart” people defend that position, because it is so inconsistent with what we see and know about life. The behavior of people proves that we inherently know there is something special and valuable about us that is based upon more than just superior brain function. The Bible describes the existence of human life in a way that is consistent with the evidence that we see all around us.

Consider Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning God created. Genesis 2 - Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,^[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” ²⁷ So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. ²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” ²⁹ Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. ³⁰ And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. ³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

Sure enough, ever since then, humans have been ruling over plants, insects, animals, and all earth’s resources.

In addition, the writer of Psalm 139:1-16 understood that each person God gives life to is important to Him. Those verses say you were valued by God while in the womb and your value remains after you were born.

The first step on the path of life is the realization that each human being is unique and special, and each one has a desire for life and a home - because God created us that way.

Psalm 16:11

2. COMMIT EVIL

Obviously, people have differing preferences, opinions, and behaviors. You might prefer a single-story ranch house, while I might prefer a two-story Victorian one. You and I might disagree about whether Elvis Presley was a better singer than Johnny Cash. You might be very outgoing and talkative, while I might be more reserved. However, despite these kinds of differences, that doesn’t mean either of us is right or wrong in having them.

On the other hand, there are certain choices and behaviors that fall into a different category. Imagine standing in the checkout line of a grocery store, purchasing food that you are going to bring to your home, when the person in front of you turns around and slugs you in the jaw with their fist. Besides the physical pain, there is something else you feel at that moment that proves this next step on the path of life. The act of punching another person without provocation is the kind of behavior that is a violation of what is right or good. We call actions like this wrong or evil. This is a fact that is universally true, regardless of when you when you were born or where you live.

An interesting aspect of evil is that we tend to restrict the usage of this word to cases when the behavior is somehow directed towards or related to something living. For example, if I took one of my pencils and broke it in two pieces, you might consider that wasteful, but I doubt you’d consider it evil. On the other hand, if I asked to borrow your pencil, then grinned as I snapped it in two, it now falls into another category, doesn’t it? If you think about the things we consider evil, they tend to be actions that directly or indirectly involve human life – either the offender’s or the victim’s.

The second step in the path of life includes questions like: why does good and evil exist? Why is it unique to human life? What is the basis upon which good and evil is determined?

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Our world is falling deeper and deeper into chaos as it struggles with the concept of evil. Since it ignores the God of creation, the world just makes up its own definitions of evil or redefines what it is. When it comes to “offenses”, that word tends to be restricted to cases when one person somehow offends another. As we’ve witnessed, the subset of things that supposedly cause offense between people has grown dramatically over the last 20 years. But offending God is not an important topic to most people.

What does the Bible say about offenses, morality, or evil? It short, it says evil is any violation of God’s character and results in the destruction of human life. The Bible uses the word “sin” to let us know who is being offended by our evil – God Himself.

The very first humans God created sinned. Although the first part of their life was in a perfect place where nothing bad existed, they chose to offend or disobey the One who created them. Genesis 2:15-17 - 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 3:6-7 - 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Mark 7:20-23 describes sin this way…”That which comes out of the person, that is what defiles the person. 21 For from within, out of the hearts of people, come the evil thoughts, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, acts of adultery, 22 deeds of greed, wickedness, deceit, indecent behavior, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile the person.”

Whether or not we want to admit it, every human being commits sin, and all of them, even those in the womb are affected by it. The Bible declares this universal truth in Romans 3:23 – “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

The second step on the path of life is the recognition that people commit evil because they choose to.

3. EXPERIENCE CONSEQUENCES

Let’s revisit the example of being slugged in the jaw at the grocery store for no reason. Does that event increase or decrease the odds of having a good relationship with the person who hit you? Is there something inside you that feels like the offender should face punishment? What if someone broke into your home and stole your money and possessions…don’t their actions make it more difficult to meet your needs? Should the thief be able to get away with their thievery scot-free?

Every human ever born understands that once evil has occurred, the inevitable next part of the pattern is consequences. Evil makes life worse, not better. Something bad always occurs to someone because of evil.

In addition, the commission of evil reveals the existence of something inside a person that we call a conscience. This conscience generates a sense of “guilt”, where we realize that what we did was not just a mistake, but something morally wrong.

The third step along the path of life leads to questions like: why are there things in life that keep me from being as happy as I’d like to be? Why do people have consciences? Why do we believe that retribution is a justified response for certain behaviors?

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This past Thursday, I heard the vice president say that many of our young people today are struggling with something she called, “climate mental health” issues. I would argue that if that is true, the reason is because they are being told to focus on the “evils” mankind is supposedly carrying out against our planet. I would also argue that their climate mental health would improve dramatically if they understood and believed what the Bible says about evil, what the consequences are, and what the future holds because of it. Yes, this earth is going to be destroyed, but for very different reasons and in a very different way than what our young people are being led to believe.

According to the Bible, Adam and Eve did evil (sinned) against God. They understood that what they did was wrong, their consciences made them feel guilty for disobeying God, and they immediately tried to deal with the consequences in their own way. (Genesis 3:6-7) 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Adam & Eve faced consequences for their actions that affected every aspect of their lives, life became much more difficult and painful. Genesis chapter 3 details some of the ways. Genesis 3:16 - To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” 17 - To Adam he said, Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” 23 - So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.

According to the Bible, the consequence of sin is that our entire world is now “fallen” because of it. Earlier we learned that the tendency to sin applies to all of us. And, regardless of whether we might classify them as major or minor sins, the Bible also says that we must face the consequences for them. Romans 6:23 uses the word “wages” to illustrate that we deserve something for our sin. Specifically, this verse says, “the wages of sin is death.”

Even though we know what sin is and that we deserve judgment, we often try to respond by ignoring the consequences and proudly continuing in our ways. Romans 1: 32 describes this tendency - Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

The third step on the path of life is the understanding that God created us to have life (#1), but the evil we commit (#2) puts us on a path to death (#3).

Since that is a very sobering thought, before we move to step 4, let’s let the cat out of the bag a little. Let’s look ahead to how we all would like this to play out in the end of life (reference Heaven last step) - Philippians 3:20 - But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ Revelation 7:15-17 – …and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:15-17)

4. DECIDE UPON FORGIVENESS

So far, our path of life has largely been a mental exercise that has included a lot of looking and listening. But now comes the most critical step, one that involves a decision of the heart.

Whether or not people want to admit it, they all come this far – having been given life intentionally by God, they realize evil exists, they have witnessed the consequences of it, and they know they are guilty. But now they find themselves at a fork in the road. They can ignore the obvious evidence and choose the path where they receive the wages of death, or they can choose the path that leads to a better, perfect, and everlasting life.

After a person recognizes they are guilty and deserve punishment, another desire naturally kicks in, and that is the desire for forgiveness. Forgiveness is the hope that one won’t have to face some or all the consequences for our evil. This is the step when a person can admit they are guilty, but then ask to be declared not guilty.

The desire for forgiveness only exists in humans. Now, if you own a dog you might hesitate at that statement because you’ve seen how it reacts after you scold it for certain behaviors, like chewing a hole in the living room sofa. One might think those sad looking eyes prove that the dog desires forgiveness. But what is really happening is that the owner is projecting the human reality of good, evil, and guilt on to their dog. The dog isn’t looking for forgiveness but is merely recognizing that they just did something for which they had been punished in the past and are expecting the same consequence now. The dog didn’t really consider the behavior evil, the owner did. Isn’t it interesting that one of the few, if not the only animal that tends to react this way is a dog? Your hamster or parakeet has no such reaction. Neither do the racoons that you chase with a broom, after they raided your garbage can. And, honestly, is there anyone who believes there is anything remorseful in a cat?

Only humans inherently know about real forgiveness. They know for it to occur one must first recognize they have failed to meet up to a moral standard, then after experiencing the subsequent guilt, respond in humility and repentance. We also know that forgiveness can only be granted by another party who understands morality, but willingly forgoes the application of judgement against us.

What questions naturally arise at this stage of the path of life? “To whom do I need forgiveness from?”. “Does some kind of payment or sacrifice need to be made to receive the forgiveness?” “If I’m forgiven, can I expect the consequences of my behavior to be automatically removed?”,

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The need for and prospect of forgiveness is an issue that the Bible addresses from front to back. Earlier we learned that when we do evil or sin, we are offending God - therefore, forgiveness must come from God. After Adam and Eve’s original sin in the garden of Eden, they went into hiding. But God’s response provides a simple example that He still had love and compassion for them. Genesis 3:8-9 - Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

As sinful people, even at our best, we don’t measure up to God. We can never do enough good to undo the need for forgiveness, nor defeat the consequences of sin. But there is hope. Romans 6:23 says “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.” In the first part of John 3:16, we learn that this gift (forgiveness) could only be made available to us through Jesus. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son (Jesus)…”

Why did forgiveness need to come through Jesus? Because He is the only One who qualified to take the consequence of our sin on Himself. Acts 4:12 – 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Jesus was qualified to take our punishment because He was entirely innocent of sin; which means it did not have any power over Him while He was alive (1 Peter 2:22); and He was the only one who could conquer it after He died. He did this by raising Himself (and His followers) back to life (Acts 2:24, 2 Timothy 1:10).

The way Jesus accomplished this forgiveness for us was through a graphic, sacrificial death on a cross. Hebrews 9:22 says, “…without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Ephesians 1:7 says, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”

Unfortunately, while this gift of forgiveness is available to everyone, it is not accepted by everyone. Some people choose to not accept this gift because they don’t think they need it. Others assume that because God is love, He is simply going to withhold judgement and forgive without a person admitting their guilt.

Those beliefs conflict with the evidence, and without a doubt, conflict with the Bible. This saving or forgiving must be done in conjunction with a conscious decision to believe, by putting one’s faith in Jesus as the forgiver of their sins. The second portion of John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son (Jesus), that whosoever believes in Him will have everlasting life.” (i.e. Ephesians 2:8).

What does it mean to believe or have faith? Does it mean to just have a strong sense Jesus existed, just like I have a strong sense that George Washington was the 1^st president of the United States? Romans 10:9 describes belief in these terms, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Similarly, 1 John 1:9 describes forgiveness like this - “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins…”

Forgiveness from Jesus accomplishes a lot for us! One of these things is found in the 2^nd part of 1 John 1:9, it “… cleanses us from all unrighteousness.” Finally, Romans 8:1, ties a bow on the topics of guilt and forgiveness in this way – “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

The fourth step on the path of life occurs when one chooses to put their faith in Jesus for forgiveness of sin.

SO WHAT

Each person must make a careful analysis of the evidence at each stage of the path of life and choose wisely. As he looks at and listens to what life reveals, he can:

1. Choose to attribute everything in life to a combination of accidental events and progress.

2. Try to survive based off a wide variety of opinions and hopeful cliches shared around water coolers or social media.

3. Or he can find out what the Creator of life says about life in the Bible.

The Bible is both a reliable and sufficient resource for navigating down the path of life.

If you haven’t chosen the way of Jesus, the fork in the path to eternal life, do so now before you reach the end.