JUDGES 3
As we look at the book of JUDGES, there are a couple questions that came to mind.
1. What is the significance of the title JUDGES?
These appointed Judges were people of highly experienced military and leadership abilities. Not judges so much as we define a judge today. They were chosen by God because of their sound judgment and were used as God's release of the judgement that the Israelites brought upon themselves for turning from Him.
Ÿ Before we continue, a little review is in order.
Remember in our study of Joshua when the Israelites were moving in to the Promised Land? Joshua reminded the people of God's command to Moses regarding the takeover of the land.
Deuteronomy 20:16-18
[16] However, in the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. [17] Completely destroy them---the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites---as the Lord your God has commanded you.
Ÿ COMPLETE DESTRUCTION.
Ÿ Why?
[18] Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God.
Well, as we know, that didn't happen. And now the consequences of that disobedience are obvious.
Judges 2:6-16
6 After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to their own inheritance. [7] The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel. [8] Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. [9] And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. [10] After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. [11] Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals.
[12] They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord's anger [13] because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. [14] In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. [15] Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress. [16] 16 Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders.
Now we will move in to the God appointed judges.
Judges 3:1-6
[3] These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan [2] (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): [3] the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath. [4] They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord's commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses. [5] The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. [6] 6 They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
Here is a point that could be confusing to some.
Ÿ We know that the Israelites didn't totally destroy all the people as God had instructed. That was not God's instruction.
Ÿ Verse 3 indicates that the LORD left these people.
Ÿ He gives the reason why in Verses 2, 3 and 4.
Ÿ Are God's plans for us only when we obey and are faithful?
Ÿ God is more than capable of using our disobedience to accomplish His plans.
Ÿ He never accepts our sin but actually uses it to teach us.
Judges 3:6-11 The first of the appointed Judges. Othniel
[7] The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. [8] The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. [9] But when they cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz,
Caleb's younger brother, who saved them. [10] The Spirit of the Lord came on him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. [11] 11 So the land had peace for forty years, "UNTIL" Othniel son of Kenaz died.
Judges 3:12-14
[12] Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and because they did this evil the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. [13] Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms. [14] The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.
Judges 3:15 The second appointed Judge. Ehud
15 Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he gave them a deliverer — Ehud.
Judges 3:15-30
Ehud, a left- handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. [16] Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a cubit long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. [17] He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. [18] After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it. [19] But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.” The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left. [20] Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose from his seat, [21] Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king's belly. [22] Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. [23] Then Ehud went out to the porch ; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them. [24] After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, “He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the palace.” [25] They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead. [26] While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the stone images and escaped to Seirah. [27] When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from
the hills, with him leading them. [28] “Follow me,” he ordered, “for the Lord has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands. ” So they followed him down and took possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab; they allowed no one to cross over. [29] At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not one escaped. [30] 30 That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.
Judges 3:31 The third appointed Judge. Shamgar
[31] After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.
Ÿ Can we become complacent in our lives while living among ungodly people?
Ÿ What steps can we take to prevent complacency and sin?
Ÿ Remember how easy it was for Israel to do evil in the sight of the Lord.
Ÿ The successful Christian life requires daily understanding of God's Word and constant communication with Him.
Ÿ My best day without Jesus is a total failure.
Ÿ My worst day with Jesus is a total success.
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