Sermon Tone Analysis

Text: Judges 3:1-31

Same Old, Same Old

Text: Judges

Theme: The challenge of God’s people in all times is the realization that we are aliens and strangers in the world, abstaining from sinful desires, and living good lives among the pagans so that they may glorify God.

Theme: The challenge of God’s people in all times is the realization that we are aliens and strangers in the world, abstaining from sinful desires, and living good lives among the pagans so that they may glorify God.

Date: 07/02/2017 File Name: Judges_05.wpd

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Date: 07/02/2017 File Name: Judges_05.wpd

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The Apostle Peter writes in his first epistle, “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

(, NIV84).

The Apostle Peter writes in his first epistle, “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

(, NIV84).

The challenge of God’s people in all times, in all places, regardless of the culture is the realization that we are aliens and strangers in the world.

As such God calls us to abstain from sinful desires.

He encourages us to live good lives among the pagans so that we may glorify God.

It’s something the Israelites consistently failed to do during the period of the Judges.

As we begin chapter three the recurring them that stands out is defined by the idiom, Same old, same old.

We’ve probably all used the slang term which is short hand for Same old thing.

It’s the equivalent of saying nothing new when asked by an friend, “How are things going?”

If, during the time of the Judges, God were to ask Israel, “How are things going?”

their response would be, “Oh, you know, same old, same old: Rebellion, Rejection, Repentance, Restoration, and Rest.”

This is the predictable pattern that Israel had fallen into.

Rebellion.

Israel does evil in the sight of the Lord.

They forget God and begin to serve idols.

• Rejection.

God rejects Israel because of her sin, and allows calamity to strike His people by the oppression of foreign powers.

Rejection.

God rejects Israel because of her sin, and allows calamity to strike His people by the oppression of foreign powers.

• Repentance.

After a period of time, Israel cries ‘uncle’ and cries out for God to deliver them.

Repentance.

After a period of time, Israel cries ‘uncle’ and cries out for God to deliver them.

• Restoration.

God rises up a deliverer — referred to as ‘Judges’ — who, often against great odds, beat are repulse those who are afflicting God’s people.

Restoration.

God rises up a deliverer — referred to as ‘Judges’ — who, often against great odds, beat are repulse those who are afflicting God’s people.

• Rest.

After the enemy is defeated Israel has rest from her enemies for a period of time, only to once again forget who they are, and who their God is.

Rest.

After the enemy is defeated Israel has rest from her enemies for a period of time, only to once again forget who they are, and who their God is.

And God comes again and asks, “How are things going?” and their response is, “Oh, you know, same old, same old: ” Yadda, yadda, yadda.”

I. ISRAEL’S DESCENT (3:1-6)

1. Israel’s descent into sin and rebellion are described in vs. 1-6

“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 forefathers through Moses.

5 The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

6 They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.”

(, NIV84)

2. the tribe of Judah was not able to hold on to the key Philistine cities they had taken, and as we saw in chapter 1, the other tribes failed to conquer the Canaanite nations

and as we saw in chapter 1, the other tribes failed to conquer the Canaanite nations

a. these surviving nations adopted a “good neighbor” policy toward Israel that eventually defeated Israel from within

eventually defeated Israel from within

3. sometimes Satan comes as a lion to devour, but often he comes as a serpent to deceive

deceive

a. in making friends with the people God had commanded them to drive out of the Promised Land Israel became a Compromised People

Promised Land Israel became a Compromised People

A. SPIRITUAL COMPROMISE IS ALWAYS DANGEROUS

A. SPIRITUAL COMPROMISE IS ALWAYS DANGEROUS

1. Israel’s three big sins were Cohabitation, Intermarriage, and Apostasy

a. Cohabitation

1) instead of driving the Canaanites from the land as the Lord God had commanded, Israel shared it with them

commanded, Israel shared it with them

vs. 5 “The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites”

Hivites and Jebusites”

a) the five lords of the Philistines and the other tribes mentioned in this passage were enemies of the Israelites

were enemies of the Israelites

b) as we proceed through the Old Testament, these enemies will appear time and time again

and time again

c) they were indeed a thorn in the flesh of the nation Israel just as God said they would be

would be

2) the Canaanites were a sophisticated culture which must have been a temptation for a people who had been primarily nomadic

for a people who had been primarily nomadic

a) as the Canaanites and the Israelites began to live in closer contact with each other, Israel tended to absorb Canaanite culture with some Israelites even naming their children after the God Baal

other, Israel tended to absorb Canaanite culture with some Israelites even naming their children after the God Baal

b) even one of the judges, Gideon, was also known by the name Jerubbaal ("Let Baal Contend")

Baal Contend")

b.

Intermarriage

1) instead of maintaining their own society, they intermarried with the Canaanites and adopted much of Canaanite culture

and adopted much of Canaanite culture

vs. 6 “They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons ... “

sons ... “

c.

Apostasy

1) instead of maintaining their own beliefs and worship of the Lord God alone, they adopted their religious beliefs and apostatized

adopted their religious beliefs and apostatized

2) many Israelites succumbed to the allurements of the fertility-laden rituals and practices of the Canaanite religion, partly because it was new and different from the worship of Yahweh, and, possibly because of a tendency of a rigorous faith and ethic to weaken under the influence of sexual attractions

practices of the Canaanite religion, partly because it was new and different from the worship of Yahweh, and, possibly because of a tendency of a rigorous faith and ethic to weaken under the influence of sexual attractions

2. the list of troublesome nations in vs. 3 and 5 are given to teach us about the extent of the challenge Israel is facing

2. the list of troublesome nations in vs. 3 and 5 are given to teach us about the

extent of the challenge Israel is facing

a. it’s not merely a regional problem, but a national problem

1) the Canaanites resided in the southeast area of the Promised Land, the Hivites in the northeast, the Sidonians in the northwest, and the Philistines in the southwest

in the northeast, the Sidonians in the northwest, and the Philistines in the southwest

B. SPIRITUAL COMPROMISE LEADS TO GOD’S DISCIPLINE

B. SPIRITUAL COMPROMISE LEADS TO GOD’S DISCIPLINE