Israel's Unfaithfulness: repeatedly falling aways

Without a strong leader the people soon disobeyed God and forgot about God. They even ended up worshiping false god’s- which if you were God wouldn’t that feel like the ultimate slap to the face.

After provided and protecting these people they turn their back and worship false things.

Yet how often is that us- How often to we turn to other things or people and forget about God.

The first thing the Israelites didn’t do is clear out the land- They were told to expel all of the canaanites living in the land.

Judges 1:27 ESV

Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages, for the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land.

this is the start of a long list of all who didn’t drive out the inhabitants of the land it continues with:

Ephiram

Zebulun

Asher

Naphtali

Dan

That is six of the twelve who failed to trust and obey God- and they ended up living among them and in the end becoming just like them even in worship of false god’s and even to the point of children sacrifice- Which God hated.

Because of Sin their is punishment- Gen 3 shows that sin leads to death.

Judges 2:1–5 ESV

Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. And they called the name of that place Bochim. And they sacrificed there to the Lord.

There is a cycle to the book of Judges: God is worshiped by His people- His people sin and forget God- because of their sins the people become enslaved- they cry out to God- God delivers them and they return to worshiping God

The Cycle of Judges land out-

Judges 2:11–19 ESV

And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger. They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress. Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not do so. Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.

What cycle of behavior were the Israelites in?

It is a cycle of sin. Judgment and punishment came because of the people’s sin. The scripture uses this term that they abandoned God and went after other god’s, and the Lord gave them over.

God gave them what they desired- He gave them to the false fake god’s who couldn’t do anything for them, and in turn God let them wander until they realized they had nothing with out Him- God’s presence is in our lives is the greatest blessing- when we wander away from God and pursue things of this world to find joy or purpose we are like Israel in this story- We will never find it cause it doesn’t exist

John Piper says “God is most glorified when we are most satisfied inHim.”

We aren’t looking for anything else to satisfied our hearts desires cause He alone is what satisfies- and in return we trust and obey because He is our treasure and our delight.

Judges 3:12–30 ESV

And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amalekites, and went and defeated Israel. And they took possession of the city of palms. And the people of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his clothes. And he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. But he himself turned back at the idols near Gilgal and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And he commanded, “Silence.” And all his attendants went out from his presence. And Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he arose from his seat. And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and the dung came out. Then Ehud went out into the porch and closed the doors of the roof chamber behind him and locked them. When he had gone, the servants came, and when they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, “Surely he is relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber.” And they waited till they were embarrassed. But when he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and opened them, and there lay their lord dead on the floor. Ehud escaped while they delayed, and he passed beyond the idols and escaped to Seirah. When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the people of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was their leader. And he said to them, “Follow after me, for the Lord has given your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites and did not allow anyone to pass over. And they killed at that time about 10,000 of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; not a man escaped. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.

What does this story teach us about God?

God is faithful and God is a God of grace and mercy-

Eph 2:1-10 says God is rich in Mercy has saved us by Grace

God’s grace is Him giving sinners what they don’t deserve- He forgives and saves.

God’s mercy is Him not giving sinners what they do deserve- punishment and death

Romans 6:23 ESV

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What did the people need to do to be saved?

They cried out to God.

1 John 1:9 ESV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The judges saved the people from the consequences of their sin, but not the cause of it. God’s plan was to one day send a true Deliverer—Jesus, His own Son—to be the King of His people. Jesus saves people from sin forever.

Fifty-Two Invitation Illustrations 7. Mighty Sinners Saved by Mighty Grace

I remember reading once of a person who dreamed a dream when in great distress of mind about religion. He thought he stood in the outer court of Heaven, and he saw a glorious host marching up the steps of light, singing hymns and bearing the banners of victory. They passed by him, and entered through the gates, and he heard, in the distance, sweet strains of music.

“Who are they?” he asked. “Don’t you know?” was the reply. “They are the goodly fellowship of the Prophets, who have gone to be with God.” He heaved a deep sigh, as he said, “Alas! I am not one of them, and shall never be, and cannot enter there.”

By and by there came another band, equally lovely in appearance and equally triumphant, robed in white. “Who are these?” he cried with wistful expectancy. “They are the goodly fellowship of the Apostles.” “Alas,” he said, as they passed within the portal, “I belong not to that fellowship, and I cannot enter there.”

He still waited and lingered, in the hope that he might yet go in; but the next multitude did not encourage him, for they were the noble army of Martyrs. He could not go with them, nor wave their palm branches.

He waited still, and saw that the next was a company of preachers of the gospel and earnest Christian workers, but he felt he could not go in with them.

Hope of entrance seemed to have gone, when at last, as he walked, he saw a larger host than all the rest put together marching and singing melodiously, and in front walked the woman that was a sinner, and the thief that died upon the cross. He looked long, and saw there Manasseh, and the like; and when they entered he could see who they were, and he thought, “There will be shouting about them.” But to his astonishment it seemed as if all Heaven was rent with sevenfold shouts as they passed in. The angels said to him, These are they that were mighty sinners, saved by mighty grace.” Then he said, “Blessed be God! I can go in with them.” So he awoke.

Will you enter the heavenly protals as “a sinner saved by grace?” Grace is unmerited favor. Accept Christ, yield to Him, give Him the government of your life, and you will stand and bask in the full radiance of the grace of the King of Heaven eternally.