Redemption: Judges
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Redemption Has Conditions
By: Scott Ingram
TEXT: Judges 2:1-5
Then the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you. And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’ ” So it was, when the Angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept. Then they called the name of that place Bochim; and they sacrificed there to the Lord.
THESIS: To show from the Scriptures that God's blessing, His protection, and ultimate redemption was and is conditional for the Israelite's then and for all men today.
INTRODUCTION:
1. God's promises are more often than not, conditional.
A) There are the promises that Christ will return that are not conditional.
B. There are however, also the promises, such as, what will happen to each of us, where we will go, and what we will suffer or enjoy after our life on earth is over.
2. These promises that are conditional are never vague and they are as certain as the ones that are set in stone.
A) God gives the rewards and conditions we are to receive and live by in order to receive them.
B) It is a guarantee that we will receive the appropriate reward based on the fulfillment or failure to fulfill the conditions.
3. The easiest to find examples of promises and conditions given, and then fulfilled, on the part of God and on the part of man are found in the Old Testament which was at least partly written for us to have an example of Biblical principles such as this one so that we might learn from what happened to them.(Rom.15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11)
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
DISCUSSION:
I. God can be trusted. (Judges 2:1)
Then the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you.
A. God has already proved Himself to Israel.
1. The Lord spoke to them about their sins but reminded them of what He had already done for them. (Judges 2:1b)
2. He reminded them of His actions but also His word that He would be with them.
B. God has laid out all the evidence anyone could reasonably ask for when deciding if they should trust Him
1. At the time He did it for them by reminding them of what already happened and surely they could read about it in the Pentateuch if they were not able to hear about it from their relatives before them.
2. We have all things written and recorded for us today, as mentioned in the introduction, but also in the New Testament we have all that we need to believe God. (John 14:29; Rom. 10:17)
“And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
II. We must be trustworthy towards God.
A. The nation of Israel failed to prove themselves trustworthy in the past. (Exo. 32:1-6)
Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.” Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
1. They were proving themselves untrustworthy now as well.
2. God pointed out what He had done for them and what was promised and rightfully so, He asked a question to for the point of causing them to consider their lack of action. (Judges 2:2)
And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?
B. We have to ask ourselves what has God promised us and what do we stand to lose if we are not faithful.
1. The nation of Israel lost out on God's help driving people from physical land. (Judges 2:3)
Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’ ”
2. We lose out on being able to enter into a land of rest, a place in God's home if we do not obey God's voice. (Judges 2:2)
And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?
III. We will receive our reward if we are trustworthy.
A. In the case of Israel at the time of which we are reading, the nation was going to be blessed physically and have little to no adversity in the land if they kept the word of the Lord.
1. This blessing goes back to the principle and teaching of Deuteronomy. (Deut 28:1-14)
2. Moses also spoke of their curse if they were to be disobedient. (Deut. 28:15-68)
B. The book of Judges follows a cycle of the Israelite peoples being blessed and cursed following their obedience or disobedience.
1. This cycle illustrates time and time again the conditional nature to many of God's promises.
2. It proves that God's word is absolute and we will only be blessed by God if we actually do what He says to do.
CONCLUSION.
1. If we truly take the time to consider God, we will see that He can be trusted.
2. Often times we are the ones who fall short on our end of the deal that God has graciously offered us free of charge.
3. It is important to remember that if we meet the conditions to God's promise of salvation we will have a great reward and if we do not there is a curse waiting as well.
4. Let us do that which is right, help each other along the way, become leaders that will help the church as the Judges who would steer the children of Israel in the right direction and all be in heaven together.