The Unlikely hero

by Pastor John Lin

Judges and Ruth - The unlikely choice

The Judges Cycle:
Peace --> Rebellion --> Oppression --> Repentence --> Deliverance

See The degeneration of God's people, being stuck in a cycle of rebellion


Big idea:
God must be at the centre of our lives

Judges 1:1
After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Canaanites?”


Joshua has been seen as someone who shows Believing loyalty in God and someone living a life of faith in God

Judges 2:7-10
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[a] 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.


Israel downfall happened when they forgot who God was, what he has done and disobeyed him

Deuteronomy 6:12
be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.


1st observation:
Failure begins when we forget

Judges 2:2
and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this?


It took the Israelites one generation to forget what God has done

Judges 3:7
The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.


Judges 3:12
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.


How did the next generation not know about God?

People not diligent to raise the next generation because they forgot about God and fail to teach the next generation to know God and follow God, about God

There is very low percentage of increase in believing Jesus

Deuteronomy 6:5-7
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.


God gave solution to his people by training to remember God in all areas of our lives, focus on intentional consistencies, don't leave to chance, use every opportunity to talk about God, teach and raise others, next generation.


KWRSS:
Know
Walk
Relate
Serve
Share

When you do nothing, nothing happens. Don't try but train

Judges 1:19
The Lord was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had chariots fitted with iron.


Judges 1:27
But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land.


Judges 1:29
Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them.


Judges 1:30
Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, so these Canaanites lived among them, but Zebulun did subject them to forced labor.


Judges 1:31
Nor did Asher drive out those living in Akko or Sidon or Ahlab or Akzib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob.


They did not drive out the inhabitants

2nd observation:
Compromise leads to enslavement

Judges 3:5-7
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. 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.


They lived among the enemies, when they compromise their allegiance to God

Why God instruct israelites to live away from them?
Because of Religious influence and idol worship.

Canaanites worship includes Child sacrifice,...

Disobedience open up to distraction and destruction

We cannot live What world prefers and admires, we cannot allow the world to dictate how we live

We either serve God who saves or the idols that enslave

That's a lie!

Follow Christ and make fishers of men...

Who what God has call us to be

Have we been canaanised by the world today?
The cycle of compromise, attitude of apathy

Something drastic need to take place in order to see transformation!

Matthew 18:8-9
If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.


Drive out compromise

Device robbing time, attention

God must be first in all areas of our lives!

3rd observation:
Pain is an avenue that points us back to God

Judges 3:8
The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim,[a] to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years.


People were enslaved for 8 years, delivered and They sinned again

Judges 3:9
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.


Judges 3:15
Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.


World is promoting a Fuss free, pain free environment


God response to the cries of his people wherever they are. He's not waiting for us to get our lives sorted out. God's love is greater than the mess we experience. Without God we can do nothing

We have been influenced by the ungodly values and culture of the world