by Pastor John Lin
Big idea:
We're to worship God on his terms and not ours
Israel degenerated to a rotten core
#. The corruption of worship in a household
Judges 17:1-6
Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim 2 said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels[a] of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse—I have that silver with me; I took it.”
Then his mother said, “The Lord bless you, my son!”
3 When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I solemnly consecrate my silver to the Lord for my son to make an image overlaid with silver. I will give it back to you.”
4 So after he returned the silver to his mother, she took two hundred shekels[b] of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who used them to make the idol. And it was put in Micah’s house.
5 Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household gods and installed one of his sons as his priest. 6 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.
From these verses, We see different commandments of God broken here:
- The people did not regard God and honour him as king, that speaks for Micah who do not regard God
Judges 17:7-11
A young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who had been living within the clan of Judah, 8 left that town in search of some other place to stay. On his way[a] he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.
9 Micah asked him, “Where are you from?”
“I’m a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,” he said, “and I’m looking for a place to stay.”
10 Then Micah said to him, “Live with me and be my father and priest, and I’ll give you ten shekels[b] of silver a year, your clothes and your food.” 11 So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man became like one of his sons to him.
- For Levite to be in ministry it should be 30 years old
- Levite should not be from Bethlehem
- The Levite decides to sojourn as he chose not to serve yahweh but men
- He wants to feel importance and do it his way
This Levite should have gone to a temple in Shiloh
Judges 17:12-13
Then Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house. 13 And Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest.”
Micah ordained the Levite
Lesson 1:
Our worship of God can be sincerely wrong
- Micah is definitely sincere but the truth is he's sincerely wrong in the way he worship gone, done in the wrong manner
- Micah defile God in his own man-made way and terms of worship
- have we carve our own ways of God in our understanding him?
- we're simply worshipping him base on our own preferences (I feel the peace of God...)
- false religion always want to control God
- true worship is regardless of whatever I choose to worship god because jesus has saved me and deserve all my praises
- sinful activities can brings success as well
- true worship always demands our surrender
#. The corruption of a tribe
In those days Israel had no king.
Judges 18:1
And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking a place of their own where they might settle, because they had not yet come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
Instead of going back to yahweh the tribe of Dan looks for a land to settle in. They choose to hear the voice of the young Levite at Micah house. The Levite did what was right in his own eyes and said go in peace
The Danites just wanted to use God to bless their plans.
Judges 18:15-20
So they turned in there and went to the house of the young Levite at Micah’s place and greeted him. 16 The six hundred Danites, armed for battle, stood at the entrance of the gate. 17 The five men who had spied out the land went inside and took the idol, the ephod and the household gods while the priest and the six hundred armed men stood at the entrance of the gate.
18 When the five men went into Micah’s house and took the idol, the ephod and the household gods, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
19 They answered him, “Be quiet! Don’t say a word. Come with us, and be our father and priest. Isn’t it better that you serve a tribe and clan in Israel as priest rather than just one man’s household?” 20 The priest was very pleased. He took the ephod, the household gods and the idol and went along with the people.
Corrupted Levite surely agree, because it was never about Yahweh
Judges 18:22-24
When they had gone some distance from Micah’s house, the men who lived near Micah were called together and overtook the Danites. 23 As they shouted after them, the Danites turned and said to Micah, “What’s the matter with you that you called out your men to fight?”
24 He replied, “You took the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you ask, ‘What’s the matter with you?’”
Micah was robbed by a tribe!
Micah's life was so attached to the things he man-made them
Lesson 2:
God is to be worshipped and not used
God was shrung to the size of the carved image to be used for their purpose
When we have already put the cart before the horse, what's the point of asking God?
Seek his heart, mind and will, instead of presenting our plans. Ask "What is God's will?"
If God were small enough to be understood, he would not be big enough to be worshipped
- Evelyn Underhill -
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Friday, April 19, 2024
Judges and Ruth - The unlikely Deliverer
by Pastor Wilson
Big idea:
God wants us to rely and depend on Him to fulfil our calling
Judges
Samson mum was barren before his birth
Spiritual lethargy and compromised living
Every nazirite must abide by 3 laws:
1. Refrain from consuming wine or intoxicating drink
2. Refrain from cutting one's hair
3. Avoid contact with dead body
What's God's purpose for Samson?
Judges 13:1
Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.
Israel coexisted with ohilestine for 4 decades. Israel so comfortable with philestine that they forgotten God's instruction . Samson to shake the status quo and spiritual lethargy of Israel.
Samson life was a reflection of Israel lethargy
Israel defile themselves though they were set apart
Samson did was not for God at all, it was for himself
Samson self centred life through 3 recorded events:
Judges 14:2-3
When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.” 3 His father and mother replied, “Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.”
1. He insisted to marry philestine wife
Judges 15:3-5
Samson said to them, “This time I have a right to get even with the Philistines; I will really harm them.” 4 So he went out and caught three hundred foxes and tied them tail to tail in pairs. He then fastened a torch to every pair of tails, 5 lit the torches and let the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up the shocks and standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves.
2. He took revenge on philestine after he lose his wife
Cause major loss to philestine. It was not for God but himself
Judges 16:4-5
Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. 5 The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels[a] of silver.”
3. Samson fell in love with another philistine woman Delilah
Cutting hair is highly symbolic and significance because God left Samson as well.
Judges 16:28-30
Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29 Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, 30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.
Samson took his last revenge, his final prayer was avenging the humiliation that his lose his eyes.
These 3 events showed Samson is self centred. Despite this, God still chose this unlikely believer even though samson did not do it willingly
Samson depended on this supernatural ability rather than on God. Reliance on God and the gifts. God is the sources, gifts and talents are expression of grace from God/source.
Samson was too arrogant to realise that God's presence could actually leave him
Samson neglected the source
No believers today should encounter Samson mistake to arrogantly dependence on God gifts and talents and disconnecting God's source in our lives.
The issue is about the heart and what we depend and rely in.
How can we ensure that we do not neglect God as the source in our lives?
Spiritual practice:
- lighting candles on Sabbath day
- attending a weekly church service
- physical act of giving financially
The tragic fall of Samson did not happen overnight but a series of events that compromise his relationship with God.
He as a nazirite must live an even higher standards than the rest of the Israelites.
Compromise event:
1. Samson relationship with the Philistines
Deueronomy 7:1-4
When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— 2 and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally.[a] Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. 3 Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, 4 for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you.
2. He also visited a philistine prostitute
Relational compromises, Samson set himself up to a tragic ending
3. He failed to observe the nazirite restriction of not touching dead bodies
Judges 14:8-9
Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion’s carcass, and in it he saw a swarm of bees and some honey. 9 He scooped out the honey with his hands and ate as he went along. When he rejoined his parents, he gave them some, and they too ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass.
Samson had earlier met a lion on the road, and killed it before it killed him. Few days later, he saw the same lion with honey.... He ate and gave to his parents.
Compromises overtime can bring negative consequences
Usually occurs in our hearts and mind -> Mind becomes a habit in our lives
The only way is to interrupt it as early as possible. To interrupt the compromise process as early as possible.
We need someone to bring this discomfort out of us. We need someone to protect and safeguard our relationship with God and others.
Do you intentionally allow someone to interrupt the compromise process in your life?
Left uncheck we relax our personal conviction
These ungodly values reinforce overtime will lead to compromise
We need godly voices to hold us accountable, to cause some level of discomfort, to interrupt the compromises we have.
Big idea:
God wants us to rely and depend on Him to fulfil our calling
Judges
Samson mum was barren before his birth
Spiritual lethargy and compromised living
Every nazirite must abide by 3 laws:
1. Refrain from consuming wine or intoxicating drink
2. Refrain from cutting one's hair
3. Avoid contact with dead body
What's God's purpose for Samson?
Judges 13:1
Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.
Israel coexisted with ohilestine for 4 decades. Israel so comfortable with philestine that they forgotten God's instruction . Samson to shake the status quo and spiritual lethargy of Israel.
Samson life was a reflection of Israel lethargy
Israel defile themselves though they were set apart
Samson did was not for God at all, it was for himself
Samson self centred life through 3 recorded events:
Judges 14:2-3
When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.” 3 His father and mother replied, “Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.”
1. He insisted to marry philestine wife
Judges 15:3-5
Samson said to them, “This time I have a right to get even with the Philistines; I will really harm them.” 4 So he went out and caught three hundred foxes and tied them tail to tail in pairs. He then fastened a torch to every pair of tails, 5 lit the torches and let the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up the shocks and standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves.
2. He took revenge on philestine after he lose his wife
Cause major loss to philestine. It was not for God but himself
Judges 16:4-5
Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. 5 The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels[a] of silver.”
3. Samson fell in love with another philistine woman Delilah
Cutting hair is highly symbolic and significance because God left Samson as well.
Judges 16:28-30
Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29 Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, 30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.
Samson took his last revenge, his final prayer was avenging the humiliation that his lose his eyes.
These 3 events showed Samson is self centred. Despite this, God still chose this unlikely believer even though samson did not do it willingly
Samson depended on this supernatural ability rather than on God. Reliance on God and the gifts. God is the sources, gifts and talents are expression of grace from God/source.
Samson was too arrogant to realise that God's presence could actually leave him
Samson neglected the source
No believers today should encounter Samson mistake to arrogantly dependence on God gifts and talents and disconnecting God's source in our lives.
The issue is about the heart and what we depend and rely in.
How can we ensure that we do not neglect God as the source in our lives?
Spiritual practice:
- lighting candles on Sabbath day
- attending a weekly church service
- physical act of giving financially
The tragic fall of Samson did not happen overnight but a series of events that compromise his relationship with God.
He as a nazirite must live an even higher standards than the rest of the Israelites.
Compromise event:
1. Samson relationship with the Philistines
Deueronomy 7:1-4
When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— 2 and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally.[a] Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. 3 Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, 4 for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you.
2. He also visited a philistine prostitute
Relational compromises, Samson set himself up to a tragic ending
3. He failed to observe the nazirite restriction of not touching dead bodies
Judges 14:8-9
Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion’s carcass, and in it he saw a swarm of bees and some honey. 9 He scooped out the honey with his hands and ate as he went along. When he rejoined his parents, he gave them some, and they too ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass.
Samson had earlier met a lion on the road, and killed it before it killed him. Few days later, he saw the same lion with honey.... He ate and gave to his parents.
Compromises overtime can bring negative consequences
Usually occurs in our hearts and mind -> Mind becomes a habit in our lives
The only way is to interrupt it as early as possible. To interrupt the compromise process as early as possible.
We need someone to bring this discomfort out of us. We need someone to protect and safeguard our relationship with God and others.
Do you intentionally allow someone to interrupt the compromise process in your life?
Left uncheck we relax our personal conviction
These ungodly values reinforce overtime will lead to compromise
We need godly voices to hold us accountable, to cause some level of discomfort, to interrupt the compromises we have.
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