As we start this new series, we are beginning in the book of Judges. Moses brought the children of Israel all the way to the borders of Canaan. Joshua took over leadership of the Israelites and brought the Israelites into Canaan and the conquest had begun but not finished. The land had been divided up to the twelve tribes already.

This is what we read at the conclusion of the book of Joshua.

• Joshua 24:31
  And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he had done for Israel.
• The Israelites were faithful to God all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders that served with Joshua. We see this same sentiment repeated in the book of Judges as well.
• Judges 2:7
  And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.

However, what would happen next after the death of Joshua?

• Judges 2:11-12
  11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: 12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
• Not long after Joshua dies and the elders pass away as well, that the children of Israel go and do evil and worship other gods.

So how does God respond when He sees them turn away from Him and break the covenant that they had made with Him?

• Judges 2:14
  And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
• So God would let them be overcome by the surrounding nations. They would go into captivity. They would be sold to their enemies as their defense had departed from them. God was their constant shield and strength but they would walk away from Him.

However, God would not leave them like that forever.

• Judges 2:16
  Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
• God would raise up judges to deliver them out of the enemy. Hence the name for the book – Judges.
• Judges 2:18
  And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
• What was the reason that God sent the judges? Because when they were oppressed by their enemies they would realise how difficult life was, how much the blessings of God had been taken away. So they would cry out to God and God would send a judge to deliver them.

But what would happen as soon as the judge dies?

• Judges 2:19
  And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.
• As soon as the judge dies, they would turn back to their old lives and worship other gods again. It was almost as if their faithfulness depended on the person that stood before them. If there was someone faithful to lead them, then they would be faithful. But as soon as there was no one to lead them, then they would be unfaithful and worship other gods.

We see a theme running throughout the whole book of Judges.

• While there is a judge ruling over them, the children of Israel are faithful.
• The judge dies. And as soon as he or she dies, they are unfaithful and go worship after other gods.
• As a result, God removes His blessings and protection from them and they go into bondage.
• In bondage they realise how oppressed they are and they cry out to God.
• God hears their cry and sends a judge to deliver them and they are faithful again.

It is this theme that runs throughout the whole book. And this is an important backdrop for our new study series. Let’s have a look at a few examples in this book.

• Judges 3:7
  And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.
  • There’s the children of Israel. They are doing evil and forget God.
• So what happens?
  • Judges 3:8
    Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.
  • God sells them into bondage for eight years.
• In bondage what do the Israelites do?
  • Judges 3:9
    And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.
  • God raises up a deliverer. His name is Othniel, Caleb’s younger brother.
  • Judges 3:10
    And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.
  • Othniel goes out to fight for them and for God. God gives them victory.
• But what happens next?
  • Judges 3:11-14
    11 And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died. 12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. 13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees. 14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
  • The judge dies and as soon as he is dead the Israelites are unfaithful again and so God let’s them go into bondage again.

Do you see this whole process that repeats itself?

• They are in bondage and they cry out to God.
• God sends them a judge to fight for them and they are faithful.
• As soon as the judge dies they go and do evil again and so God sends them into bondage.
• It just keeps repeating itself over and over and over again.

Judges 3:15
But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

• Children of Israel cry out to God again and God sends them another judge. Ehud would begin to deliver the children of Israel out of bondage.
• Judges 3:30
  So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.
• But what happens next?
• Judges 4:1-3
  1 When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. 2 So the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim. 3 And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he had harshly oppressed the children of Israel.
• God would sell them into captivity again and while they are being oppressed they turn back to God and cry out to Him.

Let’s take a look at another example further on in the book.

• Judges 6:1
  And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
  • The Israelites are being wicked again so God delivers them into the hands of the Midianites.
• Judges 6:7
  And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites.
  • So they begin to cry out to God again while they are under oppression.
• Judges 6:11
  And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
  • God calls Gideon – one of the more famous judges in the book of Judges. He is the one that would fight the Midianites with only 300 men and would prevail.
  • But what happens after?
• Judges 8:33-34
  33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god. 34 And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side.
  • As soon as Gideon dies the Israelites go back to the wicked ways and forget God.
  • Constant cycle just repeating itself over and over again.

Judges 10:6-7
6 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him. 7 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.

• Israelites do evil again and so they are sold into the hands of the other nations again.
• Judges 10:10
  And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim.
  • They cry out to God again.
• What can we expect next? God is going to send a judge right?
• Judges 11:1
  Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.
  • God sends Jephthah who will judge them and fight for them.
• Judges 12:7
  And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
  • He dies and we know what is going to happen next by now.
• Judges 13:1
  And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
• Who will God send next?
• Judges 13:2-5
  2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. 3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. 4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: 5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
• Who is this referring to? It is Samson, the most famous of all judges. The strongest man that ever lived yet one of the weakest men morally.

I’ve decided to not go through all these judges in detail because quite a number of them we have studied already in the series “Hebrews 11 – By Faith.”

But we come to this sad conclusion in the book of Judges.

• Judges 17:6
  In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
• The same thing is said again at the very end of the book.
• Judges 21:25
  In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
• There was no leader to lead the Israelites. Everyone was just doing whatever they wanted and what they thought was right in their own eyes. Needless to say, it was not a good ending.

The problem was just repeated over and over again. Leaders and judges would arise to lead the people, but no sooner had they passed away that the people would just return back to their wicked ways. What was the problem?

• They were following a person and not God. They were too used to focusing on a person to stand up to lead them than to allow God to lead them.
• Many times we are like that as well. We go to church maybe because of our parents or a certain group of friends that we have there. But as soon as we move away to study or work in a different place, we stop going to church, we stop participating, we stop attending and being faithful to God.
• Our focus is on the people, and we haven’t learnt to put our foundation on God alone. Learning to read the Bible and to spend time personally with God in prayer.
• Church can have a lot of activities. We can get used to going to church, especially if we grow up in church. But that itself does not keep us faithful and steadfast in the faith. What does?
• Hebrews 12:1-2
  1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
• We must look to Jesus. We must have our foundation set in Christ. He must become our Judge, our Deliverer, our Saviour, and most of all, our Friend.

Jesus must stand in the place of any human judge or friend today.

• Romans 11:26
  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
  • Jesus will be our Deliverer in time of trouble and distress. When we call on Him, He will answer! He will be faithful to help us if we reach out to Him.
  • But not only as a Deliverer, what else must Jesus be?
• 2 Timothy 4:1
  I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom.
  • Christ must also be our Judge. He must be the head of our lives. He must be the leader in our homes. He must be the One who will guide us and lead us in all our decisions of life.

Today we are left with a choice to make. But it is not a decision of a lifetime. It is a decision that must be made every day when we wake up. Whether we want to make Christ our all-in-all or not. Whether we want to commit to Him fully.

You see, the Israelites said to Moses that all God had said, they would do and be obedient. They repeated the same words to Joshua as well. But at the end, they would apostatize and turn away from the faith that they first believed in and committed to. They forgot to commit to God each and every day. They thought the decision and the words they spoke when the leader was standing before them was good enough, but sadly it wasn’t.

Let’s not repeat the same mistakes of those before us. Let us make sure to commit to God every day. Let’s be sure to read the Bible every day and pray every day. Let’s make sure we live our lives moment by moment for Christ. It’s not a decision for life, but a decision we must make each and every day. Today, now, and for the rest of our lives.