The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Judges 2:11-20, 3:5-11 (day seven)

Working with students, I often hear questions floated around regarding the conquest of Canaan and the time of Judges. One of these I hear is, “Why would a good God command the conquest and eradication of people groups?!”

Also by working with students, I know clearly why God commanded this; we become like those who we spend the most time with. By not driving out the inhabitants of Canaan in the way that God had commanded, they settled down next to them, and instead of leading these people closer to the Lord, they settled in their convictions. They became just like the world around them.

The sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. Judges 3:5-6

We have the tendency to fall into the same traps. We compromise our convictions in sake of the argument, “this will help me relate.” We have to walk a very fine line of being in the world but not of the world. John 15:19.

Re:Verse passage – Judges 2:11-20, 3:5-11 (day six)

Judges is the preamble to 1 Samuel. It is there that God tells the last judge, Samuel, that the people hadn’t rejected him in their demand for a king, but God himself.

That’s it central message after all: the people rejected God as their king over and over again. Every test was another opportunity to declare God as king. Every test was another act of mercy. And they failed.

But God didn’t.

Each time they would fall deeper, his mercy would reach deeper still.

He is the King of mercy.

Re:Verse passage – Judges 2:11-20, 3:5-11 (day seven)

“All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel. Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals…”

Words of warning and words of sobering truth. Words of challenge and caution (for those that have an ear to hear). FBCSA has two significant and potentially life-changing opportunities for the next generation in our church- Youth Camp and Vacation Bible School. The Lord will entrust our church with the task of evangelism and discipleship to teenagers and children. Will WE be faithful to serve, lead, share, minister, and love the next generation?  “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10.

We have been given at least these two chances. Let’s pray!  Let’s volunteer! Let’s be faithful to the Lord and to the next generation!

“One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.” Psalms‬ ‭145:4‬

Re:Verse passage – Judges 2:11-20, 3:5-11 (day four)

Moses led the children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt.  In the process, he delivered the Word (Law) of the Lord.  In Deuteronomy 27:9, Moses told the Israelites, “this day you have become a people of the Lord your God.”  With this pronouncement, came responsibilities.  Standing before Mt. Gerazim and Mt. Ebal, Moses warned what would happen if Israel followed other gods.  Now…in one lifetime (Joshua’s)…they failed to heed the warning.  God had told them what would happen and now they found out He meant it.  Everything that God warned would happen…did!

In our Re:Verse this week, in verse 15, it says everywhere they went, God was against them…”as the Lord has spoken.”  What was true in Israel is true today.  If we read the news today, it is as if we are in the time of the judges.  Everywhere we go, it seems God is against us.  We…as a nation…as a world…have followed after other gods.  Look to our own hearts…are we receiving the rewards of obedience or disobedience?  Question:  What is this thing called repentance?

Re:Verse passage – Judges 2:11-20, 3:5-11 (day three)

“The Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed and afflicted them.”

Here is the cycle in Judges: spiritual and moral ruination, military occupation, spiritual awakening, military and societal revolution, then peace, followed again by further spiritual and moral ruination, military occupation, spiritual awakening, military and societal revolution, then peace, followed again by spiritual and moral ruination, and so on. The seemingly incessant pattern elicits much tut-tutting in church congregations and Bible study groups. “They never learned,” you might hear it said. “We can be exactly the same way today,” people sometimes remark. Both sentiments are certainly valid. But is there anything in that cycle that invites something besides disparaging comments? Yes. At each spiritual awakening, “God was moved to pity.” This is God. When you turn, he is moved. This is hope. This is life.

Re:Verse passage – Judges 2:11-20, 3:5-11 (day two) Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they played the harlot after other gods and bowed themselves down to them. They turned aside quickly from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do as their fathers. 2:17

During the filming of our last RE:Vlog special this past winter Chris, Bryan, Jeremy, and I spent some time in Colorado. It was a real treat to worship on the mountains and marvel at God’s handiwork. One day we came upon a stranded motorist who had been forced off the road to make way for another oncoming vehicle on a narrow road. She was unable to get back on the road, and was stuck. By the time we came upon her she had tried, unsuccessfully, for some time to get her car out of the rut she had created. No matter how she tried she was only making her situation worse.

The end of the story involves Pastor Bryan saving the day, but I’ll let him tell it. The nation of Israel was in the same situation. Even when they seemed to course correct, they would fall back into the patterns of sin and destruction. Sin is insidious. The familiar grooves will call you back to a routine that will continue to lead to ruin. The judges were temporary fixes. Our need is to get clear of those ruts, and drive away from the pattern of sin. A changed heart from Jesus is the only way forward.

Re:Verse passage – Judges 1:1-2, 8-13, 20 (day seven)

After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the Lord, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?” vs 1

For the first time in Israel’s history, there was not a leader. There had always been someone in charge whether it was a patriarch, pharaoh, or God ordained leader (Moses, Joshua), but now, as Israel seeks counsel from the Lord, God chooses a tribe, not a person, to carry out his will. There was no succession plan as there had been for Moses to Joshua, nor was there a judge or prophet to guide the people. God was sending a message for Israel; God is King.

We are created and designed by God to be led. Why does Jesus refer to us as sheep? In this way, we also naturally take on the personality and character traits of the one who is leading us. God created us so that when we humble ourselves to be led by Him, we become more like Him. God didn’t want Israel (us) to be dependent on a personality. God wanted Israel (us) to be dependent on Him. God is King.

Re:Verse passage – Judges 1:1-2, 8-13, 20 (day six)

I don’t imagine any of the tribes were defiant, at least not in the beginning. They didn’t set out to disobey God outright. Likely, it was a gradual decline; subtle diversions, cut corners, postponements (“I’ll get serious about that later.”)  Like petty crime, no one would really notice (or even care), unless they were really looking.

Even the smallest diversions can descend into the deepest chasms, the kind that even when you look back you can’t see where you started from or where you are going.

In their wildest imaginations, they never dreamed they would forget God, and fall in love with gods of their own making, but they did.

…and so do we.

“Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one–the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts,…”-C.S. Lewis, The Screw Tape Letters

“Who will rescue me from this body of death?! Thank God! The answer is in Jesus!”- Paul, Romans 7:24-25

 

Re:Verse passage – Judges 1:1-2, 8-13, 20 (day five). “Then Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into the territory allotted me, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I in turn will go with you into the territory allotted you.” So Simeon went with him.”

As we begin our study of Judges, I am reminded of several thoughts and insights from Jerry Bridges. “God wants us to walk in obedience—not victory. Obedience is oriented toward God; victory is oriented toward self.”
“It is time for us Christians to face up to our responsibility for holiness. Too often we say we are “defeated” by this or that sin. No, we are not defeated; we are simply disobedient! It might be well if we stopped using the terms “victory” and “defeat” to describe our progress in holiness. Rather we should use the terms “obedience” and “disobedience.” When I say I am defeated by some sin, I am unconsciously slipping out from under my responsibility. I am saying something outside of me has defeated me. But when I say I am disobedient, that places the responsibility for my sin squarely on me. We may, in fact, be defeated, but the reason we are defeated is because we have chosen to disobey.”

The book of Judges is about God’s desire for obedience and His rescue and redemption. A good lesson for me to continually consider- my obedience and desire to serve and follow the Lord.