Judges 4:1-24, God is looking for people with the courage and faith to act

Judges 4:1-10 (NIV) After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 2 So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.

4 Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, "The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: 'Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.'"

8 Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go."

9 "Very well," Deborah said, "I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman." So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh, 10 where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.

• The 900 chariots were probably effective on the plains but not in the mountains

• What similarities to previous episodes do we see?
• The leader dies
• The people commit evil
• The people suffer
• The people cry for help
• God provides

• What differences do we see?
• The judge is existing during the time of the oppression
• The judge is female

• This is the first instance in scripture of gynaecocracy (government by women or a single woman). What do we note and what can we infer?
• Note:
• There is no negative connotation
• God speaks to her or at least through her
• She was esteemed
• She was obviously very wise if she was judging disputes
• Infer:
• There was no man willing to take on the leadership
• Barak's response to her indicates a fearfulness on the part of the men to lead
• There is honor in leadership

• What are some other examples of women as either leaders or prophets?
• Miriam (Exodus 15:20); Huldah (2 Kings 22:14); Anna (Luke 2:36); and Philip's four daughters (Acts 21:8-9)
• We also see Priscilla in a leadership role in the NT

• What is striking about Barak?
• He refuses God's command unless Deborah goes with him
• Adds credence to the lack of men to take on leadership. If the men don't lead, the woman will. The issue is not one of competence but of role

• When Deborah says that God will give the honor to a woman, what is the natural thought or response? That Deborah will get the honor
• APPLICATION: What responsibility do we have that we refuse to accept? Where are we fearful to step out in faith?

Judges 4:11-21 (NIV) Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses' brother-in-law, and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.

12 When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 Sisera gathered together his nine hundred iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River.

14 Then Deborah said to Barak, "Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?" So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten thousand men. 15 At Barak's advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot. 16 But Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim. All the troops of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left.

17 Sisera, however, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there were friendly relations between Jabin king of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite.

18 Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Come, my lord, come right in. Don't be afraid." So he entered her tent, and she put a covering over him.

19 "I'm thirsty," he said. "Please give me some water." She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up.

20 "Stand in the doorway of the tent," he told her. "If someone comes by and asks you, 'Is anyone here?' say 'No.'"

21 But Jael, Heber's wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.

• What do we know of Heber?
• He is a descendant of Hobab, Moses' brother-in-law
• His name means ally
• He lived away from the other Kenites (Moses' Father-in-law)
• Kenite means "smith" as in blacksmith and that may have been a family trade (Constable) but we don't know
• There were friendly relations between the Jabin and Heber (he was playing both sides)
• Suggests that Heber was afraid to choose sides
• Heber looks the other way concerning the "cruel oppression" (vs 4:3)

• Why does Jael act as she did?
• She did not view Sisera neutrally
• She chose to take action, not to sit on the sidelines or play bothsides

• What do Jael's actions show?
• Courage
• It was entirely possible that Sisera would have woken and she would have been overcome by Sisera (who was probably much stronger)
• If she misses, she is dead

• Jael does violate rules of hospitality, but Sisera also violates the rules as well. He should not have been in Jael's tent, nor should he have told her what to do
• One wonders where Heber is while his wife is playing host to Sisera?
• APPLICATION: We can be like Heber and try to play both sides -- in the world and not in the world -- walking with God and carousing with our pagan friends. There is nothing wrong with non-Christian friends, but if you refuse to live like Christ among them, then there is something very wrong. God is looking for men and women who have the courage to stand up to their convictions. Those are the people God uses

Judges 4:22-24 (NIV) Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. "Come," she said, "I will show you the man you're looking for." So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple — dead.

23 On that day God subdued Jabin, the Canaanite king, before the Israelites.   24 And the hand of the Israelites grew stronger and stronger against Jabin, the Canaanite king, until they destroyed him.

• The honor goes to Jael. She and Deborah are the only two people willing to act on their own initiative. Heber and Barak are merely participants. The real work of God is done through the woman
• Now, Judges does not have much commentary. It is non-fiction and it presents what happen without a lot of discussion. But do we see any negative commentary in the story?
• Maybe toward Barak
• Heber's actions are also questionable since he is friends with the oppressors
• In general, the men fair poorly while the women are to be praised

• APPLICATION: God wants to use your life. But if you are not willing to find time with him or be obedient to him, he will find someone else to work through. And that's not a good thing

Judges 3:5-31, God can use all kinds of people to accomplish his will

Judg 3:5-11 (NIV) 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.

7 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. 8 The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. 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. 10 The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. 11 So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.

• Here is the pattern that was previously referred to. It will be repeated for the next few and then as we go farther along in the book, some of the details will be left off. Obviously, the pattern is clear and does not need to be retold every time, but let's review …
• Israelites did evil (preceding this verse in a summary of the earlier problem)
• Made covenants (in this case, marriage)
• Did not destroy the altars (in this case, served their gods)
• Forgot God
• Served Baals
• Served Asherahs
• "Gotta serve somebody" - Keith Green song
• Anger of the Lord burns against Israel
• Consequently, they are "sold" into the hands of an enemy
• How does God sell a nation to another nation?
• Israel cries out to the Lord
• God raises up a deliverer
• In this case it is Caleb's younger brother (or his son, the wording is a little difficult)
• The Spirit of the Lord comes upon him (only after the Spirit comes upon him that he goes to war)
• The Lord gives the foreign king into the hands of His appointed savior
• Proving God is sovereign
• Proving that it is a combination of war (people fighting) and God giving the victory
• The land (and consequently the people) has peace
• APPLlCATION: What do you do when things are going well?
• APPLlCATION: How do you protect yourself from taking God for granted?

• Not sure what it means, but from what tribe does the first deliverer come from?
• Judah
• Show map detailing that nearly every tribe has a deliverer at one time or another

Judges 3:12-15 (NIV) Once 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. 13 Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.  14 The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.

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.

• This time the deliverer comes from where? Benjamin
• Again we what pattern?
• Evil
• Lord giving the people over
• Israel in slavery (or bondage) for 18 years
• Israel cries out for a deliverer
• God provides a deliverer (a way out)

• Let's put the principles into a NT setting for a believer. How might it fit?
• Believer falls into sin
• God disciplines the believer. God allows him to experience consequences of his actions
• Believer repents
• God provides a way out

• APPLICATION: Earlier, we discussed three steps to protect yourself from falling into sin, what were they?
• Fellowship with God
• Fellowship with other believers. (Bad company corrupts good morals)
• Good spiritually accountable relationships

Judg 3:16-31 (NIV) Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. 17 He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. 18 After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way the men who had carried it. 19 At the idols near Gilgal he himself turned back and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king."

The king said, "Quiet!" And all his attendants left him.

20 Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his summer palace and said, "I have a message from God for you." As the king rose from his seat, 21 Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king's belly. 22 Even the handle sank in after the blade, which came out his back. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. 23 Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

24 After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, "He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the house." 25 They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.

26 While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah. 27 When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them.

28 "Follow me," he ordered, "for the Lord has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands." So they followed him down and, taking possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab, they allowed no one to cross over. 29 At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not a man escaped. 30 That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.

31 After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.

• An interesting story. Ehud was very successful, but how?
• Makes a sword (so he had blacksmith skills). The possession of swords was probably illegal
• Hides his sword (under clothing, along the leg)
• Takes courage to carry sword to palace
• Used tribute as an entre
• Gained trust by giving a gift and not attacking the King the first time they met
• Used secrecy to gain privacy with King (a message with God -- and it was a message)
• He takes the initiative to move while a power vacuum exists (a lack of appointed leadership)
• Overall, Ehud uses deceit and essentially a con to kill Eglon

• APPLICATION: Ehud is called a judge. God uses a man who does not act in a manner that we are used to. Later with Gideon, God provided the strategy, in this case, he allows Ehud to plan the attack. In both cases, God is sovereign, even when the actions may not be considered moral

• How is the story of Shamgar different from either Ehud or later, Gideon?
• Ehud illegally made a weapon, a sword (or a dagger)
• Shamgar legally uses a tool for plowing to accomplish his rescue of Israel

• APPLICATION: There is no one specific way God must work but he can use a variety of means and people to accomplish his will

Judges 2:6-3:4, The importance of spiritual leadership and a personal relationship with God

Judges 2:6-10 (NIV) After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance. 7 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 in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.


10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.


• In chapter one, we start out with the death of Joshua and what happened among the tribes in finishing the clearing out of the land. It ends with the failure to clear out the land and the reasons in chapter 2:1-5
• Now 2:6 starts out with a flashback, which is also a summary of the end of the book of Joshua and the first chapter of Judges. In fact, this whole chapter is both a summary of where they started and how they lived over the next 200 plus years
• What is the author trying to do with these opening verses?
• Show how and why they failed
• What is his argument?
• The next generation, second generation believers, did not truly know what God had done for Israel. They only knew the stories
• Good spiritual leadership died. Why is that important? Good spiritual leadership is willing to ask hard questions and challenge your life. If you stay away from spiritual authority, it is because you are not willing to have your life challenged. We need people who will hold us accountable. Without that type of leadership, it is easy to fall into patterns of sin
• The people didn't really know God. Why is that important? Without a relationship, it is not faith but just a set of rules (religion). And rules will not carry you though in life
• APPLICATION: Who is a spiritual authority in your life? Do you have someone that you would trust to call your actions into questions? Or do you avoid having that type of leadership involved in your life?
• APPLICATION: Do you have a growing relationship with God, or is God only a set of rules?


Judges 2:11-19 (NIV) Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the Lord to anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14 In his anger against Israel the Lord handed them over to raiders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. 15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.


16 Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord's commands. 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.


• The result for these second generation believers who only knew the stories, who had know spiritual authority, and who saw faith as a set of rules and not a relationship with God, is … what?
• They left God
• They did what the people around them did. What do we call this? They fitted in. They accepted the culture. They talk like them, swore like them, lived like them
• What is today's religion and idols?
• Agnosticism or anything goes, but also atheism
• Sex, entertainment, materialism, whatever makes one happy
• What are other characteristics of this culture?
• Language, coarseness
• Sexual innuendos
• Incivility, cool to be rude or sarcastic
• Cynicism
• How do you think God views his children living like this culture?
• Heb 12:4-11 (NIV) In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:


"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."


7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
• Heb 12:25-29 (NIV) See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens."  27 The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken — that is, created things — so that what cannot be shaken may remain.


28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our "God is a consuming fire."
• Heb 13:4-5 (NIV) Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,


"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you."
• APPLICATION: Not all suffering is God's discipline, but God will use suffering to discipline or to get your attention. We need to praying:
• Ps 139:23-24 (NIV)  Search me, O God, and know my heart; // test me and know my anxious thoughts. // 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, // and lead me in the way everlasting.
• So when the people were in great distress because of their sins, what did God do and why?
• He raised up leaders, judges
• I think there were two roles for these judges but because they were imperfect, not all of them did a very good job
• One, they were to save Israel physically by defeating their enemies
• Two, they were to save Israel spiritually by guiding them spiritually, by being an example of a man or woman who only worshiped God, not the heathen culture
• The judges were not effective. Some of it has to do with the judges, but what is the other reason?
• The people were too stubborn
• The people did not want to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways
• THEY LOVED THEIR SIN MORE THAN THEY LOVED GOD
• The lie in the above statement is that loving God is much more satisfying
• APPLICATION: Who are our spiritual leaders and how should we be responding to them?
• Heb 13:7 (NIV) Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 
• Heb 13:17 (NIV) Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.


Judges 2:20-3:4 (NIV) Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and said, "Because this nation has violated the covenant that I laid down for their forefathers and has not listened to me, 21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. 22 I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their forefathers did." 23 The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.


3:1 These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan 2 (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): 3 the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath. 4 They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord's commands, which he had given their forefathers through Moses.


• Two reasons are given for life being hard and both are true, what does it say?
• The nations were there to test the people because they had failed to be obedient (verses 2:20-23 and 3:4)
• For those who did not know warfare, the testing was to give them battle experience (verses 3:1-3)
• Red Flag (RF) example: Most pilots in Vietnam were killed in the first ten missions. RF was to created to give them the first ten missions in a controlled environment
• So, while this might seem contradictory, the fact that both reasons are given in the same paragraph means that both reasons are true
• So, because of disobedience, God uses their circumstances to test their faith
• And, God uses their circumstances to teach them warfare
• Why is it necessary to learn warfare if God is your protection?
• Because, when God works in our life, we have to act as well
• We are not compliant puppets
• We have a responsibility to choose, take the first step, and follow through on our actions
• God's responsibility is the results, but that does not mean will lay down on our couch eating chips and watching TV
• APPLICATION: Are you partnering with God? Are you in one of two extremes? 1) God does it all and I don't have to do anything or 2) I have to work hard at it to be successful. The answer lies at both extremes. I need to do my darnedest and I need to trust God completely, and give him the praise

Judges 1:1-2:5, God forgives but does not always change the consequences of our actions

• Not clear who wrote the book. Jewish tradition suggests Samuel

• Judges are different from our concept of judges. Hebrew word "shophet" means bringer of justice. These judges are similar to modern mayors of towns (Constable)

• The book spans a period of about 300 years

• Chronology according to Josephus: (graphics removed)

Judges 1:1-8, 19-21 (NIV) After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, "Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?"

2 The Lord answered, "Judah is to go; I have given the land into their hands."

3 Then the men of Judah said to the Simeonites their brothers, "Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours." So the Simeonites went with them.

4 When Judah attacked, the Lord gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. 5 It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites. 6 Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.

7 Then Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them." They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8 The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem also and took it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.

. . .

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 iron chariots. 20 As Moses had promised, Hebron was given to Caleb, who drove from it the three sons of Anak. 21 The Benjamites, however, failed to dislodge the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the Benjamites.

• So how is the book of Judges related to the book of Joshua
• It picks up with the story after his death
• It will return to a discussion of a Joshua but only to make a quick point
• The people are now in the promise land. There is a time of conquest after the preparation of the desert. What should follow the conquest?
• Rest
• But rest does not follow the conquest consistently and that raises the question "why?"

• What is the first thing you notice in the book (besides Joshua's death)
• Israel goes to God for direction
• Judah is the lead tribe

• Judah involves Simeon because of Simeon's close relationship (physically to Judah)
• Initially south of Judah (not clear when it repositions toward the north)

• Cutting off thumbs was an ancient practice
• Used to treat enemies
• Used by parents to keep children out of the army
• Two purposes: incapacitate for war and to brand as cowards

• Adibe-Bezek's comments were probably exaggerated as well as proverbial ("scraps under table")
• The city of Jerusalem is not completely destroyed. Apparently the Jebusites held a strong fort on mount Zion that was never taken until Joshua
• The phraseology could be rendered a little differently here
• Some commentators feel the rendering of the phrase is misleading, with the text ending prior to the "but"
• Either way, there is an implied contrast. The Lord was with the men of Judah and they took the hill country, but … then they do not take the plains, meaning what? The Lord was no longer with the men of Judah

Judges 1:22-36 (NIV) Now the house of Joseph attacked Bethel, and the Lord was with them. 23 When they sent men to spy out Bethel (formerly called Luz), 24 the spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, "Show us how to get into the city and we will see that you are treated well." 25 So he showed them, and they put the city to the sword but spared the man and his whole family. 26 He then went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a city and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.

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. 28 When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely. 29 Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them. 30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, who remained among them; but they did subject them to forced labor. 31 Nor did Asher drive out those living in Acco or Sidon or Ahlab or Aczib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob, 32 and because of this the people of Asher lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land. 33 Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath; but the Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and those living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced laborers for them. 34 The Amorites confined the Danites to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain. 35 And the Amorites were determined also to hold out in Mount Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim, but when the power of the house of Joseph increased, they too were pressed into forced labor. 36 The boundary of the Amorites was from Scorpion Pass to Sela and beyond.

• How is the first paragraph different from the following paragraph?
• "The Lord was with them" is in the first story
• But God is strangely absent in the following stories

• Who is the house of Joseph? Manasseh and Ephraim
• They start out well, just like Judah, then the "but" and the "nor"

• Who fails?
• Judah // Simeon // Manasseh // Ephraim // Zebulun // Asher // Naphtali // Dan
• Of course, Levi would not be mentioned, nor would Gad and Reuben (other side of the Jordan), leaving Issachar and Benjamin

• So what are our initial conclusion about the people entering the land of rest?
• Things do not proceed well after the death of Joshua
• Some tribes start out well (Judah, Simeon, Ephraim, and Manasseh) but finish poorly
• Others tribes fail
• They are not going to experience the rest they had looked forward to
• Something happened (but, nor, neither, …), and the book has not yet told us what that failure is

Judges 2:1-5 (NIV) The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, "I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers. I said, 'I will never break my covenant with you, 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? 3 Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be [thorns] in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you."

4 When the angel of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud, 5 and they called that place Bokim. There they offered sacrifices to the Lord.

• We do not know who this "messenger" of the Lord is. There are various suggestions, but we do know the message
• What is the first part of the message intended to communicate?
• God brought them here
• God led them to the land
• God fulfilled his promise
• God never breaks or will break his covenant

• What is the second part of the message?
• You were required not to make a covenant with the people of this land
• Marriage
• Treaties
• You were required to break down their altars
• They are not historical artifacts to be preserved
• It does not matter how beautiful or grandiose they are

• What is the third part of the message? The consequence of your failure is:
• The people will be thorns in your side
• Their gods will be snares to you

• How do the people respond?
• They cry which suggests repentance
• They worship (offer sacrifices)

• But what does not happen?
• The consequences are not removed. They made irrevocable decisions

• Irrevocable decisions mean that the consequences cannot be altered
• Irrevocable decisions does not mean you are forever cursed. The book is a story of God's mercy and grace to the people. Obedience can change many of the circumstances of your life

John 12, Being different from the world is not very hard today!

John 12:1-8 (NIV) Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.


4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages."  6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.


7 "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "[It was intended] that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."


• Part of this story is also told in the other gospels, which provide additional details
• Mark 14:1-7 (NIV) Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2 "But not during the Feast," they said, "or the people may riot." // 3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. // 4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly. // 6 "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.
• Matt 26:8-10 (NIV) When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. 9 "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor." // 10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.
• One thing that stands out is that nothing everything can be evaluated using a spiritual formula
• There are Christian "party-poopers." If something is happening that is not deep and spiritual we criticize the action
• There are Christian "functionalists". If something doesn't have a purpose or a function, it is a waste of money. This is often true of men. We don't appreciate beauty. We don't appreciate the joy or sheer pleasure of events to others. Mary wanted to do what she did and it gave her joy to do. The disciples poo-poo'ed her joy because they did not see its' value
• Greek word "kalon" means beautiful, good, excellent in its nature and characteristics, and therefore well adapted to its ends (Thayer, NT:2570)
• Aroma of our witness draws people to Jesus. For an event that was worthless, Peter (Mark), John, and Matthew all record the event. Luke was not there and did not record it, but the disciples who were there, remembered it
• Why is perfume used for burials? And so did Jesus really need perfume? No. Then why does Jesus interrupt all the men's grumbling?
• He did it to restore Mary's joy
• Yes, it metaphorically prepared his body
• Finally, as God he understood the value of beauty (we see it in creation)
• I've always felt that when God made man and woman there were certain characteristics which were more common in one sex over the other
• In women, we find a greater desire to nurture, to show compassion, and to appreciate the importance of creating beauty
• APPLICATION: Is your Christian life characterized by stealing other people's joy or by giving them joy? Do you crab about others or are you excited about others joy
• NOTE: Verse 3, Constable, 2012. Mary anointed Jesus with a litre of ointment. The Greek litre equaled about 11 ounces and was a lavish amount to pour out on someone. Its quantity indicates Mary's great love and high regard for Jesus. The ointment was nard or spikenard, an Indian oil that came from the roots (i.e., spikes, therefore "spikenard") of the nard plant.452 It was pure ointment and therefore of a high quality as well as imported and consequently very expensive (cf. v. 5).
• NOTE: Verse 8, Constable, 2012. Unless Jesus was the Son of God who was due the same honor as His Father (5:23) this statement would have manifested supreme arrogance. Jesus was not encouraging the disciples to regard poverty as inevitable and, therefore, to avoid doing anything to help those in need. He was comparing the unique opportunity that His impending death presented with the continual need that the poverty of some will always present (cf. Mark 14:7)


John 12:9-16 (NIV) Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.


12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,


"Hosanna!"


"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"


"Blessed is the King of Israel!"


14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,


15 "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion;
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey's colt."


16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.


• The raising of Lazarus from the dead had made a big impact
• Jesus was a curiosity -- who is this person who can raise a man from the dead
• Lazarus was a celebrity -- what was it like to be dead? What was paradise like?
• The people were "believing" in Jesus
• The Pharisees were losing control
• The huge crowd is from all over the known world, since it was a requirement for Jews to visit Jerusalem with some regularity.
• Why the palm branches? The palm branches are emblematic of victory
• Why the exclamation? Greek word is Hosanna and means "oh, save"
• Why the donkey's colt?
• Zech 9:9 (NIV) Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! // Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! // See, your king comes to you, // righteous and having salvation, // gentle and riding on a donkey, // on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
• Symbolizes humility, gentleness, and compassion. It is in contrast to the violence and pride of mankind
• APPLICATION: "in your face"-Christianity is an oxymoron. Jesus represents all that is opposite to the way we naturally want to think. It is not about revenge, or anger, or getting even, or putting another person down. The presidential debates (especially Joe Biden's example) are so much different from the real Jesus Christ


John 12:17-36 (NIV) Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"


20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.


23 Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.


27 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!"


Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.


30 Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."  33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.


34 The crowd spoke up, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?"


35 Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. 36 Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.


• Clearly, the resurrection of Lazarus has created a stir
• There is an arrest warrant out for Jesus (John 11:57) at this time with one caveat
• There are not to arrest Jesus during the Passover because of the possible backlash (Mark 14:2)
• Also, Lazarus' life is also in jeopardy (12:10)
• Why does the section on the Greeks appear right after the Pharisees' discussion, and what is the purpose since it is never mentioned again?
• It highlights the Pharisees' concern that the whole world was going after him (although actually very few believed in Jesus, see verses 37-43)
• The occasion of the Greeks seems to put a punctuation mark on Jesus' life, why?
• Because upon mentioning it, Jesus says that the hour has now come
• Jesus came to his people specifically (see John 1) and the Jews did not receive him
• The disciples will take his message to the world, Jews first but also Gentiles later
• Also God speaks publicly at the beginning of Jesus' ministry (baptism), once privately in the middle (mount of transfiguration), and again publicly at the end of his ministry (his impending death)
• Obviously verses 24-26 applies to Jesus, but it also is a principle of life -- how does it apply to believers?
• When we live sacrificially and not selfishly, we have the most impact
• What does it mean to live sacrificially?
• Where does your money go?
• You want to know a person's heart, check his bank account
• Lastly, there seems to be some confusion among the people about the Christ's longevity, why?
• Interestingly, Jesus doesn't address the question, so why does John include it?
• One, they did not understand the resurrection
• Two, they did not recognize the two sides of the Messiah, the suffering servant (first visit) and the triumphant king (second coming)
• APPLICATION: We live in a world that is quickly circling into the sewer pit. If you don't see it, then you are blind. What we live for is of critical importance. It actually is a whole lot easier for you to be a witness today than someone else, 20-30 years ago, provided you don't comprise your lifestyle. You could actually get away without initiated a conversation, just by living the life, if you live the life!