Judges 10:1-18
“Who’s crying now”
- Intro.
- Vs. 1-5 Profiles in Courage
- Vs. 6-16 Looking like what you worship
- Vs. 17-18 Who will lead?
Intro
The 10th chapter is the ½ way point of the book and its main purpose is to set up the story of the 11th and 12th chapters which is about Jephthah but before it does that we are going to learn a lesson on three evidences that a nation or an individual is in spiritual decline:
- Vs. 1-5 Lack of gratitude
- Vs. 6-16 Lack of submission to the Lord
- Vs. 17-18 Lack of leadership
G. Campbell Morgan known as “the prince of expositors” didn’t have a very bright beginning. Due to financial pressures, he worked as a schoolteacher, he sought to become credentialed through the Methodists. Because of the lack of education his candidacy required him to do a trail sermon before examiners and he found himself among 150 other men seeking the same opportunity in an auditorium with only 75 out of the possible 1,000 seats filled. He bombed and received a telegram with one word on it “REJECTED” which he sent on to his father. Later that same day he received a telegram back that said, “Rejected on earth. Accepted in heaven. Dad!” The 10th chapter of Judges is about man’s rejection of God but His acceptance!
Vs. 1-5 Profiles in Courage
Vs. 1-2 It figures that Pu-ah would be the son of Do-do reading this in the English Bible. Tola’s dad’s name means “splendid” his grandfather’s name meant “loved” but his name means “worm”! Apparently he was named after the first born from Issachar and 1 Chron. 7:2 tells us that his descendants “were mighty men of valor in their generations; their number in the days of David was twenty-two thousand six hundred.”. Toa a man from the tribe of Issachar that lived in Ephraim not amongst his own people (who could blame him after they named him worm). Interestingly he “arose to save Israel”, yet there is no mention of who he saved Israel from. A fact that wasn’t lost on the King James translators as they render the word “saved” as the word “defended”. Have you ever stopped to wonder what God “defended” you from that saved you? Tola arose after the horrible reign of Abimelech to “defend Israel” from herself. He offered the nation 23 years of ability after the brief destructive reign of Abimelech. God never allows the Abimelech’s of this world to have the last word He always raises up a someone, even a “worm” to grant us peace.
Vs. 3-5 The same is true with Jair (enlightener), he served as leader of Israel for 22 years. Based upon these verses he had a thing with the number 30 but this also tells us that he was into polygamy and that means that like Gideon before him he was wealthy and acted like a king. His boys liked fancy cars “donkeys” and he spread his boys out to rule in 30 different towns, so he was into nepotism. There is no problem in your children or your grandchildren wanting to follow in your footsteps as long as those are the “footsteps” of the Lord and not the carnal man.
For 45 years the nation had enjoyed peace, prosperity and security thanks to two unknown leaders Tola and Jair. Yet with that said the nation didn’t use this time to grow in the grace and knowledge of Lord instead as soon as Jair was dead they returned back to idolatry. The soil of idolatry is enjoying the gifts and blessings of God but not recognizing that He is the one that has so blessed us and instead thanking God attributing the blessings to someone or something else.
Chp. 10:6-12:7 Whom God sets free for the East
Vs. 6-16 Looking like what you worship
Vs. 6 “Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord”, A phrase that is repeated seven times in the Book of Judges. This verse reveals two things about fallen human nature:
- That the evil we do is always before the eyes of God
- That they did so “again”, meaning that this was not done in ignorance but rather will full disobedience
At the core of every sin we commit is idolatry as we place other things (most often ourselves) at the center of our worship. Israel replaced the One True God with seven different ethnic and national that they had to appease. It wasn’t the beauty of the idols image that they went after but what the idol was associated with. God warned the nation before they entered into the land of promise that this would be the case as we read in Deut. 8:10-14 saying, “When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you. Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today.”
Vs. 7-9 The very worse discipline God gives us is letting us have what we want! Hebrews 12:6 reminds us that “The Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Oh thank God that He loves me as His child because He doesn’t let me get away with bad behavior and a rotten attitude. If Israel wanted to serve the gods of the Philistines and the Amorites then so be it, but they would not just get the perceived benefits of the god’s of this world they would get the servitude and slavery that went with it.
A pastor was visiting a young Christian who was constantly questioning God as it related to sinful habits. The young Christian kept saying “I just don’t hear from the Lord” “So until He says something to me I’m going to keep on do it.” The pastor said I want you to go outside look into heaven and you will receive a word from God. The man protested, “But pastor it’s raining!” The pastor insisted, “Do you want to receive a word from God or not?” So the man went outside and for 10 minutes looked up into heaven then came back inside very mad. “I looked up into heaven for 10 minutes and got no Word from God all I got was wet and I feel like an idiot.” To which the pastor replied, “Sounds like you heard from God to me!”
From the time of the first judge Othniel to Gideon the nation had endured 50 years of oppression which they needn’t have. It was clear to see that God blessed them when they followed Him and they were chastised when they didn’t. God gave Israel over to the people who worshipped the god they worshipped so that they could see what worshipping that god produced in their lives. Think of this a moment as we ought to be able to be a billboard, a poster child for our King. I’m sure most folks have heard of the fella “holding a Koran book burning party.” Friends, we don’t need to burn their book we just need to live and look like the One in our book! People ought to be around us and say, “Man, you’re so at peace, so full of joy, so kind and loving, what’s your secret?” “The Spirit of God, through the Word of God making me like the Son of God.”
Vs. 10 Recognition is not the same as repentance so the Lord draws them further down the path saying that they must go beyond the words “I’m sorry” to forsaking the things they worship. God is saying, “I see that you are crying out for help but you are doing so all the while you are clutching seven idols, why don’t you just call out to them?”
Vs. 11-12 God had granted Israel victory over 7 different nations but according to verse 6 Israel was now worshipping at the alters of 7 different pagan gods. How foolish it was to worship at the altars of the nations you have defeated by the True God. The Ammonites were distant relatives of the Israelites as they were descendants of Abraham’s nephew Lot. And they first attacked the 2 ½ tribes on the other side of the promise land then came over the Jordan to oppress the other tribes. Eighteen years later the people cried out but God doesn’t send a deliver He sends a messenger to tell them that they lack gratitude towards all that He does for them and for that reason He isn’t going to help them and they can simply cry out to one of those 7 gods to help.
Vs. 13-14 God’s words might appear to be harsh if one disregards His nature of love. His desire was that what they spoke was more than mere words so that they would not have to continue to experience the fruit of their separation. God’s response seems to indicate that He saw something lacking in Israel’s repentance. They cried out to the Lord but all they really wanted was to no experience the consequences of their sin. Folks, never forget that a weakened spiritual life has far reaching consequences upon a nation then we realize.
Vs. 15-16 “We mean it this time do whatever you want, we will put away the idols and serve you this time.” So the change of heart allowed God to remove the oppression and Israel discovered that the worst day of serving God is better than the best day of serving idols. God hates to see His people suffer, even when it was best for them. He longs to rescue us but won’t do it until it was good for us. The day will come when trouble with a capital “T” will come into our life and what we have chosen to worship and trust in we will cry out towards. If it’s our finances they we will seek comfort and help from that but it won’t help. It it’s pleasure than we will seek to drown your sorrows in temporary numbness but it won’t last. Ah but if it’s the true and living God then when you seek shelter under the shadow of His wings you will find that He is a Strong Tower! The psalmist said in Psalm 18:2 “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” What are we to do if we have placed our hope in the world’s gods?
- Vs. 10 “Confession”: That’s the first step is to simply agree with the Lord and admit your mistakes.
- Vs. 15 “Submission”: Do whatever seems best to you they cried, we surrender to wanting a little of You and the rest of what we want.
- Vs. 16 “Destruction”: The Hebrew word for “put away” means to utterly destroy. They put away and destroyed the god’s they had trusted in.
Anything less than these three things is not Biblical repentance! So when God saw that what they said was true by their actions He delivered them from that which oppressed them. And so too will you find deliverance from that which oppress you if you follow the above three things.
Vs. 17-18 Who will lead?
Vs. 17-18 After their heart became right with God, they were ready for action but even with all the tribes there wasn’t one person they could find ready to lead. A lack of qualified leaders is a direct result of a lack of interest in the things of God. John F. Kennedy wrote in his book “Profiles in Courage” “We, the people, are the boss, and we will get the kind of political leadership, be it good or bad, that we demand and deserve.” Always amazes me that those that ask, “Who is the man who will fight?” never ask “Am I the man who will fight?” Don’t wait another minute another day, weak, month or year make God again your Master Passion!
This is a placeholder. Notes will be added