Othniel: The first judge

Transcript (Auto-generated)

This morning we continue our series on judges and right about now we are going to be handing out the sheep for everybody last Wednesday night we had our first stud Jason Miles our study and he and diligence and came across this diagram and we all found so ask ask to check out to make sure whether we able to photocopy of this now and we do have copy clearance and so is because he gives us a good overview on judgment now my request of you is this if you have an old fashioned Bible that is a pre version keep it in your Bible bring every week I think the link went there to where you find so if you want it electronically make sure you do that because that will help us or help youy understand we are Judges so last week gave us the introduction on judges and today we're going to start looking at if you look at the diagram it's helpful it talks about Judges at the top there Israel's to Val chapters one and two talks abouts and you'll see l going to say a bit more about that in a second so that's chapters one and two and chapters 3 16 is the different judges and 7 21 W it up so you'll see that they have divided the judges into four groups pretty good bad and good and some of the names that made like right now so just take that there and review it and what we're going to do is at the end we will ask you questions on this and you okay but I think that will be a helpful diagam for you hang on to so if You' got your model there we want to read about okay so firstly judges 1 12- 16 those Verses first says this and Caleb said I will give my daughter AA in marriage to the man who attacks and captures CU of son of Ken C's young brother took so C gave his daughter to marriage bit more from read that lse verse the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and they forgot the Lord their God and said the and the Asher the anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he s them into the hands of [Music] K king of you to whom the Israelites were subject for years but when they cried out to the Lord he raised up for them the deliver son of brother who saved Spirit of the Lord came so he became Israel's judge and went to war the lord gave that king of ab into the who him so the land had peace for 40 years um often it's the first of people of things who we probably don't know so much of and they often slip into into of obscurity so for instance if I said to you about to what commonly full prop with Ed um many of you probably not even do some of you me was the first Prime Minister in Australia and so he just sort of B into history no one knows too much about we're first to say to you what about claud's wish you heard of wish is commonly more commonly known Captain wish was that um the days he gave a highway down can heading up towards the sunshine when you cross the it's called the captain wish Bridge so you know who Captain wish was well just there before across the river on the captain his established M and so it was the first time that sh was commercially INR and so he also few ruins and appar listed Captain first to commercial of into and there' be a couple of people who know this morning most if I talk about about Pastor Le M senior um who he well he just so happened to be the very first pastor of our church here so back in the day there a Baptist Church Woodford Baptist Church went not and under God he realized that was to go ahead place and so he went about planting making sure that the church the Baptist Church was planted in in K so s of these first that we that sort of we hear about that they just f j so let me get to ofne O is the first judge um we um I don't know how many of you have heard and how much you know about um if you had asked me a couple weeks ago I would have been a well he's one of the judges exactly more about in the last couple of weeks so these are the first so we're looking at of the very first judge and when we're talking about Judge just clarify clarify just remind usit about what talked about last week is that when we're talking about Judge we're not talking about Judge Judy in the judge but the judge the Hebrew is is is literally translated judge it's not the judg we think about more for a leader we talk about somebody being a good judge but character although a good judge of circumstances in that in there's something about them that makes them so the Bible is talking about Judges that's a sense it's talking about here are people who are who switched on people who God set aside for particular things and then we just also want to remind ourselves which I also said about last week about the cycling judges and you'll see that cycle there in the um in the uh in the diagram which we handed out but we see this just going R in circles or in spiral in the Book of Judges this is this is the P Israel serves the Lord and has peace they fall into sin an idolatry they go to war and become slaves to foreign power they call out to God in Repentance God raises up a judge to deliver them and Israel is delivered and guess what that repace again and again and again in fact if you look through the Book of Judges highlight time this OCC is that you see this you see the ccle occur so chapter 3 verse 7 which we just read says Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight then in chap 3 verse 12 the Israelites again did what was evil in the Lord's s chapter 4 and verse one the Israelites did what was evil in the world side the Israelites 6 verse one the Israelites did what was evil in the world side 10 then the Israelites again did what was evil of the Lord 30 verse1 the Israelites in this is that stage in the where Israel is is just going off the rail and when you look at that I wonder what it does to you when you read this about Israel Contin forgetting about God and going that own way and doing [Music] evil My Heart I just wa how come Israel did this um there's a disappointment that came to my thinking and there's also this bewilderness that how could Israel do this again and again and I found myself pointing the finger Israel say how how could they do something like that the more I thought about it the more that thing started to and I started thinking you this again and again and again and and maybe on the only one in the aori this morning who experiences this that I I suspected it's probably approximately 100% of us is that we find ourselves where we want to do what's right we just find ourselves again and again fing in God's God sometimes instead of wanting to give up or thinking should we give up or even thinking am I really a Christian and as I thought about that I thought the fact that I'm feeling that why the fact that I'm feeling that why is actually is that I'm a Christian that on the part of God's family because after there in the world people have been doing the evil things against God all the time and couldn't care less that but when I do something wrong the spirit of God in Me indwelling me just Taps me somewhere says David this is not really to God and and so this whole aspect of our continued find is evidence in the people of Israel but also evidence in us so we got stop and think what does it mean for us but what I see in all of this keeps coming back to them and keeps on forgiving them and laying them on I think you probably thought be the of the second chance well that SS a lot to me chance is not aity you know go the chance or opportunity and even and it just tells me something not only about the heart of humanity the heart of the israels and my heart man it tells me something tremendous about the God who we worship pleas and so there's this scenario and we see this scenario coming out with of in this reading that we've had today so go through this reading in your B put a each one and this is how how the cycle is occur in this these few verses chapter 3 the Israelites what was evil in the Lord s 37 312 the the Israelites again theing 3 evil Chapter 3 The like have God's judgment coming on them Ang of the Lord against Israel into the hands of the king um then we have in 3:9 they CED out to the Lord 3:9 so God raised up the deliverer of of Victory and there is peace for the next 40 years that's the time is it captively I got 40 Years of peace and we didn't read verse 12 that's 3 verse 12 says once again after died once again is so here we have in the story of ofil this CLE clearly presented which again and again so what do we know about of well we look at his name of Neil um whenever you see ill in somebody's name um in uh in the Hebrew L always means god um so we have a Daniel in our in our church back up there so we see an L in there so we know that Daniel has something to do about God and it means God is my judge up there on the sand we have Joel Joel and the J is what y Yahweh so Yahweh is God recently we talked about Ezekiel me God strengthens um there's probably some other Els I was thinking we had killing means that she is God's gift to past the D I'm just kidding just doesn't mean that R Al I'm sure that I killing the Great God to each other I'm just on that but whenever you see the ill in in the Old Testament bill means god and so we have off meal and so there's something about God in his name and it's been unclear the experts and I'm not an expert the experts are probably means that God will eat is my strength or God has SP me his father was kenz Caleb's younger brother remember going into the promised land there Joshua and Caleb it's that Caleb that Caleb had a younger brother his name was Ken who had a daughter um and uh and if we had read read ear about KZ wanting a husband for his daughter AAR um and so he said we've got an enemy here who can go f the enemy wi you can have my daughter as as your wife um so if if we've got a few expected parents in the church if you want some n here by the way also the you see that CH is the HEB when I HEB in was theological College a Hebrew lect LED this Hebrew wordans kindness I he the see it was [Music] dous with with in Hebrew lessons when our Hebrew lectures teaching us about cath so so there's some helping you out if you're expecting a baby just some suggestions but here we have this this over picture of but there's probably some more significant things that we need tonight about and here are some the things that I us to learn is it one is it judge is seemingly unknown and insignificant um we we don't read about oil in any other context anywhere else in the Bible mentioned places but always back in to this so just as we say about other people who are we we don't know too much about of so here seemingly unknown insignificant of me but nevertheless he is God's apped person we read that in chapter 3 and verse 9 it says but when I cried out to the Lord he that is the Lord raised up for them to deliver of me so God raised him up and then again in verse 10 the spirit of the Lord came upon Him upon of me and so sometimes there are some seemingly insignificant people who have neveress God's chosen people for a specific role um do you have insignificant people around you what are you going to do about that or maybe even you this morning think I'm an insignificant person nobody knowses me God just be aware of that and if I can just start ver for a minute this is where says the spirit of the Lord came upon Him upon we need to have this just this quick understanding about the role of the holy spirit in the Old Testament you realize of course that on the day of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit was given that's the baptism of the spirit to every believer so if you're a believer in the Lord Jesus that's the baptism of the spirit when the spirit of God comes and inwells us every Bel it wasn't like that prior to the die Pentecost but rather as to go through the Old Testament and the the spirit in the Old Testament with the Holy Spirit I Came Upon particular people who then to complete a particular task there sometimes the Holy Spirit upon them there other words which you use um but but never indwelling but Came Upon them just to do the task once that task was was fulfilled the Holy Spirit would Drew from not that they became not people of God but that was just the work of the spirit Jesus kind Jesus went back s another comforter send the Holy Spirit to come well and stay and so ofil had the spirit of God come upon him to fulfill this particular task as being a ruler over the people of Israel for these 40 years weiz he has this family heritage had uncle uncle KY who is a significant person in the Journey of the isites out of Egypt into the promised land and so we understand the importance of family Godly M can be leing and guarding us but himself was a Godly person you read Judges 3 and verse 6 says this they took their daughters marriage this is speaking about Israelites generally they took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters into their sons and served other gods the issue with the Israelites this particular juncture was God's people were inter Maring with the Canaanites with all these other people and with the inter marriage marry somebody who wasn't a Godfather then they started weing their Comm to God and F those and so watered down or completely did away with with obedience to God not say ofne remember if we go back to O back to his marriage 1 verse he married another Isel and so there's this this this this this Pur this commitment to God everybody not everybody a lot of other people Mar into Mar in in people who are not God getting getting taken away by not often marries this woman who is a god follower as well which then means that they in their relationship together means that strong in their relationship with one another and a relationship with God if you're SLE here today you're look at just take that um about marrying people who are not Believers and this is something which comes out again second Corinthians 61428 about marry the WR person it's another sermon time so he's a Godly person unknown insignificant God appointed person but he also acted courageously and OB CH 1 verse 30 and do I get a fight I go have a fight I win the fight I win the wife don't know too many of you got your spouse that way today but that's how it work for him that's how it work for them and then also in chapter 3 in verse 10 when the Israelites were now he's often appointed by God and he goes there takes the idea think years he WIS the battle he's the judge he's the the ruler for the next 40 years bringing peace I just want us to not this stff this is seemingly unknown and insignificant and one of the reasons why he's seeming significant myown this is that ultimately God not about of but it's important we recognize that we realize that 3 verse 10 Rems us of it says the spirit of the Lord came so who he was was human person and it was God in him God the spirit upon him that was accomplishing all us the Bible tells us we shouldn't exalt ourselves but uh humble yourselves God says the new humble yourselves that what God might insult you I don't go after the Applause and the the accolades and recognition from each other just do what God has called you to do and do that faithfully and thank God K of the gra well just uh four lessons Five Lessons that I want to take off here we might to think number one just want to bring to our attention about God's patience and Grace operating I don't know about you but sometimes you know even as a parent kach you give them a few chances and after that you give them a bit of B what you do in your family but God's just patiently just patiently yeah you'll go your own way you there the consequences of going your own way but when you're ready to come back to here I am here I am God's outstretched heart bring to rece never get to that point in your life in your fings as a Christian to think God must be so sick of me he won't want me to come back cuz God is always there however thing we want to learn is this is that don't presume upon that aspect of God's nature I prese on and say well I can go do whatever I want uh because uh because God will forgive me and welcome welcome me back Paul addresses that issue in Romans by the way when he talks about this about Sin he said shall we s talking about the grace of God shall we s so that Grace May abound that is hey the more we sin gives God the more opportunity to demonstrate his grace and so it's all right if I go see because that's doing the service to God because it's giving him the opportunity toib his grace to you so Paul poses that question shall we s so so Grace May B may it never be S is Paul's respon the King James which is a mation by way says God forbid G with this Mago may it not be but the King James version because of the strength of this Mago wants to strengthen this and say God forbid we presume upon the grace of God by going and doing whatever we want prese on the of God another thing is this a god plus one is always the winner I don't I don't think wi is the right word the right word so put it the plus one is always is that's it's it just as often is unknown but as soon as God comes in he still is human relatively know and he's a winner 40 Years of peace as Israel comes back and he leads the nation of Israel back into the presence of God and to worship Him and honoring him just also remind us of this and I want to say that Hebrews uses the CH the set um Hebrews 1212 talks about the sin that so easily besets us there is something in our that just keeps pring again and again and say there's a to do with that and some people that like this idea would be sting s but in practice I think it's there for real many just found their that just I just keep fing in this one particular area in my life s things if you know might be to do pornography spending money telling lies jealous whatever but just all there again go back and there's a need to deal with just as Israel Israel we deal with things we'll see a reminder I think we need to celebrate or acknowledge ordinary Saints and if you've got an ordinary Saint if you are anary Saint just don't expect anything except from God but maybe you know Anin State might be a family member might be somebody who's even in church today um can you ackowledge them you do something about just say text they decid just want you to know what a blessing you to me of the B judge I I think there's some important lessons for us in all this Israel now I gr up in church start back gu and some church still do this when they conclude the service they say these words is benediction in fact my church singing at the end of every service which I knew you would recogniz Jun anyway but from Jude 23 and 24 chapter Jude and you may not know these words but F if not look up Jude and these these two verses the last two verses in the book of J says this to him who is able to keep you from falling hear those words to him who is able to keep you for to hear just as much as you and are to hear to him The God Who keep us and then and present you before his glorious presence without F that's the word of the spirit that's word Jesus is doing us is Chang and in his bra patience Contin work to one father the one who you thought you never going to make presented before the presence of Father the same now to him who's over keep you before you present you before his glorious presence without thought and with great joy to the only God our Savor Glory Majesty power and authority through Jesus Christ Our Lord before now anday everybody. Amen.