Category Archives: Judges

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The Lust of the Eyes

Reflect:
Judges 13:1-16:31

“Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. When he returned, he said to his father and mother, ‘I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.’” ~Judges 14:1-2

Samson was a tremendous warrior, a man mightily used of God. He was severely flawed, like all men and women of God, yet the Lord was able to work through his weak flesh to accomplish huge things for Israel. And even though Samson’s ministry—and life—ended in a blaze of glory, it was his weakness that brought both his impact and his life to a premature end. Think of how much more Samson could have accomplished for the glory of God and the good of Israel had he submitted his rebellious flesh to God’s control!

Samson had a glaring weakness—likely the same one that you wrestle with. For sure, it’s a weakness that I battle. What is it? It is the lust of the eyes—and it is a more deadly serious weakness than I think most of us care to admit. The Apostle John didn’t mince any words in describing this “I See—Now Give Me” weakness and contrasting it with those who operate on a far higher plane:

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” (I John 2:15-17)

Get-Rid-Of-Your-Lustful-EyesIn the case of Samson, he “saw” an attractive woman, he wanted her, so against his better judgment and the advice of people who cared about the future God had for him, he caved to his weakness to satisfy his selfish flesh—he “got” her. And in his surrender to personal weakness, he short-circuited one of the most brilliant ministries of all time.

So just what are the lessons here for you and me? Among other things, be careful what you ask for—God might just allow you to get it. Likewise, do not confuse what God permits with what God will bless. God may allow the things you lust for, but those things might very well be what shuts you off from his continued favor. Psalm 106:14-15 should serve as a cautionary tale:

“The Israelites lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert. And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.”

If you are wrestling with desire for something you have seen—a person, a purchase, a position—rather than saying “I see—now give me”, try exerting the will that God has given you and pray, “Father, what do you want? Now give me that!”

“Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness.” ~Napoleon Hill

Reflect and Apply: Offer this sincere prayer to God today—and perhaps every day: “Dear God, destroy in me the things that could destroy me!”

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Bless Your Inadequacy

Reflect:
Judges 6:1-7:25

“When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.’ ‘But sir,’ Gideon replied, ‘if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, “Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?” But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.’ The LORD turned to him and said, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?’” ~Judges 6:12-14

If you are at all like me (perish the thought), you periodically struggle with feelings of inadequacy. Perhaps you get discouraged when you compare your life, your marriage, your kids, your job, your house, or your wealth with another’s. Pastors, including me, are famous for doing this—a lot; we’re pretty skilled at comparing our ministry with some other high profile ministry that seems to be thriving while we feel like we are barely surviving.

For you, maybe the task or the challenge at hand is nothing less than intimidating in light of your inability, lack of resources, dearth of support and the overwhelming odds involved in accomplishing what you need to do. Perhaps at the moment, you feel like you are up the proverbial creek without a paddle.

If you have ever felt that way, you are not alone. That’s exactly how Gideon felt when the angel of the Lord found him hiding in a winepress and called him to lead Israel to victory over the Midianites, a much larger, better equipped, far superior opponent. Notice this interaction between Gideon and the Lord’s messenger:

“The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, ‘Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!’” (Judges 6:12, NLT)

Remember, this so-called hero is hiding in fear in the bottom of a winepress. You’ve got to love the humor of God here—Gideon is anything but a hero or a mighty warrior. In reality, he is a fraidy cat. But God’s reality is different than ours. The truth is, God saw Giedon, and he sees us, not as we are, but as what we are capable of doing in him.

“Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The LORD brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the LORD has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.” (Judges 6:13, NLT)

Do you sense any comparison to past victories, any feelings of inadequacy, any intimidation here? Absolutely! Gideon is quite busy looking over his shoulder at what once was, instead of looking forward into what God had ordained.

“Then the LORD turned to him and said, ‘Go with the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!’” (Judges 6:14, NLT)

What a powerful truth! We don’t need to go in anyone else’s strength, nor do we need the miracles or victories of the past. God has knowingly chosen us in our current limitedness and has already given us the strength to accomplish what he has called us to do—right now!

Perhaps you are so busy looking over your shoulder at what once was that you fail to look forward into what God has willed. Even if you do cast an eye toward what is ahead, all you may see are overwhelming challenges that cannot be overcome because of your personal inadequacies. But God’s reality is different than yours. He sees you not as you were, not even as you are, but as what you are capable of in him. Surrender your current reality to God—in defiance of your limitedness, he has given you the strength to accomplish what he has ordained for you—right now!

If you are discouraged in any way by what you are facing, let me encourage you in the same way God encouraged Gideon (and encourages me every time he finds me hiding in my winepress):

Go in the strength you already have and accomplish what God has called you to do. God will enable you to experience victory as you step out in obedience to him!

Yes, God is with you, mighty man, mighty woman of valor. Go in the strength you have!

“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” ~C.S. Lewis

Reflect and Apply: Feeling a little inadequate today? Reflect on the following statement: “True courage is not the absence of fear—but the willingness to proceed in spite of it.”

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A Winning Strategy

Reflect:
Judges 4:1-5:31

“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?’” ~Judges 4:14

The inclusion of Deborah’s story in Judges raises all kinds of interesting discussion points about the role of women as spiritual leaders. As tempted as I am to weigh in on this, I won’t at this point, except to say that the very fact the Holy Spirit saw fit to include the account of Deborah’s heroic leadership over Israel ought to open our hearts to the legitimacy of God’s call upon uniquely gifted women in the church today. But I am not going to talk about that…

Easy to miss in her dramatic story is this one little line Deborah delivers to Barak, a very nervous and reluctant man God had chosen to be military leader over Israel at this time. Her words are fraught with all kinds of encouraging spiritual implications for believers today:

“Get ready! This is the day the LORD will give you victory over Sisera, for the LORD is marching ahead of you.” (NLT)

Don’t overlook that line: “The Lord is marching ahead of you.” If that be the case for Barak, and by extension, for you and me, then why would Christians ever need to be worried, anxious, fearful or reluctant to step out on God’s behalf? If that be the case, no wonder Scripture commands us not to fear, but to always be courageous more than any other command.

You see, when God calls a Christian to step out in faith and obedience, in reality, the Lord himself has already gone before them and is there waiting where the step of faith will take them. Yes, he goes before them (Isaiah 52:12), prepares the way for them (Exodus 23:20), he gives them safety and protection on the journey (Deuteronomy 23:14), he guarantees their success (Joshua 1:7-8) and he ensures they end the journey of faith with an outstanding testimony (Deuteronomy 26:19).

“The Lord is marching ahead of you.” When God calls you to a step of faith, in reality, he has already gone before you and is waiting where the step of faith will take you. Yes, he goes before you (“the Lord is going before you, and the God of Israel is your rear guard.” Isa. 52:12), he prepares the way for you (“I am going to send an angel before you to protect you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared.” Ex. 23:20), he gives you safety and protection on the journey (“For the Lord your God walks throughout your camp to protect you and deliver your enemies to you.” Deut. 23:14), he guarantees your success (“if you are careful to obey each of his laws, then you will be successful in everything you do.” Jos. 1:7) and he ensures the journey of faith will leave you with an outstanding testimony (“If you do, he will make you greater than any other nation, allowing you to receive praise, honor, and renown.” Deut. 26:19). So wherever God calls, step out, you are only walking where he already is.

That is the winning strategy the prophetess Deborah gave to Barak, and there is a reason it was included in the Holy Scriptures. It was not just for a reluctant nervous leader then, it is for God’s people today. God has given you the same winning strategy: Where God calls, step out, for he has already gone before you—and he is waiting for you at the finish line.

“A man with God is always in the majority.” ~John Knox

Reflect and Apply: Where are you being called to take a step of faith? If you are at all nervous about what is before you, go back and reflect on these verses: Isaiah 52:12, Exodus 23:20, Deuteronomy 23:14, Joshua 1:7-8, Deuteronomy 26:19 and Hebrews 13:5

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The Crazy Cycle of Sin

Reflect:
Judges 2:6-23, 3:1-6

“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…They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger because they forsook him…In his anger against Israel the LORD handed them over to raiders who plundered them…. They were in great distress…Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders.” ~Judges 2:10-16

Judges—the seventh book of the Old Testament—stands in stark contrast to the book of Joshua, which tells the story of a courageous leader and a faithful nation conquering their Promised Land through their trust in, dependence on and obedience to God. Sadly, what you see in Judges is what happens when a nation, void of godly leadership, disobeys and strays from the call of God. And it ain’t a pretty picture!

In Judges we find several distinct cycles of sin to salvation and salvation to sin, repeated over and over again from the time of Joshua’s departure to the arrival of the great judge and prophet, Samuel. As you read story after story, you will feel like someone has pushed the repeat button as God’s people keep following this pattern:

Disobedience: Israel wanders from obedience and falls into idolatry, corruption and other patterns of waywardness.

Discipline: After a period of time where God gives Israel a long leash, he begins to discipline them through the cruel domination and subjugation of other nations. Under the yoke of oppression, Israel finally begins to cry out to God in repentance.

Deliverance: God raises up military champions who lead Isael to victory over their enemies. These military leaders then rule or judge Israel during their lifetimes, restoring the nation to pure worship and obedience to God.

Unfortunately, the people of God are slow learners, continually trading in obedience to God and the freedom and prosperity it brings for “that which is right in their own eyes.” (Judges 21:25) So God punishes his people by letting them fall again into the hands of oppressing nations. And once again, Israel cries out to God in repentance, so he raises up a military champion to deliver them. Yet they fall into sin again, and so on the sad cycle repeats itself. As you read Judges, you get this same song, second verse deal happening all the way through the book.

Theologically, however, this otherwise depressing account show a couple of very important truths:

One, sin always leads to suffering. That message was seen before Judges, and you will run into it again all the way forward to Revelation. We need to remember that sin always has devastating consequences. But on the other hand…

Two, repentance always leads to restoration. Even though we might be faithless and disobedient, God is covenantly faithful—always—lovingly and longingly ready to restore the truly repentant. Every time Israel humbly and authentically repents, God patiently forgives and graciously restores.

I suppose the story of Judges is really the story of your life—and mine. Don’t we, too, fall into that same cycle of disobedience, discipline and deliverance? Haven’t you found, like Israel, that sin always leads to suffering, but in repentance, you always meet a restoring God? And wouldn’t it be so much easier to learn from Israel’s story and break that crazy cycle by wisely skipping the sin and suffering part and simply living in the restoration of a repentant lifestyle?

I think that’s why we have Judges. That’s what God wants us to know.

“No price is too high to have a free conscience before God.” ~Francis Schaeffer

Reflect and Apply: Take an honest look at your life: Are you in the crazy sin-cycle of disobedience-discipline-deliverance? Wouldn’t it be so much easier, and wiser, to simply life in the restoration of a repentant lifestyle?

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No Controlling Moral Authority

Judges 17:1-21:25

No Controlling Moral Authority
Judges 21:25

Go Deep: That line pretty well sums up the sad story of the book of Judges.  Several times in the last few chapters the author gives us several variations of this statement: “In those days, Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.” (Judges 17:6, 18:1, 19:21 and 21:25)  Even though the Lord raised up godly judges during this period to rescue Israel, overall, there was no controlling moral authority in the land.  The result: personal piety tanked and social chaos became the status quo.

“Everybody did what was right in their own eyes.”  Sound familiar?  That’s one of the popular mantras in our culture right now, albeit in a variety of different expressions: “If it doesn’t hurt anyone, then what’s to stop you?”  “That may be true for you, but not for me.”  “Keep your laws off my body!”  But these types of “enlightened” cultural declarations have led to the legalization of abortion, marijuana, and pornography, the normalization of homosexuality, increased sexual promiscuity and marital unfaithfulness, the widespread acceptance of divorce, the tolerance of filth over the airwaves, and a whole host of other “rights” that are rotting the moral foundation of our society.

“All the people did whatever seemed right in their own.” The problem with that kind of personal and societal philosophy is that it never results in a good outcome.  It might sound like it’s a fair and enlightened way to do life—as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody else—but it always hurts somebody else.  Whenever there is no “king in Israel”—no controlling moral authority—personal piety will decline and social chaos will rise, which is exactly what we’re witnessing in our society today.

It would be easy for me at this point to rant and rave against any number of cultural forces that are presently at work in America, and insist that we get back to the Bible as the standard by which our society must be governed.  And of course, I would be right…and you would agree.   But perhaps the best cure for the social chaos and loss of piety in America would be for you and me to make sure that God’s Word is king in our lives on a personal basis.

What if Christian by Christian we truly made the Scriptures our controlling moral authority?  I am not talking about just giving lip service to the authority of Scripture; I’m talking about it being what we mediate on day and night (Psalm 1:2), what we are careful to obey in exacting detail (Joshua 1:8), and teach and model to our children and our children’s children (Deuteronomy 4:9).

Can you imagine what would happen in America if everyone who called themselves a believer would live under the authority of the King’s Word?  I think the supply line for most of the impiety and chaos in our culture would get choked off, and America would become a Christian nation once again.

Have you read, absorbed and determined to obey God’s Word yet this today? What are you waiting for, brother?  Crack open that Bible and get after it!

Just Saying… A.W. Tozer offers these challenging words to us, “The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.”  And nothing less than a wholehearted commitment to the whole Bible can make a Christian nation wholly Christian again!

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Flawed Leaders

Judges 12:1-16:31

Flawed Leaders

When her son was born, she named him Samson. And the Lord blessed him
as he grew up. And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him.
Judges 13:24-25 (NLT)

Go Deep: Samson’s story in Judges 13-16 is a real head-scratcher. Obviously he was an amazingly talented but incredibly flawed leader.  He was as strong as an ox but highly impulsive. He had been set apart for God’s purpose yet throughout his life continued to be firmly attached to fleshly desires. And most obvious of all, Samson had a weakness for women—not the first (or last, unfortunately) spiritual leader to have that particular weakness. Definitely this leader had feet of clay.

How can God choose to use such flawed leaders?  Why does God seem to bless men and women who are not only not perfect, they are glaringly weak?  Doesn’t he realize that when he promotes people to such visible positions of influence who are bound to fail, they give the rest of us, and our cause, a bad name before a watching world when they fall?

Well I hate to disappoint you here, but I can’t really answer those questions.  God has his reasons, and sometimes he doesn’t share his insights with us.  I do know this: If God chose only perfect people for leadership positions, we’d have no leaders.  All leaders are flawed to some degree.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not excusing weaknesses, only explaining them. I get frustrated by flawed leaders who have failed , too, but what I have learned over the years by watching many great but flawed leaders is simply this: I must not confuse the gift with the package.

God places his incredible gifts within deeply flawed packages—that has always been and always will be. And in regard to your spiritual leader, it is likely that they are an extremely talented and charismatic person who has the call of God on their life.  But don’t forget, like you, they are flawed.

So celebrate the gift, but don’t worship the package.  Pray for them, build accountability systems around them, do what you can to help them to stay dedicated to God’s purpose for their life and leadership role, and pray for them.

Did I mention pray for them?

Just Saying… John Stott wrote, “The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve.”  So true!

 

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Love That Outweighs Wrath

Judges 7:1-11:40

Love That Outweighs Wrath

Then the Israelites put aside their foreign gods and served the Lord.
And he was grieved by their misery.
Judges 10:16 (NLT)

Go Deep: When you read the book of Judges, you quickly discover a pattern—a sad one.  It’s not limited to Judges—it’s the same cycle in the history of God’s people from creation to the present day.  In a nutshell, it is concisely illustrated in Judges 6:6-10, and it goes something like this:

God calls a people unto himself and blesses their obedience to his ways; God’s people wander from their calling and pursue gratification outside of God’s law; God sends warning after warning of the disastrous consequences of disobedience; God’s people continue in their rebellion; disaster strikes; the people repent; God relents and restores.

It would be so much easier if we would just stay under the umbrella of God’s blessing through our loving obedience, wouldn’t it?  And yet we don’t.  As the old hymn points out, we’re “prone to wander from the God we love”.  And how it grieves his heart when we do.  It grieves him that we would spurn his love—and the blessings that flow to us for our loving obedience—to swallow the sweet poison of the world’s enticements.  It grieves him that we would ignore the plentiful warnings, both throughout Scripture as well as through the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, to plunge knowingly into that which invites Divine judgment—the direct judgment of his punitive anger and the more familiar judgment of the consequences of going our own way.

God is a just God, and sin brings his justice.  But God’s redemptive love is more powerful than his righteous wrath!  That is not to lessen or negate the consequences of sin—the law of sowing and reaping is a universal law—but what we observe in the history of God’s dealing with his people is that his compassion outweighs his indignation…when there is repentance. Notice the interaction between God and his people in this section of Judges 10:

God:  “You have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!” (Judges 10:13-14)

Israel:  “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.” Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD. (Judges 10:15-16a)

God: And the Lord could bear Israel’s misery no longer. (Judges 10:16b)

Again I say, how about we skip the rebellion and it’s consequences by staying under the umbrella of blessing by loving and obeying the God who loves us.

Just Saying… Dutch Anabaptist reformer Menno Simons wrote in a letter, “Wherever there is a pulverized and penitent heart, there grace also is, and wherever there is a voluntary confession not gained by pressure, there love covereth a multitude of sins.”