The Book of Judges Series – Revival in the Land 3/14/21 “In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did
what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 17:6; 21:25 (NASB)
Introduction-“Who will go up for us…” (1:1-3)
I. Background of the period of the judges-The reason for Israel’s apostasy (1:4-3:6)
A. The political background-Hostilities between Israel and the Canaanites (1:4-36)
B. The spiritual background – Israel’s conduct and God’s response (2:1-3:6)
II. History of the period of the judges-The record of Israel’s apostasy (3:7-16:31)
A. 1st apostasy-Mesopotamian oppression-Othniel’s deliverance (3:7-14) B. 2nd apostasy-Moabite oppression-Ehud’s deliverance (3:12-30)
C. 3rd apostasy-Canaanite oppression-Deborah/Barak (4:1-5:31)
D. 4th Apostasy-Midianite oppression-Gideon’s deliverance (6:1-8:35)
Addendum: This “cycle” is different – “The Enemy Within” 1. Abimelech’s conspiracy (9:1-57)
- Tola’s judgeship – “save Israel” – 23 years (10:1-2) 3. Jair’s judgeship – “judged Israel” – 22 years (10:3-5)
E. 5th apostasy-Ammonite oppression-Jephthah’s deliverance (10:6-12:15) 1. Ammonite oppression – Jephthah’s deliverance (10:6-12:7)
Part 1: The prelude to conflict – Value of strong convictions (10:6-11:11)
a. The 5th cycle of spiritual decline and political oppression (vv.6-18)
b. Jephthah- exiled son of a harlot – chosen to deliver/judge Israel (11:1-11)
Part 2: The battlefield and beyond – Think before we speak! (11:12-12:7) c. Jephthah delivers Israel from the Ammonites (11:12-33)
d. The painful aftermath of the battle (11:34-40)
e. Ephraim’s always late to the battle – and complaining about it! (12:1-7)
Addendum: Less well-known judges served between cycles of spiritual decline (8-15) 2. Ibzan’s Judgeship (12:8-10) - Elon’s Judgeship (12:11-12)
- Abdon’s judgeship (12:13-15)
Key Verse(s) *The 5th cycle begins with spiritual apostasy—AGAIN
Judges 10: 6-7(NASB) *Even a devastating civil war can’t stop the “sin cycle!”
“Then the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; thus they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him. The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the sons of Ammon.”
“…if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)
Judges 10:1-11:11 “True Repentance”
“Now the angel of the LORD…said…’I will never break My covenant…’”
Judges 2:1 (NASB)
Key Verses – First admission of Israel’s sin against God in Judges
Judges 10:10-14: (NASB) *True ‘repentance’?- Closest thing to real revival in Judges “Then the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD, saying, ‘We have sinned against You, for indeed, we have forsaken our God and served the Baals.’ The LORD said to the sons of Israel, ‘Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines? Also when the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hands. Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer deliver you. Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress.’” *Although the word is not actually used, it is ‘repentance!’
Judges 10:16 (NASB) *God’s discipline – “It will hurt Me more than it hurts you!” “So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD; and He could bear the misery of Israel no longer.” *Not just talk – they took action!
Key x-References – True spiritual conviction must precede any real revival
1 Thessalonians 1:2-5 (excerpts NASB) *The conviction of the Holy Spirit brings revival “We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope…knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with
full conviction [Gr# 4136]…”
Hebrews 11:1 (NASB) *Saving faith closely related to the conviction of the Holy Spirit “Now faith is the assurance [Gk# 5287] of things hoped for, the conviction [Gk# 1650] of things not seen.”
Numbers 23:19 (NASB) *God is sinless and perfect and thus has no need to repent “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent [5162]; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
Numbers 23:19 (NASB) *God is also omniscient and never needs to change His mind “Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind [Hb #5162]; for He is not a man that He should change His mind [Hb #5162].” *”Repent” = “change your mind.”
2 Corinthians 7:10 (NASB) * True repentance is more than just being sorry for sin “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.”
1 Thessalonians 1:9 (NASB) ”Repentance” and “faith” – Two sides of the same coin! “For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God [faith] from idols [repentance] to serve a living and true God” Key Terms (most words have a ‘field of meaning’ —> various translations) “repent” (73x NAS/ 15x OT/ 58x NT) Hebrew #5162 (128x), NASB nacham, to be sorry:- change mind (11x); repent (x) / Greek #3340 (34x), NASB metanoeô, from 3539; to change one’s mind or purpose:– repent (26), repented (5), repents (3)