The Book of Judges Series – Revival in the Land 5/23/21 “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” – Conspiracy (9:1-10:5) E. 5th apostasy-Ammonite oppression-Jephthah’s deliverance (10:6-12:7)
Addendum: Less well-known judges served between cycles of decline (12:8-15) F. 6th apostasy-Philistine oppression-Samson’s partial deliverance (13:1-16:31)
III. The results of Israel’s apostasy – Spiritual, social and political chaos (17:1-21:25) Introduction – Many expositors believe chapters 17-21 are not chronological
A. Spiritual and moral Chaos – Micah ‘s idolatry and private ‘religion’ (17:1-13)
B. Social Chaos – Danite apostasy and migration (18:1-31)
- The Problem of the Danites – No “allocation” (not entirely true!) (v.1)
- Danite spies sent to find an “inheritance” – The Micah connection (vv.2-7) 3. Spies report–Found “spacious land” which God was giving them? (vv.8-10) 4. The Danite invasion force encounters Micah & his “new” religion (v.11-21) 5. Micah pursues the Danites attempting to recover his “gods” (vv.22-26)
- The Danites capture the peaceful Sidonian city of Laish – (vv.27-29)
Conclusion: Micah’s perverse religion adopted by the tribe of Dan (vv.30-31)
C. Political Chaos – The Benjamite war (19:1-21:24)
Conclusion : The reason for the tragic consequences during the time of Judges (21:25)
Key Verse(s) *Human society cannot survive without a moral consensus
Judges 18:1 (NASB) *Not entirely true-It’s just what they felt like! (Josh.19:40,47-48) “In those days there was no king of Israel; and in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for themselves to live in, for until that day an inheritance had not been allotted to them as a possession among the tribes of Israel.”
Judges 18:5 (NASB) *They want God’s approval-but based on their own “new” religion “They said to him, “Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether our way on which we are going will be prosperous.” [‘So, tell us what we want to hear’!]
“…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 (NASB)
Judges 18:1-31 “The Easy Way”
“Now the angel of the LORD…said…’I will never break My covenant…’”
Judges 2:1 (NASB)
Key x-References– Spiritual apostacy —> moral degeneration —> social disruption
Judges 18:4-6 (NASB) *This false priest uses the covenant name of the LORD in vain “He said to them, ‘Thus and so has Micah done to me, and he has hired me and I have become his priest.’ They said to him, ‘Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether our way on which we are going will be prosperous.’ The priest said to them, ‘Go in peace; your way in which you are going has the LORD’S approval.’”
Joshua 19:40,47-48 (excerpts NASB) *The tribe of Dan DID actually have an allotment “The seventh lot fell to the tribe of the sons of Dan according to their families…
The territory of the sons of Dan proceeded beyond them…and settled in it; and they called Leshem Dan after the name of Dan their father. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.”
Judges 1:34 (NAS) *But Dan was not able to fully appropriate God’s provision “Then the Amorites forced the sons of Dan into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the valley.”
Acts 17:22-27 (NASB) *All religion is not TRUE religion-Only the TRUE God is worthy “So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us…’” [cf. “Manifest Destiny” in the U.S.]
Judges 18:24 (NAS) *Micah’s ‘Burger King’ religion based on idols or false gods
“He said, ‘You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away, and what do I have besides? So how can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’’”
Habakkuk 2:18-20 (NAS) *Idols, or false gods, are the fount of more falsehoods “What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it, or an image, a teacher of falsehood? For its maker trusts in his own handiwork when he fashions speechless idols. Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Awake!’ To a mute stone, ‘Arise!’ And that is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all inside it.”
Key Terms (most words have a ‘field of meaning’ —> various translations)
“inheritance” “possession” (3x v.1) Hebrew #5159 (224x), NASB nachalah, prim. root: possession, property, inheritance:– gift (1), give (1), hereditary (1), heritage (14), heritages (1), inheritance (197), inheritances (1), portion (1), possession (7)
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”
2 Timothy 2:13 (NASB)