Grace Fellowship Church Pastor-Teacher Jim Rickard

1. Grace Fellowship ChurchPastor-TeacherJim Rickard Sunday October 12, 2008

2. The Cycle of Sin The Book of Judges

3. Overview Introduction: • It is believed that the book of Judges was written by the prophet Samuel between 1045 &1000 B.C. • The book is divided into 2 sections: • 1) Vs 1-16 gives an account of the wars of deliverance, loss of faith, return to bondage & recovery ( the focus of our study). • 2) Vs 17-21 which is referred to as the appendix and does not relate to the previous chapters. These chapters are noted as a time “when there was no King in Israel”.

4. II. Brief Summary: Judges is an account of how God (Yahweh) was taken for granted by His children, year after year and century after century. Yet, God has never failed to open his arms in love to His people when they repented and called upon His name. Judges 2:18 God always kept His promise to Abraham to protect and bless his offspring. GEN 12:2-3

5. Gen 12:2-3 “And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the ones who curse you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

6. III. The Cycle of Sin Defined: Judges 2:18-19 – “Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, He was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them. But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.”

7. In these 2 verses, we find the pattern for the entire book – a pattern of sin, bondage and repentance that would last for nearly 350 years. The following table shows how this is repeated over and over.

8. IV. The Heart of the Problem: How did it happen? How did they get dragged back into the cycle of sin just when things seemed to be going so well? Compromised faith in God. The heart, through lack of faith does not totally rely on God. Judges 1:1-3 (read)

9. As Christians we face a three fold enemy that works to compromise our faith & entry into our full inheritance: • Direct satanic attack • The world system • Our Old Sin Nature • (All of which can be associated with • “the schemes of the devil”) • These can often be combined in their attack. We need to remember that God gives us the ability to overcome these attacks. Eph 6:1“Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”

10. Examples of Faith: • Judges1:20 (read) “As Moses had promised, Hebron was given to Caleb, who drove out the three sons of Anak.” • Caleb’s name means “wholehearted” • Hebron the land which he was given means “communion.” • You can’t commune with God with one foot in the world, but wholeheartedness with the Lord leads to communion.

11. Judges 1:22-25 (read) Joseph means: add thou Jehovah Bethel means: House of God Luz (the former name of Bethel) means: perverse So within our own lives through grace, that which was perverse has been captured for the Lord and turned into the house of God.

12. Examples of lack of Faith: Judges 1:27 (read) Manasseh means “causing to forget”. Just as Joseph teaches us what happens when we “add Jehovah,” Manasseh shows us the opposite by “causing us to forget!” Beth- Shean means “house of ease (or quiet)”. The enemy was not driven out but continued to live in their midst as a constant thorn in their side.

13. Judges 1:21, 27-35 Three main statements that get repeated here. 1. The tribe “did not drive out their enemies” (vs.21,27,28,29,30,31,32,33) 2. Having not driven them out they might as well live along side them. (vs.21,27,29,30,32,33) 3. They would keep them for slaves & forced labor. (vs. 28,30,33,35)

14. 2 Cor 6:14-18 “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the Temple of the living God; just as God has said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God and they shall be my people. Therefore come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you. And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to ME,” Says the Lord Almighty.”

15. VI. The Legacy of Joshua: Joshua was Israel’s first leader in the promised land. It gives a picture of salvation in it’s fullest sense. The book of Joshua is in direct contrast to the book of Judges which it precedes. Interestingly they both begin with a death. Josh 1:1 - the death of Moses Judges1:1 - the death of Joshua

16. Judges 1:1 - starts with the death of Joshua and is an example for us of what will happen when that Joshua type of faith has died. Judges 2:1-4 The angel of the lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said “ I brought you out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers. I said I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars. Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and there gods will be a snare to you. When the angel of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept out loud, and they called that place Bochim.

17. Gilgal: first mentioned - Deut 11:28 This was the place that Israel would first come to when they crossed the Jordan River into the promised land. The very first place they would possess in the land God had given them. Even before they had any victories they were to camp at Gilgal. It was the staging ground for all of their operation. It is where the people were meant to be. For us, this is the first step in possessing all that God has given us. The starting place for our spiritual victory. God is with us.

18. Josh 5:2-9 God tells Joshua to make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites at Gilgal. It is the place where pride and strength of the flesh (all that man is without God) is cut away by the knife of God. Circumcision represents the cutting away of pride, independence and our fleshly nature. Bochim, is analogous to the place we end up when we remain outside of God’s plan for our lives and His protection and power.

19. Gilgal is the starting place for all spiritual progression. Josh 5:10; 9:6; 10:13-15; 14:6 Judges 2:1-4 and the significance of Gilgal and Bochim are this; Gilgal is not only the place they first camped but the place that they constantly returned to and used as the starting place for all of their great victories. That place of dependence on God.

20. VII. The Enemy within the Land: Judges 3:1-6 - speaks to us about eight distinct groups (all enemies of Israel) that were left to dwell in the land. God did not want them there, but due to Israel’s dis- obedience, He left them for two distinct reasons. For testing and teaching. These nations are symbolic of different fleshly, worldly and satanic principles that stand against us today. The biggest enemies were the Philistines, Canaanites, Hittites and Amorites.

21. Philistine: • Means wallowing, or wallow in self • Five Lords over the Philistines. Possibly representative of the 5 aspects of our sinful nature, self-pity, self-deprecation, self-importance, self-indulgence, self-pleasure. • Aggressive tribal group in the Southwest. • Battled with Israel for a long time. • The Philistines were the greatest and lasted the longest. Not an easy battle.

22. Canaanites: Means, merchant or trafficker or trader. Speaks of the influence of the world. They were happy to remain in the land as long as the profits were good. They represent the Church going population who are there only for what they can gain for themselves.

23. Hittites: The largest group. Very strong. Spread out over a large area. Name derived from Heth which means “sons of terror”. It is the principle or spirit of fear that seeks to dominate our lives.

24. Amorites: Means a talker, to say, speak. Derived from a word that means self-boasting. It is the principle that Jesus warned about when He spoke of the Pharisees in Mat 23:3. Not practicing what they preach. Speaks of gaining head knowledge without application.

25. VIII.Conclusion: In Love (AGAPE) God provides deliverance Cycle of Sin in Judges Israel cries out to the Lord Judge dies Israel has no spiritual leader

26. Grace Fellowship Church Offering

27. Grace Fellowship Church Sunday, October 12, 2008 Tape # 08S-039 The Cycles of Sin The Book of Judges Deacon Stephen Rickard James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2008