When Pete and Repeat Arrive

The most important piece of legislation in the history of this country was signed into law this week. Its importance is measured by the degree of negative impact it can have on our country. I'm talking about the Vermont bill which legalizes marriage for gay couples.

Most important because society is built on family unit. Destroy the family unit and society will be deteriorate quickly. God judges nations on the basis of their pursuit of His righteousness. How will God judge this nation?

The book of Judges covers some amazing accounts in the history of Israel. The lessons are important ones for us because our nation parallels this time in many ways. How will you live during such a time as this? Or are you living, as did Queen Esther, for "such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14, NKJV)

Scripture Passage: Judges 1-3

Main point: Walking with God means to live without compromising His will for your life. Compromise brings consequences. Repeated compromise can bring permanent consequences.

I. Historical commentary on the time of the Judges in Israel.

Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, "Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?"  And the LORD said, "Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand."  So Judah said to Simeon his brother, "Come up with me to my allotted territory, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I will likewise go with you to your allotted territory." And Simeon went with him.  Then Judah went up, and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand; and they killed ten thousand men at Bezek. (Judges 1:1-4, NKJV)
Joshua is dead at this point. Israel has no leader but God. Israel makes a good start by asking of the LORD, voluntarily cooperating with each other. Yet in chapter 1, we see the seeds of defeat even in their victories.  Three problem areas of emerge where we see compromise: revenge, role reversals, and resistance to God's will.

(1) Judges 1:5-7 -- Revenge

Israel begins to adopt the barbaric practice of the Canaanites. God's command was that the Canaanites were to be destroyed completely, not tortured and humiliated. We might say, "he got what he deserved!" but this is man's viewpoint not God's. "For we know Him who said, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. And again, 'The LORD will judge His people'" (Heb. 10:30, NKJV).

Changing God's command for your life, making it less important or less applicable to you is called compromise. Compromise is a sin which brings certain consequences as we will see. Be careful not to adopt a practice of society that you know conflicts with God's will for your life.  God loves you and has drawn certain boundaries for you because He loves you not because He wants to ruin your life (sounds like I'm talking to my teenager...).

(2) Judges 1:13-15 -- Role reversal

Here Othniel's wife urges her new husband to ask her father for additional land.  The request itself was perfectly legitimate. How did Achsah go about this request? She "urged" her husband to ask. For whatever reason, her husband did not go to Caleb and ask for the land with spring waters.

How did Achsah respond at this point? She went straight to "Dad" and asked herself. Why is this significant? Because the husband is the head of the family unit, accountable to God for the family. Achsah defied his authority and Othniel apparently said nothing about it (Scripture is silent on this point).

In God's judgment on mankind, He prophesied this tension in the family unit as He spoke to the woman, Eve: "Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you" (Gen. 3:16, NKJV). God established the family unit as a building block for society. As a result, that unit has certain boundaries and certain lines of authority:

When we compromise the boundaries for the family unit, when we reverse the roles of the husband and wife, the family unit will not survive.

(3) Judges 1:19 -- Resistance to God's will

Do you ever struggle to do God's will? Of course, we all struggle at times. The sin nature in us battles against the Spirit of God in us. The LORD gave clear instructions to the Israelites to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan. He did not say the Israelites would not have to fight but that the LORD would be with them to give them victory. When it became difficult to accomplish the task God had given them, the tribe of Judah just gave up.

They could have consulted God, asked for grace, strength, wisdom or whatever they needed to accomplish His will and God would have granted it to them. God desired their complete obedience to His command. God will grant you whatever resources are needed to accomplish His will for your life -- just be sure to ask Him. You may not even know what you need, but ask Him anyway. God desires your complete obedience and He will help you in your struggle to be obedient.

Judah gave up because it was too hard -- and the Canaanites they left became thorns in their side. Contrast this with Caleb who was faithful and persisted in doing God's will -- Judges 1:20 Caleb receives Hebron just as God had promised. Do not accept defeat in the struggle to do God's will -- God has victory in mind if you continue to go to Him for the resources needed to win.

Judah was not the only tribe to compromise God's will. We see the following tribes following in the footsteps of Judah:

  • The tribe of Joseph (Judges 1:23-24) strikes a deal on their own initiative to take the city (consequences in Judges 1:16).
  • The tribe of Manasseh (Judges 1:27)
  • The tribe of Ephraim (Judges 1:29)
  • The tribe of Zebulon (Judges 1:30)
  • The tribe of Asher (Judges 1:31)
  • The tribe of Naphtali (Judges 1:33)
  • The tribe of Dan (Judges 1:34) is especially pitiful being kept in the mountains because the Amorites would not let them come down into the valley.
    • The historical commentary reflects a downward spiral of compromise in each of the tribes of Israel. Each of these compromises had direct consequences in the spiritual well-being of the nation. Some of the consequences seemed small at the time. But over time, those consequences grow. The lesson for us is obvious: do not allow compromise to become an accepted way of accomplishing your objectives in life. Compromising God's will may be convenient or the politically-correct word is "pragmatic" but it is really nothing more than sin. And sin has consequences.

    II. Theological commentary on Israel's faith.

    Then the Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: "I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, 'I will never break My covenant with you. And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.' But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, 'I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.'" (Judges 2:1-3, NKJV)
    Chapter two presents a theological commentary, a perspective on the historical account from God's point of view. God's pain because of Israel's disobedience is clear.
  • He points His mighty work in their lives: I led you, I brought you, I swore.
  • He points out His clear command to Israel.
  • He points out Israel's disobedience.
  • "Why?" He asks.
    • The consequences of Israel's compromise is that God will no longer use His power to drive out the Canaanites. Israel's compromise became God's new will for their lives -- that they should experience the painful consequences of having the Canaanites around to oppose them and lead them astray from worshiping the One true and living God (pain experienced by Israel even to this day).

    Joshua 2:6-9 is a parenthesis in this commentary that looks back to the days of Joshua. Remember how faithful was God's servant, Joshua? Remember how the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua? Remember how they even served the LORD under the elders who served after Joshua's death? Remember how it is possible for a people to obey God?

    When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.  Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals;  and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger.  They forsook the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel. So He delivered them into the hands of plunderers who despoiled them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies. (Judges 2:10-14, NKJV)
    After Joshua and the elders died, another generation arose: Take note!  Like Israel, any nation -- and let's personalize this, our nation -- is never more than one generation away from complete paganism.  We must be diligent to point this generation to a personal relationship with God and teach this generation the mighty works of God. They must see the reality of our own personal relationship with God at work in our lives. They must be taught that God makes and keeps His promises. They must see the blessing of obedience to God's will and the consequences of reckless defiance.

    This generation of Isreal, which had no knowledge of God or commitment to Him, naturally acted out that lack of faith:

    God judged them by allowing their enemies to prevail against them as He promised He would do (Joshua 7:12). It took years of calamity for the children of Israel to make the connection between their compromise and God's judgment.

    As parents, we need to make crystal clear the consequences of compromise and disobedience to our children. We can tell them about it from our own experience. We must discipline our children to see personally the connection between compromise and consequence. Such discipline, though emotionally painful for us, is actually a tremendous act of godly love.

    III. The Spiritual Whirlpool in the History of the Judges

    A terrible downward spiritual cycle ensued in Judges 2:16-19:
  • Israel did evil.
  • God judged the nation through their enemies.
  • Israel cries out to God.
  • God raises up a judge to deliver them from their enemies.
  • Israel appears to follow God for a time.
  • After the judge dies, Israel pursues evil again "quickly" (Judges 2:17).
  • Israel's evil is worse than the last time.
    • Israel's repeated compromises weakened their faith to the point that they abandoned God. You might call it "foxhole religion" -- I'll call out to God only when things look bleak and forget what I committed to after things get better.

    If compromise brings certain consequences, then repeated compromise brings permanent consequences. That is what we see in this cycle. The LORD concluded:

    "I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the LORD, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not." (Judges 2:21-22, NKJV)
    The next generation does not automatically inherit the spiritual blessings of the previous generation, of the parent's faith. The next generation must demonstrate its commitment to the LORD as well.
  • Sometimes people think that if they are raised in a Christian home, they must be Christians also.
  • God has made it clear that each person must exercise personal faith in the LORD Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31) in order to become a Christian and experience the salvation that God so graciously provides.
  • As a people, you and I must deliver that message through our lives and through our lips to the next generation.
    • How are we doing? How does this generation shape up? A startling report is found in Thom S. Rainer's book, The Bridger Generation, which reveals the following trend about those professing faith in the LORD Jesus Christ:
  • Builders generation (pre-1946): 65%
  • Boomers generation (1946-1964): 35%
  • Busters generation (1965-1976): 15%
  • Bridgers generation (1977-1994): 4%
    • A look this week at decisions that were made and decisions we are facing is as follows:
  • Vermont passed and signed into law a bill which allows homosexuals to enter into a legal marriage union (though they call it something else, it is a distinction without a difference). They will allow even non-residents to take advantage of this union opening the floodgates for homosexual couples to "marry" in Vermont and go back to their home state demanding the same rights as other "married" couples. So what you say? This is the end of the family unit as God designed. What will stop other groups of people from claiming marital status: pedophiles, adulterers, polygamists? Either Genesis 2:24 defines clearly that marriage is one man, one woman for life, or mankind decides whatever suits his fancy. When that happens, may God have mercy on this nation.
  • The Supreme Court of this land takes up the argument that a private organization, the Boy Scouts of America, has no right to set moral standards and enforce them. A homosexual wants to be a scout leader and is demanding the right the be one even though it violates the very oath he took as a scout. So what you say? If a private, voluntary organization can be made to compromise its beliefs, then this is the end of the church -- for it is a private, voluntary organization usually with beliefs and moral standards even higher than the Boy Scouts. What would you say to having a homosexual pastor, or an adulterer as a pastor?
  • The Supreme Court is once again looking at the whole issue of abortion, the killing of a baby in the womb of his mother. The partial-birth abortion procedure -- where the baby is delivered breach except for the head and then the baby is literally ripped apart with forceps and needles. How anyone can call that a "woman's right to choose" when it is barbarism at its worst is a sign of the spiritual depths to which our nation has plunged.
  • Senator John McCain on a return trip to Vietnam stated categorically that he had not and would not forgive his captors for torturing and killing his friends in the "Hanoi Hilton" during the Vietnam War. So what you say? Listen to the words of our LORD Jesus Christ: "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15, NKJV). Is forgiveness important?

    • IV. Conclusion

    All of these things are signs of compromise and spiritual decay in our own nation, the same signs we see in ancient Israel. As someone once said: "One thing we have learned from history is that mankind has learned nothing from history."

    In your own life, have you allowed compromise in any area to affect your walk with God? You need to understand that compromise brings certain consequences, as we have seen. You need to understand that a repeated pattern of compromise in your life may bring permanent consequences. What is the solution? As always, a turning back to the LORD Jesus Christ for forgiveness, cleansing, and power to live for Christ is the answer to compromise. Consider praying as follows:

  • LORD Jesus, I have compromised Your will in my life. I knew your will and refused to obey.
  • Please forgive me of this sin against You, You who have been so gracious and kind to me all these years.
  • Remind me O LORD of the consequences of my compromise. Do not let me forget for I want to be strengthened against the temptation that I will surely face again.
  • Point out to me the people in my life I have failed by compromising Your will. Give me the wisdom and courage to confront them with my sin and to seek forgiveness from them.
  • Cleanse me O LORD from this compromise and fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may have the power to see it as sin and turn away from it in the future.
  • LORD you are holy and have called me to live a holy life. I commit myself now to pursuing Your holiness in my life.
    • God is gracious and kind to us. He gave us His son, Jesus Christ, as an offering to pay for the sins of the whole world. He resurrected Jesus from the grave so that we could have assurance of forgiveness and eternal life through faith in Him. And gave us the Holy Spirit to be with us whereever we go. Let us rejoice in God's grace to us through Christ that gives us the knowledge and the power to live a holy life and refuse to compromise His righteousness. In this way, we will teach the next generation the reality of faith in God and the blessing inherent in the walk of faith.

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