Lesson#12

RETURN TO SYLLABUS
JUDGES 10
LESSON #12
THE NATURE OF PERSONAL CYCLES

MEMORY VERSE: 1PETER 2:10

IN OUR STUDY OF THE BOOK OF JUDGES, WE ARE IN CYCLE #5. YOU WILL REMEMBER THAT THE PEOPLE DID NOT CRY OUT TO GOD FOR HELP. THEREFORE, GOD DID NOT RAISE UP A JUDGE TO DELIVER THEM FROM THE EVIL PRETENDER TO THE THRONE, ABIMELECH. AFTER THE DEATH OF ABIMELECH, GOD, IN HIS MERCY, RAISED UP TWO VERY ORDINARY JUDGES TO STEM THE TIDE OF ABIMELECH’S INFLUENCE THAT STARTED A CIVIL WAR.

IT IS NOT KNOWN HOW LONG THIS CIVIL WAR LASTED, BUT IT IS ASSUMED THAT IT CONTINUED INTO THE TERMS OF THE NEXT TWO JUDGES.

READ JDG 10:1-2 JUDGE TOLA

IT IS AMAZING! WE DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS MAN EXCEPT WHAT WE READ IN THESE TWO VERSES.

THE NAME, TOLA, MEANS = WARM OR CRIMSON.
HE WAS WILLING TO BE A JUDGE.
HE WAS LOCATED IN NORTHEAST ISRAEL IN THE HILL COUNTRY OF EPHRAIM.

THIS AREA WAS AFFECTED BY THE EVIL LEADERSHIP OF ABIMELECH. THEREFORE, GOD RAISED UP THIS JUDGE TO OFFSET THE EVIL INFLUENCE OF ABIMELECH.

HE HELD THE POSITION OF A JUDGE IN ISREAL FOR 23 YEARS.

REMEMBER THAT THE POSITION OF A JUDGE HAD THREE PARTS. HE WAS FIRST TO BE A PROPHET TO CALL THE PEOPLE BACK TO GOD. NEXT HE WAS TO DELIVER ISRAEL FROM HER ENEMIES BY MILITARY ACTION. THEN HE WAS TO ACT AS A GOVERNOR AND COUNSELOR.

BECAUSE NOTHING IS SAID ABOUT THIS MAN, IT SEEMS HE WAS NOT ALL THAT SUCCESSFUL IN BRINGING THE PEOPLE BACK TO GOD. IN FACT, THE BIBLE DOES NOT TELL US THAT THE PEOPLE CALLED OUT TO GOD FOR HELP. HOWEVER, IN GOD’S MERCY HE RAISED UP TOLA "TO DEFEND ISRAEL" FROM HER ENEMIES.

NO SPECIFIC ENEMY IS MENTIONED. THEREFORE, THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT THE ENEMY IS INTERNAL. THIS INTERNAL ENEMY WAS PROBABLY THE SEEDS OF DIVISION AND CIVIL WAR SOWED BY ABIMELECH.

READ JDG 10:3-5 JUDGE JAIR

THE NAME, JAIR, MEANS = JEHOVAH ENLIGHTENS.
JAIR IS ANOTHER VERY ORDINARY JUDGE THAT WE KNOW ALMOST NOTHING ABOUT. THIS IS WHAT WE DO KNOW:

JAIR WAS OBVIOUSLY A WEALTHY MAN IN A HIGH SOCIAL POSITION WITH A LARGE FAMILY.

FROM THE LITTLE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION GIVEN IN THE BIBLE, WE CAN SEE THAT:

HE HAD PROSPERITY WITHOUT PURPOSE.

HE USED HIS WEALTH TO SPOIL HIS SONS.

A DONKEY WAS A MARK OF WEALTH IN THOSE DAYS.
A DONKEY WAS THE ANIMAL THAT KINGS RODE.

ZEC 9:9 IS THE PROPHECY ABOUT JESUS RIDING INTO JERUSALEM ON A DONKEY ON PALM SUNDAY.

HE HAD AFFLUENCE WITHOUT INFLUENCE.

HE HAD A HIGH POSITION. HOWEVER, EVEN THOUGH HE HELD IT FOR 22 YEARS, THE PEOPLE DID NOT TURN TO GOD BECAUSE OF HIS INFLUENCE.

HE HAD PRESTIGE WITHOUT POWER.

HE DID NOT USE HIS WEALTH AND POSITION FOR GOD AND GOD’S PEOPLE.

DISCUSSION: WHAT PARALLELS DO YOU SEE IN OUR OWN SOCIETY TO THE TIME OF JUDGE JAIR?

JAIR’S LOCATION IS ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE JORDAN. THIS AREA WAS EASILY INFLUENCED BY THE SYNCRETISM OF PAGAN TRIBES.

READ JDG 10:6-9 CYCLE #6 JEPHTHAH

=1= SIN (6)

WHAT GOD’S ARE THE ISRAELITES SERVING IN THIS SIXTH CYCLE? THERE ARE SEVEN CATEGORIES OF GODS THAT TELL US THE ISRAELITES ARE TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY COMMITTED TO OTHER GODS (#7 IS GOD’S NUMBER OF COMPLETENESS). THEY HAVE STOPPED WORSHIPPING JEHOVAH COMPLETELY.

=1= BAALIM OF THE CANAANITES

THIS IS THE PLURAL FOR THE GOD, BAAL, WHICH HAD TERRITORIAL NAMES MAKING HIM A PLURAL GOD.

=2= ASHTAROTH OF THE CANAANITES.

THIS GOD IS THE CONSORT OF BAAL MAKING BAAL AND ASHTORETH FERTILITY GODS.

=3= THE GODS OF SYRIA

THE GOD OF SYRIA WAS HADAD OR RIMMON. (2KIN 5:18) THESE ARE ARAMAEN NAMES FOR THE GOD, BAAL.

=4= THE GODS OF SIDON

THE PHOENICIAN GODS WERE BAAL AND ASHERAH (POLES OR GROVES)

=5= THE GODS OF MOAB

THEIR CHIEF GOD WAS CHEMOSH.

=6= THE GODS OF AMMON

THEIR GOD WAS MILCOM OR MOLECH THAT DEMANDED INFANT SACRIFICE.

=7= THE GODS OF THE PHILISTINES

THEIR GOD WAS DAGON.

=2= SERVITUDE (7-8)

THE PHILISTINES WERE THE OPPRESSORS TO THE WEST, AND THE AMMONITES WERE THE OPPRESSORS TO THE EAST.

WE HAVE SEEN THE PHILISTINE OPPRESSION BEFORE IN THE BOOK OF JUDGES UNDER THE SECOND JUDGE, EHUD. (JDG 3)
ALSO THE AMMONITES WERE ALLIED WITH THE MOABITES UNDER KING EGLON DURING THE TIME OF JUDGE EHUD.

THE AMMONITES FREQUENTLY INVADED THE TRIBES EAST OF THE JORDAN RIVER…THE TRIBE OF GAD AND THE HALF TRIBE OF MANASSEH.

READ JDG 10:10-16

=3= SUPPLICATION (10-15)

IN THE PREVIOUS CYCLES, ISRAEL NEVER REALLY REPENTED OF HER SINS AGAINST GOD. IT WAS JUST A CRY FOR HELP.
THIS TIME GOD SAYS HE WILL NOT HELP THEM ANY MORE. THEY HAVE CHOSEN THEIR GODS AND THEY SHOULD CRY TO THOSE GODS FOR HELP AGAINST THEIR ENEMIES.

GOD LISTS THE ENEMIES FROM WHICH HE HAS DELIVERED HIS PEOPLE:

=1= EGYPTIANS
=2= AMORITES
=3= AMMONITES
=4= PHILISTINES
=5= SIDONIANS
=6= AMELEKITES
=7= MAONITES (PERHAPS THE MIDIANITES)

NOTICE THAT THE NUMBER OF THEIR ENEMIES AMOUNTS TO SEVEN JUST AS THE NUMBER OF THE GOD’S THEY WORSHIPPED.

SO MANY TIMES WE BRING OUR OWN PROBLEMS UPON OURSELVES BECAUSE WE FORSAKE GOD FOR OTHER THINGS. THEN IT IS THOSE OTHER THINGS THAT ENSLAVE US AND DON’T PROVIDE US WITH THE BLESSINGS, THE PEACE AND PROTECTION WE REALLY NEED. IT AMOUNTS TO A CYCLE IN OUR LIVES JUST AS WE SEE THE CYCLES PLAYED OUT IN THE BOOK OF JUDGES.

FOR EXAMPLE:

CYCLES IN JUDGES:	CYCLES IN OUR OWN PERSONAL LIVES:
ENTICEMENT TO WORSHIP FOREIGN GODS	ENTICEMENT BY THE THINGS OF THE WORLD (JAM 1:14)
THE WORSHIP OF FOREIGN GODS TO THE EXCLUSION OF THE WORSHIP OF JEHOVAH	INVOLVEMENT IN SETTING WORLDLY PRIORITIES TO THE EXCLUSION OF GODLY PRIORITIES (JAM 1:15)
ENSLAVEMENT BY THE SAME ENEMIES THAT BROUGHT THE FOREIGN GODS	ENSLAVEMENT BY THE LUSTS OF THE FLESH THAT AT FIRST BROUGHT PLEASURE (EPH 2:3) (JAM 4:1-3)
A RECOGNITION THAT LIFE IS A HOPELESS BURDEN LEADS TO A CRY FOR HELP	A RECOGNITION THAT LIFE IS A HOPELESS BURDEN LEADS TO A CRY FOR HELP (MAT 11:28-30)
A RECOGNITION THAT HELP, BLESSINGS, AND PROTECTION DOES NOT COME FROM THE FOREIGN GODS BUT FROM THE TRUE GOD, JEHOVAH	A RECOGNITION THAT TRUE HELP, BLESSINGS, AND PROTECTION DO NOT COME FROM WORLDLY PLEASURES BUT FROM THE TRUE GOD. (JAM 1:17)
TRUE REPENTANCE AND FORGIVENESS FROM THE ONE TRUE GOD, JEHOVAH	TRUE REPENTANCE AND FORGIVENESS FROM THE ONE TRUE GOD, JESUS CHRIST (COL 1:13-14)

THIS TIME THERE IS GENUINE REPENTANCE IN VERSES 15 AND 16.

THEY RECOGNIZED THAT THEIR ACTIONS CONSTITUTED SIN. THEN THEY CONFESSED THEIR SIN AGAINST GOD.
GENUINE REPENTANCE LEADS TO A CHANGE IN LIFE STYLE.

THE ISRAELITES GOT RID OF THEIR FOREIGN GODS AND TURNED BACK TO GOD. (16)

GOD HAS MERCY ON A REPENTANT PEOPLE.

THE CHAPTER ENDS WITH THE PEOPLE LOOKING FOR A NEW DELIVERER TO FIGHT AGAINST AN ARMY OF AMMONITES ENCAMPED AROUND THEM.

SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:

NATIONS ARE BLESSED WHOSE GOD IS THE LORD.

THE ISRAELITES ARE LEARNING THIS TRUTH IN THIS CHAPTER AFTER THE EVIL OF THE PRETENTIOUS KING, ABIMELECH.

READ PRO 29:2

WE ARE A PEOPLE JUST LIKE THE ISRAELITES IN THE BOOK OF JUDGES. WE WERE A PEOPLE IN, SIN SERVING THE GODS OF PLEASURE AND LUST. THEN BY THE MERCY OF GOD WE BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT WE WERE IN SLAVERY TO SIN. WE CALLED OUT TO GOD TO SAVE US AND HE DID THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.

READ TIT 3:3-7

A KEY POINT WORTH MENTIONING IS THAT WE MUST MAINTAIN OUR FREEDOM FROM ENSLAVEMENT TO THE PLEASURES OF THE WORLD BY STAYING CLOSE TO THE LORD.

WE HAVE SEEN THE ISRAELITES OVER AND OVER AGAIN FALL BACK INTO THE SIN OF IDOLATRY INSTEAD OF MAINTAINING THEIR FREEDOM BY STAYING CLOSE TO GOD.

HOMEWORK
JUDGES 11
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.

APPLICATION OF JDG 10:

WHAT CYCLICAL PATTERNS HAVE YOU OBSERVED IN YOUR OWN LIFE THAT ARE LIKE THOSE WE SEE IN THE BOOK OF JUDGES?
DO YOU FIND YOURSELF CAUGHT IN SUCH A CYCLE OF SLAVERY AT THE MOMENT?

REMEMBER THAT THE KEY TO FREEDOM IS REPENTANCE, A CHANGED LIFE, AND FAITH IN THE MERCY OF CHRIST.

YOU CAN PRAY AND ASK FOR FORGIVENESS NOW!

PREPARATION FOR JDG 11:

READ JDG 11:1-40

WHAT DO YOU LEARN ABOUT JEPHTHAH?
WHO CALLED JEPHTHAH TO BE A JUDGE?
WHY DO YOU THINK GOD USED AN ILLEGITIMATE, SOCIETY-OUTCAST TO BE A JUDGE?
HOW COULD GOD LIST JEPHTHAH IN THE "HALL OF FAITH" IN HEB 11:32 WHEN HE OFFERED HIS DAUGHTER AS A BURNT OFFERING?

MEMORY VERSE: MAT 5:37