RETURN TO SYLLABUS
JUDGES 12
LESSON #14
CLASHING WORLD VIEWS AND CIVIL WAR
MEMORY VERSE: PROVERBS 4:23
WE ARE PRESENTLY IN CYCLE #6 IN OUR STUDY IN JUDGES. WE ARE CONFRONTED AGAIN WITH MEN
FROM THE TRIBE OF EPHRAIM.
READ JDG 12:1-7 EPHRAIM’S CIVIL WAR AND JEPHTHAH’S DEFENSE
- IN THIS PASSAGE, WE SEE A SIMILAR PROBLEM TO ONE WE ENCOUNTERED BEFORE WITH THE TRIBE OF
EPHRAIM:
- JDG 8:1 THE TRIBE OF EPHRAIM QUARRELED WITH GIDEON WHEN HE DID NOT INCLUDE THEM IN THE
BATTLE AGAINST THE MIDIANITES.
- THIS PROBLEM OF JEALOUSY IN THE TRIBE OF EPHRAIM CONTINUED IN ISRAEL’S HISTORY
UNTIL KING SOLOMON DIED. THEY ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AT THE FRONT OF THE DECISION-MAKING
PROCESS.
- IT WAS THE TRIBE OF EPHRAIM THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR CAUSING A SPLIT IN THE NATION OF
ISRAEL THAT DIVIDED THE NATION INTO TWO KINGDOMS, THE NORTHERN 10 TRIBES WITH EPHRAIM AS
THEIR LEADER, AND THE SOUTHERN 2 TRIBES WITH JUDAH AS THE LEADER.
- JEALOUSY FOR POWER IS COMMON IN POLITICAL CIRCLES, BUSINESS, AND IN CHURCHES.
- READ PHI 2:2-5
- THE PRIMARY ATTITUDE IS PERSONAL PRIDE.
- THE PERSON DOES NOT CARE WHAT GOD WANTS, BUT HE CARES ONLY WHAT "I" WANT.
- THE PRIMARY FAILURE IS A LACK OF PERCEPTION.
- THE PERSON DISREGARDS THE FUNDAMENTAL GOOD OF THE MAJORITY.
- THE PRIMARY BASIS FOR CONTENTION IS AN ELITIST POSITION.
- I AM MORE EDUCATED AND KNOW BETTER HOW TO LEAD THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT
EDUCATED ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT IS GOOD FOR THEM.
- SEEDS OF CIVIL WAR WERE PLANTED WHEN THE TRIBES FELL AWAY FROM GOD. SYNCRETISM CREATED A
CULTURE WITHOUT UNITY WHERE EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING WAS TOLERATED.
- THEY DEVELOPED A MIXED RACE OF PEOPLE WITH A VARIETY OF CULTURES WHEN THEY INTERMARRIED
WITH FOREIGN TRIBES AROUND THEM.
- THEY DEVELOPED A DIVERSELY OPPOSING BASE OF VALUES IN THEIR CULTURE WHEN THEY WORSHIPPED
A VARIETY OF GODS.
- DIFFERENT CULTURES BRING WITH THEM DIFFERENT WORLDVIEWS.
- POLITICAL AND GOVERNMENTAL DECISIONS ARE BASED ON ONE’S WORLDVIEW. (MORE LATER ON
THIS TOPIC)
- HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THE CULTURES BETWEEN THE EPHRAIMITES AND THE PEOPLE OF GILEAD WERE
SO VASTLY DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER? LANGUAGE GIVES US THESE CLUES IN VERSE 6. THE
EPHRAIMITES COULD NOT SAY THE LETTER "H" IN THE WORD, SHIBBOLETH.
- LANGUAGE IS A PART OF CULTURE THAT IS ALWAYS CHANGING. IT IS A REFLECTION OF ONE’S
CULTURE AND SERVES AS A UNIFYING BOND.
- LANGUAGE IS THE UNIQUE DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIFIC MUSCLES THAT ENABLE A PERSON TO SPEAK
WORDS. SOME LANGUAGES DEVELOP CERTAIN MUSCLES WHILE OTHER LANGUAGES DEVELOP OTHER MUSCLES.
THIS IS WHAT CREATES AN ACCENT WHEN A PERSON ATTEMPTS TO SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE.
- WHEN THERE IS CONSTANT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PEOPLE GROUPS, THERE IS MUTUAL
UNDERSTANDING, AND A UNIFIED LANGUAGE IS THE RESULT.
- WHEN PEOPLE GROUPS BECOME ISOLATED, THEY DEVELOP THEIR OWN INTERNAL LANGUAGE. THEY MAY
SHARE A COMMON LANGUAGE WITH ANOTHER GROUP BUT THEY DEVELOP THEIR OWN CHARACTERISTICS,
THEIR OWN WORDS AND PHRASES, AND THEIR OWN REGIONAL ACCENTS THAT BECOME UNIQUELY THEIRS.
REGIONAL PRIDE IS THE RESULT, WHICH IN TURN PROMOTES NATIONAL DISUNITY.
- JEPHTHAH DEFENDS HIMSELF AND HIS PEOPLE.
- 42,000 FROM THE TRIBE OF EPHRAIM DIED IN THIS NEEDLESS CIVIL WAR.
- WHERE WAS GOD IN ALL OF THIS?
- GOD PERMITTED MAN’S PRIDE TO RUN ITS OWN COURSE FOR A PEOPLE WHO WOULD NOT MAINTAIN
THEIR BASIC TRUST IN GOD.
- JEPHTHAH WAS A JUDGE FOR 6 YEARS, THEN HE DIED.
READ JDG 12:8-15 A SERIES OF MINOR JUDGES ENDS CYCLE #6.
- JUDGE IBZAN (8-10)
- WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT IBZAN?
- WE DON’T KNOW MUCH, WHICH PROBABLY MEANS THAT HE DID NOT DO MUCH IN HIS ROLE AS A
JUDGE.
- THE NAME, IBZAN, MEANS = FAMOUS OR SPLENDID.
- THIS IS NOT A GODLY NAME BUT A WORLDLY ONE. HE MAY HAVE BEEN FAMOUS OR SPLENDID AMONG
THE PEOPLE, BUT WITH GOD HE WAS NOT MUCH TO SPEAK ABOUT.
- IBZAN WAS FROM BETHLEHEM WHICH WAS LOCATED IN THE TERRITORY OF JUDAH.
- IBZAN HAD 30 SONS AND 30 DAUGHTERS. HE FOUND WIVES FOR HIS 30 SONS AMONG FOREIGN WOMEN.
- MORE SYNCRETISM DURING HIS 7 YEARS OF BEING A JUDGE.
- JUDGE ELON (11-12)
- WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT ELON?
- HE WAS ANOTHER MEDIOCRE JUDGE OF WHICH THERE WAS NOT MUCH FOR GOD TO SAY ABOUT HIM.
- THE NAME, ELON, MEANS = OAK OR STRONG.
- THIS, TOO, IS NOT A GODLY NAME BUT A SECULAR ONE.
- ELON WAS FROM THE TRIBE OF ZEBULON.
- ELON WAS A JUDGE FOR 10 YEARS.
- JUDGE ABDON (13-15)
- WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT ABDON?
- THE NAME, ABDON, MEANS = SERVICE, OR SERVILE.
- ABDON WAS A PIRATHONITE.
- PIRATHON WAS A TOWN IN THE TERRITORY BELONGING TO THE TRIBE OF EPHRAIM.
- ABDON HAD 40 SONS AND 30 NEPHEWS (GRANDSONS?) THAT EACH ONE HAD HIS OWN DONKEY TO RIDE.
- REMEMBER THAT THE DONKEY WAS A SYMBOL OF WEALTH, PRESTIGE, AND NOBILITY.
- THIS JUDGE DID NOTHING FOR GOD IN HIS JUDGESHIP. HE ONLY USED HIS POSITION TO HEAP
WEALTH AND PRESTIGE ON HIS OWN FAMILY.
- ABDON SERVED AS A JUDGE FOR 8 YEARS.
SUMMARY:
- WE HAVE CONCLUDED CYCLE #6 WITH THREE MINOR, GOOD-FOR-NOTHING JUDGES.
- WE HAVE HAD A GLIMPSE OF DISUNITY AMONG THE 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL THAT RESULTED IN CIVIL
WAR PROMPTED BY:
- A MIXED RACE OF PEOPLE.
- AN OPPOSING BASE OF VALUES FROM DIFFERENT RELIGIONS.
- CULTURES WITH DIFFERENT WORLDVIEWS.
- WHAT IS A CULTURAL OR A SOCIETY "WORLD VIEW"?
- EVERY CULTURE VIEWS THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY BASED ON AN UNDERLYING BELIEF SYSTEM.
- IN OTHER WORDS, THE UNITED STATES VIEWS THE WORLD BASED IN A JUDEO CHRISTIAN BELIEF
SYSTEM ESTABLISHED AT THE FOUNDING OF THIS NATION.
- EVERY SOCIETY CHANGES ITS WORLDVIEW TO ACCOMMODATE THE CHANGING WORLD SITUATIONS. CRISIS
SITUATIONS PROMPT AND MOTIVATE A CHANGE IN WORLDVIEW IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN PEACE.
- THE CHRISTIAN WORLD VIEW:
- THE CHRISTIAN WORLD VIEW IS BASED UPON TRUTHS FOUND IN THE BIBLE WHICH ARE UNCHANGING.
AS CHRISTIANS COME TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE, THEIR WORLDVIEW CHANGES GRADUALLY TO
THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW. (ROM 12:1-2)
- THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW IS OPPOSITE FROM THAT OF ANY OTHER WORLDLY CULTURE.
- THE MORE OPPOSITE TO THE CHRISTIAN WORLD VIEW THAT A SOCIETY POSSESSES, THE MORE OPPOSED
THAT SOCIETY WILL BE TOWARD CHRISTIANS.
- THE MORE OPPOSED SOCIETY BECOMES TO THE CHRISTIAN WORLD VIEW, THE MORE SECLUDED THE
CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IS FORCED TO BECOME.
- THE WORLD VIEW MODEL EXPLAINS MORAL CHANGE IN SOCIETY:
- =1= THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW CONTROLLED BY CHRIST IS IN CONFLICT WITH THE SECULAR
WORLDVIEW CONTROLLED BY SATAN.
- =2= A SECULAR WORLDVIEW SEEKS TRUTH TO MAINTAIN PEACE. HOWEVER, SMALL ABERRANT GROUPS
DISRUPT THE PEACE.
- =3= IF THE ABERRANT GROUP BECOMES LARGE ENOUGH OR LOUD ENOUGH TO DISRUPT THE PEACE,
SOCIETY MUST FIND A WAY TO DEAL WITH THE ABERRANT GROUP AND WHAT IT REPRESENTS IN ORDER TO
RESTORE AND MAINTAIN PEACE.
- =4= UNDER PRESSURE, TO MAINTAIN PEACE, SOCIETY WILL CHANGE ITS WORLD VIEW TO SEEK TO
INCORPORATE THE ABERRANT GROUP USUALLY ON SOME KIND OF COMPROMISE BASIS.
- =5= AS SOON AS SOCIETY CHANGES ITS WORLDVIEW TO ACCOMMODATE THE ABERRANT GROUP, THE NORM
OF SOCIETY HAS MOVED AND TRUTH BECOMES RELATIVE.
- =6= THIS PROCESS GRADUALLY LEADS A SOCIETY NOT BASED ON A CHRISTIAN WORLD VIEW TO SLIP
INTO A SLIDING SCALE OF IMMORALITY.
- =7= THE CHRISTIAN WORLD VIEW BASED ON THE UNCHANGING TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD IS
SUPPOSED TO ACT AS A RESTRAINT ON SOCIETY SO THAT IT DOES NOT SLIP TOO FAR. (MAT 5:13 AND
MAT 5:16 SALT AND LIGHT)
- =8= REVIVAL IS WHEN THE SECULAR WORLDVIEW INCORPORATES THE CHRISTIAN WORLD VIEW.
- =9= APOSTASY IS WHEN THE CHRISTIAN WORLD VIEW INCORPORATES THE SECULAR WORLDVIEW.
- THE SITUATION WITH ISRAEL IN THE BOOK OF JUDGES WAS ONE OF CYCLES OF APOSTASY.
HOMEWORK
JUDGES 13 AND JUDGES 14:1-9
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR
CORRECTION.
- APPLICATION OF JDG 12:
- WHAT EVIDENCE DO YOU SEE IN TODAY’S SOCIETY WHERE THE NATION’S CULTURAL WORLD
VIEW HAS CHANGED FROM ITS BEGINNINGS?
- IN WHAT WAYS HAS YOUR OWN PERSONAL WORLDVIEW CHANGED SINCE YOU BECAME A CHRISTIAN?
- PREPARATION FOR JDG 13 AND JDG 14:1-9:
- READ JDG 13:1-24
- WHAT IS A NAZARITE AND WHAT WERE THE REQUIREMENTS?
WHO IS THE ANGEL OF THE LORD? (15-23)
WHAT VERSES SPECIFICALLY INDICATE THAT YOUR ANSWER IS CORRECT?
READ JDG 14:1-9
- WHAT IS SAMSON’S REAL REASON FOR WANTING TO MARRY A PHILISTINE?
- IN WHAT WAYS DID SAMSON VIOLATE HIS NAZARITE VOW IN THIS PASSAGE?
- HOW COULD GOD USE SAMSON’S LUST FOR A PHILISTINE GIRL TO ACCOMPLISH THE DELIVERANCE
OF ISRAEL FROM OPPRESSION?
MEMORY VERSE: GAL 5:7