Theme: Cycle of Redemption
Text: Judges 2:10-23
Greetings: ‘The Lord is good. His love endures forever.’
Introduction to the book of judges:
This book is part of former prophets (Joshua, Judges, 1, 2 Samuel, and 1, 2 Kings). Judges are called Sophetim. It describes the exploits of the number of champions during the period between the entry of Israelites to Canaan and the rise up of monarchs among Jews. This book sets the context of the Israelites between 1200 and 1050 BC. The major events of contemporary Palestine, and Transjordan were the calamities of the late Bronze Age. It was the time of the establishment of the Israelites as a nation or people. There was a lacking of central leadership in Israel. There were tribal heads but not very successful.
The cycle of redemption (Judges 2:11-19)
The Christian life is not believing in the cycle of birth but there is a cycle of redemption, a cycle of reformation, a cycle of resurgence and revival. This passage reveals in the short form of redemptive stories of the Israelites after Moses and Joshua. The demise of godly leaders leads to the death of the spirituality of the people. Here God raised 12 judges from 12 tribes but every time judges brought people to Christ but soon they forgot the grace of God. “Sin of the people-anger of God-punishment through enemies-cry of the people-compassion of God-salvation-lethargy-Sin of the people-anger of God-punishment through enemies-cry of the people-compassion of God-salvation.” This is the cycle of redemption found in this passage. Judge died, people lapsed into idolatry, and oppression by enemies, and cry for compassion, God raised judges to save them. This process was repeated again and again. Deuteronomist theory of apostasy, oppression, and deliverance (Dictionary of the Bible on Judges). The Judges explain how Israel failed to follow through on their mission to take the Promised Land. The generations following Joshua's death did not acknowledge God or the work He had done for Israel.
The works of God in Egypt and the wilderness, who had seen Jordan dried up, the walls of Jericho fall down, and the sun stood still at Joshua’s word, and their enemies smote down with hailstones, &, etc. (Patric Commentary).
Let’s see how we can come closer to God in midst of challenges. I would like to leave with you three spiritual insights as Corrupted people, Compassionate God, and charismatic leaders in the cycle of redemption.
1. Corrupted people (Judges 2:11-13)
The corrupted nature of people is defined by the word of God as ‘Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord.’ What are the evils? Abandoned YHWH, followed gods of the neighbors, they lusted after other gods, turned aside from holy ways. They relapsed and became worse and didn’t drop any of their evil practices, they were stubborn in their ways and never cared for their evil ways.
They were ‘being wholly intent on their earthly concerns in building houses, planting vineyards, and improving their lands. Unto which they were invited by the peace they enjoyed’ (Patric commentary). It raises a very valid question about life. How did the Israelites live without a great leader? They lived but not always well. The absence of a great national leader leads them to poverty, dangerous positions, uncertainties of the future, and defenseless borders under the attack of enemies.
The main reason cited here for the apostasy was the absence of a great leader like Joshua. Though Joshua never had a special and private revelation except in chapter 1 of Joshua. He was an ordinary person but had the fear of God. The new generation left the teachings of God. There was a rejection of the schematic confession given by Moses. “Only one God that to Yahweh.” The objects of the apostasy are Baal (powerful storm god), and Astarte (female deity for fertility).
The Israelites felt that they don’t have a god-like them to have different gods for different occasions. God of fertility, God of property, God of prosperity. So, they went after them. There were ideological clashes among the younger generations. Yahweh emphasized true worship and the truest adherence to the teachings of Yahweh.
“The wicked children of godly parents do so, and will therefore have a great deal to answer for. They corrupted themselves more than their fathers, strove to outdo them in multiplying strange gods and inventing profane and impious rites of worship, as it were in contradiction to their reformers. Thus, those that have forsaken the good ways of God, which they have once known and professed, commonly grow most daring and desperate in sin and have their hearts most hardened.” (Matthew Henry).
“The miseries of the one served as a foil to the felicities of the other. Those that throw off their communion with God, and have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, know not what they do now, and will have nothing to say for themselves on the day of account shortly. Thus, those who indulge their lusts and corruptions, which they should mortify, forfeit the grace of God, and it is justly withdrawn from them. If we will not resist the devil, we cannot expect that God should tread him under our feet.” (Matthew Henry).
Does it reflect the life of most of us? We also have sudden love and devotion to God. Then we become lethargic towards prayer, reading of the word, attending worship services, doing ministry, meeting with failures, dissatisfaction over jobs, and existence, loose challenges for work, away from God, and feeling emptiness and vanity. Then we think of spiritual revival. Then comes Revival in my mind, soul, and Heart through some pastors, preachers, sermons, and revival meetings. Afterward, repeat the same. You can recall how many servants reached you, preach to you, and counsel you to keep up your spirits.
Without a proper vision for life, without the proper purpose of living, we would be always on the same life struggles. Does it also raise the question of neighbors and their practices? What is Sunday to your neighbor and for you? What is a weekend for your colleague and for you?
2. Compassionate God (Judges 2:14-15)
YHWH became indignant with the Israelites. The anger of God became an instrument to sell Israelites to foreign pagan kingdoms. They squeezed them and treated them very badly. Ruthless punishments were meted out to them. Yahweh gave them to plunderers, Yahweh sold them to the ownership of the enemies, Lord was against them. Brought misfortunes, and great distress to their lives. But his compassion outlived everything. Partial disobedience leads to the experience of Bohim, moving from the place of victory, the place of blessing to the place of mourning, to the place of weeping.
Don’t we settle for less than complete victory over our sins and bad habits? Well, yes, we have a problem with anger or gossip, impure thoughts, or alcohol, but it’s just one little bad habit! God says that it is these little things that we accommodate ourselves to and compromise with that eventually defeat us and destroy us! We cannot afford to settle for anything less than complete victory. (Austin Precept from Ray).
God became so angry and sent out Adam and Eve with a curse in Genesis 3:16 but in John 3:16 ‘God so loved the world.’ His anger is for a moment but his compassion is for thousand generations. He visits the iniquity of third and fourth generations but the compassion for 1000 generations (Exodus 34:5-7). Psalm 30:5 ‘for his anger is but for a moment his favor is for a lifetime.’
God’s anger came upon David but quickly he had the compassion of God. The whole history of Israel is the testimony of God’s compassion. ‘Although God is always faithful to his children when we are faithless, he allows us to make our own choices, including choices that bring self-destructive pain upon us. Even so, he does not abandon us, but like the father of the prodigal son is always waiting to enfold us in repentance within his patient, loving arms.’(Austin Precept from Holman commentary). The psalmist was writing "My soul cleaves to the dust; Revive me according to Your word." (Psalm 119:25).
3. Charismatic Leaders (Judges 2:16-23)
God raised leaders, judges, and saviors. God raised people with charisma (divine gifted). ‘a person who possesses special traits that attract, inspire, or fascinate other people: a person possessing charisma.’ a member of a religious group or movement that stresses the seeking of direct divine inspiration and charisms.’(Merriam-Webster dictionary).
One man committed unreservedly to God and His Word can make an enormous difference for good in the lives of God’s people! One woman, living her life for Jesus Christ, can bring blessing to a whole group of people like Susanna Wesley.
The word Judges is used in the Old Testament with two functional positions. One is to refer those who administer the law in the courts (Exodus 18), and the second to heroes of the Israelites who opposed the enemies of Israelites (Judges 10:1-5, 12:8-15). These short-term minor judges gave leadership to Israelites before the monarch emerged.
The Twelve judges are Othniel (3:7-11), Shamgar (3:31), Tola, Jair, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Ehud, prophetess Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson. Some of them were national leaders like Jerubbaal, Abimelech, Gideon, Samson, and Deborah, and there were a few who were local tribal judges. Charismatic leadership in a political and religious circle is misinterpreted as vulgarized notions of charm, and popularity.
The reading of the verses in this passage affirms that God raised up judges, the Lord was with the judges, and the Lord moved with pity through these judges. Judges became divine communicative agents, divine messengers of love, compassion, and victory. The divine authentication was expressed through their words and lives. God manifested himself through the spirit descended into the lives of judges. Judges became the crucial interface between Yahweh and the Israelites. These individuals enact divine will and effectuate the divine plan. These stories’ victories focus on divine action in the human world. The sopet (leaders, judges) were “raised up” by Yahweh. They were associated with the action of divine power even in the context of the socio-political context of ancient times (Jerome commentary).
“God did not send angels from heaven to rescue them, nor bring in any foreign power to their aid, but raised up judges from among themselves, as there was occasion, men to whom God gave extraordinary qualifications for, and calls to, that special service for which they were designed, which was to reform and deliver Israel, and whose great attempts he crowned with wonderful success: The Lord was with the judges when he raised them up, and so they became saviours.”(Matthew Henry).
The pan Israelite’s character of judges reflects the failures of the leadership and looking for an unfailing leadership. Ibzan was busy doing marriage ceremonies but Samson abandoned the marriage. Ibzan was a token of ordinary life but Samson was an extraordinary judge model. Judges failed; kings raised up but they too failed. So God raised the unfailing saviour Jesus Christ. This book ends with a note that “there was no king in Israel.”
Illustration:
Failures of people and failures of great people are examples for us to take stock of our lives. Now we are caught in the World Cup of cricket sport. There was a cricketer known as Charles Thomas Studd, often known as C. T. Studd, as a cricketer, he played for England in the 1882 match won by Australia. He became a great missionary to China, India, and Africa, and ended his life as a morphine addict. Despite all of his successes, his last days were dark ones. His mission board dismissed him; he died a few weeks later. Where do you stand today in your secret and unsecured life?
