The Book of Judges

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SURVEY OF BIBLE HISTORY
(THE JUDGES TO THE KINGS)
Israel's Backsliding

Written by Dr. Lester Hutson

Copyright - Lester Hutson - 1998
This material is copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced without the express written permission of Dr. Lester Hutson.

Lesson 4

Judges 2:10 - 3:8

III. WITH THE DEATH OF JOSHUA AND THE GODLY LEADERS WHO OUTLIVED HIM, ISRAEL ENTERED ONE OF HER VERY DARKEST, UGLIEST HOURS OF BACKSLIDING:

A. Judges..2:10-13 summarizes the backsliding "And also all that generation were -gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another -generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves-unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. And,they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtarath"

1. Vs. 10, This generation of Israelites were living for the now. They weren't interested in what God had done for mom and dad, and didn't bother to spend their time thinking about it. (People can turn from God in a hurry. In spite of what the Lord has done for you, don't assume your kids will realize, appreciate, or even care what he has done.)

2. Vs. 11-13. The more the children of Israel turned from God, the more they turned to evil. Such is always the case with men. The more godless any society becomes, the more evil it invariably becomes. All people are going to believe something, and have some set of values. There are no void or empty minds. Everybody believes something. The more godly he's thinking, the more upright his values will be; and the less godly his thinking, the more evil his value and conduct will be. Thus, it becomes obvious why godly thinking is so important to families, businesses, churches, and nations.

Consideration of this truth is especially important to nations, and who's in power. Either godly men or ungodly men rule. And when godly men refuse to get involved and serve in positions of authority, then ungodly men take those positions: as judges, as city councilmen and county commissioners, as school board members, and state and federal representatives, congressmen, and senators, and as president and government officials. And, if these positions are filled with godless men, just as here in Israel, the people as a whole become more and more evil and all the people suffer all the reproaches that evil brings. Solomon said, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn, "Prov 29:2. Godly men need to think twice before they sit back uninvolved refusing to serve or vote, and by their silence and uninvolvement allow godless, humanistically oriented people in power. When any people turn from God, they turn to evil. We'd better get God in all we can: in our homes, in our businesses, in our churches, and in our government.

B. Among her many sins, God emphasizes two major, overriding sins as causes for the severe judgment he brought upon Israel as a result of her backsliding:

1. The first was idolatry:

Idolatry is the worship of idols, and anyone or anything worshipped except the Jehovah God of the Bible is an idol. The first two of the 10 great commandments relate to who is to be worshipped. Ex. 20:34 says, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." According to the Word of Jehovah God, to worship anyone other than him is idolatry.

These various Canaanite people had not only invented many strange gods, but had made many images to these gods. They worshipped both the strange gods and their images. Joshua 2:11 says they served Baalim. (Do not confuse "Baalim" with "Balaam". Balaam was the compromising prophet of Numbers 22. "Baalim" is plural for Baal, and is synonomous with "other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them" in Judges 2:12).

Two of these gods are mentioned in Judges 2:13. Baal was the Canaanite storm-god, who ruled the clouds and the rain; and therefore denoted reproductive power. He was the consort of the goddess Ashtaroth. It was thought that the sexual union of Baal and Ashtaroth in the heavens resulted in the fertilization and productivity of the crops on earth. The resultant worship of these two was temple prostitution, which was thought to insure abundant crops through sympathetic magic doing in the name of worship on earth what Baal and Ashtaroth were believed to be performing in the heavens. This information is documented in a Bible Study Commentary on Judges by Paul P. Enns on page 35. As Mr. Enns also points out, "the result was a degrading practice in which Israel committed both physical and spiritual adultery against the Lord."

Other Canaanite gods included Molech (Moloch), I Kings 11:7 He was the god of the Ammonites. He was also called Milcom, I Kings 11:5- 33; and as Malcam, ("Their King") Jer. 49:13. He was worshipped with human sacrifices, particularly the burning of children. As great as Solomon was, he followed Milcom. Chemosh was another of their gods, particularly of the Moabites, I Kings 11:7. He, too was worshipped with the sacrifice of children, II Kings 3:27.

c. The latter verses of Judges 2 shows the cycle into which these Israelites fell and in which they stayed for the next several generations. Judges 2:11-13 says they forsook the true God who delivered them and brought them into Canaan in favor of these false gods (Baalim). Judges 2:14 says the Lord became angry and delivered them into the hands of their enemies. When they were very low, God would bring a judge on the scene to deliver them from their enemies. Judges 2:16 says, "Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them." But, look at verse 17, "And yet they would not hearken unto their judges , but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so." Then would come another oppression followed by another judge, vs. 18. But, Judges 2:19 comes right back with these words, "And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way."

d. A different age has come, and the names and faces have changed; yet this cycle continues: in personal lives, in families, in churches, and even in nations.

2. The second cause of God's judgment was intermarriage:

a. The fact is stated in Judges 3:5-6 Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: And they took their daughters to be their wives, an gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods."

b. God had specifically told Israel to destroy their enemies, and never to intermarry with them. Look at Deut. 7:1-5, "When the LORD thy God shall bring thee Into the land whither thou qoest to possess it, and hath cast out manly nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou: And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee: thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: Neither shalt thou make marriages with them: thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly. But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire." God warned that such marriages would result in the worship of false gods by the Israelites. Yet, the Israelites ignored warning and the commandment of God, and intermarried anyway. And, just as God predicted, they got in deeper and deeper with the worship of the gods and idols of those they intermarried.

c. King Solomon is a prime illustration of the fact that intermarriage turns the heart from God and to the false religious concepts of the intermarriage partner. As great and godly as Solomon was (I Kings 1-10), "Solomon loved Many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn, away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love" I Kings11:1-2. Then I Kings 11:3 records the results, "And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his hear." Look at verses 4, 5, 7, & 8.

d. It is still this way today. Relating specifically to marriage, the Bible says to believers, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for we are the, temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and, they shall be my people. Wherfore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty," II Cor. 6:14-18. Over and again believers have been pulled down and their hearts turned from God by intermarriage. Yet, the practice continues,

3. And my, how obvious and important the counsel of God to the earlier generations of Israelites is when viewed in the light of what happened here in Judges. God said do away with these people, Deut. 7:16. He warned that if they didn't do away with these people, these people would become thorns in their sides, Numbers 33:55. Yet, they refused to eradicate them, and instead made covenants and alliances with them, Joshua 9:15. And, now these people are the source of their downfall.

What a sobering foreview of the power of intermarriages between believers and nonbelievers. The potential for ultimate ruin is far greater than it first appears.

C. The result of Israel's backsliding was severe discipline from the Lord:

1. Consider Judges 2:14-15 "And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed." Note also Judges 2:20, "And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice."

2. Judges 3:8 records the first captivity at the hands of their enemies. "Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim kinq Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years." Backsliding always levies a heavy toll. Gal. 6:7-9 warns, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." And, Heb. 12:11 says "no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous."

QUESTIONS ON ISRAEL'S BACKSLIDING

1. What is backsliding?

2. In reference to the tenses of time, where was the emotional focus of this generation of Israelites?

3. What did these Israelites think about their tremendous heritage?

4. To what does one turn when he turns from God?

5. In any Nation who makes the rules and sets the standards and laws for the Nation?

6. If godly men are not in power, who is?

7. What kind of environment will godless men ultimately create?

8. For the well being of any Nation and people, who had better earnestly seek to fill and be in control of the positions of authority and power?

9. Name the two major sins of Israel's backsliding.

10. Define idolatry.

11. Discuss "idols" and "images", and explain the difference, if any.

12. Explain the difference between "Baalim" and "Balaam".

13. Who was Baal?

14. Who was Ashtaroth?

15. How did belief in Baal and Ashtaroth promote temple prostitution.

16. Who was Molech?

17. Who was Chemosh?

18. Who did the Israelites intermarry?

10. How did intermarriage lead to idolatry?

20. What was God's response to Israel's backsliding?

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"