The Book of Judges

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SURVEY OF BIBLE HISTORY
(THE JUDGES TO THE KINGS)
A People Again in Need

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 20

Judges 10:6 - 11:11

XI. THE SIXTH CYCLE OF OPPRESSION, AND DELIVERANCE THROUGH JEPHTHAH: JUDGES10:6 - 12:7

A. Since the oppression by the Midianites from which God provided deliverance by Gideon, the majority of the land had enjoyed an era of relative peace:

1. There were skirmishes and troubles, but they were mostly localized to small regions such as the Shechem area. The whole of the twelve tribes were not involved.
2. This period lasted almost ninety years; and as I've shown, I think this was the time of Ruth and Boaz.
B. Although during this time sin grew more intense and universal in the nation; and the cycle so common to the era continued:
1. The era of peace and prosperity we've seen in Ruth turned to sins among the people, Judges 10:6
2. The sin is followed by bondage and oppression from the Lord, Judges 10:7-9
3. The oppression and bondage is followed by repentance in the people, Judges 10:10-16.
4. The repentance is follow by deliverance from the Lord, Judges 10:17-11:33.

C. This time the scope and intensity of Israel's sin, which was primarily idolatry, has become more deep rooted and grievous than ever: Judges 10:6

1. From generation to generation sin seems to become more and more entrenched and seasoned. So often what one generation does in moderation, the next generation does without restraint. What evil we do with some measure of question, doubt, and caution, our children often do without question; and the grandchildren do it with enthusiasm. Believer, before you adopt a slack and somewhat tolerant attitude toward dubious and questionable activity, you'd better think what you're doing to your offspring for the next several generations. You may be setting them up for all out sin. Maybe what you're doing won't ever gain the mastery over you; but will it gain the mastery over your child, your grandchild, or your great-grandchild? The last half of Romans 1 is a classical exposition by God on how every heathen, god rejecting, idolatrous people got there by a process of gradual compromise. People didn't start worshipping the sun or Brahma cows or gold statues overnight. It took several generations. Sadly the whole departure process was started by one set of parents, who like too many of us, didn't take as strict a stand for God and His lifestyle as they should have taken. The tiny crack created by grandpa and grandma turned into a huge crack in the dam over the next several generations.
2. Furthermore, idolatry is the most cancerous, insidious sin of all. Out of it grows every other sin. Every man's attitude about God is going to determine his value system and his lifestyle. The further he gets in concept from the true God, the more perverse and wicked his lifestyle will be. Oh yes, he will still believe in a god (self, the force, the earth, allah, or otherwise); but the farther he gets from the God of the Bible, the more inclined he'll be to kill to get his way; satisfy the lusts of the flesh such as perverted sex, greed for money and power, and popularity with peers; and reject personal responsibility for his actions be they crimes, the fruits of promiscuity, or inferior workmanship.

When God gave His famous list of ten commandments in Exodus 20, He headed the list by saying "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," Verse 3. Then He tied Number two to it by saying, "Thou shalt not make unto thee an 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: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me: Verse 4-5. Idolatry! As far as God is concerned (and He knows more than anyone else), it is the most insidious of all sins.

3. In Verse 6, seven categories of false deities are named. In spite of God's previous action against such action, they are again worshipping (1) Baalim and (2) Ashtaroth Remember, these are plural words for the Canaanite gods. They are also serving the (3) ",gods of Syria. "They too are serving (4) "The gods of Zidon," and (5) "The gods of Moob. "Chemosh, a savage war god, was their Most famous god. Then they were serving (6) "The gods of the children of Ammon. I Kings 11:5,33 identifies Molech to be one of the Ammonite gods, and he was involved in offering children as sacrifices in fire. Finally there were (7) "The gods of the Philistines," chief of whom was Dagon, Judges 16:23.
What a glaring_ testimonial to thee accuracy of God's warning in Deuteronomy 7:25 "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 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, an break down their images, and cut down their groves and burn their graven images with fire Israel failed to purge her sinful enemies, and those enemies turned her ever more into idolatry. And, as this case begins in Judges 10:6. idolatry has infected Israel like a malignant cancer in its final stages before the kill.

D. As is always the case, sin led to bitter consequences: Judges 10:7-9:

1. Major enemies from two sides came against Israel: the Philistines from the southern coastal region and the Ammonites from across the Jordan river.
2. This affliction grew worse and worse for eighteen years, Verse 8. Apparently the Philistine part of the oppression was not as severe as the Ammonite part, for the major part of the story zeros in on the Ammonites.
3. The Ammonites at one time controlled the territory between the Arnon and Jabbok Rivers. Note Deuteronomy 2:16-25 and Judges 11:13. The Amorites had defeated these Ammonites and forced them east of the Jabbok River. Then later, Israel took this territory from the Amorites.
4. These Ammonites, for the first eighteen years, centered their oppressive activity against the two and one half tribes east of the Jordan, particularly in Gilead, Verse 8 Then, they moved across the Jordan and began more oppressive activity against the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim, Verse This verse says, "Israel was sore distressed "

E. With this heavy oppression, sinful, idolatrous "Israel cried unto the Lord," Verse 10:

1. In verses 11-14 God really came down heavy on Israel. He reminds them that He has previously delivered them from many enemies, yet in spite of those faithful deliverences, they have gone right back to these idol gods.
2. Then He puts salt in their wound when He says, "Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other. Gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the qods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation . " Verses 13-14. Why, He asks, don't they go to the gods they've been serving for deliverance. The fact is, idol gods only appeal to and satisfy the lusts of the flesh. They let men do what they sinfully want to do and feel holy about it in the process. They have no saving power; and when it comes to a God who can really perform, then these idols are useless. Only Jehovah can really help.
Of course, God knows these idols couldn't help Israel. His sarcastic rebuke was designed to emphasise to them the depth of their sin, and cause them to turn in true, heart felt repentance to Him. And, it worked. At first they just spoke about their wrong doing. After God finished speaking, they placed themselves at the mercy of the sovereignty of God (Verse 15 ), and " put away the strange gods from among them," Verse 16. God didn't do one thing on their behalf as long as it was lip service and mouth repentance only. It was only when there was a true change of heart, as evidenced by their actions, that God intervened on their behalf. Oh believer, don't ever delude yourself with fake, insincere repentance.

F. Once true repentance occurred, the Lord brought about deliverance. Judges 10:17 - 11:33.

1. Apparently intent upon a major assault against Israel, the Ammonites gathered a large army in Gilead. In response, Israel gathered an army and encamped at Mizpeh, Verse 17 As in the case of certain other towns in Israel, there is more than one Mizpeh. In view of the context and trans-jordanian emphasis, this would be Ramath-mizpeh, located about nine miles east of the Jordan river and eight miles south of the Jabbok river in the territory of Gad.
2. In an effort to attract a leader to lead the Israeli attack against these Ammonite enemies, the Israeli leadership offered the headship of the trans-jordanian tribes to the man who would assume the task, Verse 18. When no one stepped to the forefront these leaders sent for Jephthah, who was living in Tob, Judges 11:5.
3. Jephthah is a good symbol of the depravity of the nation at this time. He was the son of a prostitute, yet he was summoned to lead Israel, Judges 11:1,5. Of the tribe of Manasseh through Gilead Numbers 26:99-30, 27:1; 36:1), he was a "mighty warrior," Judges 11:1. Because of Jephthah's inferior birth, his brothers had driven him from the family home and inheritance, Verse 2. In his exile, Jephthah gathered around him a rowdy band of rather dubious, but powerful, fighters.
4. The very fact that the men of Israel would ask in Verse 6, " come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon" is a testimonial to Jephthah's power and reputation as a soldier. Jephthah seemed very surpirsed to that these men would ask him home to lead in view of the earlier treatment he had received, Verse 7 Although, they persisted, and he agreed, Verses 8-11.
That God could use such a man as Jephthah, who not only had a marred birth, but an unwholesome lifestyle, is a testimonial to God's grace. There are certain jobs God wants done; and to accomplish them, He uses some men in spite of themselves. To some degree, Jephthah is a picture of each of us. We all have blemishes and many shortcomings; yet God can use us. Paul put it in words when he said in II Corinthians 3-5, -"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God - Praise God for His ability to use us in spite of our frailties. as I Corinthians 1:27 says, " But God hath chosen the fo0lish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.

QUESTIONS ON "A PEOPLE AGAIN IN NEED"
Judges 10:6 - 11:11

Who were the Ammonites?
What was the initial geographical homeland of the Ammonites?
To whom did the Ammonites lose their homeland?
How did Israel gain possession of the Ammonite territory?
Name the 2 1/2 Israeli tribes living east of the Jordan river from south to north.
Review the background leading up to the time of this Ammonite oppression.
Name the four steps in the cycle of life so common in Judges.
What primary sin brought Israel into this oppressive condition?
Explain how Israel's sin at this time had become so very deep-rooted and widespread.
What spiritual warning does the depth of Israel's sins serve to us?
Why is idolatry so offensive to God?
How many categories of false deities are named in judges 10:6?
Explain Baalim as opposed to Baal.
Who was Chemosh?
Who was Molech?
Who was Dagon?
How long was Israel oppressed before deliverance came?
When Israel cried unto the Lord, what was God's sarcastic response?
Who was Jephthah?
What does God's use of Jephthah say about God's ability to use imperfect people?

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"