God Always Delivers

DAY 18
Judges 3:38 - 15:12

For some reason, reading Judges reminds me of a boomerang and a yo-yo. With each successive generation of Israelites the knowledge of God, His laws, and His deliverance of them out of Egypt becomes more distant. As this happens, the cycle of disobedience and deliverance that has been shown in the Bible from Genesis through Joshua becomes more prevalent.

Israel Serves The Lord
· “The people served the Lord (2:7)

Israel Falls into Sin and Idolatry
· “A generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done in Israel” (2:10)
· “They quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands.” (2:17, 2:19)
· “The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God served the Baals and Asherahs.” (3:7.

Israel is Enslaved
· “The Lord sold them (gave them)” (3:8, 4:12, 4:2, 6:1, 10:7, 13:1)

Israel Cries to the Lord
· ”The cried out to the Lord” (3:9, 3:15, 4:3, 6:6, 10:10)

The Lord has Compassion and Raises a Judge (Deliverer) and Israel is Delivered
· “The Lord had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them. (2:18b)
· “Then the Lord raised up judges (deliverers) who save them out of the hands of these raiders.” (2:16,)
· Othniel (3:9)
· Ehud (3:15
· Shamgar (3:31)
· Deborah (4:4)
· Gideon (6:11)
· Abimelech (9:1)
· Tola (10:1)
· Jair (10:3)
· Jephthah (11:29)
· Ibzan (12:8)
· Elon (12:11)
· Abdon (12:13)
· Samson (14:19)


As God’s creation, we have sinned and fallen into the idol worship of other gods. However, the names of the gods have changed. Instead of Baal and Ashtoreth; we worship at the altars of pleasure, greed, materialism, astrology, TV, corporate ladders, or whatever diverts your attention and energy away from being obedient to God. Once we begin our devotion to these idols, we become enslaved to them. Our desires are no longer for the Creator, but for the things He has created. And then we have finally reached the bottom and are broken.

No one begins the process of deliverance until they are broken and poor in spirit.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:3).

At that point, we cry out to God for deliverance
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matt 5:4)

We humble ourselves into the hands of God and He has provided the last deliverer.

Heb 1:1-3 “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Jesus, took on the form of humanity delivered all those who believe from the curse of spiritual death. He authored the way of salvation, He overcame Satan, He sanctifies those that believe, He sits at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest, and He promises aid in the midst of our temptation.
Now that is a Deliverer!

External Link: PDF paper on Judges
http://media.hhbc.com/pdfs/oneyearbible/judges.pdf#search=%22Judges%20of%20Israel%22

The Judges of Israel
http://www.anova.org/sev/atlas/htm/041.htm

One Generation Away

DAY 17
Joshua 15:1 - Judges 3:27

The Lost Generation
The G.I. Generation
The Silent Generation
The Greatest Generation
The Baby Boomers
The Baby Busters
Generation X
Generation Y

The names used to describe the American Generations of the 20th Century give an indication of the events that ocurred and affected the people that lived during those times. "In my day", "Back in the good ole days", and "Your generation just doesn't understand my generation." Familiar Words. There are differences between generations.

The largest change from one generation to another can be seen in Joshua 24 and Judges 2.
We have the familiar passage in Joshua 24:15 where he states "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve" ...."But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

Then the Israelites make a choice.
"We too will serve the Lord, because He is our God." (18)
"We will serve the Lord" (21)
"We will serve the Lord our God and obey Him" (24)

Now flip a page over and look at Judges 2:10-11 and see what happens after Joshua's death. "After the whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals."

In one generation, the Israelites went from serving God to serving Baal. Now, I am sure you could blame both generations. How did the younger generation grow up not knowing what the Lord had done for their people?

Did the older generation not tell them?
Did the younger generation not listen?
What about the offerings and the feasts?
What about the stones from the river?
What about the Shema?
"Impress them upon children"
"Talk about them when you sit at home"
"Talk about them when you walk along the road"
"Talk about them when you lie down and when you get up"
"Tie them as symbols on your hands"
"Bind them on your foreheads"
"Write them on your doorframes and on your gates"

And when that generation forsook God, the consequences were that God gave them over to their evil ways and they were subjected to other nations.

Judges 3 continues the story of God's compassion that started at the garden of Eden. He raises up judges to deliver His people from their bondage.

The truth is that every generation turns away from the Lord because each generation fails to meditate day and night on the Word of God, to trust Him, and to walk in His ways. Every generation requires a deliverer.

John 3:17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."

Jesus is our deliverer! Amen!

External Link: The Allotment of Land to Israel, The Levite Cities, and the Cities of Refuge
http://www.anova.org/sev/atlas/htm/040.htm