JU17

The danger residing within humanity!

JU17:1-5 Micah steals from his mother, but admits his guilt. She has the silversmith make an idol. Micah turns to household idols and even sets a son up to be a priest.

JU17:6 “...In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes...”

JU17:7-13 A Levite joins Micah, who now thinks all is well.

A description of the time of the Judges. A description of our time?

Absence of recognized spiritual authority leads to sinful chaos.

JU18.

The tribe of Dan goes north as their lifestyle goes south.

JU18:15-20 “... They turned aside there and came ...to the house of Micah, ... and took the graven image and the ephod and household idols and the molten image, ...the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” They said to him, “Be silent, ...come with us, ...to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel...”

JU18:27-30 “... Then they ...came to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burned the city with fire. ...they rebuilt the city and lived in it ...The sons of Dan set up for themselves the graven image...”

Worshiping graven images shouldn’t be confused with worshiping God, even though it seems like worship.

Godliness is not a verbal claim. It must be a manifest reality in heart motives and actions. Conduct must change to match His expectations. A description of our time?

JU19

A Sodom and Gomorra repeat by Gibeanites/Benjamites.

JU19:1,2 Levite’s concubine (extra bride) plays the harlot and leaves.

JU19:3-10 He goes and retrieves her.

JU19:11-15 They journey to Gibeah where Benjamites lived.

JU19:16-21 They’re inviting into an old man’s house

JU19:22-25 “... While they were celebrating ...worthless fellows, surrounded the house ...saying, “Bring out the man who came into your house that we may have relations with him ...the owner of the house ...said to them, ...please do not act so wickedly ...do not commit this act of folly ...But the men would not listen to him ....seized his concubine ...raped her and abused her all night...”.

A highly unusual message, with attachments, is sent.

JU19:27-30 “... Her master ...took a knife and laid hold of his concubine and cut her in twelve pieces ...and sent her throughout the territory of Israel. All who saw it said, “Nothing like this has ever happened or been seen from the day when the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it, take counsel and speak up!...”

JU20, JU21

A Civil War with thousands of fatalities.

JU20:12-17 “... the tribes of Israel sent men ...saying, “What is this wicked- ness that has taken place among you? Now then, deliver up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and remove this wickedness from Israel.” But the sons of Benjamin would not listen ...The sons of Benjamin gathered ...to go out to battle against the sons of Israel ... the sons of Benjamin were ...26,000 men ...the inhabi- tants of Gibeah ...700 choice men ...the men of Israel ... 400,000 men...”

JU20:18,21 “...the Lord said, Judah shall go up first...” And 22,000 Israelites die on the first day.

JU20:23,25 “...the Loard said, Go up against him...” And 18,000 Israelites die on the second day.

JU20:28 “... Phinehas ...stood ...saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand....” 30 killed.

JU20:35 “... And the Lord struck Benjamin before Israel, so that the sons of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day...”

The tribe of Benjamin almost eliminated.

JU20:47 “... But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and they remained at the rock of Rimmon four months..”

JU21:3,8 “... Why, O Lord, God of Israel, has this come about in Israel, so that one tribe should be missing today in Israel?...What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the Lord not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?...”

Wives for the surviving Benjamites.

JU21:8 “... And they said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who did not come up to the Lord at Mizpah?” And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly...”

JU21:11,12 “...This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every man and every woman who has lain with a man.” And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins who had not known a man by lying with him; and they brought them ...”

JU21:14 “... Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had kept alive from the women of Jabesh-gilead; yet they were not enough for them...”

JU21:20,21 “... Go and lie in wait in the vineyards, and watch; and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to take part in the dances, then ...each of you shall catch his wife from the daughters of Shiloh...”

21:23 - The rest were kidnapped from Shiloh.

How would you explain, or justify this behavior?

JU21:25 “...In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes...”

Should it surprise us that our land is full of foolish and self-destructive behavior?

RUTH

Events likely occurred during the time of Gideon.

Ruth 1 - Love’s RESOLVE: your people shall be my people, and your God my God

Ruth 2 - Love’s RESPONSE: working in the field.

Ruth 3 - Love’s REQUEST: at the feet of Boaz.

Ruth 4 - Love’s REWARD: redemption.

R1

Tragedy strikes the family of Elimelech and Naomi

R1:2-5 “... Elimelech, and ...Naomi; and ...two sons ...Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah ...entered the land of Moab ...Elime- lech . ..died; ...two sons ...took for themselves Moabite women as wives ...Orpah and ...Ruth ...they lived there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died ...”

Naomi decides to return to the land of Judah.

R1:8,9 “... Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house ...May the Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband ...they lifted up their voices and wept...”

Famous passage where Ruth joins herself to Naomi

R1:16 “...But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God...”

Naomi changes her name to Mara (bitterness).

R1:19-21 “...they came to Bethlehem ...She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, but the Lord has brought me back empty ...the Almighty has afflicted me?...”

R2

Kinsman Boaz - God’s system for caring for widows.

R2:1,2 ”... Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a man of great wealth ...whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after one in whose sight I may find favor...”

Boaz learns of Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi.

R2:5,6 “... Whose young woman is this?” The servant in charge of the reapers replied, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab...”

R2:8,11,12 “... stay here with my maids ...All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me ...May the Lord reward your work...”

R2:23 “...So she stayed close by the maids of Boaz in order to glean until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest...”

R3

Naomi coaches Ruth on catching her future.

R3:3,4 “...Wash yourself ...anoint yourself ...put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking ...when he lies down ...go and uncover his feet and lie down ...he will tell you what you shall do...”

R3:6,9,12,13 “...she went ...and did ...He said ...there is a relative closer than I. Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you...”

R4

The offer to buy has a requirement.

R4:3,5,6 “...Naomi ...has to sell the piece ...on the day you buy the field ...you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess ...The closest relative said ...Redeem it for yourself, you may have my right of redemption...”

The deal was completed with a sandal.

Ruth, the great grandmother of King David,.

R4:13,14,17 “...So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife ...and she gave birth go a son ...the neighbor women ...named him Obed...”

R4:21 “... and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed, and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David...”

Matthew 1:5,6 “...Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David the king. David...”

  What is the spiritual story of Ruth?

Boaz: the kinsman redeemer, a type of Christ. Doing for someone what they couldn’t do for themselves.

Naomi: the blood line descendent, a type of Israel, restored to her rightful place.

Ruth: the non-Jew (Gentile), a type of the Church, given a place in the kingdom.

    Traditionally, the book of Ruth is read by rabbis on the Feast of Pentecost, the very day the church was born.

Which would you rather have, the land, or the bridegroom?

 

SAMUEL

We looked at the lives of 12 judges of Israel in the book of Judges. They weren’t the best characters, but they conquered the oppres-sors, giving the chance for the Israelites to repent and serve God.

Now we find that Eli and Samuel were also judges. Samuel was born 30 years before Samson’s fiascoes as judge. And then Samuel appointed his sons judges over Israel (1S8:1).

We also witness the Rise and the Fall of Saul

1. Seeking legitimate needs in illegitimate ways.

2. Self preferences leading to incomplete obedience.

3. Obsession with preserving personal status.

4. Succumbing to abominations.

1S1

Is God in charge of birth control?

1S1:5 “...Hannah ..the Lord had closed her womb...”

Bitter, Weeping, Vowing, Misunderstood, Heard, Blessed

1S1:6,7 “...Her rival ...would provoke her bitterly to irritate her ...year after year...”

1S1:9-11 “...Hannah ...greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly ...if You will ...give Your maidservant a son ...I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life...”

1S1:13,14 “... only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. Then Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you...”

1S1:19,20 “...the Lord remembered her. ..she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the Lord.”

1S1:27,28 “... I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition ...So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives...”

1S2, 1S3

Hannah fulfills her vow, and receives more blessing.

IS2:1-10 A song of thanksgiving.

1S2:11 “... the boy ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest...”

1S2:21 “...The Lord visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the Lord...”

Hannah gave up a treasure, and received many more. She proved that she didn’t love the blessing more than she loved the blesser.

What was the problem with Eli’s family?

1S2:12,17,22,25 “...the sons of Eli were worthless men, they did not know the Lord and the custom of the priests ...the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for the men despised the offering of the Lord ...they lay with the women who served at the ...tent of meeting ...they would not listen to the voice of their father...”

What did the Lord think of Eli’s sons, and of Eli?

1S2:25 “...the Lord desired to put them to death...”

1S2:27,29,30,34 “... A man of God came to Eli and said ...Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering ...and honor your sons above Me ...those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed ... Hophni and Phinehas: on the same day both of them will die.”

1S3:11-14 “... I will carry out against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, ...I am about to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves and he did not rebuke them. Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever...”

Samuel grows into the purposes of God.

1S2:26 “...Now the boy Samuel was growing in stature and in favor both with the LORD and with men...”

1S2:35 “... I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul...”

1S3:1”... word from the Lord was rare in those days, visions were infrequent...”

1S3:4-10 “... the Lord called Samuel ...The Lord called yet again ...Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, ...the Lord called Samuel again for the third time ...Then the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant is listening...”

1S3:19-21 “...Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fail ...All ...knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord ...the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel...”

1S4

The Philistines carry out the judgment on Eli’s family.

1S4:1-11 Battle with the Philistines, the ark is taken, Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are killed, along with 30,000 foot soldiers.

1S4:15-18 98 year old, overweight Eli gets the news, falls backwards, breaks his neck, and his 40 years of judging Israel are over.

1S4:22 Phinehas’s wife, Eli’s daughter-in-law, kneels down and gives birth “...and she called the boy Ichabod, saying, the glory has departed from Israel, because the ark of God was taken..."

1S5

Is the presence of the ark always a blessing?

1S4:4 “... Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God...” when the Philistines killed them and defeated Israel.

1S5:2-5 “...the ark of God ...brought ...to the house of Dagon...” The Philistine false god toppled over. The people propped Dagon back up (typical of false gods - can’t do a thing without help). Dagon is beheaded with both palms cut off.

1S5:6-12 “... the hand of the Lord was heavy on the Ashdodites, and He ravaged them and smote them with tumors ...the men ... said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is severe on us...” so they moved the ark to Gath. Gath is then confused and smitten with tumors, so they move it to Ekron. Ekron is also smitten with tumors.

What can be learned from this sequence of events?

God can’t be manipulated to obtain a blessing.

Israel tried using the ark to control their destiny.

The Philistines thought it would fit in nicely with their gods.

God doesn’t fit into man’s plans. Man must fit into God’s plans.

1S6

The Philistines decide the ark must go, with an offering.

1S6:4,5 “... the guilt offering which we shall return to Him? ...Five golden tumors and five golden mice according to the number of the lords of the Philistines ...likenesses of your tumors and ...mice that ravage the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel ...”

1S6:7-9 “... a new cart and two milch cows ...take their calves home, away from them ... the ark of the Lord ...on the cart ...send it away ...”

1S6:12,19 “... the cows took the straight way ...to Beth-shemesh ...”

Believers and unbelievers alike should honor God’s ways.

1S6:19 “... He struck ...the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord ...50,070 men ... a great slaughter...”

1 Chron.13:10 “... anger of the Lord burned against Uzza, so He struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark;...”

Don’t get too casual with a holy God?

1S7

Samuel repeats the established requirement for blessing.

1S7:3 “...Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the Lord with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines..."

How did they finally get some victory over the Philistines?

1S7,4,6,9 “...they removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth ...and fasted ...and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel and the Lord answered ...”

1S7:10,13 “... the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines and confused them, so that they were routed before Israel ...the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel...”

Samuel set up the Ebenezer (stone of help) as a stone of remembrance.

1S8

Failure to be “set apart” will plague the next generation .

1S8:3 Samuel’s sons take bribes and pervert justice.

1S8:5,6 People demand a king, which displeases God

1S8:7 They rejected God, which as it had been foretold in D17:14.

1S8:10-20 Samuel lists all the downsides of having an earthly king, but the people refuse to listen. They want to be like all the nations. They didn’t resist the pull of culture.

1S9

From chasing stray donkeys, to eating with Samuel, to admitting to being of the smallest tribe, nearly wiped out in the civil war over the concubine.

Who picked Saul as king?

1S9:2 “... Saul ...there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel ...he was taller than any of the people..”

1S9:15,16 “... the Lord had revealed ...to Samuel ...I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, ...you shall anoint him to be prince...”

1S9:17 “...When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said ...This one shall rule...”

1S10

Who anointed Saul as king?

1S10:1 “... Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it on his head, kissed him and said, “Has not the Lord anointed you a ruler over His inheritance?..”

Samuel tells Saul all that is going to take place. Fulfilled prophesy has a way of solidifying a person in God’s intentions.

Was Saul ready to be king?

1S10:6 “...you will be changed into another man...”.

1S10:9 “... God changed his heart ...he prophesied among them...”

Serving God required being born anew, even pre-Christ!

10:22 “...hiding himself by the baggage...”

Can a person be a born again coward? [called but not ready for war]

Did all accept Saul as king?

1S10:27 “... But certain worthless men said, “How can this one deliver us?” And they despised him ...But he kept silent...”

1S11

Saul gets his first victory, previous doubters given mercy.

1S11:1 Jabesh-gilead is besieged by the Ammonites.

1S11:6,7,11 “...Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul mightily ...the dread of the Lord fell on the people ...they ...struck down the Ammonites ...”

1S12

Stubborn hearts follow their own plans, not God’s.

1S12:15 "...If you will not listen to the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the command of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you, as it was against your fathers...”

1S12:17 “...you will know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the Lord by asking for yourselves a king...”

1S12:18 “... So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel...”

Samuel gives the marching orders.

1S12:21 “...You must not turn aside, for then you would go after futile things which can not profit or deliver, because they are futile...”

1S12:24 “...Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you...”