The Book of Judges

 The Book of Judges was taught by Dr. James Modlish

 

Judges 3:1-31

 

Introduction: (vs. 1-4)

God makes it clear that He intends to prove Israel concerning their willingness to obey His commandments. The obvious point being driven home is that the lesson is impossible to learn without some warfare. The New Testament Christian who refuses the armour and weapon of (Eph. 6:14-18) will never follow the Captain of their salvation. Failure to recognize and obey the duty of a good soldier (2 Tim. 2:3,4) leads to a people in servitude.

 

I. The danger of intermarriage (vs. 5-7)

A. God warned against this in (Ex. 34:14-17)

B. The New Testament application is found in (2 Cor. 6:14-18).

 

II. The despot and the deliverer (vs. 8-11)

A. Israel serves Mesopotamia eight years (the number of new beginning) before they catch on that the problem might be a spiritual one.

B. Othniel, whom we met in chapter one, turns out to be a type of Christ in that he wins battle #1 to get the girl (1:13 and Rev. 19:7) and battle #2 to deliver Israel from a type of the Anti-Christ. (Rev. 12)

C. The land had rest forty years which is the number of trial and testing, so even rest requires some hardship.

 

III. Ehud the Judge (vs. 12-30)

A. Action-reaction (vs. 12-14)

Israel doing evil seems to be a regular occurrence - (2:11; 3:7; 4:1; 13:1).

The result was "the Lord strengthened Eglon." - (3:8; 4:2; 6:1; 10:7; 13:1).

B. When God's people decide to do evil the old enemies will come back to haunt them as in Amalek. (Ex. 17:8-16; Deut. 25:17-19) In (1 Sam. 15) the Amalekites are still around because no one wanted to obey God and completely do away with them. Some of the old vestiges in the world are hard to get lid of.

C. The old enemies came up and recaptured territory that had been taken by Joshua 60 years before. City of palm trees was Jericho (Deut. 34:3).

D. The entire event took place in sight of Gilgal (vs. 19) which is the place where the reproach of Egypt had been rolled away (Josh. 4:19,20; 5:8,9). The New Testament application is spiritual circumcision (Col. 2:11-13) where faith is activated in our lives.

E. When we allow ground to be recaptured, the Devil will throw salvation back in our faces. The strategy is to suggest that you are crazy for looking back at Gilgal, for the world has much to offer - Eglon was fat, living in luxury. (Luke 21:34-36; Rom. 13:12,13; 1 Thess. 5:6-8)

F. A left-handed Benjamite was definitely in the minority - although there were more than you might think (1 Chron. 12:2).

G. The weapon of deliverance was a two-edged sword. (Heb. 4:12; Ps. 149:6; Rev. 1:16; 2:12)

H. Often a bold action will arouse others to do right - (vs. 28). The person who says, "I am tired of the Devil occupying a part of my life that is recaptured territory, and I am going to do something about it," is a rarity!

 

IV. Shamgar, a one verse hero (vs. 31)

A. According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia the goad used by the middle eastern farmer was usually a straight branch of oak or other strong wood which has at one end a pointed spike and at the other end a flat, chisel-shaped iron. The pointed end is to prod the oxen while plowing. The flattened end is to scrape off the earth which clogs the ploughshare. It was a formidable weapon in the hands of an expert. (Shamgar was probably a farmer 2 Tim. 2:6) These goads were sharpened with files. (1 Sam. 13:21)

B. "The words of the wise are as goads." (Ecc. 12:11) It was the words that were "goading."' Paul (Acts. 26:14)

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