When last we left our heros...
We have a problem : Sin and it's effects
Death - Separation From Mankind and Life
Death - Separation From God
We have a blessing that's still coming : a great nation and a blessing to all nations
A 'great nation' and a blessing to all mankind.
On the road to our nation, our progress is:
people: done!
law: done!
land: on the way!
leader: not yet.
(40 years and a generation later, our nation is ready to take the land)
Since the promise, things haven't exactly moved quickly.
Abraham goes years before a kid, then one son.
Isaac marries barren wife, has twins...but one is discarded
Jacob has 12, but they end up leaving the land God promised
400 years in Egypt as slaves
40 years and a lost generation in the desert
1. Jericho and Ai
Jericho shows that God is the victor through positive means.
Do ridiculous things for a week and watch God destroy the strongest city around.
God is able to do anything.
Note that Rahab is a Gentile...She also becomes a very important woman (Matt 1:5)
Ai shows that God is the victor through negative means.
One guy sins, and the nation is beaten by a local village.
It is God that makes victory possible.
Proverbs 21:31
The horse is prepared for the day of battle,
But victory belongs to the Lord.
2. Divide and Conquer
Center : The Battle Of 2 Strange Events
Joshua fights a big battle in the center of Israel against 5 kings...and wins.
Strange Event 1 : God kills more of them with large hailstones than the Israelites did with the sword (Josh 10:11)
Strange Event 2 : God stops the sun from going down at Joshua's request (Josh 10:12-14)
South : Joshua blitzkriegs his way through southern palestine.
City by city...
North : Joshua blitzkriegs his way through southern palestine.
The bad guys save Joshua time by massing together for him.
The Point : God is in charge
1. God shows his power over mankind.
2. God delivers progress towards his promise.
3. Land - 3 out of 4 things our nation needs!
1. The Cycle of Judges Shows National Depravity
Sin -> Penalty -> Repentance -> Deliverance...Repeat
2. Israel is as bad as Sodom and Gomorrah
The Sin Of Gibeah parallels Sodom And Gomorrah (Genesis 19 vs Judges 19-12)
The Story :
A Levite and his concubine were travelling and spends the night in Gibeah (a town of Benjamin)
The men of the city surrounded the house and demanded to rape the Levite.
The Levite offers his concubine to the men who rape and kill her.
The Levite cuts his concubine into 12 pieces and sends her body throughout Israel.
Israel unites to destroy Gibeah; Benjamin defends Gibeah and ends up nearly destroyed.
The Point : Sin is the reality for God's people too
Man is sinful
Israel (God's people) is still as sinful as the Gentiles.
They seem to be as bad as Sodom and Gomorrah
We desperately need a leader.
The comment in Judges is (21:25)
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
The Story :
An Israelite family moves to Moab; Their two sons marry while there.
The husband and the two sons die (leaving the women without any means of provision - they're helpless)
The Israelite woman (Naomi) returns to Bethlehem; Ruth, one of her daughters in law, returns with her.
Ruth gleans (gathers the leftovers) in the fields of Boaz, a wealthy man who happens to be related to Naomi.
Ruth requests that Boaz marry her; he does (happily, Ruth 3:10)
Righteousness is often outnumbered, but it is never extinguished.
Righteousness does still exist, even in the depravity of the Judges period.
God still cares for the righteous
Naomi says the Lord "has not withdrawn is kindness to the living and to the dead." (3:20)
Note that Ruth is a Gentile (a Moabitess)...She also becomes a very important woman (Matt 1:5)
Progress happens incredibly quickly at times.
Joshua - They conquer Palestine in a whirlwind.
Progress is hard to find at times (the human experience)
Promised nation - 800 years ago.
They've had barren women, betrayals, slavery, death, and constant depravity.
Where is God? What is he doing? Does he ignore the suffering of the righteous?
It seems that way.
What about our lives?
We should not assume that an apparent lack of progress means that God is ignoring us.
We should not assume that our suffering/pain means that God is ignoring us.
1. God is not in a hurry.
2. God does allow suffering.
3. He does not say why - but we should learn from history.