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Judges Intro · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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The book of Judges.
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Baba Bathra, which is a very fun thing to say,
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! Baba Bathra, which is an ancient rabbinical text,
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! holds the tradition that Samuel wrote it,
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! But being uninspired, we can't be entirely sure that this is the case.
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But the ancient rabbinical tradition, they thought that Samuel wrote the book.
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But for this reason, if I refer to the author, I will simply say the author of Judges.
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Now, second, as to its date and occasion,
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we also are not given dates of authorship or stated occasion for the writing of this book.
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It records the time following the conquest work that was led by Joshua.
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It's a sequel to the preceding book of Joshua.
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If you are familiar with the Exodus story,
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you may recall that Moses led the people of Israel out of servitude in Egypt.
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God destroyed the Egyptian army that pursued them after the Israelites safely crossed the parted Red Sea.
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God brought them to encamp at the base of Mount Sinai, where he gave them the law.
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And then, they were meant to go into Canaan and conquer it,
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but because of their fear of the people and their faithlessness in God's promise,
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the generation that followed Moses out of Egypt was required to wander in the wilderness for 40 years
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and not enter into the land that had been promised to them.
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So, Joshua was an assistant to Moses who was given leadership after the passing of that generation,
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and he began the work of conquering the land that God had promised his people.
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He led them across the Jordan, and they began that work.
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You may remember the story of the city of Jericho,
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but as we will see, that work was not completed, again, due to Israel's unfaithfulness.
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They were told to drive the people out of the land.
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It was their land, and they were meant to take it,
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and they did it with varied success.
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So, note with me the double introduction of Judges.
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The first introduction begins in chapter 1 and verse 1
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and goes through chapter 2 and verse 5,
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and the second introduction begins in chapter 2 and verse 6
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and goes through chapter 3 and verse 6.
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It's a bit like the beginning of the book of Genesis,
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twice told the way things start.
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The beginning of each introduction mentions the death of Joshua,
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which should get our attention and highlight this double introduction.
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When you see something repeated, it's not that the writer lost his way.
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He doesn't forgot where he was in the narrative.
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There's something being emphasized, some reason we should go,
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wait a second.
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So, in Judges 1 and verse 1, the author writes,
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after the death of Joshua.
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The people of Israel inquired of the Lord,
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who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites
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to fight against them?
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So, this first introduction tells of successful campaigns
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led particularly by the tribe of Judah.
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And there'll be a little bit more on this later.
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That's on into chapter 1.
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And then focuses its attention on the failure of the people
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to obey God's commands conquering the land.
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You can see one account of that in its entirety
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in Judges 1, verse 27 and 28.
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There the author records,
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Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shion
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and its villages, or Tanakh and its villages,
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or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages,
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or the inhabitants of Il-bi-om and its villages,
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or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages,
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for the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land.
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When Israel grew strong,
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they put the Canaanites to forced labor,
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but did not drive them out completely.
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So, they're commanded to do a thing
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that they did not do.
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And then we see this repeated stanza on beyond that
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in chapter 1.
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And Ephraim did not drive out.
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Zebulun did not drive out.
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Asher did not drive out.
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Naphtali did not drive out.
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So, a failure to do what they were commanded to do.
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We also see in this initial introduction
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that there's a leadership vacuum
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that is yet to be filled.
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This question is being asked in verse 1,
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Who shall go up first for us
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against the Canaanites
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to fight against them?
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The second introduction, as stated,
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begins at chapter 2 and verse 6,
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which we'll read in just a moment.
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While the first introduction focuses on Israel's failure to obey,
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the second sets up the pattern of the narrative
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and focuses on God's faithfulness to his people.
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You can see the unfaithfulness focus of the first introduction
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and God's faithfulness focus in the second.
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Judges altogether is not a happy book.
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It is full of tragedy.
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But the discerning reader will notice God still at work,
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still being gracious and merciful,
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still preserving people for his praise,
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a people that very clearly do not deserve to be preserved.
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You ought to conclude a reading of this book
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with amazement that God persists to love such a stubborn people
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and be encouraged that God persists with you.
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Judges concludes its record,
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setting the stage for the ministry of Samuel,
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which leads to the establishment of the monarchy.
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Perhaps that you forgot that we're still talking about the date
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and the occasion of the book.
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That's where it passes off into the ministry of Samuel,
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which we see recorded in 1 and 2 Samuel.
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I'll spare you the details,
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but this time period recorded in the book of Judges
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covers roughly 300 years.
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So this is a significant account of a period of time
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in Israel's history.
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Now, I am going to read all of chapter 2 in a moment
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and make some comments as we work through it.
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But before I do,
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I want you to have a couple of interpretive lenses
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to peer through for this chapter and for the book in total.
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Number one,
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a judge should not be thought of merely as an arbiter of the law,
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like today.
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You don't want to picture some court TV picture of a judge,
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but rather as a regional ruler.
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As they've come into the land,
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as was given to them,
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they've been divided up amongst the land,
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all the tribes.
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And there's various battles.
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There's various kings.
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There's lots of commotion going on
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across the promised land.
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And these judges are raised up
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over particular areas
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at particular times.
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Secondly,
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Judges is not written chronologically.
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You get very confused
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if you try to read it chronologically.
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In fact,
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that 300-year timeline
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gets all blown out of proportion
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if you do.
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It is a book of history.
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So it's recording real events
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that really happened,
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but it is structured
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to make a theological point.
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It's very cool
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the way that it's structured.
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I mentioned that in chapter 1,
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the first introduction,
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we see that there is a leadership void
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after the death of Joshua.
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This is a theme developed
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in a repeated phrase
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toward the end of the book,
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and that is that
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Israel needs a king.
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If you want to put a big,
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large theme
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over the entire book of Judges,
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Israel needs a king.
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So this repeated phrase,
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we see it in Judges 21,
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verse 25,
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also in chapter 17,
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and verse 6,
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in the exact same words.
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In those days,
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there was no king in Israel.
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Everyone did what was right
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in his own eyes.
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And the phrase,
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in those days,
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there was no king in Israel
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is also found in chapter 18,
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verse 1,
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and in chapter 19,
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verse 1.
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There's no king,
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so everyone did what was right
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in his own eyes.
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Now, you may say to me at this point,
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I'm making the case, right?
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Israel needs a king.
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You may say,
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but I thought
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that their first king,
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Saul,
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was given to them
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as a judgment.
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That they shouldn't have
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wanted a king.
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God should have been their king.
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They should not want a king.
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And so,
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they were given Saul
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as a judgment.
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And I agree
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with that statement.
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God gave Israel,
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in Saul,
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the king that they deserved.
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They did not wait
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for the king
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that he had promised.
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But in Saul,
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he did not give them
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the king that they needed.
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The king that they needed,
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temporally,
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was David.
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King David was the king
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that they were meant
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to wait for.
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And David
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was meant to point
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their thinking
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and ours
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to the ultimate king,
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the Lord Jesus Christ.
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There are no
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plan B's
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in the Bible.
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It's all plan A.
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David always
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was meant to be the king
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and he was meant
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to show us
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something
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of Christ.
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Let me show you this
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from the text.
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Most of you
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probably don't care,
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but some of you
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may be shaking your fist
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at me right now.
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In Genesis 49,
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this is verses 8-10,
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before Jacob's death,
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he's blessing his sons
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and he blesses Judah
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in this way.
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So now I'm not talking
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about the tribe of Judah,
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I'm talking about
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the actual man Judah
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from which the tribe
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comes.
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This is Genesis 49
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beginning in verse 8
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and following.
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Judah,
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your brother
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shall praise you.
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Your hand
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shall be on the neck
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of your enemies.
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your father's son
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shall bow down
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before you.
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Judah is a lion's cub.
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From the prey,
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my son,
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you have gone up.
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He stooped down,
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he crouched as a lion
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and as a lioness.
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Who dares
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rouse him?
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The scepter
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shall not depart
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from Judah,
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nor the ruler's staff
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from between his feet
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until tribute
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comes to him
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and to him
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shall be the obedience
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of the peoples.
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This blessing
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is fulfilled
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again temporally
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and typologically
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in David
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and then
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fully and finally
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in Jesus Christ.
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So I'm arguing to you
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that Israel
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needs a king
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and they should have been
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looking for a king
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like David
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and then ultimately
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a king
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like the Lord Jesus Christ.
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So I said
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Judges is structured
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to make that very
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theological point.
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And it's structured
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by doing this.
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The telling of the stories
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move,
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again,
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not chronologically,
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but they move
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geographically
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away
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from Judah.
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The further
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the story gets
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from Judah,
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we see
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the tribe of Judah's
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success in chapter 1,
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the further it gets,
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the worse
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off the people
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are.
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When you see
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this structure,
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it helps us anticipate
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the king
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that will come
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from the tribe
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of Judah.
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It's very brilliantly
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structured
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in that way.
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So,
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Judges chapter 2
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with some comments.
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I remind you
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that the first
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five verses
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are the conclusion
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of the first
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introduction.
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The chapter breaks
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don't really serve us well
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in this case.
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This is the conclusion
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of the first introduction.
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Judges chapter 2
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beginning in verse 1.
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Now the angel
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of the Lord
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went up
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from Gilgal
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to Bokim,
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which means
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weepers.
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And he said,
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I brought you up
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from Egypt
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and brought you
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into the land
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that I swore
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to give to your fathers.
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I said,
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I will never
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break my covenant
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with you
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and you shall
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make no covenant
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with the inhabitants
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of this land.
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You shall break
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down their altars.
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But you have
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not obeyed
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my voice.
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What is this
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you have done?
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So now I say,
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I will not drive
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them out before you,
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but they shall
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become thorns
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in your sides
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and their gods
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shall be a snare
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to you.
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As soon as
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the angel of the Lord
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spoke these words
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to all the people
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of Israel,
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the people lifted up
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their voices
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and wept.
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And they called
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the name of that place
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Bokim
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and they sacrificed
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there to the Lord.
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Now I read
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that part of it,
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right?
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We're going to see
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some of that repetition
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in the next part
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of the second introduction,
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but I wanted you
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to see that transition
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happen.
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So we've already read
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chapter 1 and verse 1.
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Now chapter 2
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and verse 6.
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When Joshua dismissed
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the people,
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the people of Israel
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went each to his inheritance
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to take possession
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of the land.
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And the people served
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the Lord all the days
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of Joshua
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and all the days
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of the elders
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who outlived Joshua,
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who had seen
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all the great work
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that the Lord
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had done
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for Israel.
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As long as those
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who were alive
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along with Joshua,
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his generation,
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they were faithful.
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Verse 8.
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And Joshua,
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the son of Nun,
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the servant of the Lord,
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died at the age
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of 110 years.
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And they buried him
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within the boundaries
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of his inheritance
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in Timnath-Hares,
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in the hill country
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of Ephraim,
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north of the mountain
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of Gash.
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And all that generation
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also were gathered
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to their fathers
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and there arose
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another generation
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after them
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who did not know
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the Lord
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or the work
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he had done
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for Israel.
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There's a whole new group now
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and they had not
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seen it happen
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and oh,
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you would hope
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that it had been told
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to them.
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Speaking of the gospel,
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theologian once said
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one generation
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believes the gospel,
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the next generation
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assumes the gospel,
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and the next generation
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forgets the gospel.
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So there had been
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some failure
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it would seem
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on their part
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but nonetheless
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we've got a new generation
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now that has forgotten
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how good God
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had been
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to them.
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So,
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verse 11,
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and the people
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of Israel
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did what was evil
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in the sight of the Lord
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and served the,
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and I think that this word
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is properly pronounced
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Baals,
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but I'm going to say
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Baals
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because I think
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it's simpler
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for all of us.
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And they abandoned
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the Lord,
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the God of their fathers
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who had brought them
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out of the land
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of Egypt.
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They went after
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other gods
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from among the gods
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of the people
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who were around them
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and bowed down
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to them
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and they provoked
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the Lord
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to anger.
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They abandoned
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the Lord
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and served
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the Baals
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and the Ashteroth
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which is just
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another pagan god.
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So the anger
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of the Lord
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was kindled
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against Israel
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and he gave them
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over to plunderers
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who plundered them
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and he sold them
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into the hand
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of their surrounding
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enemies
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so they could
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no longer
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withstand
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their enemies.
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Whenever they
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marched out
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the hand of the Lord
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was against them
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for harm
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as the Lord
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had warned
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and as the Lord
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had sworn to them
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and they were
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in terrible distress.
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Then the Lord
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raised up judges
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who saved them
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out of the hand
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of those
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who plundered them.
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Yet they did not
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listen to their judges
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for they
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whored after
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other gods
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and bowed
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down to them.
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They soon
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turned aside
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from the way
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in which
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their fathers
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had walked
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who had
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obeyed
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the commandments
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of the Lord
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and they did
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not do so.
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Whenever the Lord
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raised up judges
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for them
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the Lord
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was with the judge
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and he saved
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them from the hand
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of their enemies
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all the days
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of the judge
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for the Lord
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was moved
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to pity
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by their groaning
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because of those
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who afflicted
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and oppressed them.
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But whenever
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the judge died
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they turned back
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and were more
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corrupt than their fathers
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going after
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other gods
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serving them
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and bowing
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down to them.
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They did not
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drop any
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of their practices
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or their stubborn
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ways.
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So the anger
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of the Lord
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was kindled
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against Israel
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and he said
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because this people
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have transgressed
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my covenant
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that I have
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commanded their
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fathers
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and have not
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obeyed my voice
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I will no longer
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drive out before them
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any of the nations
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that Joshua left
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when he died
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in order to test
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Israel by them
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whether they will
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take care
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to walk
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in the way
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of the Lord
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as their fathers
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did or not.
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So the Lord
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left those nations
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not driving
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them out quickly.
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I stated
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that the second
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introduction
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sets up
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the pattern
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of the narrative
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and focuses
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on God's
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faithfulness
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to his people.
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So here's that
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pattern
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I want you to
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note it
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and it repeats
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again and again
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as you see
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these different
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accounts
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of the judges.
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The first thing
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that happens
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is that the
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people rebel.
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They turn away
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from God
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and God's
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ways.
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They turn to
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the idols
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the gods
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of the land.
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So we see
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in verse 13
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of chapter 2
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they abandon
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the Lord
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and they serve
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the Baals
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and the Ashtaroth.
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Those things
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that they could
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see and
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bow down
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to.
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And because
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of this
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God's
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anger
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is kindled
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verse 14
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tells us.
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So the second
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step in the
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pattern is that
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God hands
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them over
18:36
to the people
18:37
of the land.
18:39
Verse 14
18:40
says that
18:40
he gave them
18:41
over to
18:42
plunders
18:43
and plunders
18:44
are going to
18:45
plunder.
18:45
So that's what
18:46
they do.
18:46
They plunder
18:47
them and he
18:48
sells them
18:49
into the
18:50
hand of
18:51
their surrounding
18:51
enemies so
18:52
they can no
18:53
longer withstand
18:54
their enemies.
18:55
And you see
18:56
this Exodus
18:57
pattern repeated
18:58
again and
18:59
again.
19:00
Right?
19:00
What's happening
19:01
to them here?
19:02
They're being
19:02
sold into
19:03
slavery.
19:05
Right?
19:05
And they're
19:05
going to be
19:05
set free
19:06
by a judge.
19:09
Moses
19:09
typologically
19:10
is like
19:11
the first
19:12
judge
19:13
in this
19:14
sense.
19:15
So the
19:15
people rebel.
19:16
God hands
19:16
them over
19:17
to the people
19:17
of the land.
19:19
But thirdly
19:19
God shows
19:21
them mercy
19:22
by raising
19:23
up a judge.
19:25
And we see
19:25
early in the
19:26
book the
19:26
people cry
19:27
out to
19:27
him.
19:28
They're
19:28
in distress.
19:30
Chapter 2
19:30
tells us he
19:30
has pity
19:31
on them
19:31
because of
19:32
their distress.
19:34
But as
19:34
the book
19:34
proceeds,
19:36
they stop
19:36
crying out.
19:38
Yet God
19:39
still shows
19:40
them mercy
19:41
and raises
19:42
up a judge
19:43
who delivers
19:45
them from
19:45
this oppression.
19:47
So the
19:47
first part of
19:48
16 says,
19:49
then the
19:49
Lord raised
19:50
up judges
19:50
who saved
19:51
them out of
19:52
the hands
19:52
of those
19:53
who plundered
19:54
them.
19:56
Fourthly,
19:57
the judge,
19:58
by God's
19:59
help,
20:00
delivers the
20:00
Israelites
20:01
and they
20:02
have rest.
20:04
The Lord
20:05
raised up
20:05
the judges
20:06
who saved
20:06
them out
20:06
of hand
20:07
of those
20:07
who plundered
20:09
them and
20:11
they rest.
20:12
And there's
20:12
these periods
20:13
of years
20:13
that go by
20:14
in the region
20:15
of Moab
20:15
that there's
20:16
rest for
20:17
the people
20:17
of Israel.
20:19
And then
20:20
we're going
20:20
to see
20:20
those time
20:21
periods get
20:22
shorter and
20:22
shorter as
20:24
the book
20:24
goes on.
20:26
So the
20:27
people repel,
20:28
God hands
20:28
them over
20:28
to the
20:29
people of
20:29
the land.
20:30
God shows
20:30
mercy by
20:31
raising up
20:31
a judge.
20:32
The judge
20:32
by God's
20:33
help delivers
20:33
them and
20:35
they have
20:35
rest.
20:37
There are a
20:37
total of
20:38
12 judges
20:39
recorded in
20:40
this book,
20:41
six major
20:42
and six
20:42
minor,
20:43
which simply
20:44
means that
20:45
there's more
20:46
significant time
20:47
given to
20:47
six of
20:48
them.
20:49
Very short
20:49
record of
20:50
some of
20:51
them.
20:51
That's the
20:52
same way we
20:52
treat the
20:52
prophets,
20:53
major and
20:54
minor.
20:56
The major
20:57
prophets are
20:57
Othniel,
20:58
Ehud,
21:00
Debrus,
21:01
Slashberic,
21:02
Gideon,
21:04
Jephthah,
21:05
and Samson.
21:07
The minor,
21:07
some of these
21:08
names you may
21:08
have never
21:09
heard before,
21:11
are Shamgar,
21:12
Tola,
21:13
Jair,
21:15
Ibzon,
21:16
Elon,
21:17
and Abdon.
21:20
If you
21:20
take the
21:21
time to
21:21
study all
21:22
of these
21:22
judges,
21:23
you will
21:23
notice that
21:23
these judges
21:24
are a
21:25
mixed bag
21:27
of faithfulness.
21:28
We have
21:28
very little
21:28
detail about
21:29
some of
21:30
them at
21:30
all.
21:31
Some of
21:32
them,
21:32
we have no
21:33
record of
21:34
their particular
21:35
faithfulness,
21:37
but you begin
21:37
to see this
21:38
kind of
21:39
devolving
21:40
weakness in
21:41
their faith
21:42
as the
21:42
narrative
21:43
progressives.
21:44
So,
21:45
as a
21:45
whole,
21:46
they leave
21:47
something
21:48
wanting in
21:49
a ruler,
21:50
a longing
21:51
for a
21:51
better
21:52
ruler
21:53
for the
21:54
land.
21:56
So,
21:56
that cycle,
21:56
people rebel,
21:57
God hands
21:57
them over
21:58
to the
21:58
people of
21:59
the land,
21:59
God shows
21:59
them mercy
22:00
by raising
22:00
up a
22:01
judge,
22:01
the judge
22:01
by God's
22:02
help delivers
22:03
the Israel,
22:03
and the
22:04
people return
22:04
to wickedness.
22:06
300 years,
22:07
cycle,
22:08
cycle,
22:09
cycle.
22:10
Verse 19,
22:10
chapter 2,
22:11
but whenever
22:11
the judge
22:11
died,
22:12
they turned
22:12
back and
22:13
were more
22:14
corrupt than
22:14
their fathers,
22:15
going after
22:16
other gods,
22:16
serving them
22:17
and bowing
22:18
down to
22:18
them.
22:19
They did
22:19
not drop
22:20
any of
22:20
their practices
22:21
or their
22:21
stubborn ways.
22:23
It just
22:24
seems to
22:25
spiral worse
22:26
and worse
22:27
and worse
22:27
as the
22:28
book goes
22:30
on.
22:30
So,
22:30
it's making
22:30
this theological
22:31
case.
22:33
Israel
22:34
needs a
22:35
righteous
22:36
ruler who
22:37
possesses the
22:39
power of
22:40
an indestructible
22:41
life.
22:43
The judges
22:44
die.
22:45
They die,
22:46
and then
22:47
everything
22:48
devolves
22:49
again.
22:50
Then one's
22:50
raised up,
22:51
sets free,
22:52
and then
22:53
they die
22:53
again and
22:54
again and
22:55
again.
22:56
Israel
22:56
needs a
22:58
righteous
22:58
ruler,
22:59
a perfect
22:59
ruler who
23:01
possesses the
23:01
power of
23:03
an indestructible
23:03
life.
23:04
And I'm not
23:04
saying that
23:05
that's King
23:05
David,
23:05
but King
23:06
David is
23:06
foreshadowing
23:07
for us the
23:08
Lord Jesus
23:10
Christ.
23:11
So,
23:12
the narrative
23:12
continues to
23:13
follow this
23:13
pattern,
23:13
right?
23:14
There's five
23:14
steps,
23:15
ever descending
23:16
spiral.
23:18
And so,
23:18
let's look
23:19
together at
23:19
two of the
23:20
judges in
23:22
brief.
23:22
And we're
23:23
just going to
23:23
read one
23:23
major,
23:25
I'll make
23:25
some comments,
23:26
and one
23:26
minor.
23:26
I just want
23:27
to kind of
23:27
juxtapose
23:28
those two
23:28
and show
23:28
you how
23:29
simple some
23:30
of those
23:31
minor records
23:32
can be.
23:34
And so,
23:34
I thought we
23:34
would look at
23:35
Judges chapter
23:35
three.
23:36
E,
23:37
this is the
23:38
major judge
23:39
Ehud,
23:40
or Ehud
23:41
if you prefer,
23:42
but I'm
23:42
going to
23:42
say Ehud.
23:46
I picked
23:46
this one,
23:47
not for grand
23:48
significance,
23:49
it's right
23:49
there,
23:49
it's close,
23:50
it's also
23:51
just a
23:51
fascinating
23:52
story.
23:53
This book
23:54
is full of
23:55
some very,
23:56
very interesting
23:57
stories.
24:00
Next week
24:00
I have a plan
24:01
for another
24:02
interesting story
24:03
to be sure.
24:04
So let's
24:05
look at,
24:05
see if we
24:05
can see
24:06
this pattern.
24:07
Judges
24:08
three,
24:08
beginning in
24:08
verse 12.
24:12
And the
24:12
people of
24:12
Israel,
24:13
again,
24:14
did with
24:14
evil in
24:15
the sight
24:15
of the
24:16
Lord.
24:17
And the
24:18
Lord
24:18
strengthened
24:19
Eglon,
24:20
the king
24:21
of Moab,
24:22
against Israel
24:22
because they
24:23
had done
24:23
what was
24:24
evil in
24:25
the sight
24:25
of the
24:27
Lord.
24:27
So God
24:27
raises up
24:28
a king,
24:30
regional,
24:30
think regional,
24:32
an Eglon,
24:33
who's going
24:33
to be a
24:33
judgment.
24:34
For the
24:35
people and
24:35
for their
24:36
disobedience.
24:38
Of interest,
24:39
his name
24:40
translated means
24:42
literally
24:42
little calf.
24:45
As we're
24:46
going to see
24:46
in just a
24:47
bit,
24:47
he's a
24:48
really large
24:49
man.
24:51
This could
24:51
be,
24:52
because he's
24:53
the king
24:53
of Moab,
24:54
this might
24:55
be the
24:55
king when
24:57
the famine
25:00
hits and
25:01
Naomi and
25:02
Ruth are
25:02
coming back
25:03
to Moab.
25:04
That's
25:05
happening.
25:06
Perhaps
25:06
because things
25:07
are going
25:07
well in
25:08
Moab,
25:08
this could
25:09
be that
25:09
king and
25:09
he's
25:09
receiving
25:10
tribute
25:10
from the
25:11
Israelites.
25:13
Possibly
25:14
this is
25:14
the guy.
25:15
So it's
25:15
a big
25:15
guy named
25:16
Tiny,
25:17
king of
25:18
Moab,
25:19
against
25:20
Israel because
25:20
they had
25:21
done what
25:21
was evil
25:22
in the
25:22
sight of
25:22
the Lord.
25:23
Verse 13,
25:23
he gathered
25:24
to himself
25:24
the Ammonites
25:25
and the
25:25
Amalekites
25:26
and went
25:27
and defeated
25:28
Israel and
25:30
they took
25:30
possession of
25:31
the city
25:32
of Palms.
25:33
And the
25:33
people of
25:33
Israel served
25:34
Eglon the
25:35
king of
25:36
Moab 18
25:37
years.
25:38
Then the
25:39
people of
25:39
Israel cried
25:40
out to the
25:40
Lord and
25:42
the Lord
25:42
raised up for
25:43
them a
25:43
deliverer,
25:44
Ehud,
25:44
the son of
25:45
Gerah the
25:46
Benjaminite,
25:47
a left-handed
25:48
man.
25:49
The people
25:51
of Israel
25:51
sent tribute
25:52
by him
25:52
to Eglon
25:53
the king
25:54
of Moab.
25:55
Now,
25:56
why is it
25:56
recorded that
25:57
Ehud was a
25:59
left-handed
25:59
man?
26:01
In a moment
26:02
we're going to
26:02
see that he
26:02
hides a
26:03
sword on
26:04
his right
26:05
side.
26:06
And I
26:06
think that
26:07
the reason
26:07
for this,
26:08
and I
26:09
don't think
26:09
this because
26:10
I'm brilliant,
26:10
but I read
26:11
other people
26:11
who think
26:11
this,
26:13
is the
26:13
point is to
26:14
say that
26:14
he's a
26:15
trained
26:16
warrior.
26:17
There's some
26:18
record of
26:19
whole
26:19
battalions
26:20
of soldiers
26:20
that were
26:21
all left-handed,
26:22
and what we
26:23
think that
26:23
means is they
26:24
could fight
26:24
with either
26:25
of their
26:25
hands.
26:26
So I'm
26:27
right-handed,
26:27
I'm extremely
26:28
right-hand
26:28
dominant.
26:29
If you
26:30
ask me to
26:30
throw a
26:30
ball with
26:31
my left
26:32
hand,
26:32
it's
26:33
laughable
26:33
what that
26:34
ball will
26:35
do.
26:36
I don't
26:37
have a
26:37
great right
26:37
arm either,
26:38
but I
26:38
can at
26:38
least get
26:39
it
26:39
somewhere.
26:41
I think
26:41
what they're
26:41
saying is
26:42
that this
26:42
guy could
26:43
fight with
26:43
either of
26:44
his hands.
26:46
Okay?
26:47
So,
26:48
verse 16,
26:49
and Ehud
26:49
made for
26:50
himself a
26:51
sword with
26:52
two edges,
26:53
a cubit in
26:54
length,
26:54
and he
26:55
bound it on
26:55
his right
26:56
thigh under
26:57
his clothes.
26:58
So,
26:58
now notice
26:58
there's likely
26:59
so much
26:59
oppression
27:00
here,
27:00
he can't
27:01
go and
27:01
buy a
27:02
weapon for
27:02
himself,
27:02
but he
27:03
has to
27:03
make one
27:04
for himself.
27:05
And we
27:05
see a lot
27:06
of the
27:06
judges
27:06
fighting with
27:07
abnormal
27:08
weapons.
27:10
Shamgar in
27:11
chapter 3
27:12
fights with
27:13
an ox
27:13
goad.
27:14
He kills
27:14
many people
27:15
with an
27:16
ox
27:17
goad.
27:17
Here,
27:18
Ehud
27:18
makes for
27:19
himself a
27:21
sword,
27:21
and he
27:21
puts it
27:22
on his
27:23
right thigh
27:24
under his
27:24
clothes.
27:26
And the
27:26
suggestion is
27:27
that in a
27:28
pat-down,
27:28
they would
27:29
have checked
27:29
his left
27:29
hand side
27:30
for a
27:31
sword to
27:31
be drawn
27:31
with the
27:32
right hand,
27:32
but perhaps
27:33
not the
27:34
other side.
27:36
Either way,
27:37
he sneaks
27:37
the sword in
27:38
to the presence
27:40
of the king
27:40
under his
27:41
clothing.
27:42
Verse 17,
27:42
and he
27:42
presented the
27:43
tribute to
27:43
Eglon,
27:44
king of
27:44
Moab.
27:45
Now,
27:45
Eglon was
27:46
a very
27:46
fat man.
27:49
And when
27:49
Ehud had
27:50
finished
27:50
presenting the
27:51
tribute,
27:52
he sent
27:52
away the
27:53
people who
27:53
carried the
27:54
tribute,
27:55
but he
27:55
himself turned
27:56
back at the
27:57
idols in
27:57
Ogirgal and
27:58
said,
27:58
I have a
27:58
secret message
27:59
for you,
28:00
O king.
28:01
And he
28:02
commanded
28:03
silence,
28:04
and all his
28:05
attendants went
28:06
out from his
28:07
presence.
28:08
And Ehud
28:09
came to him
28:09
as he was
28:10
sitting alone
28:10
in his
28:11
cool roof
28:12
chamber,
28:12
and Ehud
28:13
said,
28:14
I have a
28:14
message from
28:15
God for
28:16
you.
28:16
And he
28:17
arose from
28:17
his seat.
28:19
And Ehud
28:19
reached with
28:20
his left
28:20
hand,
28:21
took the
28:21
sword from
28:22
his right
28:22
thigh,
28:23
and thrust
28:24
it into
28:25
his belly.
28:26
So he
28:26
drives the
28:27
sword.
28:28
This is the
28:28
message from
28:30
God,
28:31
two-edged,
28:31
interestingly,
28:32
right,
28:32
into the
28:33
belly of
28:34
tiny calf.
28:36
And the
28:36
hilt also
28:38
went in
28:38
after the
28:40
blade,
28:41
and the
28:41
fat closed
28:42
over the
28:42
blade.
28:43
For he
28:43
did not
28:44
pull the
28:44
sword out
28:45
of his
28:45
belly,
28:46
so he
28:46
just plunges
28:46
it all
28:47
the way
28:47
in and
28:47
leaves it
28:48
behind.
28:49
And then
28:49
there's a
28:49
very interesting
28:49
word,
28:50
which we're
28:50
not totally
28:51
sure what it
28:52
means in
28:52
Hebrew,
28:53
but the
28:53
translators
28:53
say,
28:54
and the
28:55
dung
28:55
came out.
28:57
Perhaps
28:58
his
28:58
intestines,
28:58
there's some
28:59
contextual clues
29:00
as to why
29:00
they translated
29:01
it this
29:03
way.
29:03
So gross,
29:04
I know,
29:04
sorry,
29:05
but interesting,
29:06
all the
29:06
same.
29:06
So,
29:08
then
29:08
Ehud went
29:08
out into
29:09
the porch
29:09
and closed
29:10
the doors
29:10
of the
29:10
roof
29:11
chamber
29:11
behind him
29:12
and locked
29:13
them.
29:13
So he
29:13
locks
29:14
little calf
29:16
in the
29:16
room.
29:17
When he
29:18
had gone,
29:18
the servants
29:19
came,
29:19
and when they
29:19
saw that the
29:20
doors of the
29:21
roof chamber
29:21
were locked,
29:22
they thought,
29:22
surely he
29:23
was relieving
29:24
himself in
29:24
the closet
29:25
of the
29:25
cool chamber,
29:26
and they
29:26
waited till
29:27
they were
29:28
embarrassed.
29:30
But when he
29:30
still did not
29:30
open the doors
29:31
of the roof
29:32
chamber,
29:32
they took
29:32
the key
29:33
and opened
29:33
them,
29:34
and there
29:34
lay their
29:35
Lord,
29:36
dead on
29:37
the floor.
29:38
He had
29:39
escaped while
29:39
they delayed,
29:40
and he
29:41
passed beyond
29:41
the idols
29:42
and escaped
29:42
to Sarai.
29:44
When he
29:45
arrived,
29:45
he sounded
29:46
the trumpet
29:46
in the hill
29:47
country of
29:47
Ephraim,
29:48
so it's a
29:49
victory trumpet.
29:50
Then the
29:50
people of
29:51
Israel went
29:51
down with
29:51
him from
29:52
the hill
29:52
country,
29:53
and he
29:53
was their
29:54
leader.
29:55
And he
29:55
said to
29:55
them,
29:56
follow after
29:56
me,
29:56
for the
29:57
Lord has
29:57
given your
29:57
enemies,
29:58
the Moabites,
29:58
into your
29:59
hands.
29:59
So they
29:59
went down
30:00
after him
30:01
and seized
30:01
the fords
30:02
of the
30:02
Jordan
30:03
against
30:03
the
30:03
Moabites
30:04
and did
30:04
not allow
30:05
anyone
30:05
to pass
30:06
over.
30:07
And they
30:07
killed at
30:08
that time
30:08
about 10,000
30:09
of the
30:09
Moabites,
30:10
all strong,
30:11
able-bodied
30:11
men.
30:12
Not a
30:13
man escaped.
30:15
So Moab
30:16
was subdued
30:16
that day
30:17
under the
30:17
hand of
30:18
Israel,
30:18
and the
30:19
land had
30:19
rest for
30:21
80 years.
30:22
So there
30:22
you see
30:23
that pattern,
30:24
right?
30:24
The wickedness,
30:26
right?
30:26
They're given
30:27
to and
30:27
judgment to
30:28
the people
30:30
of the
30:30
land,
30:31
but God
30:31
and his
30:32
mercy
30:32
raises up
30:33
for them
30:34
a judge
30:35
who delivers
30:35
them and
30:37
gives them
30:37
rest.
30:39
And then the
30:40
narrative rolls
30:40
on,
30:40
and we're
30:41
going to
30:41
see
30:41
Ehud
30:43
passes from
30:44
the history,
30:45
and we see
30:46
once again
30:47
the Israelites
30:48
act wickedly.
30:51
Then you
30:51
can see a
30:52
minor,
30:53
Judges
30:53
chapter 10,
30:54
verse 1
30:54
and 2.
30:54
This is
30:55
Tola.
30:56
Now,
30:56
just because we
30:56
don't get all
30:57
the details,
30:58
I think we
30:58
should still
30:59
understand the
30:59
pattern to
31:01
hold.
31:01
So I
31:03
don't intend
31:03
to preach
31:04
any of the
31:05
minor judges,
31:06
but as you
31:07
perhaps are
31:08
reading through
31:08
this narrative,
31:09
you'll see it.
31:11
So here we
31:12
see,
31:12
after Abimelech
31:14
there arose
31:14
to save
31:15
Israel Tola,
31:16
the son of
31:16
Pua,
31:17
son of
31:17
Dodo,
31:18
a man of
31:18
Issachar,
31:19
and he lived
31:19
at Shemir
31:20
in the hill
31:21
country of
31:21
Ephraim.
31:23
And he
31:23
judged Israel
31:24
23 years.
31:26
Then he
31:27
died and
31:28
was buried
31:28
at Shemir.
31:30
That's all we
31:31
know about
31:32
Tola
31:33
altogether.
31:35
Yet, I
31:35
believe,
31:37
the pattern
31:37
is embedded
31:38
in there
31:38
because we've
31:39
seen the
31:39
pattern in
31:40
other places
31:42
and it's
31:43
explicitly laid
31:43
out for us
31:44
in chapter
31:46
2.
31:47
So this
31:48
book is
31:49
designed to
31:50
leave us
31:51
in great
31:52
anticipation
31:53
of a
31:55
savior
31:55
king.
31:57
Israel
31:58
needs a
31:59
righteous
32:00
king.
32:01
Notice that
32:02
pattern again
32:03
and again
32:04
and again.
32:04
What do
32:05
they do?
32:05
They devolve
32:06
into unrighteous.
32:07
They devolve
32:07
into idolatry.
32:09
Regardless of
32:11
how God
32:11
shows them
32:12
mercy,
32:12
they're still
32:13
yet not
32:13
able to
32:15
keep his
32:16
commandments
32:16
and to
32:17
please him.
32:18
They keep
32:18
falling apart
32:20
and we are
32:21
just like
32:21
them.
32:22
We so often
32:22
read them
32:23
so judgmentally.
32:24
How could
32:24
they possibly
32:25
have forgotten?
32:26
Think about
32:26
the things
32:27
they saw.
32:28
Think about
32:28
the things
32:29
that they
32:29
were delivered
32:29
from and
32:31
we are
32:31
just the
32:33
same.
32:34
So very
32:34
quick to
32:36
be forgetful,
32:37
to return to
32:38
the idols
32:39
of the
32:40
land and
32:41
so we
32:41
need the
32:43
righteousness
32:43
of Christ
32:44
imputed to
32:46
us, given
32:47
to us.
32:48
His robes
32:49
for mine,
32:50
him taking
32:51
on our
32:51
sin and
32:52
rightly
32:54
receiving the
32:55
punishment that
32:56
was due our
32:57
sin.
32:59
And we need
33:00
a ruler,
33:00
one who will
33:01
reign forever
33:02
on our
33:03
behalf,
33:04
that has
33:04
a power
33:05
over
33:05
death,
33:08
has an
33:08
incorruptible
33:09
life.
33:12
We as
33:12
the church
33:13
see the
33:13
full realization
33:14
of what
33:15
they should
33:16
have been
33:16
longing for
33:18
and I
33:18
fear sadly
33:19
weren't.
33:21
But as we
33:21
look at this
33:21
book together,
33:22
we get to
33:23
see it,
33:24
we get to
33:24
draw our
33:25
minds
33:25
forward,
33:26
through the
33:27
temporal reign
33:27
of David
33:28
to the
33:29
eternal reign
33:30
of the
33:31
Lord Jesus
33:32
Christ.
33:33
Let's pray
33:34
together.