Time Out
Time Out
I’ve just got to share some of my take aways from Paige Brown’s teaching on Judges.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDVALI8znPA
She's leading an 8 week study on Joshua/Judges, but yesterday was one of the best things I’ve ever listened to related to our nation's moral decline and our responsibilities to teach the truth about who God is, what he expects, and what Jesus has done. Paige attends and teaches from a church in Nashville that our daughter was a member of for years. She is passionate about the Word of God.
Her online teachings are only up for a week, so you only have until 10/1 if you want to listen. It's 1:25 long, but break it into chunks, The first 10 minutes are just a time for the local people to come into the church. I’d suggest skipping to 19 minutes, which takes you further into chapter 1 and skips her reading the history in the first verses which y’all probably know.
Judges is a follow up to Joshua "The Book of Joshua tells the story of Israel’s entry into Canaan after the Exodus and 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. It begins with the commissioning of Joshua and God’s promise to Joshua that he will succeed in taking over the land, the extent of which is defined in Joshua 1:4. The book then describes the Israelite conquering of the land and its inhabitants; the allotment and redistribution of the land to the twelve tribes; and the renewal of the covenant between the Lord and Israel. The book emphasizes the fact that the land was possessed not by the grit and effort of the people of Israel, but by the love and willpower of God and that if Israel wanted to remain in the land, they would need to lead lives of obedience to God. "
Joshua has died and the Israelites are in moral decline following what feels good for the moment. Kind of like America.
Paige Brown quotes God is using to stir my heart.
Success does not equal obedience. Nothing in scripture is measured by its success. It is measured by obedience.
“Do all I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:20
God never asks questions to get information. He knows all. He knew exactly where Adam and Eve were in the garden. God asks questions to get acknowledgment. What have you done? Like the good parenting tactic of asking-'What have you done?' This makes the child admit what they have done.
Boo thought- When a police officer pulls you over they start with "Do you know why I pulled you over?"
In asking Israel “What have you done?” They say 'We COULD not drive them out.' NOPE God says 'You WOULD not drive them out.'
We need to be HONEST about our CHOICES. We often say 'We CAN’T' do something, when in reality it is that 'we WON’T' do something. Brown gives very convicting examples.
Passing on the knowledge of the saving work of God can’t guarantee the faithfulness of the next generation. We must pass on to our children what is correct and true about God. The source is not your knowledge, it’s the scripture.
Ch 2
The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, 2 and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? 3 And I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; they will become traps for you, and their gods will become snares to you.’”
You cannot believe and cling to what you do not know. This generation in Judges did not know the Lord.
When do you have the opportunity to talk to your children…in the car, at a meal, at bedtime. Take that time to teach them who Jesus is.
Deuteronomy 6:7 in the Bible says, "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise
The people of Israel forsook the Lord. They did what was evil. They turned their back on God and worshipped other gods.
God is lightweight to them, it's so easy to abandon God and turn, go after and serve other gods.
God is easy dislodged by choosing greater loves.
She has an amazing John Piper excerpt about passing faith on to our children. I need to go back and write down.
Judges teaches We have to choose, cling and serve.
This society chooses Baal/Ashura. The God of rain/agriculture and sexuality. No pagan god was exclusive. They could have as many gods as they wanted. What are we adding to God? Example- open marriage is not marriage.
v 12 -22 They are running after other gods. Bowing down to them, proclaiming loyalty to them, giving themselves fully, covenant with these gods, not God.
God says "Tell this people." God doesn’t use that term normally for Israel but for the nations. Now the Israelites are not His people 😢.
Boo thought-ugh what is God saying about America
We are to FOLLOW God. Not answering with opinions in terms of what we believe, claim, think or are convinced of. It’s what does God’s Word say.
What do you FOLLOW, pursue and worship?
If we want to know the answer to “Where am I pouring out my life, my love; what I admire, aspire to, pursue and worship simply look at your calendar and your credit card. Ask your family. You will know by dinner time.
Boo thought-Yikes. I put my grandchildren right up there before God.
Worshipping these gods/idols is a snare that will destroy.
Sin and idolatry aren’t toys they are a power that hold, dictate and imprison you
Chapter 2:3 The anger of the Lord was kindled.
God becomes righteously, honestly faithful. “Jealousy and anger are God’s love burst into proper flames.”
Deuteronomy has promises of blessing and promises of cursing. We won’t find the latter in our pretty bedside books of God’s Promises.
“I will give you over to that which you are chasing.” That exhibits the total freedom God gives us.
"People are reprogrammed by fitting in." (Isn’t this true!)
Interesting- We see here that there is no repentance. Time and time again, without repentance and repairing what was wrong things get worse.
The hole gets bigger.
Boo thought-We have seen such a slippery slope in our live time. A friend and I were talking about where we have gone from the point of taking prayer out of schools….down, down, down.
There is constant rebellion. God’s deliverance makes no sense. God gives his people over and then again and again he saves them. All because of His love and compassion. He has compassion on their self induced misery. God’s love is unimaginable.
We are led to repentance by the love of God.
Boo thought- I need to go back and listen to the part of Jesus being torn apart for us on the cross. (I was cooking dinner.)
I hope even one of these thoughts draws each of you closer to God so you hear what he has to tell you today.
God is the real deal and loves us deeply.
Forgive me for no song. I'm rushing out to beat the storm.
