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Judges: Scripture's Believe It Or Not! Message #2

When 2nd Chances Run Out

April 19-20, 2008 Dr Larry Osborne

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SOUND FAMILIAR?
The High Price of Half-Hearted Obedience
     _{^{Romans 15:4  &  1 Corinthians 10:6,11    Judges 2:1-3    Judges 3:5-9
      Deuteronomy 7:1-6}}

•   They were God’s people.
•   They’d been granted great promises.
•   They had crystal clear directions.
•   They made stupid choices based on foolish assumptions.
•   They paid a high price for a long time.

    For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. _^[NIV]

    Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. _^[NIV]

    These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. _^[NIV]

    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 that I swore to give to your forefathers. 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] Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you." _^[NIV]

    The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. [6] They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
    [7] The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. [8] The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. [9] But when they cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, who saved them. _^[NIV]

    When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations--the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you-- [2] and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. [3] Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, [4] for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods, and the Lord's anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you. [5] This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire. [6] For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. _^[NIV]

THE STORIES WE’VE COME TO EXPECT (Sort of)
God To The Rescue
     _{^{Judges 2:9-31}}

•   When we disobey, life falls apart.
•   When we cry out for help, God comes to the rescue.

    But when they cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, who saved them. [10] The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. [11] So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.
    [12] Once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and because they did this evil the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. [13] Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms. [14] The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.
    [15] Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer--Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. [16] Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. [17] He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. [18] After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way the men who had carried it. [19] At the idols near Gilgal he himself turned back and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king."
    The king said, "Quiet!" And all his attendants left him.
    [20] Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his summer palace and said, "I have a message from God for you." As the king rose from his seat, [21] Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king's belly. [22] Even the handle sank in after the blade, which came out his back. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. [23] Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.
    [24] After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, "He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the house." [25] They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.
    [26] While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah. [27] When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them.
    [28] "Follow me," he ordered, "for the Lord has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands." So they followed him down and, taking possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab, they allowed no one to cross over. [29] At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not a man escaped. [30] That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.
    [31] After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel. _^[NIV]

THE DETAILS WE TEND TO OVERLOOK
The Truth About Obedience And 2nd Chances

    Obedience doesn’t guarantee success.
            _{^{Judges 1:2  &  19    Psalm 73    1 Peter 4:12-19}}

  Just because it’s hard, doesn’t mean God isn't working.

    The Lord answered, "Judah is to go; I have given the land into their hands." _^[NIV]

    The Lord was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had iron chariots. _^[NIV]

A psalm of Asaph.

    Surely God is good to Israel,
        to those who are pure in heart.
 
    [2] But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
        I had nearly lost my foothold.
    [3] For I envied the arrogant
        when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
 
    [4] They have no struggles;
        their bodies are healthy and strong.
    [5] They are free from the burdens common to man;
        they are not plagued by human ills.
    [6] Therefore pride is their necklace;
        they clothe themselves with violence.
    [7] From their callous hearts comes iniquity;
        the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.
    [8] They scoff, and speak with malice;
        in their arrogance they threaten oppression.
    [9] Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
        and their tongues take possession of the earth.
    [10] Therefore their people turn to them
        and drink up waters in abundance.
    [11] They say, "How can God know?
        Does the Most High have knowledge?"
 
    [12] This is what the wicked are like--
        always carefree, they increase in wealth.
 
    [13] Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure;
        in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.
    [14] All day long I have been plagued;
        I have been punished every morning.
 
    [15] If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
        I would have betrayed your children.
    [16] When I tried to understand all this,
        it was oppressive to me
    [17] till I entered the sanctuary of God;
        then I understood their final destiny.
 
    [18] Surely you place them on slippery ground;
        you cast them down to ruin.
    [19] How suddenly are they destroyed,
        completely swept away by terrors!
    [20] As a dream when one awakes,
        so when you arise, O Lord,
        you will despise them as fantasies.
 
    [21] When my heart was grieved
        and my spirit embittered,
    [22] I was senseless and ignorant;
        I was a brute beast before you.
 
    [23] Yet I am always with you;
        you hold me by my right hand.
    [24] You guide me with your counsel,
        and afterward you will take me into glory.
    [25] Whom have I in heaven but you?
        And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
    [26] My flesh and my heart may fail,
        but God is the strength of my heart
        and my portion forever.
 
    [27] Those who are far from you will perish;
        you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
    [28] But as for me, it is good to be near God.
        I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
        I will tell of all your deeds. _^[NIV]

    Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. [13] But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. [14] If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. [15] If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. [16] However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. [17] For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? [18] And,

    "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
        what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"
 
    [19] So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. _^[NIV]

    Knowing God makes disobedience worse not better.
            _{^{Hebrews 12:5-11    Judges 1:28–2:5    Matthew 5:29-30}}

     Partial obedience is not obedience.

     We can’t resist what we’re supposed to flee.

    And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

    "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
        and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
    [6] because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
        and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."
 
    [7] Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? [8] If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. [9] Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! [10] Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. [11] No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. _^[NIV]

    When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely. [29] Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them. [30] Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, who remained among them; but they did subject them to forced labor. [31] Nor did Asher drive out those living in Acco or Sidon or Ahlab or Aczib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob, [32] and because of this the people of Asher lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land. [33] Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath; but the Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and those living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced laborers for them. [34] The Amorites confined the Danites to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain. [35] And the Amorites were determined also to hold out in Mount Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim, but when the power of the house of Joseph increased, they too were pressed into forced labor. [36] The boundary of the Amorites was from Scorpion Pass to Sela and beyond.
    [2:1] 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 that I swore to give to your forefathers. 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] Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you."
    [4] When the angel of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud, [5] and they called that place Bokim. There they offered sacrifices to the Lord. _^[NIV]

    If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. [30] And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. _^[NIV]

   Forgiveness doesn’t fix everything.
            _{^{2 Samuel 12:13  &  12:9-14    Jeremiah 18:1-10
             Judges 2:3  &  20-21}}

    God’s Plan A is always better than Plan B.

    Second chances can and will run out.

    Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord."
    Nathan replied, "The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. _^[NIV]

    Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. [10] Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'
    [11] "This is what the Lord says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. [12] You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.' "
    [13] Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord."
    Nathan replied, "The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. [14] But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the Lord show utter contempt, the son born to you will die." _^[NIV]

    This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: [2] "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." [3] So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. [4] But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
    [5] Then the word of the Lord came to me: [6] "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the Lord. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. [7] If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, [8] and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. [9] And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, [10] and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it. _^[NIV]

    Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you." _^[NIV]

    Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and said, "Because this nation has violated the covenant that I laid down for their forefathers and has not listened to me, [21] I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. _^[NIV]