The Judges Deliver (Part C)

Is important to the story, shall begin in verse 26 with the landlords now these fake images of fatally real images of for God's their landlords when his habit. Mrs. Gill gal. This is where Joshua first set up the camp and the temple.

From here he launches invasion from Erie saw the capital of the Lords on which was covered Gill gal on purpose. Now it's it's a pagan landmark. It's like going to the church that was to preach the gospel and now it's a mosque something wrong has happened. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.

Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Judges, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching that hears Pastor Rick in Judges chapter 3 with his continuing study called the judges deliver verse 10 spirit of Yahweh came upon him. Mrs. Rafael, and he judged Israel went out to war.

Yahweh delivered Kush Andrew Schiff I am king of Mesopotamia into his hand in his hand, prevailed over cushion. Well, here it is that the word it stands out. He went out to war again if he had an inferiority complex is a little bit googling at the bar at bionic had some of that endeavor, said Michael what you are still some of that thunder you out of chance year. I don't care you coming and so I find those things on acute some of you just what it's okay. No, pastors are not supposed to be to sheep except when it comes to humor her right well so he goes out to war. Verse 11 so the hand so the land had rest for 40 years and nothing else on the can has died. What a great testimony of course is so much more to his life.

We gotta get the articles we covered on the Nile before that old hero of the Jews. Good leadership and it's an essential ingredient to victory. What is it on an individual scale making good decisions. Wisdom's wisdom not being around the wrong crowd is some people just gravitate, they always go down if there are bad boys and bad girls.

They want to be in that group and not outside the cemetery has taken and a few those types that comes with a price Jehoshaphat was a man of that kind is a good man but he just could not pick right friends and a big God had to rescue him from death on several occasions.

One of the prophets had to come out and and rebuke him severely prophets would come out and say what you hate God and love his enemies's wassup with that. So remember that. I think the book of Kings and second Chronicles that historical account is really worse than the book of Judges. The reason why I think we don't see it that way. On the surface is because there are these heroes in Kings and Chronicles that really stand out. I mean over the history of the Jews is still as always, David and Hezekiah and and Elisha and judges you have the judges, but they think and then there's much to offer from them, but there's a lot of stumbling there to and you don't get so much of that with men like Elijah and and others. That's my understanding what would get to that later.

So back to verse 12. Later, like two years from now we get to Kings the children of evil. They did evil in the sight of the of Yahweh verse 12 so Yahweh strengthened egg launching of Moab against Israel because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord's egg lawn.

The king of the Moabites was used as the scourge of God. God was going to use him to discipline his people. There was a limit on that there is a note of frustration as this verse starts in the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. Well, you can either take a frustration and turn it into energy and fuel for the solution or you can just let it make you suffer.

I'm working on it, but I've made a lot of progress in the years I've been around so hopefully you will special you younger ones bookmark that in your head.

Life is going to get frustrating. Some of you have not yet met your husband or your wife, and that will introduce to you challenges that you never saw coming and you can be frustrated and take that frustration and do something very useful with it or you can just be frustrated and become bitter and things get worse for you so that Outlook has to be associated with that up. Look anyway. This again add to it the shameless evil committed right under the nose of God, the very serious condition. They did evil in the sight of the Lord right under his nose.

They had no excuse for this.

This phrase evil in the sight of the Lord.

It is a dominant phrase in Judges 1st and second Kings and second Chronicles verse 13 then he gathered to himself the people of Amazon and Amalek went and defeated Israel and took possession of the city of Palm status Jericho not Jericho, the main city was destroyed.

But because of the oasis at Eric at Jericho, all the water sources. Sources you could build around it. That's what he didn't anything near Jericho became Jericho, so there's no contradiction.

Jericho Joshua put a curse on that city but egg lawn. He rallied to support of those around him to go against the righteous that works both ways. The righteous can rally support to stand against the wicked.

Also, if they have a standing army and that's why Paul said, having done all, to stand therefore stand he says here in verse 13 and took possession of the city of Psalms again.

That is the.

The only the oasis of Jericho, verse 14, so the children of Israel serve egg lawn, king of Moab 18 years. That means they have to pay their crops their monies. The good portion of it went to him that made life very difficult for them and there were other things that were just oppressive. Because of this King egg lawn.

This unnecessary hardship if they just obeyed God, but they did not and the righteous had to suffer right alongside the ones who will bring this on them their own people that were not interested somewhere. The system broke down is not all about garrisons and standing armies. Where were the priests and Levites they were entrusted with teaching the people, the word of God and upholding the word of God, somebody with an idol should have been taken out in stone. That was the law. All that tribal leaders and their clergy, but they weren't.

When the church doesn't uphold righteousness when the church begins to surrender to the world. Same thing happens world wins every time the priest they were to not only officiate at the temple. As I said they were to teach and uphold pastors or to do more than just bury people at cemeteries and do weddings there supposed to be in the trenches where it's not so pleasant all the time. Well we go on to verse 15 but when the children of Israel cried out to Yahweh. Yahweh raised up and deliver it to them. Here, the son of Kiera the Benjamite a left-handed man by him. The children of Israel sent tribute to egg launching of Moab. Now we getting into it now become animated in the man who was going to do something and did it. He said he heard was the man like I had about enough of this, because the spirit of God came upon him, which means there's all the more history to the man's life that we don't have concerning him and God know most people, not left-handed. They live in England you put a stick shift on the left ends at this mean anyway it's pointing to an advantage that otherwise is really not an advantage. I mean someone was telling me about one that's left-handed when they write the hand goes into the words of the writing, as opposed to when you're right-handed you moving away and writing wood charcoal as most of us do you smudge a lot. So anyway the advantages, disadvantages, my point verse 16 now heats up any hood made himself a dagger.

The layout went out toward Eli made himself a dagger. Is this going to war two was going be real close. It was a double-edged and a cubit in length about 18 inches. That's really not a dagger to me but but you know it's for close fighting about a sword. Anyway, and fastened it under his clothes on his right thigh. So this is a concealed weapon and his gaze got good at his access to this.you can know he's in the front of the mirror drawing practicing this is not going to go in life OSC where they put that dagger, it's easy to check this thing out his walk with. It is run with it ready concealed weapon egg lawn will wish he had a dagger detector but there was none, and ease. Obviously, as I said, planning to get very close to his victim, now the lesson for us.

We have to extract the violence and replace it with truth as I was saying earlier, we have to get close to those who were winning to Christ to slay the lies you've got to get close and you know if you try witnessing over mail or email, visit you. You're such a disadvantage. You miss gestures you missed homes you miss reading the other person's face you miss so much when you're in front of a person. There's a lot of sparring going on and it's very helpful. Well, these dagger ready. This is going to be deliberate. Verse 17 so he brought to the tribute to egg launching of Moab. No egg lawn was a very fat man. Now I've said in advance. I'm not going to make any notes a big deal. You know what I mean I'm not going to do that but I can't help smiling a little because I know you're thinking so verse 18 and when he had finished presenting tribute he sent away the people and they carried the tribute, but he himself turned back from the stones, the stone images that were read Gil Gowen said I have a secret message for you. A king, and he said keep silent, and all who attended him went out from him so egg lawn was picked by his people listen. You bring the tribute to him and egg lawn says okay I'm going to kill him because eon said this because egg lawn.

The king is such a successful king that as long as he's alive, we can't beat the enemy.

This one man is the kingpin and we got to come out is going to assassinate him. These men there's a lot here in these verses 17 through 19. So he brings him the money they presented.

He leave now, the city of Psalms is about a mile from Gill gal.

These images it's important to destroy the show begin. Verse 26, but the landmarks now these fake images of faintly real images of for God's there landmarks. What is happened.

This is Gill gal. This is where Joshua first set up the camp and the temple. From here he launches invasion from Erie saw the captain of the Lords I would do is covered Gill gal on purpose. Now it's it's a pagan landmark.

It's like going to the church that was to preach the gospel and now it's a mosque something wrong has happened and you. It is very conscious of this Gill gal look at it now verse 20 so you and came to him for solo voice.

He goes to Gill going so I gotta go back and he goes back to get to the king and his intro is all I've got a mess.

God spoke to me something for you and egg lawn of courses eager to hear that because these people were very spiritual, even though they were pagan.

Verse 20. So here it came to him. I was sitting upstairs in his cool private chamber and you and said I have a message from God for you. So he arose from his seat and is eager to get this chamber lightly has windows that let the breeze come through and this is certainly not facing the sun that will help for an escape or if need be. Anyway, he gets up he wants to hear this. This is going to be a judgment from God. As we read in verse 15 God raised up, you Lord for this thing. Verse 21, then he would reached with his left hand took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. Even the hilt went in after the blade and the fat close over the blade, for he did not draw the dagger out of his belly and his entrails came out ghastly. What a mess.

So Micah clean is a buddy eagerly gone and is going to be a big mess at this is that the Hebrew when the entrails good as it is even more disgusting would just leave it at the entrails came out. This had to be hard thrust him and he had to pull it dagger back and jam it in and who just likes to suck, then any just fine. Keep it yet another it's not an heirloom so slow. So again, egg lawn's leadership wasn't impressive and he had to go down. This is going to secure the victory. So effective is this battle going to be that they going to get 80 years of peace, the longest and all the appeared of judges.

Because of this one stroke of the dagger verse 23 then even went out to the porch and shut the doors of the upper room behind him and lock them when he had gone out egg lawn service came to look in to their surprise, the doors of the upper room were locked so they said he is probably attending to his needs in the cool chamber so so you it kills him, and he locks the door and of course he gets away was attendance.

The king's attendance egg lawn's attendance there on the outside anything while he's using the bathroom and are they gonna wait so long to look, somebody's got this is kind of embarrassing summons got to go in.

So it's somebody in egg lawn's court had to tell the story to somebody in Israel for it to be published and that is probably because it is such a story that you know you just can't keep some things then you just can't wait to get home to tell them we have you ever had something to work.

Maybe somebody dropped the water that goes in the cooler made a mess and you get home and how is work you will believe it will you know different people or people. How was work tell you what happened I just mince the realness of the story to me.

I mean they didn't learn from a theologian. Verse 26 and you escape while they delayed and passed beyond the stone images and escape to see Ora or CRO was we don't know where it is, but he's at least a mile away when he gets to Gill gal so this is how long they were waiting in an remarkable story you it had to tell it is the only one that could've told his part of the story, someone put it together. Maybe you did verse 27 and it happened when he arrived that he blew the trumpet in the mountains of Ephraim and the children of Israel went down with him from the mountains and he led them and he said to them verse 28. Follow me. For Yahweh has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hands so they went down after him sees the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab and did not allow anyone to cross over Wally again, going backwards is planning identify the problem, egg lawn, he came up with a solution. Make a dagger and loves more than sword just today are didn't kill him. He made contact wasn't just a plan. He actually was an abstract was concrete. He made contact eliminated those who would interfere. He executed his solution. He created the delay in the left safely, then not done he rallied his people and attack the enemy and then he stalled cars.

They took the fords.

It tells us that had to think of getting. I will either you says it right there so hope hope.

There were no Chevys so they had to settle for fords. This read so they went down after him sees the fords of the Jordan below a course before it's for you to have to be serious were the shallow part of the water we could just like trot across, no bread, she could just walk across and they knew they were cutting off the exit. See his plan. He cut the exit.

Also those that the in Jericho. Moab is on the east side of of the Jordan, the west side is where Jericho is well of their people get home to the Moabites are going to bring a big army back with them so you would just going eliminate that problem and he cuts off their escape and it is a quite impressive brilliant, courageous, creative, all these things. This is a good story to tell a kid I likable 75-year-old tell the story. So many things to get the kid to think that this planning that goes in his execution of the plan.

This finishing the thing you started reminiscing more gory things on cartoons. I think anyway. Verse 29. Some your parents of my piecing is a bit much for myself fix your hold to be making a dagger the next day we will have a problem though maybe elastic. The pastoral advice is not the verse 29, and at that time they killed about 10,000 men of Moab all stout men of valor and not a man escaped so it was a slaughter I like, and they put in all stout men of valor, we want know these are ferocious men yeah if I'm telling the story. They can be very ferocious. Verse 30. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel in the land had rest 80 years. Again the longest. So this was monumental. Verse 31 after him was sham God the son of a Nath who killed 600 men of the Philistines with an ox goad, and he also delivered Israel not there's a lot here in sham gar's judgeship is challenged by by Simon and not I think wrong is wrong to challenge it because it says after him after him after EU.

It sham gar will because it is not said to be a judge someone.

People raise flags and or some other little ones and will discover them briefly. The fact that the board's 80 years of peace and Ila did not live all those 80 years and still the years before that sham gar is in there somewhere. Then he probably did not outlive yard and that's why Deborah and Bharat come on the scene at the death of the hood which will getting the next chapter. So clearly the third judge and we don't read about the customary prelude to sin, you know, the people sin called out that we don't have to read he still is a judge of the people but the one I like so much about this man and he'll show up again in Judges chapter 5 the first. His name is not a Hebrew name, which leads some to believe or maybe he was.

You know converted to paganism and came out of that land speculation without Hebrew name. Maybe somebody just do not kinda like that name. I think you can name a boy sham. Gar we don't know. I know I say these things is maybe your reading of the Bible study Bible, along with your Bible and I just want to correct them for you.

Don't they just remember this they all don't agree on everything anyway so he killed 600 men, apparently in one battle I had to get tired and about number 200 with Sampson's going to cross eclipse. This with an ox goad. It's a long stick with a metal tip at the end. Almost like a lance, the Philistines shut down their Second Amendment, the Jews did not have the right to bear arms is true, read it to you. Judges 5 verse eight not to shield her spirit was seen among the 40,000 in Israel's first annual 39 no there were no there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all land of Israel for the Philistines said less the Hebrews get themselves automatic weapons. That's what it says okay spears and swords. But it's the same thing just hours reach a thousand feet. There's did not, so that's why he used an ox goad, how humiliating for who killed you with what well and says he also delivered Israel took a stick to a sword fight and one that's what his story is, but the one who fights for God with what is in their hand is the one that serving God. This is the lesson that disrupts we just hard to learn it because we have bigger ambitions. We want bigger fish to fry. God two verses and were done exit is for love this one to Moses.

This is us topical.

Moses answered and said, but suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice. Suppose they say Yahweh has not appear to you. So Yahweh said to him, what is that in your hand, and was a staff of course and he put on the granite turn into a savings of servant and and Moses ran as far as Lebanon didn't but it were me I would but anyway that was the same Rod of course, that Moses used the park to see and then this Matthew chapter 14 verse seven verse 17, 18, they said to the Lord and the Lord said you feed the people. They said damn, we have only five loaves and two fish and he said, bring them here to me. He saying the same thing. I don't have the best weapon do not have the best truly not the smartest guy in the room were not well… Unusual. Anyway that is so true as I would not be standing. God still uses ox ox goad in boxes move thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Judges cross reference radio is the teaching ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. If you'd like more information about this ministry, we invite you to visit our website cross reference radio.com you will find additional teachings from Pastor Rick available there and encourage you to subscribe to our podcast by doing so you will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio. You can search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast that work just follow the links and cross reference radio.com that's all the time we have for today.

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