Dud gods (Part A)

What you do. We just set up faith God as a Christian as a born-again Christian is just tired of so many failures and setbacks and disappointment. What key in the face of whatever is bothering you, you keep your devotions going to keep praying you keep fellowship. You keep walking with Christ because there is nothing Hell can do to stop that kind of Christian, 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 here. More information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in Judges chapter 18 as he begins his message God's Judges chapter 17. Another ugly story out heroes be that way until we get out of judges and this is 18 chapter continues, which started in the 17th chapter with a man named Micah and a Levite probably was named Jonathan. Going by the end of this chapter. If refers to him, but I find it interesting that these last five chapters with all of these godless were not godless because they worship idols, and so in that sense, they were they were there false gods. But as often as these people were somebody had to tell the story and had to be more than one person.

That means they were likely righteous people and they are shared what was going on in the midst of these awful times over.

They had to suffer this junk, like us today. We have to suffer what the unrighteous do around us were still supposed to tell the story of Jesus Christ. Otherwise why we hear coming to church and worshiping together supposed to strengthen us do these things and we need to be reminded of this, especially now. But again, you are free to riot not keep your social distance as you attack police officers. But you're not free to worship. I know you didn't come here to hear all that. But I just had to get it out want to stay focused on what's happening to me because all of God's word matters is not just the Bible story.

That's how these characters treated the Bible.

That's why they continued with the little figurines and their dog God's because they had the Bible but it wasn't real enough to them so they cherry pick what they liked and they threw away everything else. Not only do they throw away everything else with the corrupted what they could. Doug gods and I don't matters like kidnappers, these guys stole idols.

That's because they thought they had a better way then God's way today.

There are priceless experts who are the pagan priest of the world. They think they know how we should live and go about our lives when it comes, of course, to morality and spirituality. They are wrong.

Your deadly wrong. Then there are the of CQ us Christians of professed Christians who carry their water mingle what the experts say about life in society and God the mingle and then they take it to the church in their dispute out from pulpits and receive gleefully in the pews. These experts tell us.

The Bible is wrong cannot be trusted, but their way is right they can be trusted when they assail the Scripture is gobbled up by self.

These experts again without solutions for the damage from their only morality that we have to deal with.

As I mentioned it to whoever the people were that took notes and compile them and eventually others got those notes and put them into the form we have now known as judges and other books of the Bible's experience the same things likely much of it was oral in the beginning until it was put in print and as they had to deal with the immoralities surrounding them caused by those who felt that they had a better way than God, so must we like the dark ages, when the popes came along and seized Europe by the throat and tried to destroy Christianity by mingling in so much pagan paganism.

He didn't know what was what. To this day it survives evil does not die a natural death, God will have to kill it. One day, but for now we got to deal in the midst of it and we are grateful that even in the midst of this present darkness, people can get to heaven and be used as part of that process, how different these five last five chapters of Judges would be if the people truly look to God instead of just tinkered with him.

Looking at verse one of Judges 18.

In those days there was no king in Israel and in those days the tribe of the Dan-ites was seeking an inheritance for itself. To dwell in for. Until that day there inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them in those days, that's a commentary said that that comment is a commentary on failed leadership member out our study through Joshua Judges and Ruth is the conquest of failure in the hope the conquest in the book of Joshua speaks of the conquest of the Christian life to take territory for Christ, for God sense of preaching the gospel and fighting our own carnality and then of course hear the book of Judges, the repeated failure of the people to submit to God and then in the book of Ruth we have the hope that is found in of good that that reaches all the way forward to the Messiah and all that that means to humanity and so this repeated word in those days there was no king in Judges 1719 and and 25, as well as here in 1821 Judges 21. Four times it is mentioned because the D repeat compiler of Judges is looking back at the period of the a of the judges and he saying they didn't have a king there was a ruler that we also know this. The days the kings were worse. Not entirely largely of the entire northern kingdom was lost. There were there were rent remnant Jews up there. Of course the remnant righteous there. There always are. But overall they were sold out.

The leaders of their will should of been in charge of Israel should be in charge of mankind, who should be in charge of me. Isn't this a fair question.

Who is the boss. We know the righteous know it's God's God of Abraham, the God of Isaac got of Peter and Paul are God, God should would have been king in Israel. As Moses said in his worship in the law, the land needed to work readily acceptable to the people to the majority. Overall, they prefer to do their own thing.

So in the last judge comes along any deals with the first king. He has to rebuke him.

He has to tell him to his face. Samuel said, has Yahweh as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of Yahweh, behold, it is better to obey than sacrifice to heed than the fat of rams is telling the king when it comes to God.

It's about obedience, not playing religion.

Saul never got that lesson. He didn't want Peter echoes it in his first letter in the second letter in the first chapter he says we have the prophetic word confirm we have the God spoken word, the God breathed word confirmed which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place. How do we miss that verse how to so many churches and whole denominations. Christian individuals how do we miss the Holy Spirit saying about the Scripture which you do well to heed to act upon it to do something with it other than dismiss it, and ignoring our big find something else to do what you do when just set up the faith God as a Christian is a born-again Christian is just tired of so many failures and setbacks and disappointments.

What you do. Keep going in the face of whatever is bothering you, you keep your devotions going you keep praying you keep fellow shipping you keep walking with Christ because there is nothing Hell can do to stop that kind of Christian, and this is the lesson from the Scripture is the whole thing why we are so we all adore those men in the furnace. Even if the Lord doesn't answer us king that following God's but idle infested societies refused the message we suffer because of it. But we also work in the midst of it and that's where souls are saved. I think many churchgoers don't want to hear this. He says here in verse one, and in those days the tribe of the Dan-ites was seeking an inheritance for itself. To dwell with a flat not all of it, not the entire tribe of Dan is going to be about 600 men about a thousand people over thousand people are going to relocate out of the this territory because they could not put down the Canaanites, which probably the Philistines with a particular brand of Canaanites may have been the Amorites to so they're going to relocate, flee their allotment and it is because they refused to submit to God that God wasn't acting for them so they felt unsure justified and how they butchered their own faith, their behavior.

The behavior of these characters in these last five chapters, chapters make it very easy for the Bible student to pick them apart should have no problem picking them apart saying this is wrong and that is on the problem is, of course, is that I do not want to be filled with pride myself, and in those days the tribe of Dan was seeking an inheritance for itself. 212. Four. Until that day there inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them. That means that they did not subdue it they receive their allotment. It was a rich land that they receive to it even had oceanfront prop 20 miles of oceanfront property they had nothing to complain about. Even though it was one of the smaller lots. It was nice. It was fertile, so fertile that we find Samson and Vineyards we find Sampson rug taking honey from the carcass of a lion. The life was there land flowing with milk and honey. But the Philistines of course they resisted and did the Dan-ites. Many of them had given up on God. You cannot resist God and resist the enemy at the same time and expect to succeed when when James said God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble will of the problem. Those who exalt themselves and in this case that the Dan-ites that were into Doug God's they had exalted themselves. They decided what gods look like their money said don't do this either on the boss. James continues. He says therefore submit to God.

Resist the devil and he will flee from you, or he'll be back still have to resist him as he cannot. Again, you cannot resist God and resist the enemy and expect to prevail be something wrong with your religion that would be something wrong with your reminder to have that approach Dan's territory. Incidentally, about twice the size of Manhattan. You may say well how big is Manhattan look at the church. Judges chapter 1 verse 34 in Judges 1 we go back to about this is the time that these events were taking place back in Judges chapter 1 again. We covered that last session, the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountains, for they would not allow them to come down to the Valley. The Amorites, they felt this was good territory.

They were given up the Dan-ites of the city. If this is really good territory. We are going to take it. They did not and we know why. Don't blame God blame them for not walking with the Lord, wanting to live life their way and have God bless them. Verse two. So the children of Dan sent five men of their family from their territory. Men of valor to so so raw escarole to spy out the land and search it said to them, will search the land so they went to the mountains of Ephraim to the house of Micah and lodged there with a lot. Their motto was a Candida leave them sometimes you have to do that. The Puritans said to run from persecution. For example, others to but that that's not here. A relocation was not an option. That lamb was God ordained they were to take that land. They were subdue, subdue it, and the fault was theirs now where it says so.

So what did the taking. Five spies ascending them up to out of the land to spy out the territory that they can relocate some of them to put a Dan-ites settlement there.

These spies are going to mingle amongst the people that they going to later kill of course, pillage and plunder will be part of it says that they were men of valor, all we use that word valor as though they were courageous, heroic men, virtuous men on the field of battle. I guess well and that's, poetic. But anyway, that means it means that they were of military age. They could've been fierce men or not so fierce. These happen to be somewhat tough guys but not against their enemies, not against formidable enemies they going to be very tough against people who are too weak to defend themselves and their own brethren, but not against the Amorites in the Philistines.

This they going to end up 100 miles away from their hometown. It's too bad because here in the Dan's territory. Once upon a time hell fell from heaven like artillery to take out the enemy of God's people. Now that was something to forget at almost every time when I drive home like I drive over a battlefield from those from the Civil War where over all 1400 men lost their lives storming the union entrenchments is that Beaverdam Creek not.

I don't even think it's a mile from here. Maybe MTU though I'm saying is we forget that something dramatic took place here and in the biblical content text of that thought that then I should simply wait a minute. One time Joshua was in our allotment and said son standstill in the sun and the moon stop doing their work and God sent artillery to take out the enemy we we should try to get back to that place. We don't read of that happening.

In fact, later it says here in verse two there were from Zora Eshkol Sampson there and at this very place the Bible tells us that the spirit of the Lord began to move upon him there. But Sampson comes much later Sampson was also buried there. Sampson story indicates because this was where he roamed that there was a large Philistine presence. They remember the women of Tim Nolan and all the other Philistines that belonged to his story continues here at the bottom of verse two. So they went to the mountains of Ephraim to the house of Micah and lodged there and here again is Micah and he has that Levite priest that he hired who is his personal chaplain, and among other sins these two worship Yahweh with idols or I should say they worship idols with Yahweh's name and they had the shrine, which was forbidden in many other things in the Dan-ites scouts. They probably come to Micah's house because it was a good rest stop unknown one because Michael is probably showing off his priest and and shrine to those in that area was a religious sanctuary so that would've been the draw for them. Let's pull over and get some prayer on the way boys verse three while they were at the house of Micah. They recognize the voice of the young Levite they turned aside and said to him, who brought you here what are you doing in this place.

What do you have here the rapid succession of question is a young man's body intimidated by these guys asking him all these questions of why you doing this to a not old enough to say, will you you know you get older you get that way. You see what's happening to.

A lot of things are beginning to become jaded with life and people in ministry with you hopefully learn. Anyhow, this Levite, we first find out.

He spent time in Bethlehem of Judah, is probably from a different Eve the different Levitical town of one of the two cities of refuge or other territories of the Levites, so he's he's bouncing around but evidently also spent some time in an Dan's territory. Now he's any forms territories in Rolling Stone and they recognize his voice, which can mean either they picked up a dialect or they recognize his voice maybe is like a J. Vernon McGee, a distinct voice they Vernon would even make jokes about he tells one story about others in the gas station. Yet the question somebody said you gave me on the radio. I never could miss that voice and anyway they they say we know we know you I think that's what happened. I think they knew him and they turn their attention to him asking him these these questions, verse four he said to them, thus and so Micah did for me. I'm glad they left out the details.

We get them in 17 chapter 70. Thus and so Micah did for me. He has hired me, and I have become his priest whose will is free so you his priest Micah Springs not God's well. By this they would now know well he can be bought. I don't think they thought that far along yet they will come back to it later, but they knew he was a hired priest person who chaplain for this man Micah who evidently is not here at the moment. Had they been businessmen. They would when they go to recruit and they said was he paying you and would hired him away.

They have other means to do that. Verse five so they said to him, please inquire of God, that we may know whether the journey on which we go will be prosperous while they didn't have a problem with him being chaplain for Micah and not being Levite at Shiloh, where the tabernacle was that didn't bother them know they only wanted a blessing and not once did we find the question what does the Lord want with us it done and no one in the last five chapter seems to interested networking to some of it in the next few incoming scenes, but not here and God's morality. Of course, would been an issue for them that will come out and destroy these men will steal the idols and the priest what many want a God lantern regard justices exist to illuminate their glorious path while God does not rule over them. Verse six and the priest said to them, go in peace. The presence of Yahweh be with you on your way so he announces a blessing on them. The Lord bless you my son who doesn't want to hear that.

I mean I had Chinese food for lunch and I got to my fortune cookie and I I ate the cookie but without the little fortune because is that we all know there are so accurate anyway. Mine says something is good is going to happen to you in a moment. Love doesn't want to hear that we we would stop buying Chinese food if they told us the truth about things so they just fed their carnality with this carnality, he worked for Micah and his idols, but not Yahweh. So he forfeited any right to speak on behalf of Yahweh, but he did not think so. So telling them what they wanted to hear and then they of course were happy with that. What he would've rebuked them.

While he couldn't later on they steal the idols.

What can you say thou shalt not steal.

Slowly they could counter with you shall not bow down to good graven images so that's where his forfeiture lies but of course Trembley would that he tells them. God bless you and they make it and then eventually take this the village of Laius, or any of does not make him a prophet. Their victory was they were spying out land that the take is nothing spiritual about that. Not righteous, spiritual sense, 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.

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