Sabbath: Conflict and Crisis – The Judges
Read for This Week’s Study: Judges 4, Judges 6, Judges 14, Hebrews 11:32, 1 Sam. 2:12-25, 1 Sam. 8:1-7.
Memory Text: “And Hannah prayed and said: ‘My heart rejoices in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD. I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation’” (1 Samuel 2:1, KJV) .
Image © Lars Justinen Goosalt.com
The time of the Judges was a chaotic period in sacred history. God’s people did evil in the sight of the Lord, the Lord “sold” them into the hands of an oppressor, the people cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up a deliverer who brought peace to the land. That is, until the same sad cycle started again.
Deborah, one of Israel’s judges, was remarkable for the confidence that she inspired in the men around her. She and Jael are heroines while the men needed encouraging because of their timidity and lack of faith. A recurring subtheme in the great controversy is also seen in the story of Gideon, when God’s people face impossible odds.
Samson was one of the last of the judges. After him the nation descended into anarchy and hopelessness. He was the reluctant hero, one who was more interested in chasing women than in following God, a parallel to his countrymen who were more interested in worshiping idols than in serving the Lord.
Samuel brings hope to the nation. Under him a new leadership structure with kings was established, and one of his last acts was to anoint the future King David.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 23.
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At any time a human being depends on God you will never find it easy with those who do not depend on Him, but you will always find a better and lovely way of dealing with them till they realize the love and wonderful things that God can do!
Us humans seldom learn from history or the experience of others. Those that were rescued followed the LORD but when the danger was past and the next generation grew up they went back to the old ways.
I learn from this that it is good to listen to the more experience, more learned people, but it is also true that each one needs to have a personal relationship with the LORD.
In our memory verse, we see women in the limelight. Whenever such stories happen, I am reminded of the love and bond between Creator and creature. With the great controversy in mind, we see humanity being pulled back to God by forces foreign to it; powers of grace, powers of pure love, powers of truth, powers of freedom, to name a few. When this happens, God requires us to pick from hence and match forwards with great strength because He is God and will work out other parameters in our favour. So cease upon every opportunity that He avails just like Jacob when he fought with God's angel throughout the night demanding to be blessed. Abraham did it, Jesus Christ; theSon of God, did it as an example for us, humanity can do it. With God all things are possible.
The people wanted a king like others, because they had rejected God as there leader. Poor Samuel was offended, but God told Samuel that it was not him who they rejected, "it is Me they are rejecting." 1Samuel 8:6,7. Yes God loves. It was not without warning that He let them have a king. Big mistake on there part, they chose to have a king anyway. God is awesome, though a king was not the best for them, it paved the way for our King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Thus Samuel brought hope to not only a nation, but to all who receive Him.
in the least of ways,God always and forever finds a way of meeting the needs of mans longing heart and wants,what will always seems to man as an end to a road is just the beginning to a wide road full with solutions and ideas to the weary and troubled longings to mans needs. He who learns to lean onto GOD finds strength even in his weakest of moments, and shall forever remain a victor.
in the least of ways, God will always and forever find a way of meeting with the needs and longings of the troubled and weary heart of man, he gives strength to the weakest,hope to the hopeless,sight to the sightless, and so on;when we learn to lean unto God,His ways wont be a mystery to us any more because we are already tune to His plans as to how He operates.
The first chapter in the book of Judges contains something that is quite striking. And I suggest that it sets the scene for the whole book. When Joshua died, the conquest of the Promised Land was still very incomplete. And even though each of the tribes had been appointed a portion of land, none of the tribes had driven out (or dispossessed) the heathen inhabitants.
Judah [with the help of the Lord] "drove out the inhabitants of the mountain[ous]" region of their territory, but their faith was insufficient to "drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron." (Judg 1:19)
"Neither did Manasseh drive out" the Canaanites that dwelt in their territory. (Judg 1:27)
"Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites..." (Judg 1:29)
"Neither did Zebulun" (1:30).
"Neither did Asher" (1:31).
"Neither did Naphtali" (1:33).
"The tribes made no vigorous efforts to COMPLETE the conquest of the land. Satisfied with the territory already gained, their zeal soon flagged, and the war was discontinued." (Patriarchs & Prophets p.543.)
The work of overcoming stopped short, and it seems that with every tribe there was a falling away of zeal and purpose. This is an unfortunate reality that sets the scene for the whole book of Judges.
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And what a lesson for us! In the days of our first love, we experience wonderful power to overcome. But before long we acknowledge that areas/pockets of sin remain in our lives. And if we are not careful, we allow ourselves to feel satisfied with the "territory" already gained, and the zeal wanes. The "warfare" - the overcoming - begins to fall away, and from that point onwards, we continually rise and fall, in and out of sin.
Stewart, you make an excellent analogy. Spot on. It's so easy to believe that we've conquered enough in our lives and it would be foolish to think we can conquer everything(sins). It's just another example of not believing God and what we can do when we're united with Him, even when we say that we do believe.
Absolutely! It's so easy [and so tempting] to believe that we've conquered enough in our lives and it would be foolish to think we can conquer everything (sins).
We would do well to remember that "all" - we all - "have sinned" [grievously!], but this does not mean that we must CONTINUE in sin. Oh yes, "all have sinned" (past tense), but "what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin?" (Rom 3:23, Rom 6:1) No, we don't need to do that. We do not have to "miss the mark". The work does not need to remain incomplete.
Thank you for that excellent perspective Stewart. Hope we all learn from Israel's past experiences. God bless