Deliverance and the Fight Against Sin in Judges

Devotional

Day 1: Spiritual Unity in Marriage

Description: The story of Othniel highlights the importance of spiritual unity in marriage. Othniel, the first judge, was married to an upright Israelite woman, which set him apart from the Israelites who intermarried with the Canaanites. This spiritual unity was foundational for his role as a deliverer of Israel. Believers are encouraged to marry other believers to ensure common values and beliefs, which are essential for a thriving marriage. Spiritual unity allows couples to work together closely and head in the same direction, fostering a strong and resilient relationship. [06:56]

1 Corinthians 7:39 (ESV): "A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord."

Reflection: Think about your current or future marriage. How can you ensure that your relationship is grounded in spiritual unity? What steps can you take today to foster a deeper spiritual connection with your spouse or future spouse?

Day 2: God's Compassion Despite Our Unfaithfulness

Description: The Israelites often cried out to God in pain rather than repentance, yet God still had compassion on them and raised a deliverer. This demonstrates that God's compassion is not dependent on our faithfulness. He cares for us even when we don't care for Him, showcasing His boundless love and mercy. This takeaway reminds us that God's love is unconditional and that He is always ready to help us, even when we fall short. [09:17]

Psalm 103:13-14 (ESV): "As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt distant from God. How did He show His compassion to you during that period? How can you extend that same compassion to others who may be struggling in their faith?

Day 3: God as the Ultimate Savior

Description: The story of Othniel emphasizes that God is the true hero and savior. Despite Othniel's great character and courage, it was God who orchestrated the deliverance of Israel from the powerful kingdom of Mesopotamia. This reminds us to look beyond human leaders and recognize God's hand in every victory and deliverance in our lives. We must always remember that it is God who saves and delivers us, and we should give Him the glory for every triumph. [11:45]

Isaiah 43:11-12 (ESV): "I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and I am God."

Reflection: Think about a recent victory or deliverance in your life. How can you acknowledge and give glory to God for His role in that situation? What practical steps can you take to ensure that you always recognize God as the ultimate savior in your life?

Day 4: The Danger of Coexisting with Sin

Description: The gradual acceptance of sin can lead to a hardened heart. As Christians, we must not make peace with sin but continually fight against it. The Holy Spirit within us empowers us to overcome sin, and we must seek God's help to maintain a heart of flesh rather than a heart of stone. This takeaway emphasizes the importance of vigilance in our spiritual lives and the need to actively resist sin. [21:03]

Hebrews 3:12-13 (ESV): "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today,' that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you have become complacent with sin. What steps can you take today to actively resist and overcome this sin? How can you seek the Holy Spirit's help in this battle?

Day 5: God's Sovereignty in Human Affairs

Description: Ehud's story shows that even unconventional and flawed methods can be used by God to accomplish His purposes. While Ehud used deception to assassinate Eglon, the Moabite king, it was ultimately God who orchestrated the deliverance of Israel. This teaches us that God is sovereign and can use any situation or person to fulfill His plans. We must trust in God's sovereignty and believe that He can work through any circumstance to bring about His will. [18:05]

Proverbs 19:21 (ESV): "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."

Reflection: Reflect on a situation in your life where things did not go as planned. How can you see God's hand at work in that situation? How can you trust in God's sovereignty and believe that He can use any circumstance for His purposes?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Good morning, everyone. Today, we continue our 10-part series on the book of Judges, focusing on Chapter 3 and the first two judges, Othniel and Ehud. We began by honoring the mothers and grandmothers among us, quoting Proverbs 31 to celebrate their strength, wisdom, and unwavering love.

We then delved into the historical context of the book of Judges, which spans approximately 400 years from 1400 BC to the time of the prophet Samuel. This period is marked by a cycle of Israel's disobedience, oppression by enemies, cries for help, and deliverance by judges raised by God. The book features six major and six minor judges, with Othniel and Ehud being the first two.

Othniel, the first judge, is portrayed as the ideal judge. He was a man of great character and faith, married to an upright Israelite woman, and distinct from the Israelites who intermarried with the Canaanites. Despite Israel's disobedience, God raised Othniel to deliver them from the powerful kingdom of Mesopotamia. The story emphasizes that it is God who is the ultimate savior, involved in every step of the deliverance.

Ehud, the second judge, presents a stark contrast. He was left-handed, which was considered unusual at the time, and used deception to assassinate Eglon, the Moabite king. Despite his unconventional methods, God used Ehud to deliver Israel. This story highlights that while human leaders may have flaws, it is God who orchestrates deliverance.

The key lesson from these stories is that we should not live in peaceful coexistence with sin. Sin can become normalized and eventually lead to a hardened heart. As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit within us, and we must continually fight against sin, seeking God's help to overcome it. The ultimate deliverer is Jesus, who took our sin and offers us His righteousness and eternal life.

Finally, I challenge you to read the entire book of Judges in one sitting to fully absorb its lessons and allow God to speak to you through it. Let us pray for God's guidance and strength to live by faith and overcome sin in our lives.

###

Key Takeaways

1. The Importance of Spiritual Unity in Marriage: Othniel's marriage to an upright Israelite woman highlights the importance of spiritual unity in marriage. Believers should marry other believers to ensure common values and beliefs, which are foundational for a thriving marriage. Spiritual unity allows couples to work together closely and head in the same direction. [06:56]
2. God's Compassion Despite Our Unfaithfulness: Even when the Israelites cried out in pain rather than repentance, God had compassion on them and raised a deliverer. This shows that God's compassion is not dependent on our faithfulness. He cares for us even when we don't care for Him, demonstrating His boundless love and mercy. [09:17]
3. God as the Ultimate Savior: The story of Othniel emphasizes that God is the true hero and savior. Despite Othniel's great character and courage, it was God who orchestrated the deliverance. This reminds us to look beyond human leaders and recognize God's hand in every victory and deliverance in our lives. [11:45]
4. The Danger of Coexisting with Sin: The gradual acceptance of sin can lead to a hardened heart. As Christians, we must not make peace with sin but continually fight against it. The Holy Spirit within us empowers us to overcome sin, and we must seek God's help to maintain a heart of flesh rather than a heart of stone. [21:03]
5. God's Sovereignty in Human Affairs: Ehud's story shows that even unconventional and flawed methods can be used by God to accomplish His purposes. While Ehud used deception, it was ultimately God who orchestrated the deliverance. This teaches us that God is sovereign and can use any situation or person to fulfill His plans. [18:05]
### [18:05]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:56] - Honoring Mothers and Grandmothers
[01:50] - Introduction to the Book of Judges
[02:36] - Who is Othniel?
[03:14] - Historical Context of Judges
[03:55] - Major and Minor Judges
[04:42] - The Downward Spiral of Judges
[05:34] - Othniel: The Ideal Judge
[06:12] - Importance of Spiritual Unity in Marriage
[08:18] - Israel's Cry and God's Compassion
[10:09] - God as the Ultimate Savior
[12:36] - The Story of Ehud
[14:15] - Ehud's Deception and God's Sovereignty
[16:32] - The Significance of Gilgal
[18:48] - Life Without God
[19:37] - Lessons from Othniel and Ehud
[21:03] - The Danger of Coexisting with Sin
[24:28] - Jesus: The Great Deliverer
[27:19] - Jesus' Love and Sacrifice
[27:55] - Challenge: Read the Book of Judges
[28:56] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What was the historical context of the book of Judges, and how long did this period last? [03:55]
How is Othniel described in Judges 3:7-11, and what sets him apart from the other Israelites? [06:12]
What unusual characteristic did Ehud have, and how did it play a role in his deliverance of Israel? [14:15]
According to the sermon, what is the significance of the location Gilgal in Ehud's story? [16:32]

Interpretation Questions

How does Othniel's marriage to an upright Israelite woman highlight the importance of spiritual unity in marriage? [06:56]
What does the story of Ehud teach us about God's ability to use unconventional and flawed methods to accomplish His purposes? [18:05]
How does the cycle of disobedience, oppression, cries for help, and deliverance in Judges reflect our own spiritual lives? [03:55]
What does the sermon suggest about the danger of coexisting with sin and how it can lead to a hardened heart? [21:03]

Application Questions

Reflect on your own marriage or future marriage. How can you ensure that spiritual unity is a foundational aspect of your relationship? [06:56]
Think about a time when you felt distant from God but still experienced His compassion. How did that impact your faith and understanding of God's love? [09:17]
In what ways can you recognize and fight against the normalization of sin in your life? What practical steps can you take to maintain a heart of flesh? [21:03]
How can you look beyond human leaders and recognize God's hand in the victories and deliverances in your life? [11:45]
Identify a situation in your life where you might be tempted to use unconventional or flawed methods to achieve a goal. How can you seek God's guidance to ensure your actions align with His will? [18:05]
The sermon challenges us to read the entire book of Judges in one sitting. How can you set aside time this week to take on this challenge, and what do you hope to learn from it? [27:55]
How can you cultivate a deeper reliance on the Holy Spirit to overcome sin and live by faith daily? [21:03]

Sermon Clips

1. "As we go through this book, you'll see that there's really this downward spiral from one judge to the next. And starting from Othniel today, who's really much more of the ideal judge, and then all the way down to Samson. Samson, who's a little bit less than ideal. And, in fact, actually, the book really gets to the point where the whole community is led to really bankrupt morality, really, in the whole of the nation." [04:42] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Now, I think actually both the Old Testament and the New Testament makes it very clear to us that believers should only marry other believers. And why? Because, you know, marriage is founded by God. And it's founded on spiritual unity of people. In other words, you know, having common values and common beliefs. You know, if we don't have common values as a married couple then you're really working against each other in marriage you for a married couple to really work together closely then they really have to be heading in the same direction." [06:56] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "But God saw their pain and he had compassion on them. How compassionate is our God, eh? He cares for us even when we don't care for him. So God raises up a deliverer. This is the first judge, Othniel. You see that even this really powerful kingdom of Mesopotamia is but a pawn in the hands of God. It's nothing. It's interesting that only Othniel and Ehud are the next judge. Of all of the judges, they're specifically stated, to have been raised up as deliverers." [09:17] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Well, I reckon it's because the writer of Judges, and I think actually Othniel himself, didn't want us to take our eyes off the Lord. Because God is really the hero here. I mean, if you look back, these five verses that's written here about him, the Lord is mentioned seven times. In verse nine, it says, it was the Lord who raised up the deliverer. Verse 10, it was the spirit of the Lord who was with Othniel. And it's the Lord who gave Mesopotamia into his hand. You see, God is involved at every, every single step. God's at the very centre and the heart of this story of Othniel." [10:58] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "You know, life without God, life without prayer can probably seem like, you know, a lot of ranting, random events happening where, you know, some people have got it pretty good and some people not so much. And yet God has got his hand behind it all. You know, it says in the Bible that the heart of a man plans his ways but the Lord establishes his steps. What the story of Othniel tells us is that even a great leader, you have to look beyond the leader to the Lord, to what God is doing through that person." [18:48] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "I learnt that I cannot live in peaceful coexistence with sin in my life. I just can't. And I think that it is so easy for us to just do that. I do live with sin. We all do. But I don't have to be happy about it. And I don't have to make peace with sin in my life. You know, as a Christian, I've got the Holy Spirit inside of me. Jesus and sin do not mix. You know, what I do far too easily is, is put up the white flag." [21:03] (54 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "Over time, you know, undealt with, sin really affects us. It affects our character. And, you actually become the person you never wanted to be. God wants us to have a heart of flesh. You see, the more we sin, our heart becomes more like a heart of stone. As we fight sin in our lives, as we ask God to take sin from us, our heart becomes more like a heart of flesh. You know, recognise the patterns of sin in your own life. Don't just accept them. You know, ask God to help you to overcome them in your life." [23:22] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "And well, two weeks ago, Collingwood played Carlton in this really tense Friday night Aussie Rules footy match. It was fantastic. The scores were tied. It was only one minute left. Nick Dacos, he gets the ball, he runs the mark, kicks it from a long way out and he gets the goal! Wow! Collingwood win. Fantastic. Didn't you love it? I remember there was a time when I heard these two commentators and they were talking about a very similar kind of a moment in a game." [25:44] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "I want to make to you a bigger challenge. I want you to read the whole book of Judges in one sitting. All 21 chapters of it. It only takes less than two hours. I know because I did it. I want you to absorb this book. Let it sink down into your bones. Feel this book and allow God to really speak into your life through it. And then I want you to pray. I'm not going to tell you what to pray because the Holy Spirit will do that. And you know, God will do something in your life. Something on the inside. God will touch your heart." [27:55] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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