WELCOMEAdult II Couples Class

discoverjoy.com

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Adult II Couples Class

discoverjoy.com

Did you have any Easter

Sunday traditions in

the home you grew up

in?

Physical Spiritual Practical Church Misc

PRAYER REQUESTS

-The Savages

-Williams Family

-Marsha Trollinger Surgery Recovery

-Tony: Cancer Treatments

-Spring Revival

-Easter Musical

-LRTF Decisions

CHURCH STUFFClass Events Church Events

Benevolence Fund R.E.A.P. (R-Team) Monthly Fellowships

April (Spring Picnic) May June

Dinner Out Friday (NA for Apr)

5th Sunday Breakfast (29 April)

Quarterly Service Project Ends of the earth

project: Savage family care

package Jerusalem Project

School yard work

LRTF meeting (11 Apr) Nominating Cmte Mtg (18 Apr) Revival ‘Kick-off’ Breakfast (21

Apr) Spring Revival (29 Apr – May 2)

QUESTION OF THE DAYAdult II Couples Class

discoverjoy.com

Did you have any Easter

Sunday traditions in

the home you grew up

in?

Chronological Bible

Discipleshipweek thirteen

Judges 18 – Ruth 4

Iva May and Dr. Stan May

ReviewReviewCreation: God reveals His goodness through creation and His mercy in response to sin.

Patriarchs: God reveals His response to the faithful-ness of men (Job, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph) and His covenant promises to them as they chose to trust in Him.

Exodus: God liberates Israel from bondage, then uses Moses to shepherd them in the wilderness while shaping them into a nation holy to Himself through the covenant power of His Law.Conquest: Moses passes his leadership role to Joshua who, by relying on God’s presence and power, leads them to take possession of and settle the Promised Land over a thirty year period.

Judges EraJudges EraJoshua and the elders of the Exodus Era die and the nation of Israel spirals into a 350 year period of spiritual de-cline.

This era is characterized by a consis-tent cycle of disobedience, judgment, oppression and deliverance.

God raises up 12 judges (not including Eli and Samuel) to deliver Israel from their oppressors. The story of Ruth oc-curs during one of these periods of peace

Even in the midst of this corrupt period, God works providentially in their af-fairs to fulfill promises made to pre-vious generations.

The Book of JudgesThe Book of Judges• Author is anonymous, but

thought to be the prophet and priest, Samuel

• Records the falling away of the people of Israel after Joshua and the last of the “Exodus” elders pass away (2:10)

• Israel disobeys God and intermarries with the Canaanite tribes; begin wor-shiping their idols

• Never mentions the Book of the Law, and an altar is only mentioned four times

• Demonstrates God’s providence and power through the amazing rulers He raises up to lead and deliver His people

Key TruthKey Truth

God responds faithfully and redemptively to those who

humble themselves before Him.

The Judges EraThe Judges Era

Israel’s Sin Cycle• The Sin Cycle Explained• The Sin Cycle Outlined• The Sin Cycle Illustrated

Judges

Context

The Sin Cycle Explained

The Sin Cycle Explained

Judges 2:11-23

The Sin Cycle ExplainedBegins with a Period of

Expansion into the Land of Canaan (Judges 1:1-26) Final years of Joshua’s leadership

After early victories, they begin to leave enemy strongholds in the land (Judges 1:27-36)

Expulsion of local tribes stalls out

The Sin Cycle ExplainedCompromise Becomes the Order of the

Day Israel rejects the LORD’s leadership and authority God allows oppression from remaining Canaanites

within and neighboring Israel Periods of oppression last seven to 40 years at a time

When they Cry out to God, He Raises up Judges who Deliver them Peace reigns during the life of the judge When the judge dies, Israel reverts to old ways of idol

worship and immorality, even worse than before

The Cycle Begins Again

The Sin Cycle Outlined

The Sin Cycle Outlined

Joshua 2:11-18Joshua 3:1-3

The Sin Cycle OutlinedThe Sin Cycle Characterizes the

Entire Era

God Leaves Some Enemies in the Land (Judges 3:1-3) To test Israel To train those who have not known war To see whether they will obey His

commands

The Sin Cycle OutlinedThe Cycle of Sin in Israel

Israel’s Rebellion – turn from following the LORD to follow the gods of Canaan

God’s Retribution – the LORD responds in anger and judges Israel by delivering them over to the oppression of their enemies

Israel’s Repentance – Israel responds to their distress by calling upon the LORD

God’s Rescue – He raises up judges who deliver Israel from their enemies

Israel’s Rest – In compassion, the LORD responds to their groaning and grants deliverance from their oppressors during the life of the judge

The Sin Cycle OutlinedThe presiding judge dies and

the people revert to idol worship. The cycle begins

anew.

The Cycle Repeats SEVEN Times Durin

g Judges Era.

The Sin Cycle Illustrated

The Sin Cycle Illustrated

Joshua 3 - 13

The Sin Cycle IllustratedOthniel (Judges 3:7-11)

Nephew of Caleb (Josh 15) Delivers Israel from king Cushan-

Rishathaim of Mesopotamia• God had given Israel over to Cushan after His

anger burned against them for their forsaking Him in favor of the Baals and Asheroth

Ended eight years of enslavement Ushered in 40 years of peace

The Sin Cycle IllustratedEhud (Judges 3:12-31)

Left-handed Raised up by God to rescue Israel from

18 years of oppression under king Eglon of Moab

Talked his way into getting a private audience with Ehud, then assassinated him with a hidden dagger

Rallied people to defeat the Moabites Israel enjoyed 80 years of peace

Moral of the StoryFat Kings and

Daggers Don’t Mix

The Sin Cycle IllustratedShamgar (Judges

3:31) Kills 600 Philistines with an

oxgoad• “…and he also saved Israel”

This inclusion with the other judges, implies a continued pattern of oppression, crying out to God and rescue

The Sin Cycle IllustratedDeborah (Judges 4 & 5)

Raised up to deliver Israel from 20 years of harsh service under Jabin

Takes over the armies of Israel to defeat Sisera and his powerful force• Sisera is killed by another woman, Jael,

who discovers new use for tent pegs

God uses two women, Israel’s army, a heavenly army, and a rainstorm to subdue Jabin and liberate Israel

Leads to a 40 year period of rest

The Sin Cycle Illustrated Gideon (Judges 6-8)

Member of the smallest clan of Manasseh Called by the angel of the LORD to deliver Israel

from seven years of Midianite oppression God confirms his power, peace and presence

• Acceptance of Gideon’s offering• Empowers him to rid his own family of idols• Miracles of the fleece in the presence of the army

God trims his army down to 300 which defeats the larger force of Midianites, Amalekites and others

Gideon is established as a highly regarded leader in Israel

Foolishly created an ephod which the Israelites began to worship

Israel experiences 40 years of peace under Gideon

The Sin Cycle IllustratedAbimelech (Judges 9)

Foolishly sought to lead Israel in absence of a God-appointed judge

Oppresses his own people; dies badlyTola and Jair (Judges 10)

Virtually nothing known of their service Judged for a consecutive total of 45 years

Jephthah (Judges 11) Son of a harlot Called by God to deliver Israel from 18

years of oppression Slaughters the Ammonites Makes a foolish vow to the LORD that costs

him his only child

The Sin Cycle IllustratedSamson (Judges 13-16)

Only judge recorded to be called before birth• Called as a Nazarite

Judged Israel for 20 years Mightily used by God as he obeys the divine

prohibition concerning his hair Marries a Philistine woman and commits

sexual immorality (Delilah) This failure to obey God’s Law leads to his

downfall Despite his moral failings, God grants him

one final victory over the Philistines Kills more Philistines in his death than his

entire 20 reign as a judge

ConclusionsJudges 21:25 – “In those days there was not a king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

Man left to himself wanders away from God to his own detriment; a fact the Jesus understood very well. Matthew 9:36 – “He was moved with compassion

for them, because the were weary and scattered like sheep that had no shepherd.”

Sin always leads to spiritual decline within and oppression from without.

What does this lesson teach about God? Man? Sin? Redemption?

God

>Can use people who are unlikely candidates in the eyes of man to lead others during difficult times.

Man

>WILL go his own sinful way quickly without godly leader-ship.>We should strive to daily understand God’s ways and apply them in our lives and teach them to our children.

Sin

>Makes us worse than we think we are.>We should avoid com-paring our-selves to our-selves, rather than the stan-dards of godli-ness.

Red

em

pti

on

>Comes as God responds to our cries in the midst of oppression.>It will come when we cry out to God.

• Why did Samson, who was faithful to follow the Nazarite restrictions in his life, fail to obey the Law’s basic prohibition against marrying a Canaanite?

• Can a Christian get caught up in the cycle of sin?

• Where are we, the people of God in the 21st century, in the cycle of sin? (Rebellion, oppression, crying out, judge, deliverance, faithful rest)

• As a nation?• As a church?• As an individual believer?

• What sets the judges apart from those around them that made them useful to God?

BIBLE KNOWLEDGE QUIZThe Books of Judges and Ruth(1pt)

What acute problem was suddenly brought on by the civil war between Benjamin and the rest of Israel? “And the sons of Israel were sorry for their

brother Benjamin and said, ‘One tribe is cut off from Israel today. What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?’” (Judges 21:6,7)

What were the nationalities and names of the daughters-in-law of Naomi? “Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she

was left with her two sons. They took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth.” (Ruth 1:3,4)

What signified the completion of a transaction involving the exchange of land between two men in Ruth’s day? “Now this was the custom in former times in

Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel.” (Ruth 4:7)

BONUS ROUNDBonus Question (5pts)

What did the Danites take by force from the house of Micah? “Micah said, ‘You have taken

away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away, and what do I have besides?’ (Judges 18:24)

NEXT WEEK…..Adult II Couples Class

discoverjoy.com

1 Samuel 2Corrupt Priesthood