After Joshua died a new generation of kids grew up who did not know God.
Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love the Lord YOUR God.
This is an intimate knowledge both intellectually and experientially.
vs 11 - because they didn’t know God they did evil in His sight.
God uses people to punish and to deliver:
vs 14 - God’s anger was kindled and He handed them over to their enemies.
vs 16 - God then raised up judges to deliver the people.
The period between Joshua’s death and Saul’s kingship was when God used “judges.”
Judges were deliverers - they acted as "fathers" and "mothers" in Israel.
Our nation needs a “Father’s heart revival.”
The last verse of the OT ends with fathers and the first chapter of the NT opens with a list of fathers.
A father’s love looks like something - it won’t sit back and let evil take his kids.
Often times God uses mothers to awaken the fathers.
This is why God made them male and female - we need women!
Deborah was not just a woman or a prophetess, but a mother.
A mother groans for her kids - just like Jesus said in Luke 13:34.
The mother in her aroused the father in Barak.
The spirit in her aroused the soldier in Barak.
My own testimony of Jake sleep walking - I was looking for the bad guy while she was looking for her son.
She “awakened” me to what I really needed to do.
Mom got dad moving in the right direction.
Judges 5:7 (4/16/15)
Motherly Spirit
April 16, 2015 • Benham Brothers
Judges 1 (4/12/18)
April 12, 2018 • Benham Brothers
* The Israelites had ownership of the land but they did not possess it. * They had the power and the authority, but they refused to walk in authority and use their power. * They “could” not take the land because they “would” not. * Why? * 1) They were slothful and cowardly. * 2) They were covetous - they wanted the Canaanites’ labour and money would do them more good than harm. * 3) They pitied those who would lead them astray - they didn’t have the proper view toward the dangers of idolatry. * 4) They didn’t truly believe they could defeat them.
Judges 1:19 (4/13/17)
April 13, 2017 • Benham Brothers
* Luke 9:1 - God has given us two things: * Power - the “ability” to do something. * Authority - the “right” to do something. * As Christians we have BOTH! * ** Side note - Judas had authority as well. * In Judges 1:19 we see that the Israelites owned all the land, but they didn’t possess all of it, so they couldn’t enjoy it. * They “failed” to drive them out because they “refused” to do it. * The Israelites had the authority and power to possess the entire land, but they didn’t. * Judges 1:27-36 - all of these tribes went from defeat to defeat. * We walk in defeat when we cease to walk in faith. * Judges 2:1-3 - the reason they couldn’t drive out the inhabitants - they hadn’t done their part by staying set apart from the people. * If we do our part God will do His part.
Judges 3:1 (4/12/18)
April 12, 2018 • Benham Brothers
* God turned the Israelites failure of driving out the Canaanites into something that could be positive. * For the Israelites who didn’t know how to fight it would teach them how to be warriors. * This is a picture of what we are to do with sin - drive it out! * This will require a FIGHT. * The Israelites had to learn to be militant and so do we.