Grosey's Messages

How do we interpret the book of Judges?

It is a book that, if we interpret it very shallowly, we would assume it endorsed genocide.

We would assume that we should go and do likewise. However that is not what the book of judges is about in its location with the Bible. Sometimes knowing about the author and his intent helps us understand why a historian tells us the stories he does.

Someone said History is written by the victors, and to some extent its true. Some History is really good to read.. some is really really boring. the book of Judges is well written history. It tells us some great stories.. but we have to interpret them in the light of the author's intended purpose.

Some great historians have written history from their own perspective. I like Manning Clark's History of Australia. Some have said it isn't history ,its story telling. Another historian I like is a fellow named Macauley. He later become Prime Minister of England. He wrote a history in the light of the good news and growth of the gospel. I like his perspective. Who wrote Judges and why was it written will inform us much about the book itself and how we are to understand it. And how we can apply it.

Judges

Lawgiver judge governor liberator, deliverer

Author Samuel  between coronation of saul and david's conquest of Jerusalem  1043 BC -1004BC

Keyword Failure 

Key verse  Judges 17:6; 21:25  In those days Israel had no king;  everyone did as he saw fit (what was right in his own eyes)"

False gods..Ball Dagon Astharoth 

Judges cycle  Sin > Servitude > Supplication > salvation > Silence >Sin

A DOWNWARD CYCLE SPIRAL

An Apolgetic for David's Kingship

Davidic covenant  > Christ as King in Israel

Kingship ..do we think of Christ as King today?

A Key theme in Isaiah and Matthew  Political, Physical, emotional Intellectual, Spiritual

Matthew and Kingship

Big Idea .. God desires to glorify Himself by establishing His kingdom

Davidic covenant  2 samuel 7:13  When your time comes and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up after you your descendant, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
¹³ He will build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
¹⁴ I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with a human rod and with blows from others.
¹⁵ But My faithful love will never leave him as I removed it from Saul; I removed him from your way.
¹⁶ Your house and kingdom will endure before Me forever, and your throne will be established forever.' "
¹⁷ Nathan spoke all these words and this entire vision to David.^[

Covenants of Promise

Abrahamic and Davidic   unconditional

Mosaic covenant.. administrative..

And when your days are fulfilled and you sleep with your fathers, I will set up after you YOUR OFFSPRING who shall be born to you, and I will establish HIS KINGDOM.

 He shall build a house for My Name [and My Presence], and I will establish the THRONE of HIS KINGDOM FOREVER.

I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. When he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the sons of men.

But My mercy and loving-kindness SHALL NOT DEPART from him, as I took [them] from Saul, whom I took away from before you.

And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before you; YOUR THRONE shall be ESTABLISHED FOREVER.

What did God promise David in 2 Samuel 7:12-16?

Sons: "house" never wiped out

Kingdom: political dynasty (each Jerusalem king will be one of his direct descendants)

Throne: As an eternal covenant (v. 16), the right to rule will remain with his family forever

Temple: Solomon will build it

Discipline: God will punish disobedient kings but still unconditionally keep

2 Ways to Live

God is King  Creation Creator

Sin

Promises of the covenant:

1.                     Sons (descendants)

2.                     Throne (right to rule)

3.                     Kingdom (country or land)

Nine times Jesus is called "son of David" in Matthew (compared to twice in Mark and Luke and none in John).  David is referred to 59 times in the New Testament (NIV).

Jesus' birthplace, Bethlehem, is recalled as "the city of David" (Matthew 2:1; 1 Samuel 20:6)

Joseph and Mary went to "the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he [Joseph] was of the house and family of David" (Luke 2:4).

Like the Davidic Messiah, Jesus is called God's "beloved son" at His baptism (Matthew 3:17; Psalm 2:7).

Zechariah 9:9 notes that He will enter Jerusalem as a KING, riding on a donkey.  "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Jerusalem!  See, your KING comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey"

Matt. 21:7-9…  The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, 'Hosanna to the SON OF DAVID!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna in the highest!"

Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

"You are a king, then!" said Pilate.

 Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

Isaiah 9:6-7      He will reign on DAVID'S THRONE FOREVER. "For to us a child is born, to us A SON is given. ... And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ... He will rule on DAVID'S THRONE and over HIS KINGDOM, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and FOREVER"

Luke 1:31-33      And listen! You will become pregnant and will give birth to A SON, and you shall call His name JESUS. He will be great (eminent) and will be called the SON of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the THRONE of His forefather DAVID, And He will reign over the HOUSE OF JACOB throughout the ages; and of His reign there will be NO END

You Need Christ as Deliverer and as Director of Your Life

"In those days Israel had no king;  everyone did as he saw fit (what was right in his own eyes)"

Ehud and Eglon

Judges cycle  Sin > Servitude > Supplication > salvation > Silence >Sin

Steven's cycle    Sin > Servitude > Supplication > salvation > Silence >Sin

Romans 6   Jesus is the Stronger man

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? ¹⁷ But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, ¹⁸ and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

Supplication    Romans 7:²⁴ Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Unexpected deliverer because:

                        a. He breaks the power of cancelled sin

                        b. He sets the prisoner free

2. Jesus' message for Satan is put to death the flesh (Rom 8) ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God.

Jesus is Christ and King.  The Messiah, the Eternal King will reign on David's throne "forever"     (2 Sam 7: 13, 16; 1 Kings 2:45; 9:5; 1 Chron. 22:10; 28:4-7; Jer. 30:9; Ezek. 34:23-25; 37:24-28; Hosea 3:5; Ezek. 34:23-25; 37:24-28; 43:6-9; Dan. 3:5; Amos 9:11-12).

You Need a Deliverer  = Saviour.

You Need a Director    = Lord

^{Acts 2: 36} Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." 

Ask Him to be your deliverer and the Director of your life.. Lord and Saviour