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Was Korah’s undoing:

Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you Levites! Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the LORD’s tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them?  He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too. – Numbers 16:8-10

Moses saw through their charge to their true motivation – – some of the Levites wanted the power of the priesthood. Like Korah, we often desire the special qualities God has given others.  Korah had significant, worthwhile abilities and responsibilities of his own.  In the end, however, his ambition for more caused him to lose everything.  Inappropriate ambition is greed in disguise.  Concentrate on finding the special purpose God has for you.

Inappropriate ambition is greed in disguise:

Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you Levites! Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the LORD’s tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them?  He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too. – Numbers 16:8-10

Moses saw through their charge to their true motivation – some of the Levites wanted the power of the priesthood. Like Korah, we often desire the special qualities God has given others.  Korah had significant, worthwhile abilities and responsibilities of his own.  In the end, however, his ambition for more caused him to lose everything.  Inappropriate ambition is greed in disguise.  Concentrate on finding the special purpose God has for you.

Shouldn’t be motivated by selfishness:

“Ask all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal’s sons rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember, I am your flesh and blood.”

when the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.” They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech used it to hire reckless adventures, who became his followers.  He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal.  But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding.  – Judges 9:2-5

Israel’s king was to be the Lord and not a man. But Abimelech wanted to usurp the position reserved for God alone.  In his selfish quest, he killed all but one of the 70 half brothers.  People with selfish desires often seek to fulfil them in ruthless ways.  Examine your ambition to see if they are self-centred or God-centred.  Be sure you always fulfil your desires in ways that God would approve.

Politics played a major part in pagan religions such as the worship of Baal-Berith. Governments often went so far as to employ temple prostitutes to bring in additional money.  In many cases a religious system was set up and supported by the government so the offerings could fund community projects.  Religion became a profit-making business.  In Israel’s religion, this was strictly forbidden.  God’s system of religion was designed to come from an attitude of the heart, not from calculated plans and business opportunities.  It was also designed to serve people and help those in need, not to oppress the needy.  Is your faith genuine and sincere, or is it based on convenience, comfort, and availability?

Controlling it:

And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. – 2 Samuel 5:12

“David knew that the LORD had established him…” Although the pagan kingdoms based their greatness on conquest, power, armies, and wealth, David knew that his greatness came only from God.  To be great means keeping a close relationship with God personally and nationally.  To do this, David had to keep his ambition under control.  Although he was famous, successful, and well liked, he gave God first place in his life and served the people according to God’s purposes.  Do you seek greatness from God or from people?  In the drive for success, remember to keep your ambition under God’s control.

Jesus exposed political ambitions of religious leaders:

…and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. – John 18:13

Both Annas and Caiaphas had been high priests. Annas was Israel’s high priest from A.D. 6 to 15, when he was deposed by Roman rulers.  Caiaphas, Anna’s son-in-law, was appointed high priest from A.D. 18 to 36/37.  According to Jewish law, the office of high priest was held for life.  Many Jews therefore still considered Annas the high priest and still called him by that title.  But although Annas retained much authority among the Jews, Caiaphas made the final decisions.

Both Caiaphas and Annas cared more about their political ambitions than about their responsibility to lead the people to God. Though religious leaders, they had become evil.  As the nation’s spiritual leaders, they should have been sensitive to God’s revelation.  They should have known that Jesus was the Messiah about whom the Scriptures spoke, and they should have pointed the people to him.  But when deceitful men and women pursue evil, they want to eliminate all opposition.  Instead of honestly evaluating Jesus’ claims based on their knowledge of Scripture, these religious leaders sought to further their own selfish ambitions and were even willing to kill God’s Son, if that’s what it took, to do it.

Jesus was immediately taken to the high priest’s residence, even though this was the middle of the night. The religious leaders were in a hurry – they wanted to complete the execution before the Sabbath and get on with the Passover celebration.  This residence was a palace whose outer walls enclosed a courtyard where servants and soldiers would warm themselves around a fire.

Ruthless ambition of Herod Antipas, Herod’s Profile pg1735

When ambition is appropriate:

But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. – Mark 9:34

The disciples, caught up in their constant struggle for personal success, were embarrassed to answer Jesus’ question. It is always painful to compare our motives with Christ’s.  It is not wrong for believers to be industrious or ambitious.  But when ambition pushes obedience and service to one side, it becomes sin.  Pride or insecurity can cause us to overvalue position and prestige.  In God’s kingdom, such motives are destructive.  The only safe ambition is directed towards Christ’s kingdom, not our own advancement.

(But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. – Mark 9:32. Why were the disciples afraid to ask Jesus about his predictions of his death?  Perhaps it was because the last time they reacted to Jesus’ sobering words they were scolded (8:32, 33).  In their minds, Jesus seemed morbidly preoccupied with death.  Actually it was the disciples who were wrongly preoccupied – constantly thinking about the kingdom they hoped Jesus would bring and their positions in it.  Jesus died, the kingdom as they imagined it could not come.  Consequently they preferred not to ask him about his predictions.)

(He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” –  Mark 9:36, 37. Jesus taught the disciples to welcome children.  This was a new approach in a society where children were usually treated as second-class citizens.  It is important not only to treat children well, but also to teach them about Jesus.  Children’s ministries should never be regarded as less important than those of adults.)

REAL heroes are hard to find these days. Modern research and the media have made the foibles and weaknesses of our leaders very apparent; we search in vain for men and women to emulate.  The music, film, and sports industries produce a steady stream of “stars” who shoot to the top and then quickly fade from view.

Judges is a book about heroes – 12 men and women who delivered Israel from her oppressors. These judges were not perfect; in fact, they included an assassin, a sexually promiscuous man, and a person who broke all the laws of hospitality.  But they were submissive to God, and God used them.

Judges is also a book about sin and its consequences. Like a minor cut or abrasion that becomes infected when left untreated, sin grows and soon poisons the whole body.  The book of Joshua ends with the nation taking a stand for God, ready to experience all the blessings of the promised land.  After settling in Canaan, however, the Israelites lost their spiritual commitment and motivation.  When Joshua and the elders died, the nation experienced a leadership vacuum, leaving them without a strong central government.  Instead of enjoying freedom and prosperity in the promised land, Israel entered the dark ages of her history.

Simply stated, the reason for this rapid decline was sin – individual and corporate. The first step away from God was incomplete obedience (1.11-2.5); the Israelites refused to eliminate the enemy completely from the land.  This led to intermarriage and idolatry (2.6-3.7) and everyone doing “as he saw fit” (17.6).  Before long the Israelites became captives.  Out of their desperation they begged God to rescue them.  In faithfulness to his promise and out of his loving-kindness, God would raise up a judge to deliver his people and, for a time, there would be peace.  Then complacency and disobedience would set in, and the cycle would begin again.

The book of Judges spans a period of over 325 years, recording six successive periods of oppression and deliverance, and the careers of 12 deliverers. Their captors included the Mesopotamians, Moabites, Philistines, Canaanites, Midianites, and Ammonites.  A variety of deliverers – from Othniel to Samson – were used by God to lead his people to freedom and true worship.  God’s deliverance through the judges is a powerful demonstration of his love and mercy towards his people.

As you read the book of Judges, take a good look at these heroes from Jewish history. Take note of their dependence on God and obedience to his commands.  Observe Israel’s repeated downward spiral into sin, refusing to learn from history and living only for the moment.  But most of all, stand in awe of God’s mercy as he delivers his people over and over again.

VITAL STATISTICS

PURPOSE: To show that God’s judgment against sin is certain, and his forgiveness of sin and restoration to relationship are just as certain for those who repent

AUTHOR: Possibly Samuel

SETTING: The land of Canaan, later called Israel. God had helped the Israelites to conquer Canaan which had been inhabited by a host of wicked nations.  But they were in danger of losing this promised land because they compromised their convictions and disobeyed God.

KEY VERSE: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit” (17.6).

KEY PEOPLE: Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Abimelech, Jephthah, Samson, Delilah

SPECIAL FEATURE: Records Israel’s first civil war

THE BLUEPRINT

The Military Failure of Israel (1.1-3.6) The tribes had compromised God’s command to drive out the inhabitants of the land.  Incomplete removal of evil often means disaster in the end.  We must beware of compromising with wickedness.

1. Incomplete conquest of the land
2. Disobedience and defeat

The Rescue of Israel By the Judges (3.7-16.31) Repeatedly we see the nation of Israel sinning against God and God allowing suffering to come upon the land and the people.  Sin always has its consequences.  Where there is sin we can expect suffering to follow.  Rather than living in an endless cycle of abandoning God and then crying out to him for rescue, we should seek to live a consistent life of faithfulness.

1. First period: Othniel
2. Second period: Ehud and Shamgar
3. Third period: Deborah and Barak
4. Fourth period: Gideon, Tola, and Jair
5. Fifth period: Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon
6. Sixth period: Samson

The Moral Failure of Israel (17.1-21.25) Despite the efforts of Israel’s judges, the people still would not turn wholeheartedly to God.  They all did whatever they thought was best for themselves.  The result was the spiritual, moral, and political decline of the nation.  Our lives will also fall into decline and decay unless we live by the guidelines God has given us.

1. Idolatry in the tribe of Dan
2. War against the tribe of Benjamin

MEGATHEMES

Decline/Compromise

EXPLANATION: Whenever a judge died, and people faced decline and failure because they compromised their high spiritual purpose in many ways.  They abandoned their mission to drive all the people out of the land, and they adopted the customs of the people living around them.

IMPORTANCE: Society has many rewards to offer those who compromise their faith: wealth, acceptance, recognition, power, and influence.  When God gives us a mission, it must not be polluted by a desire for approval from society.  We must keep our eyes on Christ who is our Judge and Deliverer.

Decay/Apostasy

EXPLANATION: Israel’s moral downfall had its roots in the fierce independence that each tribe cherished.  It led to everyone doing whatever seemed good in his own eyes.  There was no unity in government or in worship.  Law and order broken down.  Finally idol worship and man-made religion led to the complete abandoning of faith in God.

IMPORTANCE: We can expect decay when we value anything more highly than God.  If we value our own independence more than dedication to God, we have placed an idol in our hearts.  Soon our lives become temples to that god.  We must constantly regard God’s first claim on our lives and all our desires.

Defeat/Oppression

EXPLANATION: God used evil oppressors to punish the Israelites for their sin, to bring them to the point of repentance, and to test their allegiance to him.

IMPORTANCE: Rebellion against God leads to disaster.  God may use defeat to bring wandering hearts back to him.  When all else is stripped away, we recognise the importance of serving only him.

Repentance

EXPLANATION: Decline, decay, and defeat caused the people to cry out to God for help.  They vowed to turn from idolatry and to turn to God for mercy and deliverance.  When they repented, God delivered them.

IMPORTANCE: Idolatry gains a foothold in our hearts when we make anything more important than God.  We must identify modern idols in our hearts, renounce them, and turn to God for his love and mercy.

Deliverance/Heroes

EXPLANATION: Because Israel repented, God raised up heroes to deliver his people from their path of sin and the oppression it brought.  He used many kinds of people to accomplish this purpose by filling them with this Holy Spirit.

IMPORTANCE: God’s Holy Spirit is available to all people.  Anyone who is dedicated to God can be used for his service.  Real heroes recognise the futility of human effort without God’s guidance and power.

[Plates: Listening with a cup against the wall.  Bottom plate: Columns.]

Deborah:

‘   “Very well,” Deborah said, “I will go with you.  But because of the way you are going about this, the honour will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman.”  So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh,  –  Judges 4.9

How did Debroah command such respect? She was responsible for leading the people into battle, but more than that, she influenced them to live for God [Wall] after the battle was over.  Her personality drew people together and commanded the respect of even Barak, a military general.  She was also a prophetess, whose main role was to encourage the people to obey God [Wall].  Those who lead must not forget about the spiritual condition of those being led.  A true leader is concerned for people, not just success.

(KING JABIN IS DEFEATED Deborah travelled from her home between Ramah and Bethel to march with Barak and the Israelite army against Hazor.  Sisera, commander of Hazor’s army, assembled his men at Harosheth Haggoyim.  In spite of Sisera’s 900 chariots and expertly trained army, Israel was victorious [Victory spoils the language]. – Mediterraean Sea, Hazor, Sea of Galilee, Kishon R., Harosheth Haggoyim, Kedesh, Mount Tabor, Jordan R., Bethel, Ramah, Jerusalem, Dead Sea.)

Anna:

‘   There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.  She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.  She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying.  –  Luke 2.36-37

Anna was called a prophetess, indicating that she was unusually close to God [Wall]. Prophets did not necessarily predict the future.  Their main role was to speak for God [Wall], proclaiming his truth.

(2.36   Although Simeon and Anna were very old, they had never lost their hope that they would see the Messiah.  Led by the Holy Spirit, they were among the first to bear witness to Jesus.  In the Jewish culture, elders were respected, so because of Simeon’s and Anna’s age, their prophecies carried extra weight.  Our society, however, values youthfulness over wisdom, and potential contributions by the elderly are often ignored.  As Christians, we should reverse those values wherever we can.  Encourage older people to share their wisdom and experience.  Listen carefully when they speak.  Offer them your friendship and help them find ways to continue to serve God [Wall].)

EXTRA:

(‘   She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’ “  Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”  – Judges 4.6-8   Was Barak cowardly or just in need of support?  We don’t know Barak’s character, but we see the character of a great leader in Deborah, who took charge as God [Wall] directed.  Deborah told Barak that God [Wall] would be with him in battle, but that was not enough for Barak.  He wanted Deborah to go with him.  Barak’s request shows that at heart he trusted human strength more than God’s [Wall’s] promise.  A person of real faith steps out at God’s [Wall’s] command, even if he or she must do so alone.)

(‘ Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh. – Judges 4.11   Heber was Jael’s husband (4.17).  He was from the Kenite tribe, a long-standing ally of Israel.  But for some reason, Heber decided to side with Jabin, maybe because Jabin’s army appeared to have the military advantage.  It was probably Heber who told Sisera that the Israelites were camped near Mount Tabor (4.12; see map). Although Heber threw in his lot with Jabin and his forces, his wife, Jael, did not (4.21).)

(‘ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and raising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.  And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”  – Luke 2.34, 35   Simeon prophesied that Jesus would have a paradoxical effect on Israel. Some would fall because of him (see Isaiah 8.14, 15), while others would rise (see Malachi 4.2).  With Jesus, there would be no neutral ground: people would either joyfully accept him or totally reject him.  As Jesus’ mother, Mary would be grieved by the widespread rejection he would face.  This is the first not of sorrow in Luke’s Gospel.)

(‘ When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.  – Luke 2.39   Did Mary and Joseph return immediately to Nazareth, or did they remain in Bethlehem for a time (as implied in Matthew 2)? Apparently there is a gap of several years between verses 38 and 39 – ample time for them to find a place to live in Bethlehem, flee to Egypt to escape Herod’s wrath, and return to Nazareth when it was safe to do so.)