Faithfulness in the Face of Unfaithfulness Part 4: Faithful Anger Judges 2:11-3:6.

Faithfulness in the Faithfulness in the Face of UnfaithfulnessFace of Unfaithfulness

Part 4: Faithful AngerPart 4: Faithful Anger

Judges 2:11-3:6Judges 2:11-3:6

The The DownwardDownward SpiralSpiral of Idolatry of Idolatry

And the people of Israel did what was evil in And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. And they abandoned the Lord, the God of And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. the land of Egypt.

The The DownwardDownward SpiralSpiral of Idolatry of Idolatry

They went after other gods, from among the They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger. They abandoned the Lord the Lord to anger. They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. (2:11-13)(2:11-13)

The The DownwardDownward SpiralSpiral of Idolatry of Idolatry (2:11-13; 17-19)(2:11-13; 17-19)

Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not do so. they did not do so.


Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he saved the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the Lord was moved to days of the judge. For the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. afflicted and oppressed them.


But whenever the judge died, they turned But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. any of their practices or their stubborn ways. (2:17-19)(2:17-19)

• Evil is more than an Evil is more than an actact – it is a – it is a powerpower..

They insisted on They insisted on freedomfreedom from from serving an serving an exclusiveexclusive God God

and served the Baals.12 And they abandoned and served the Baals.12 And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. brought them out of the land of Egypt. (2:11b-12a-b)(2:11b-12a-b)

They were They were boundbound in the in the slaveryslavery of serving of serving manymany gods. gods.

They went after other gods, from among the They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger. They abandoned the Lord the Lord to anger. They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. (2:12c-13)(2:12c-13)

Two big problems of false worship:Two big problems of false worship:

• God’s are God’s are coercedcoerced not not trustedtrusted..• The will of The will of earthearth is expected to be done in is expected to be done in

heavenheaven..

They violated the They violated the covenantcovenant and lost and lost their sense of their sense of communitycommunity..

Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not do so. (2:17)they did not do so. (2:17)

They lived in They lived in anguishanguish. (2:18-19). (2:18-19)

Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he saved the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the Lord was moved to days of the judge. For the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. afflicted and oppressed them.

They lived in They lived in anguishanguish. (2:18-19). (2:18-19)

But whenever the judge died, they turned But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. any of their practices or their stubborn ways. (2:18-19)(2:18-19)

The The AngerAnger of God of God

So the anger of the Lord was kindled against So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, (2:14)Israel, (2:14)

The The AngerAnger of God (2:14-15; 20-23) of God (2:14-15; 20-23)

• God’s anger is a God’s anger is a conditionedconditioned response more response more than an than an emotionalemotional response. response.


Lynda SlocumLynda Slocum


Scott MilesScott Miles

Deut. 4:25-26Deut. 4:25-26

““When you father children and children's When you father children and children's children, and have grown old in the land, if children, and have grown old in the land, if you act corruptly by making a carved image you act corruptly by making a carved image in the form of anything, and by doing what is in the form of anything, and by doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, so as to evil in the sight of the Lord your God, so as to provoke him to anger, provoke him to anger,

Deut. 4:25-26Deut. 4:25-26

I call heaven and earth to witness against you I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will soon utterly perish from today, that you will soon utterly perish from the land that you are going over the Jordan the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess. You will not live long in it, but will to possess. You will not live long in it, but will be utterly destroyed. be utterly destroyed.

The anger of God resulted in two The anger of God resulted in two things:things:

• He gave their “He gave their “plunderersplunderers” power over them ” power over them

and he gave them over to plunderers, who and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them.plundered them. (2:14b) (2:14b)

The anger of God resulted in two The anger of God resulted in two things:things:

• He He soldsold them to their enemies them to their enemies

And he sold them into the hand of their And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. Whenever longer withstand their enemies. Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, and as the Lord had sworn to them. warned, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress. (2:14c-15)And they were in terrible distress. (2:14c-15)

The enemies of Israel became God’s The enemies of Israel became God’s meant to meant to traintrain Israel Israel

It was only in order that the generations of It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before. war to those who had not known it before. (3:2)(3:2)

The enemies of Israel became God’s The enemies of Israel became God’s means to means to testtest Israel (2:20-3:6) Israel (2:20-3:6)

So the anger of the Lord was kindled against So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said, “Because this people have Israel, and he said, “Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, I their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, I will no longer drive out before them any of will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, the nations that Joshua left when he died,


in order to test Israel by them, whether they in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the Lord will take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their fathers did, or not.” So the Lord left as their fathers did, or not.” So the Lord left those nations, not driving them out quickly, those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua. (2:20-23)Joshua. (2:20-23)


Now these are the nations that the Lord left, Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaanhad not experienced all the wars in Canaan

These are the nations: the five lords of the These are the nations: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived on Mount Sidonians and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. Lebo-hamath.


They were for the testing of Israel, to know They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord, which he commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. So the people of Israel lived among Moses. So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.


And their daughters they took to themselves And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods. to their sons, and they served their gods. (3:1,3-6)(3:1,3-6)

The The astonishingastonishing charactercharacter of God of God

A. Apostasy of Israel (2:11-13)A. Apostasy of Israel (2:11-13)

B. Anger of God (2:14-15)B. Anger of God (2:14-15)

C. Grace of God (2:16)C. Grace of God (2:16)

A1. Apostasy of Israel (2:17-19)A1. Apostasy of Israel (2:17-19)

B1. Anger of God (2:20-23)B1. Anger of God (2:20-23)


Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them out of the hand of those who plundered them. (2:16)them. (2:16)


So the anger of the Lord was kindled against So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel…Then the Lord raised up judges, who Israel…Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them (2:14, 16)saved them (2:14, 16)


So the anger of the Lord was kindled against So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel…Then the Lord raised up judges, who Israel…Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them (2:14, 16)saved them (2:14, 16)

• If Judges is If Judges is fullfull of sin, it is of sin, it is overflowingoverflowing with with grace. grace.

Bottom Line:Bottom Line:

• God can free and restore us from any sin or God can free and restore us from any sin or the worship of any false god!the worship of any false god!

For anyone thinking about living a For anyone thinking about living a Jesus-centered life:Jesus-centered life:

• Recognize your need for Recognize your need for gracegrace

For everyone intentionally living a For everyone intentionally living a Jesus-centered life:Jesus-centered life:

• Beware of the Beware of the increasingincreasing slavery of sin slavery of sin


• Beware of the Beware of the increasingincreasing slavery of sin slavery of sin• Practice the first commandment – Practice the first commandment –

relentlesslyrelentlessly


• Beware of the Beware of the increasingincreasing slavery of sin slavery of sin• Practice the first commandment – Practice the first commandment –

relentlesslyrelentlessly• Live in the Live in the freedomfreedom God has provided God has provided

Faithfulness in the Face of Unfaithfulness Part 4: Faithful Anger Judges 2:11-3:6.

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downward spiral of idolatry

anger of god

faithful anger judges

exclusive god

stubborn ways

land of egypt

people of israel