To Seek & Know God Ludwig 12/08/2018

Judges 1 They were to take possessions of the land But they didn’t completely drive out the enemy from their land and dwelt among them when it was instructed by God (See Judges 2)

Judges 2 1 Then the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you. 2 And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? 3 Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’ ”

4 So it was, when the Angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept. 5 Then they called the name of that place Bochim; and they sacrificed there to the Lord. 6 And when Joshua had dismissed the people, the children of Israel went each to his own inheritance to possess the land.

7 So the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord which He had done for Israel. … 10 When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.

Verse 11-15 Turned away from God Turned to idols Great calamity came upon them

16 Nevertheless, the Lord raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, and bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do so.

18 And when the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed them and harassed them. 19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they reverted and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, by following other gods, to serve them and bow down to them. They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.

PROBLEM: When the judge died They reverted Behaved more corruptly than their fathers Did not cease doing their own things Nor from their stubborn ways Why Did they revert?

1. They didn’t not fully obey God God is not pleased with partial obedience What they didn’t conquer conquered them (Thorns in their side) Do we know our choices lead to consequences? Our choices affect the next generation

2. They didn’t think it was a problem Indifference They didn’t see the need to fully obey They thought they did well and nothing would happen

3. The Next Generation Did not Know God Judges 2:7-10 7 So the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord which He had done for Israel. 8 Now Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died when he was one hundred and ten years old. 9 … 10 When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.

Judges 17:6 6 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Proverbs 29:18 18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

What Must We Do? Christ Must be our vision - No Vision, People perish We must seek to know God as those who lead us seek God - The God of my father must also be my God 100% for God; God will test us (Judges 2:22) Why Did they revert? Because they never took heed of their leader (Judges 2:17) They never knew God for themselves as their leader did

Matthew 3:7-9 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. See also John 4: 11-12; John 8:37-59

Ruth 1:16-17 16“Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.”

John 20:17 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”