STUDY OUTLINE.
I. Quote attributed to a Scottish history professor from Edinburgh, Fraser Tytler, 1787. "The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following cycles: (What cycles do you see in Judges?)
1. >From bondage to spiritual faith;
2. >From spiritual faith to great courage;
3. >From courage to liberty;
4. >From liberty to abundance;
5. >From abundance to complacency;
6. >From complacency to apathy;
7. >From apathy to dependence;
8. >From dependence back into bondage
II. What would you say are the dominant themes/lessons from Saul’s life? David’s? Solomon’s?
III. WAYS TO HEAR FROM GOD
A. GENERAL REVELATION;
1. Creation (Rom 1:18-20)
2. Conscience (Rom 2:14-16)
B. SPECIAL REVELATION
1. The Living Word (Jesus, Jn 1:1)
2. The Written Word (Bible, 2 Tim 3:16-17).
C. OTHER FORMS (may fit under the above)
1. Dreams, visions
2. Miracles, signs
3. Prophecies (modern, spiritual gift)
4. People
5. Open doors
6. Israel
7. Current events (Jn 5:17-20)
8. Object lessons (sacrificial system, Noah’s ark, Holy Days-holidays)
9. Redemptive analogies (peace child, scapegoat, Lev 16:10)
IV. What way(s) is God speaking to you? What is He saying? How are you responding?
I. You see the cycles of democracy [BULLETIN-PROJECT], which is a controversial quote. Doesn’t it sound like (Dt 8:10-14). But we see 7 similar cycles in Judges. There it looks more like: bedienceàblessingàprideàdisobedienceàjudgmentàhumblingàrepentance/obedience (P) w/ a judge thrown in, used mightily by God, sometimes IN SPITE OF their character, not because of it (3:7-9; 2:19).
A. The recurring theme of Judges (17:6; 21:25 P ; Dt 12:4, 8, 13-14). God pleads w/ His people: “Don’t do as you see fit, as the nations (of Canaan). Obey Me for your own good …choose LIFE” (Dt 10:13; 30).
B. ONE big question [for US?] is: Is this the way it has to be? Can we break that cycle? How?
C. To have any kind of hope thru this section is to believe it can be broken by walking the path of obedience in the power of the Spirit. That doesn’t mean there won’t be stumbles and falls. But when we fall, we don’t have to be hurled headlong if… (Ps 37:24).
II. I believe some of the saddest, yet most hopeful verses of the books of (1 & 2 Sam—actually the WHOLE Bible) are found in (I Sam 16:13-14 P ).
A. Don’t these two verses echo the dominant themes you’ve read so far? FIRST, we can’t do anything w/o the anointing presence and power of God’s Holy Spirit.
B. Two, we must walk in OBEDIENCE to have that anointing on us consistently. You may be asking: “What about guys like Gideon and Samson; who had the anointing, lost it, but God still used in mighty, marvelous ways?”
C. The key is “consistency.” God can speak through a donkey if he wants to [why are you looking at ME that way?]. He can use evil pagans, like Balaam or the Assyrians, if He wants to, and does many times in the Bible. But to use a person consistently so others are consistently blessed AND that individual in consistently blessed, that requires OBEDIENCE and the power of God’s indwelling Holy Spirit.
D. (v 14) raises troubling questions: “An evil spirit from the Lord…”??? But as the book of (Job, esp chs 1 & 2) show clearly: “Nothing touches the child of God that does not first pass through the hand of God.”
That will comfort some. That will trouble others. All I can say is, let that comfort you. If you have trouble with that thought, know that we cannot understand all God’s ways, because we aren’t God. Maybe we will someday, maybe not. But the Bible constantly teaches that God is always blending everything in our lives for our good and His glory IF we love Him & are determined to accomplish His purposes in our lives (Rom 8:28). WE see side 1 of the tapestry.
III. The theme of obedience screams at us from the sacrificial system, that detailed, gory stuff that fills too many pages of the OT for our liking. But right from the get go of the sacrificial system, a key ingredient is obedience.
A. We don’t know for sure why God wasn’t pleased with Cain’s sacrifice. But we know he knew what was right and didn’t do it (Gen 4:2b-7).
B. How about the incorrect way Eli’s sons offered their sacrifices and paid for it? “Will I do it my way or God’s way? Do I know the best way to restore the relationship I broke w/ Him due to my sin or does He? We think the sacrificial system is out of date, but the key question it raises is never out of date: His way or mine? Have you come to God the WAY He says via “THE Way…”(GOSPEL, Jn 14:6)?
C. What do people scream? “Don’t tell me He’s the only way!” And we’re right back to Cain & Eli’s sons. Are you going to do this the right way or your way.
D. Joyce and I joke: “You’re entitled to do it your way…everyone’s allowed to be wrong.” [I won’t tell you who says that more…is she laughing?] But it’s no joke w/ God. We want our way, but it’s wrong, and we often persist long after it’s obvious it’s wrong. One of my favorite counseling questions is: “How’s that working for you…” when I know the answer…and so do they. It’s written all over them. God says: “Obey…your own good…LIFE…” (Dt 10:13; 30).
IV. The story of Saul and the sacrifices illustrates this obedience theme.
A. Saul had been victorious in battle (I Sam 15) over the Amalekites, which God had said “totally destroy.” But Saul kept some of the best of the spoils for himself and his men. Then he set a monument to himself (vs 9, 12). Pick up the story in (vs 13, Sam listens). [baaaa, moooo.]
B. (15:14-23). We’re always being tempted to hold up offerings to the Lord that we think are better than obedience. This is rejecting the Word of the Lord and it’s BAD! Look at the results (15:23c; 16:14, 13). Which 4 you?
C. The following is from a political reporter of 50+ years (Charley Reese) that relates.
Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?
Have you ever wondered, if all of them are against high taxes, WHY do we have high taxes?
You and I don’t propose a federal budget. The president does, approved by Congress. You and I don’t write the tax code, Congress does.
We now have: Luxury Taxes, Marriage License Tax, Medicare Tax, Personal Property Tax, Property Tax, Real Estate Tax, Service Charge Tax, Social Security Tax, Road Usage Tax, Sales Tax, Recreational Vehicle Tax, School Tax, State Income Tax, State Unemployment Tax, Telephone Federal Excise Tax, Fishing License Tax, Food License Tax, Fuel Permit Tax, Gasoline Tax, Gross Receipts Tax, Hunting License Tax, Inheritance Tax and 25 more taxes we didn’t have 100 years ago when our nation was the most prosperous in the world and we had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world. Mom could afford to stay home to raise the kids then. Now we have to press “1” for English. What happened?
You and I don’t set fiscal policy, Congress does.
You and I don’t control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does, but congress created them and approves their chair.
Lobbyists are left our here because they have no real power, except persuasive power to get congressmen to do what they want. Yet how much time and money does congress spend telling us our condition is not their fault?
We talk about supermajorities. But ultimately any congress can override any veto of any president.
If the tax code is unfair, it’s because congress keeps it unfair. If the budget is in the red, it’s because they want it in the red. If we’re involved in conflicts abroad, it’s because congress approved it, either openly or behind closed doors. If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan and their own healthcare system, it’s because they want it that way.
Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like “the economy,” “inflation,” or “politics” that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do. Those 545 people are responsible for all I’ve mentioned.
All this, the message included, is about taking responsibility and doing what is right.
But before we walk smugly out pointing fingers, remember, we voted them in (or gave away your vote), and can vote them out.
D. Ever since Eve, then Cain, then Saul, we want to shift blame, avoid responsibility [only exercise some get…] for our actions. Are we any different than them? When will we realize we can’t control or blame others? We are responsible to do what we know is right. |
