Judges 12:8-15 sermon

erik sietsema

Judges • Sermon • Submitted 7 years ago

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Introduction—?

Background

The book of Judges— history and themes

Context in the chapter

The minor Judges cycles

Shamgar

Those two guys...

This one...

Lots of children… this is an indication that the guy had a harem. It wasn’t that unusual that Judges had harems, but it’s not really God’s design… It is more in line with what a king might do. Having heirs ensures that the lineage of the monarch is preserved. The judges are slowly ebbing up to a monarchy.

The idea that he was working his way toward establish a monarchy is supported by the fact that he arranged marriages in and out of the tribe. This isn’t a sin on it’s own, but it is an effort to establish the political groundwork for ruling the nation.

This serves as a strong contrast to the preceeding judge, who didn’t seem to have any kids for the most part and killed his one child.

The work he put in to establish alliances and push his family interests forward is an indication that as Judge he didn’t desire to save or serve the nation. Rather, he meant to pursue and seize power.

We aren’t given much to work with here. This judge is just given a passing mention… but there is a hint about him in the text. Elon the Zebulunite was judge for 10 years, didn’t do much, but he was buried in the town of Aijalon

the name of the judge and the name of the town where he was buried have very similar spelling, minus the vowel points. The guy likely “ruled” from his home base and named a city after himself. Like St. Petersburg becoming leningrad or Constantinople becoming Istanbul.

t’s possible that the Philistine oppression that Samson dealt with started during this Judge’s reign. However, the problem with the philistines was focused in the southern part of Canaan took advantage of his placement and

2:13-15

Abdon introduces a new detail… donkeys. Both his sons and grandsons rode donkeys… In the ancient levant Monarchs rode donkeys… specifically in this earlier history this was the case.

He has even more sons and a crowd of grandsons. They all rode donkeys. This is important as a sign of Abdon’s intent to make his family into the ruling class of the nation.

Application

This is not a time of peace… The assumption is that these guys were around while samson was a child or while he was a judge, which means that the Philistines were probably beginning to oppress the southern potions of Canaan. These guys aren’t recorded as having done anything about the problem. They kinda hung around, got rich, had kids, built prestige, and vied for more power. Their attention, like that of the guys around them was on their own worries and work… not on serving God. Their relationship with God benefited them alone.

and 22— the thorns in the parable of the sower. Worries of the world choke out the gospel in our lives.

Concern for our own selves above the concerns of the gospel are the problem...

Jesus’ woe speech as a counterpoint to the beatitudes

The underlying cause is worldliness—

The Bible defines worldliness by centering morality where we intuitively know it should be. Worldliness is the lust of the flesh (a passion for sensual satisfaction), the lust of the eyes (an inordinate desire for the finer things of life), and the pride of life (self-satisfaction in who we are, what we have, and what we have done). Worldliness, then, is a preoccupation with ease and affluence. It elevates creature comfort to the point of idolatry; large salaries and comfortable life-styles become necessities of life.

The Bible defines worldliness by centering morality where we intuitively know it should be.

Worldliness is the lust of the flesh (a passion for sensual satisfaction),

the lust of the eyes (an inordinate desire for the finer things of life),

and the pride of life (self-satisfaction in who we are, what we have, and what we have done).

Worldliness, then, is a preoccupation with ease and affluence. It elevates creature comfort to the point of idolatry; large salaries and comfortable life-styles become necessities of life.

Worldliness is reading magazines about people who live hedonistic lives and spend too much money on themselves and wanting to be like them.

Worldliness is reading magazines about people who live hedonistic lives and spend too much money on themselves and wanting to be like them. But more importantly, worldliness is simply pride and selfishness in disguises. It's being resentful when someone snubs us or patronizes us or shows off. It means smarting under every slight, challenging every word spoken against us, cringing when another is preferred before us. Worldliness is harboring grudges, nursing grievance, and wallowing in self-pity. These are the ways in which we are most like the world.

But more importantly, worldliness is simply pride and selfishness in disguises. It's being resentful when someone snubs us or patronizes us or shows off. It means smarting under every slight, challenging every word spoken against us, cringing when another is preferred before us. Worldliness is harboring grudges, nursing grievance, and wallowing in self-pity. These are the ways in which we are most like the world.

DL Moody Quote— A man said to D. L. Moody, “Now that I am converted, have I got to give up the world?” Mr. Moody answered, “No, you do not have to give up the world; if you have a good ringing testimony for the Son of God, the world will give you up pretty quick; they will not want you around.”

A man said to D. L. Moody, “Now that I am converted, have I got to give up the world?” Mr. Moody answered, “No, you do not have to give up the world; if you have a good ringing testimony for the Son of God, the world will give you up pretty quick; they will not want you around.”

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