Judges 4 Lessons of Life You Never Knew

Judges: 4 Lessons of Life You Never Knew Where There

Judges: a 300 year period of Israeli history, where Israel goes through 12 cycles of:

Jephthah

Jephthah 1. A lesson in diplomacy: Gideon (8: 1 -3) vs Jephthah (12: 1 -6) - Read Judges 12: 1 -4 a “I or me” used 7 times. - Read Judges 8: 1 -3 Gideon honors Ephraimites - We have to find our value, our identity in Christ.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. I John 3: 1 -3

Ibzan 2. A lesson in peace-making. (12: 8 -10) - Read Judges 12: 8 -10 - “Love requires loss” - Ibzan’s 30 sons and 30 daughters had to sacrifice their dreams and preferences in order to heal the wounds of their nation. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. ” Genesis 12: 2 -3

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. ” Matthew 28: 19 -20

Samson 3. A lesson in pregnancy and predestination. (13: 1 -25) - Read Judges 13: 1 -5 - Nazarite vow Numbers 6 (vs. 1 -3)- a temporary time to dedicate oneself to the Lord. - Human life begins at the moment of conception: unique, distinct. Known by God… wanted by God… valuable to God. - We violate the will of God every time we treat another human as worthless or unimportant.

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will Ephesians 1: 4 -5

Samson 4. A lesson in self-control and sovereignty. (14: 1 -20) - Read Judges 14: 1 -3 - Lust at first sight. - Self-control is a lot easier to do when you are satisfied with your life. - “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. ” Philippians 4: 12 -13 - Read Judges 14: 12 -14

Samson 4. A lesson in self-control and sovereignty. (14: 1 -20) (His parents did not know that this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel. ) Judges 14: 4 Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of everything and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Judges 14: 19 - God is bigger than you are.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ” Romans 8: 28

Lessons learned: Jephthah: A lesson in diplomacy. Be secure in your identity in Christ and you will have far less conflict in your life. Ibzan: A lesson in peace-making. When you are committed to loving God and fulfilling the Great Commission, you will make the sacrifices necessary to resolve conflicts. Samson: A lesson in pregnancy and predestination. Human life starts from conception and is so valuable that God has a plan for that person to live out. A lesson in self-control and sovereignty. Self-control or the lack thereof, is an indication of your level of satisfaction. But we don’t always get what we want and make big mistakes trying to get it in all the wrong places, such failure is not fatal. God can still make a hero out of you yet!