WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.679 We're going to read from Judges chapter 2 continuing our series in Judges 00:00:05.759 --> 00:00:07.759 so judges 2 and 00:00:08.040 --> 00:00:10.040 from verse 6 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:17.320 When Joshua dismissed the people the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land and 00:00:17.640 --> 00:00:23.160 The people serve the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who I live Joshua 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:26.879 Who had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel and 00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:32.799 And Joshua the son of none the servant of the Lord died at the age of 110 years and 00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:39.759 They buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance and Timnaf Harris in the hill country of Ephraim 00:00:40.039 --> 00:00:45.840 North of the mountain of Fgas and all that generation also were gathered to their fathers and 00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:52.560 There arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel and 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:57.679 The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the bails and 00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:02.640 They abandoned the Lord the God of the fathers who had brought them out of the land of Egypt 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:09.359 They went after other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them and bowed down to them and 00:01:09.719 --> 00:01:15.520 They provoked the Lord to anger they abandoned the Lord and served the bails and the asterisks 00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:22.959 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he gave them over to plunderers who plundered them and he 00:01:22.959 --> 00:01:28.159 Sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies so that they could no longer withstand their enemies 00:01:28.560 --> 00:01:35.920 Whenever they marched out the hand of the Lord was against them for harm as the Lord had warned and as the Lord had sworn to them 00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:38.319 And they were in terrible distress 00:01:39.199 --> 00:01:43.840 Then the Lord raised up judges who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them 00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:49.040 Yet they did not listen to their judges for they hoared after other gods and bowed down to them 00:01:49.600 --> 00:01:55.120 They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord 00:01:55.840 --> 00:01:57.840 And they did not do so 00:01:57.920 --> 00:02:03.840 Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them the Lord was with the judge and he saved them from the hand of their enemies 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:07.200 All the days of the judge for the Lord was moved to pity 00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:10.879 By their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:15.599 But whenever the judge died they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers 00:02:16.079 --> 00:02:19.840 Going after other gods serving them and bowing down to them 00:02:20.400 --> 00:02:24.240 They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways 00:02:24.799 --> 00:02:28.960 So that so the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he said 00:02:29.359 --> 00:02:35.039 Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice 00:02:35.039 --> 00:02:40.639 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died 00:02:41.199 --> 00:02:47.840 In order to test Israel by them whether they will take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their fathers did or not 00:02:48.639 --> 00:02:54.719 So the Lord left those nations not driving them out quickly and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua 00:02:55.680 --> 00:03:00.000 Now these are the generations that the Lord left to test Israel by them 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:04.879 That is all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan 00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:09.840 It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:16.159 To teach war to those who had not known it before these are the nations the five lords of the philistines 00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:23.439 And all the Canaanites and the Sidionians and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon from Mount Balherman 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:25.840 As far as Lebo Hamath 00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:31.120 They were for the testing of Israel to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord 00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:34.319 Which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:40.879 So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites the Hittites the Amorites the Perizzites the Hivites 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:45.199 And the Jebusites and their daughters they took to themselves for wives 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:49.039 And their own daughters they gave to their sons and they served 00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:51.680 their gods 00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:53.680 And this is God's word 00:03:53.680 --> 00:04:00.240 Good evening. It's great to be with you and to get to spend some time sharing God's word together 00:04:01.200 --> 00:04:06.000 With you from the book of Judges chapter 2. So if you have a Bible, please keep it open 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:10.480 On that page some page 201 of the church Bibles 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:14.960 I'm just going to read the first five verses of chapter 2 as well 00:04:15.040 --> 00:04:17.840 It's really important to set up the the verses that we read 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:20.079 That Lewis read for us 00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:23.839 Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochum 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:30.240 And he said I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:33.839 I said I will never break my covenant with you 00:04:34.560 --> 00:04:38.240 And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land 00:04:38.799 --> 00:04:40.799 You shall break down their altars 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:43.279 But you have not obeyed my voice 00:04:43.759 --> 00:04:45.759 What is this you have done? 00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:51.920 So now I say I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides 00:04:52.240 --> 00:04:54.240 And their gods shall be a snare to you 00:04:55.360 --> 00:05:02.319 As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel the people lifted up their voices and wept 00:05:02.719 --> 00:05:04.719 And they called the name of that place 00:05:04.719 --> 00:05:08.240 Bochum which in Hebrew means weepers people who are crying 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:11.360 And they sacrificed there to the Lord 00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:18.639 And after that then we have the reading that we had earlier with the death of Joshua and then the Lord raising up judges 00:05:19.520 --> 00:05:24.160 Last week Tom Muir was here and he preached on chapter one of judges 00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:29.680 And if you were here, so refresh your memory if you weren't here, this is a one minute 00:05:30.400 --> 00:05:32.879 Summary of a really important part of his sermon 00:05:33.439 --> 00:05:38.560 And so he spoke about how strange the world of judges is to us 00:05:38.560 --> 00:05:40.879 It's full of really odd characters 00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:46.399 People that can be quite hard to relate to if you just step into the book if you open it for the first time 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:50.399 A lot of the people that the book sets up as heroes are actually 00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:56.800 When you read their stories are deeply flawed characters really strange people really odd heroes 00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:04.480 And the book has lots of people who are constantly lots of peoples who are at war with each other across their different groups 00:06:04.480 --> 00:06:08.879 It's the story of people trying to take over the land that other people already live in 00:06:09.680 --> 00:06:15.280 And where you have people converting to different religions choosing entirely different ways of life 00:06:16.080 --> 00:06:21.280 And the story is like a pendulum of extremes that never seems to settle anywhere in the middle 00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:27.360 And there's all kinds of intermarriage. There's lots of violence in the book of judges 00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:34.720 And that can make the book seem really difficult to make sense of for a lot of people in our culture 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:38.000 If you were to pick up the Bible for the first time in your life 00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:40.160 If you'd never read it before 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:43.120 And you open it that judges chapter one 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:48.720 And that's really difficult because of what I was just sketching out there borrowing from tom last week 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:51.120 But also because a lot of people in our culture 00:06:52.160 --> 00:06:54.480 Haven't read the Bible before they have very little 00:06:54.480 --> 00:07:00.480 Knowledge of it or experience of it and very little sense from the Bible itself of how the Bible is to be read 00:07:00.480 --> 00:07:02.480 How do you make sense of a book like this? 00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:08.480 And I think that's difficult because in our culture there are a lot of people you're going to put them into two groups 00:07:09.200 --> 00:07:12.400 In group one, there are a lot of people who haven't read the Bible 00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:15.360 But assume that when they do 00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:19.520 It's going to be like opening up a mindfulness app 00:07:19.519 --> 00:07:25.519 But it's an ancient book and what you expect to find there is something that'll give you really 00:07:26.159 --> 00:07:31.120 Good vibes that'll put you at ease like a kind of pillow of affirmation 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:36.719 That will give you an instant sense of inner peace and it's there to give you that kind of feeling 00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:40.719 Other people though assume that the Bible 00:07:41.359 --> 00:07:42.479 They might not have read it much 00:07:42.479 --> 00:07:45.279 It's a book of commands of things to do 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:52.639 And it's a book about stories where everything that happens is affirmed by the Bible and you're meant to copy what you find literally on every page 00:07:54.079 --> 00:07:56.079 And with that assumption 00:07:56.079 --> 00:08:02.239 Well, let's say with both of these assumptions group one opens the Bible at the book of judges and it's not really like opening an 00:08:02.479 --> 00:08:05.199 A wellness app to give you those feelings 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:08.399 And group two opens the book of judges and it's full of 00:08:09.199 --> 00:08:11.679 Of a lot of really difficult stuff to process 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:16.959 And is this really what you want to copy and why would the Bible affirm all of these people doing all of these things? 00:08:19.680 --> 00:08:21.680 But 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:23.120 Neither group then well 00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:29.840 If that's how you begin reading the book of judges will get very far before giving up because why is the Bible like this? 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:32.000 Why is there a book like this in the Bible? 00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:34.159 Judges is not 00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:38.159 Chicken soup for the soul, but it's also not 12 rules for life 00:08:38.159 --> 00:08:45.439 But of course that's not how the Bible itself works. It's not how it's to be read. It's not how we're to make sense of a book like judges 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:53.919 So the way that kori introduced the series of sermons that you're doing just now in st. columbus and sunday nights on judges was the title 00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:56.719 The gospel according to judges 00:08:57.120 --> 00:08:58.719 Okay, and that's a great title 00:08:58.719 --> 00:09:00.719 You know if you're if that phrase rings 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:03.519 A true every rings familiar to you 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:09.600 You're thinking of the gospel according to Luke the gospel according to Matthew and you're thinking of these stories directly in the new 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:14.399 Testament about Jesus, but this is the gospel in the old testament in 00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:19.679 This book that's really difficult for a lot of people to read and to get into at the beginning 00:09:21.759 --> 00:09:27.039 But it is actually in the Bible the gospel the gospel according to judges 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:30.000 and here's 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:32.240 What I mean by that 00:09:32.240 --> 00:09:35.200 The Bible is one great story 00:09:35.759 --> 00:09:38.240 From Genesis to Revelation from beginning to end 00:09:39.120 --> 00:09:42.639 The Bible tells one huge overarching story 00:09:43.360 --> 00:09:47.519 But when you start to zoom in on all the different things that make up that story 00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:51.680 You see that the story is made up of tiny versions of itself repeated over and over 00:09:52.159 --> 00:09:55.039 Imagine you see a big portrait of a face 00:09:55.919 --> 00:10:01.120 And the closer you get to it you see that it's a mosaic and it's actually full of tiny pictures of the same face 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:07.919 The Bible is like that, but it's one big story made up of repetitions of itself that start off really small 00:10:08.799 --> 00:10:12.720 And as the repetitions go on they get bigger and bigger they expand 00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:15.279 They start to get fleshed out 00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:17.120 until 00:10:17.120 --> 00:10:19.120 God takes on human flesh 00:10:19.279 --> 00:10:24.000 And what the meaning of the story is is crystallized in the person of Jesus Christ 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:29.759 So here's how this works the Bible begins with God in the beginning God 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:35.120 God creates our world this universe. He creates human beings 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:41.679 And their starting point is this perfect relationship with him 00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:46.000 And with themselves and with one another and with their universe 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:48.799 But then 00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:50.799 those humans rebel 00:10:50.799 --> 00:10:55.439 And they ruin the relationship with God with themselves with one another 00:10:55.839 --> 00:10:56.719 with their world 00:10:56.719 --> 00:11:01.919 And then immediately we have the story that gets repeated over and over being told for the first time 00:11:02.559 --> 00:11:06.240 in a promise from God to that first woman Eve 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:11.120 That one day one of her offspring will come one of her descendants 00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:13.279 And he will undo 00:11:13.439 --> 00:11:19.279 Everything that they have put out of joints everything that they have undone in God's world 00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:21.279 So this offspring will come 00:11:21.839 --> 00:11:29.039 And that's the this this tiny bear promise that they get but that is the story that's going to be repeated throughout the Bible 00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:32.879 Expanding and expanding as the story gets retold 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:35.679 And it gets retold in 00:11:36.319 --> 00:11:41.679 The book of judges it gets retold in the exodus it gets retold in the 40 years in the wilderness 00:11:41.679 --> 00:11:46.159 It gets retold in the the temple it gets retold in the sacrifices 00:11:46.159 --> 00:11:55.120 It gets retold in the prophets until one day the story is told definitively because that promised offspring comes 00:11:55.919 --> 00:11:58.719 And that is Jesus who enters the story 00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:06.639 As God who becomes human who takes a human nature the word is made flesh and eve's 00:12:06.959 --> 00:12:08.959 offspring 00:12:08.959 --> 00:12:10.480 Is actually her creator 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:14.079 The author who writes himself into the story 00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:21.120 Now here's what to give you one mental image to think about this. Okay, that'll take us into judges 00:12:21.680 --> 00:12:26.960 And it's from a theologian who lived in the second century. He was from north Africa. His name was tertulian 00:12:27.680 --> 00:12:31.759 And he was a pagan roman who became a christian and if you've never heard of him 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:37.759 I'm confident that you all regularly use words that he invented like old testament new testament 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:40.480 Trinity so he was that guy. He was a wordsmith 00:12:40.480 --> 00:12:49.680 And one of um one of his most helpful creative terms in talking about the old testament and what I was just saying about how it's one story being repeated over and over 00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:51.360 is 00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:55.279 That the old testament is full of what he called rehearsals 00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:57.600 of the gospel 00:12:57.600 --> 00:13:03.440 Okay, so the gospel gets rehearsed over and over and over until it all happens for real 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:11.440 The old testament is full of rehearsals of the incarnation of jesus. It's full of rehearsals of the ultimate story 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:15.040 In all the ways that that story gets retold over and over and over 00:13:15.040 --> 00:13:20.560 And the mind blowing thing that tertulian said about these rehearsals is who directs the rehearsal 00:13:21.040 --> 00:13:23.040 It's actually jesus himself 00:13:23.440 --> 00:13:30.160 He's the one who coordinates them. He's the one who orchestrates them and he does that the rehearsals are there for our benefits 00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:35.919 They're there to prepare the world for what's going to happen when jesus entered definitively 00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:38.879 So when we're talking about the gospel 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:41.600 according to judges 00:13:42.079 --> 00:13:45.839 What we're looking to see really is what kind of a rehearsal 00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:50.879 Of his entrance into the world is jesus orchestrating 00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:56.480 In that world as strange as that world seems to us and for those people 00:13:56.480 --> 00:14:01.680 And of course he was doing that in a world that was unimaginably different to our own 00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:04.800 And the ancient world was a really violent place 00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:07.120 Resources were scarce 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:09.519 People lived with all kinds of precarity 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:15.279 They did not know how to imagine religion as a sort of private choice that you have 00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:21.360 Within your own life in your next door neighbor might make completely different private choices and you can all just live in that live 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:23.680 That wasn't the world that they knew how to imagine 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:28.719 And so in all of those fronts think about it like this 00:14:29.279 --> 00:14:35.839 If people from the time of the book of judges could read a book that was set in our culture in edinbrun 2024 00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:39.839 It would be as unimaginably weird to them as their world seems to us 00:14:40.479 --> 00:14:44.399 And actually they would be deeply suspicious of you 00:14:45.199 --> 00:14:49.359 Because of the kind of diversity that you live with the kind of live and let live attitude 00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:55.680 That would make no sense because their world was so much more about the group than the individual and our culture is the inverse 00:14:56.159 --> 00:14:59.519 So they would they would actually find us really suspicious 00:14:59.519 --> 00:15:02.960 They would wonder how can you trust these people? What do they live for beyond themselves? 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:08.720 This kind of hyper individualized society and they would really struggle to imagine us just like we struggle to imagine them 00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:14.000 But that is the world that these people were born into 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:21.600 In history and God was pursuing them in that world Jesus was rehearsing the gospel in their world for them 00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:26.000 So how does he do that in judges too? 00:15:26.799 --> 00:15:28.799 So I've got two points 00:15:29.360 --> 00:15:31.919 The first is that God is faithful 00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:36.720 And the people are not we are not and the second is the kind of judge 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:39.519 Who saves us of what is the truth 00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:45.840 We are not and the second is the kind of judge who saves us so God is faithful and we're not 00:15:46.079 --> 00:15:48.319 Now the reason I read verses one to five there 00:15:49.439 --> 00:15:53.679 Is that they give us this key idea that help us unlock the whole of the book of judges 00:15:54.319 --> 00:15:58.159 This idea that God is faithful to his people the people are not faithful to him 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:01.919 But the way that God deals with that is that he gives them a leader 00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:05.840 Who is a good leader and who mediates between them and him? 00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:09.440 So the backstory to this to the book of judges is 00:16:10.160 --> 00:16:13.040 Joshua and the story of the exodus from Egypt 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:14.560 So Joshua 00:16:14.560 --> 00:16:16.560 If you don't know the story 00:16:16.800 --> 00:16:21.600 He was Moses assistant and Moses was the guy who led the Israelites out of Egypt where they'd been slaves 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:24.080 for hundreds of years, but after 00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:25.920 Moses dies 00:16:25.920 --> 00:16:30.560 Joshua then led leads the Israelites to the promised land, but when they get there 00:16:30.559 --> 00:16:35.919 Joshua makes this dramatic speech so it's on the page just before this literally in the church Bible 00:16:36.719 --> 00:16:39.839 Joshua makes a dramatic speech when they're just about at the promised land 00:16:40.799 --> 00:16:46.159 When he tells them that the peoples who already live in this land worship lots of different gods 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:53.599 And those gods define their lives and as you enter this land, you must choose whom you will serve 00:16:54.159 --> 00:16:57.359 Okay, and so maybe you know this line from the Bible as for me in my house 00:16:57.360 --> 00:17:02.159 We will serve the Lord. This is where that gets said the original place where that gets said 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:05.360 So they're about to enter this promised land full of all of these 00:17:05.920 --> 00:17:12.799 Peoples who worship all of these other gods and the question that Joshua gives them as they're just about to cross into that promised land is 00:17:13.759 --> 00:17:15.519 Whom will you serve? 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:19.680 Who will you make ultimate in your life? Will it be the Lord the one true God? 00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:23.920 Or will it be Bale or Maloch or Ashtara? 00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:27.680 Will you focus your life on God or on these idols? 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:31.600 Now you may be thinking when you hear this 00:17:32.560 --> 00:17:36.720 Well, you know, that's nice ancient history of the Bronze Age in Canaan 00:17:38.080 --> 00:17:44.480 But I don't know anyone who has a shrine of Maloch or of Bale or an Asherapole 00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:47.440 in their house 00:17:47.840 --> 00:17:51.600 For me, this is really detached and it's meaningless. I don't know anyone who worships these gods 00:17:51.599 --> 00:17:54.240 See, this is this is totally irrelevant 00:17:55.279 --> 00:17:57.279 But think about this 00:17:57.919 --> 00:18:02.240 Do you know who the New Testament calls the true and greater Joshua? 00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:07.359 It's Jesus right same name even Yeshua and the Lord saves 00:18:08.799 --> 00:18:12.240 Jesus said exactly the same thing in fact a bigger better thing 00:18:12.719 --> 00:18:15.759 than Joshua said when they're about to cross into the promised land and he says 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:19.119 Who will you serve? Will it be the Lord or will it be Maloch or Bale? 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:24.319 Well, Jesus said you cannot serve God and money 00:18:25.199 --> 00:18:27.199 Choose who you'll serve 00:18:28.719 --> 00:18:31.119 Maybe nobody you know worships Maloch or Bale 00:18:32.079 --> 00:18:35.199 Do you know people who believe that money makes the world go round? 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:38.000 I do 00:18:38.399 --> 00:18:39.519 So 00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:42.000 Joshua's question is contextualized 00:18:42.639 --> 00:18:47.439 It's how you address the specific ways that idols are packaged and presented 00:18:47.440 --> 00:18:49.440 If you live in Bronze Age Canaan 00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:56.000 For us the same idols are still there. They're just packaged differently and they were we're more subtle than they were 00:18:56.400 --> 00:19:00.240 They called their idols gods. Maybe we don't but we treat them like that 00:19:01.279 --> 00:19:04.559 So Joshua's question is still the same question for us 00:19:05.120 --> 00:19:08.160 We although we can package it differently choose whom you will serve 00:19:08.400 --> 00:19:11.200 So that's the backstory they're about to enter the promised land 00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:15.039 He tells them this choose whom you will serve and the people say 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:17.039 We will serve the Lord 00:19:17.759 --> 00:19:21.119 Because as boldly as that and we will be faithful to him 00:19:22.639 --> 00:19:24.639 And Joshua tells them 00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:27.359 No, you won't 00:19:27.359 --> 00:19:29.119 You will fail 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:31.119 And your hearts will wander you'll go astray 00:19:32.079 --> 00:19:36.480 And at the very beginning of Joshua of judges too, that's what Joshua tells them 00:19:36.639 --> 00:19:39.200 Okay, so it's a recap of what you have at the end of Joshua 00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:47.039 He God tells them I have been faithful to you, but you have not been faithful to me and in response they weep 00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:54.960 They they break down in tears and I'll talk a little bit later on about why they do that and why there's good news for people in that situation 00:19:56.240 --> 00:20:02.240 So God tells them he's faithful to them and they're not faithful to him. So what does it mean to say that God is faithful here? 00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:05.440 He wants to be their God 00:20:05.840 --> 00:20:06.960 exclusively 00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:13.279 um, he wants to be the one whose standards of goodness and truth and beauty 00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:20.079 Order their lives and his commitment to them is exclusive. He is saying in effect. I want to be your God 00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:23.039 I want to be loyal to you. I created you 00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:28.240 I want I want to redeem you. I want to hear you. I want to answer your prayers 00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:32.400 I want to be the one who gives your life its dignity and 00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:35.279 um, it's 00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:38.559 Its purpose and I want you to know that and live within it 00:20:39.759 --> 00:20:41.759 So that's God's side of this 00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:47.039 But the people God says have not been faithful to him. So what does that mean? So in verse 00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:50.799 In verse two 00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:55.519 There are two things that God says he doesn't want them to do and they do both of these things 00:20:56.240 --> 00:21:00.319 One is to make covenants with pagans and the other is to take part 00:21:00.960 --> 00:21:02.960 in their religions 00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:09.120 To illustrate just how how weird our world would be to them. Just like their world is so strange to us 00:21:09.600 --> 00:21:11.200 imagine 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:16.160 You're about to sign a contract. I don't know you're a student and you're about to rent your flat for the coming year 00:21:17.039 --> 00:21:18.720 and 00:21:18.720 --> 00:21:23.680 Your landlord is a hindu and you both sign the contract and your landlord says at the end of it 00:21:25.120 --> 00:21:28.799 To make this contract valid. We are both going to make an offering to 00:21:29.519 --> 00:21:31.519 Vishnu 00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:37.039 In scotland you would think what like I don't need to do that to sign a contract that seems odd and an overreach 00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:39.519 I imagine you like you're about to 00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:42.799 Sell something you're about to sell your bike to someone 00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:48.000 And you say okay just before the money changes hands. I'd like it if we could both recite the apostles creed 00:21:48.799 --> 00:21:50.799 And the person's probably gonna say what? 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:55.680 Why do we need to do that to have a contract? But their world was completely different 00:21:56.879 --> 00:21:58.879 So to make covenants 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:05.920 It's not just kind of let's ignore one another's differences and sign a piece of paper together. It's let's 00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:10.240 Let's make oaths to gods. It's a really religious thing 00:22:11.280 --> 00:22:13.760 And god doesn't want them to do that to other gods 00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:21.680 And the reason that god doesn't want that okay, here's one way you can think about this that 00:22:23.280 --> 00:22:26.320 Living your life under one god 00:22:26.319 --> 00:22:28.319 Who relates to you by grace 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:34.319 Is completely different as a life to living under thousands of different gods 00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:39.599 Who all want you to do things to keep them happy and you've got to appease every single one of them 00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:42.319 Those are two completely different ways to live 00:22:42.799 --> 00:22:44.639 utterly different 00:22:44.639 --> 00:22:46.639 If you become a canaanite 00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:53.439 Polytheist it means that every day you've got to spend your life trying to serve a thousand different masters 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:56.559 You have this huge list of gods as long as your arm 00:22:57.200 --> 00:23:01.600 If you want to get pregnant, there's a fertility god you've got to keep happy for your harvest 00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:05.039 There's another god for the fruit that grows in your garden. There's a god 00:23:05.519 --> 00:23:09.120 There's a whole list of different gods for every part of your physical health 00:23:09.600 --> 00:23:13.519 And do you want success in war? Do you want the sun to rise tomorrow? 00:23:14.640 --> 00:23:16.240 And do you want good fortune? 00:23:16.799 --> 00:23:19.920 Do you want victory over the gods of the other peoples? 00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:23.039 And if if you're a pagan canaanite 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:28.880 And everything goes wrong in your life, you know, if it seems like the bottom has completely fallen out of it 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:32.000 You had a nuclear option 00:23:32.080 --> 00:23:35.519 The ultimate sacrifice to get the gods on your side 00:23:35.920 --> 00:23:39.759 Which was that you go to the god malloch and you offer your children 00:23:40.480 --> 00:23:42.480 Who'd be burned to death 00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:49.360 As a sacrifice to him. So that's what you would do in ancient Canaan particularly of all the crops failed 00:23:50.079 --> 00:23:54.640 Because there's nothing above that that you could say that you could use to say to malloch 00:23:55.120 --> 00:23:59.519 I need you. I am my life is over without you. I am nothing without you 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:04.640 And there's nothing more costly than I can give than the children that I've sacrificed to you 00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:10.960 And what you see across the Old Testament is that god hates that that this is a thing where god that god calls out 00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:14.960 It's what he means in judges too when he says at the very beginning 00:24:15.600 --> 00:24:18.559 You might think it's just signing a contract to buy a fields 00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:22.720 You might think it's just you know marrying off one of your sons or one of your daughters 00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:27.680 But these gods are a snare to you. You give this an inch and it will take a mile 00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:31.680 You think you're just staying in the shallow end of the pool, but before you know it 00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:34.160 You're in the deep end 00:24:34.160 --> 00:24:37.519 You think that it's just lip service to these gods that you don't really believe in 00:24:37.519 --> 00:24:44.799 But actually before you know it the it's it's really heavy commitments and the lip service is to the god you say you believe in today 00:24:46.960 --> 00:24:49.680 So choose whom you will serve 00:24:50.559 --> 00:24:53.519 That's the message as they enter the promised land 00:24:54.000 --> 00:24:58.799 And that's what you see as the chapter goes on they go from the shallow end to the deep end really quickly 00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:03.759 But before that happens in chapter 2 so verses 6 down to 10 00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:07.200 There is a there's a while where things go reasonably well for the Israelites 00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:10.160 So they still have their good leader at this point. They have Joshua 00:25:10.640 --> 00:25:14.879 And he stands in their place before god and he mediates between god and them 00:25:15.279 --> 00:25:20.160 But after Joshua dies, there's still a generation who remember him 00:25:20.559 --> 00:25:24.240 And who remember what it was like to have someone who mediates between them and god 00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:27.279 They remember what it was like to have this savior figure 00:25:28.079 --> 00:25:31.279 But after that generation passes away things change 00:25:31.279 --> 00:25:34.879 Dramatically and very quickly so look at verse 10 00:25:35.759 --> 00:25:42.559 And all that generation were gathered to their fathers and there arose another generation after them who did not know the lord 00:25:42.799 --> 00:25:44.799 Or the work that he had done for Israel 00:25:45.359 --> 00:25:47.359 Now if you are 00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:49.920 An attentive reader 00:25:50.399 --> 00:25:52.399 If you know lots of biblical stories 00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:58.160 And you join the dots between them if you hear echoes of stories in other stories from the bible 00:25:58.160 --> 00:26:02.640 There's something that's ringing here for you in the background 00:26:02.640 --> 00:26:08.480 Something sad and something ironic in this line that there arose another generation who did not know 00:26:09.840 --> 00:26:14.320 And the reason for that is that the story of Joshua 00:26:14.320 --> 00:26:16.960 Which is the story that is just ending in this verse 00:26:17.680 --> 00:26:20.880 Is actually the very end of the story of the Exodus 00:26:21.680 --> 00:26:25.040 Because the Exodus is the Exodus from Egypt to the promise of the Bible 00:26:25.039 --> 00:26:28.559 Because the Exodus is the Exodus from Egypt to the promised land 00:26:30.399 --> 00:26:34.799 It's the story that where if you go right back to the start of that story 00:26:35.759 --> 00:26:42.240 It takes you to Exodus chapter one where the Israelites are living peacefully in Egypt and flourishing 00:26:42.319 --> 00:26:44.480 And this is before they become slaves 00:26:45.519 --> 00:26:48.079 And they live under the protection of a good leader 00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:50.159 Joseph 00:26:50.159 --> 00:26:52.159 But then what happens? 00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:54.480 Joseph dies 00:26:54.480 --> 00:27:00.000 And there arises another generation a new Pharaoh who did not know Joseph 00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:04.480 And just like that everything changes for them and they end up in slavery 00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:08.960 And things take this dramatic turn for the worst 00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:15.519 And that happens in the is in Egypt because they end up as slaves in Egypt, but in judges actually it's even worse 00:27:16.720 --> 00:27:20.480 Because they're in what's meant to be the promised land 00:27:22.160 --> 00:27:24.160 They're not in Egypt 00:27:24.160 --> 00:27:29.680 And it's not the Pharaoh the new Pharaoh this pagan king who thinks he's a god who doesn't know the Lord 00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:33.519 It's actually the Israelites themselves who don't know the Lord 00:27:37.759 --> 00:27:41.360 So there's an echo that goes right back to the start of the book of Exodus here 00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:49.040 And the effect that this is meant to have on you when you read it if you know the backstory 00:27:49.840 --> 00:27:51.840 Is you're meant to ask 00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:55.439 Okay, they left Egypt physically but in their hearts 00:27:56.319 --> 00:27:58.480 Um, are they still slaves? 00:27:59.199 --> 00:28:02.480 So they're not physically there, but they they don't know how to be free 00:28:03.519 --> 00:28:07.359 And then what comes after this versus 11 down to 16 is really terrible 00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:11.279 So they go from the shallow end to the deep end in one plunge 00:28:11.759 --> 00:28:14.720 They abandon the Lord and they're not even subtle about it 00:28:14.879 --> 00:28:19.679 Like they're not trying to say well, you know, it's just lip service and we still were really loyal to the Lord 00:28:19.680 --> 00:28:25.519 They give up on him entirely and they convert to these other religions. They follow other gods 00:28:26.160 --> 00:28:28.160 So verse 13 00:28:28.160 --> 00:28:30.880 Reduces it to two things that lure them in 00:28:31.600 --> 00:28:36.320 And they went after other gods from among the gods of the peoples who are around them and bowed down to them 00:28:36.880 --> 00:28:40.720 They abandoned the Lord and served the bales and the ash to Roth 00:28:42.080 --> 00:28:46.000 So they gave up on the Lord in pursuit of two other things 00:28:46.000 --> 00:28:49.119 The gods that they're that these cultures around them offered them 00:28:49.680 --> 00:28:52.319 And the two things were power and sex 00:28:52.960 --> 00:28:56.480 And that's what the bales and the ash to Roth represents the bales are a group of gods 00:28:56.799 --> 00:29:03.119 If you're a pagan canaanite, these are like the the ideal form of masculinity or the bales 00:29:03.599 --> 00:29:09.920 They're they're male gods and the bales lust after this ideal form of sexualized femininity 00:29:10.319 --> 00:29:12.319 the ash to Roth 00:29:12.400 --> 00:29:13.599 um 00:29:13.599 --> 00:29:18.719 Well, Astarte was her name this goddess of fertility this object of male desire 00:29:19.359 --> 00:29:26.000 So the Israelites gave up on following the Lord because they become transfixed with how their culture mediates to them 00:29:27.119 --> 00:29:30.480 masculinity and femininity power and sex 00:29:31.119 --> 00:29:33.119 desire 00:29:33.119 --> 00:29:44.000 Of course our culture has its own many many different ways of mediating those things to us as well 00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:48.000 So there's at this point there's another echo of something in the Exodus story 00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:50.399 Which is that because they've done this 00:29:51.439 --> 00:29:55.039 God sells them into the hands of their enemies 00:29:55.439 --> 00:29:57.199 Sells them into slavery 00:29:57.199 --> 00:30:00.319 And what's really shocking about this again is if you think about this 00:30:00.319 --> 00:30:03.519 And you've got the story of the exodus behind it 00:30:04.559 --> 00:30:10.960 The very beginning of the story of the exodus like the backstory to the exodus is well, how did Joseph end up in Egypt? 00:30:11.279 --> 00:30:14.159 He was sold into slavery by his brothers 00:30:15.279 --> 00:30:17.519 So there's this other it's a sad echo 00:30:18.799 --> 00:30:25.039 And the Israelites are now slaves again. It's like the exodus from slavery in Egypt never happened 00:30:25.039 --> 00:30:32.319 So the way that judges to begins the book of judges is that it's like we're back at the very beginning of the book of exodus 00:30:33.440 --> 00:30:35.599 It's like there's a there's a meme that goes around 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:38.319 of a shepherd 00:30:38.319 --> 00:30:40.319 Who's trying to pull a sheep 00:30:40.720 --> 00:30:42.720 The sheep's head is stuck in this ditch 00:30:42.720 --> 00:30:46.799 So love you've seen it and the moment he pulls it out the sheep springs off and jumps and then 00:30:47.920 --> 00:30:49.920 Head straight back in the same ditch 00:30:49.920 --> 00:30:56.240 Okay, that's the kind of effect that you're meant to have when you read judges one and two if you've read exodus as it comes before 00:30:56.880 --> 00:31:00.080 They've gone straight back into the same ditch and it's like the exodus 00:31:00.320 --> 00:31:02.880 Well, the question you're meant to have is was the exodus for nothing 00:31:03.519 --> 00:31:05.519 Can god save his people at all? 00:31:08.480 --> 00:31:13.360 And at this point, you know, if you're reading judges back in ancient israel 00:31:13.359 --> 00:31:18.959 Maybe another thing that you're thinking of is again the page before this in the church bibles 00:31:19.839 --> 00:31:26.240 What joshua said to the people after he said choose whom you will serve and they say we will serve the lord and joshua says 00:31:27.039 --> 00:31:28.639 No, you won't 00:31:28.639 --> 00:31:31.199 Do you know what just do you remember what joshua said to them after that? 00:31:31.839 --> 00:31:38.319 You will fail him and because he is a holy and jealous god. He will not forgive your sins 00:31:39.759 --> 00:31:41.759 so there's something 00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:48.079 Something true about god that joshua grasped in that moment, which is that god is a holy and a jealous god 00:31:48.720 --> 00:31:54.160 But there's something about god that joshua didn't grasp which is that god is also a gracious god 00:31:55.519 --> 00:32:01.119 So he tells them you're going to fail and god will not forgive you and that is why they wept 00:32:01.680 --> 00:32:05.519 That's why they called the place bohem the weepers because at this point 00:32:06.319 --> 00:32:10.879 You know, they're that sheep that has jumped straight back into the same ditch and it is over 00:32:10.880 --> 00:32:15.600 joshua himself told us if we get this wrong once then there's no way back 00:32:15.600 --> 00:32:17.600 We were already in the last chance saloon 00:32:18.240 --> 00:32:20.240 so they cry 00:32:21.280 --> 00:32:28.080 And that's what makes the plot twist at the very end of verse 15 and the start of 16 so amazing 00:32:29.360 --> 00:32:33.280 Because and this is also an echo of exodus 00:32:33.279 --> 00:32:42.559 They were in terrible distress then the lord raised up judges who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them at this point 00:32:43.200 --> 00:32:45.200 So it's like in exodus 00:32:45.440 --> 00:32:52.559 You know, they're they're groaning in slavery in egypt and god hears their groans and then god sends them someone to save them 00:32:52.879 --> 00:33:00.000 So judges too is a rehearsal of the gospel in exactly the same way that the book of exodus is a rehearsal of the gospel 00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:08.160 It's the story of god coming to save people who could not save themselves a story of god liberating people from slavery of god 00:33:09.279 --> 00:33:14.079 Turning mere existence into the abundance of life 00:33:15.680 --> 00:33:22.640 So that was point one point two is going to be a lot shorter really the point two is the conclusion the judge who saves us 00:33:23.200 --> 00:33:28.160 When you hear the word judge in our culture, you probably think of you know, someone who sits in a court and 00:33:28.160 --> 00:33:30.160 You know who hears cases 00:33:30.400 --> 00:33:32.400 A judge in the old testament is not like that 00:33:32.960 --> 00:33:34.960 Think instead 00:33:35.120 --> 00:33:38.320 Decisive warrior savior 00:33:38.320 --> 00:33:43.680 Okay, category of person that we don't really have in our culture. It's another thing that makes the book of judges odd to us 00:33:44.160 --> 00:33:49.120 So one of the things that you'll see through judges is that the people are just a mess throughout 00:33:49.120 --> 00:33:51.120 They don't really make progress at all 00:33:51.759 --> 00:33:54.000 They never get back on track with following god 00:33:54.000 --> 00:33:59.759 Obediently they're they're like the sheep that jumps into the ditch every single time more deeply than they did before 00:34:00.640 --> 00:34:05.440 And as a spoiler alert, you haven't read the whole of the book of judges. The last line of the book is 00:34:06.160 --> 00:34:10.559 Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. So the people are just like obstinately 00:34:10.800 --> 00:34:14.480 They run away from god every time and god runs after them every time 00:34:14.800 --> 00:34:20.000 And he keeps on being gracious over and over and he raises up judge after judge after judge to save them 00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:24.400 And the judges are another part of the weirdness of this book. They are a ragtag 00:34:24.639 --> 00:34:28.960 Bunch of saviours say the least the best known probably samson 00:34:29.440 --> 00:34:36.639 The strong man who has really obvious evident character flaws. Okay, put it like that. You'll be I guess you'll be hearing about him later 00:34:37.280 --> 00:34:42.400 We also have a judge like Gideon who's samson's opposite. He's not naturally brave or courageous 00:34:43.039 --> 00:34:46.000 You have women and you have another 00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:50.960 Judge who has a really complicated backstory. He's a prostitute son saves the people 00:34:51.920 --> 00:34:56.639 But then he makes this rash vow that he then ends up killing his daughter over 00:34:56.880 --> 00:34:58.880 The judges are a really odd group 00:34:59.920 --> 00:35:06.800 Very ordinary people who each save israel and they're able to do that chapter 2 says because the lord was with them 00:35:07.760 --> 00:35:10.000 They are unlikely heroes 00:35:10.800 --> 00:35:12.800 Really unlikely saviours 00:35:12.800 --> 00:35:20.160 And one of the repeated things that you see in judges is that they save the people of israel with unlikely weapons 00:35:20.960 --> 00:35:23.760 So Gideon's army uses jars and trumpets 00:35:24.160 --> 00:35:26.160 Shamgar uses an oxgoat 00:35:26.720 --> 00:35:28.720 Jail uses a tent peg 00:35:29.120 --> 00:35:31.120 Samson has a donkey's jaw bone 00:35:31.440 --> 00:35:38.080 So judges is like this case study of the most unlikely saviours whose weapons are the most unlikely weapons 00:35:38.079 --> 00:35:42.559 And throughout them God uses these people to just rescue his people 00:35:43.679 --> 00:35:48.400 So how is that a rehearsal of the gospel of Jesus Christ? 00:35:50.079 --> 00:35:52.079 Well think about it like this 00:35:53.440 --> 00:35:56.239 Who would the most surprising 00:35:57.039 --> 00:36:00.480 The least likely savior of the world be? 00:36:00.480 --> 00:36:06.079 A baby? More unlikely still a baby born to a virgin 00:36:07.119 --> 00:36:09.119 A baby born in poverty 00:36:09.920 --> 00:36:11.920 Born in a stable 00:36:11.920 --> 00:36:15.760 Someone who grows up in a cultural backwater 00:36:16.960 --> 00:36:18.960 Someone whose job is carpenter 00:36:19.440 --> 00:36:22.880 Someone who gave that up even and then had no place to lay his head 00:36:22.880 --> 00:36:24.880 And then he had to go to the hospital 00:36:24.880 --> 00:36:26.880 And he had to go to the hospital 00:36:26.880 --> 00:36:30.640 Someone who gave that up even and then had no place to lay his head 00:36:30.640 --> 00:36:33.360 So voluntarily homeless and itinerant 00:36:35.360 --> 00:36:37.920 Someone whose own family did not believe in him 00:36:38.800 --> 00:36:40.000 First 00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:45.840 Someone who taught values that the people around him thought were utterly bizarre like turn the other cheek 00:36:46.400 --> 00:36:48.400 Love your enemies 00:36:48.640 --> 00:36:53.360 Someone who ended up being executed by the Romans nailed to a cross 00:36:54.320 --> 00:36:56.320 Dying the death of a slave 00:36:56.320 --> 00:36:58.320 A common criminal 00:36:58.720 --> 00:37:03.920 Someone who lost his last earthly possessions as he hanged there held by nails 00:37:04.559 --> 00:37:08.880 When soldiers used dice to gamble over his last piece of clothing 00:37:09.680 --> 00:37:11.440 A barbarian 00:37:11.440 --> 00:37:16.559 A nobody whose body was lifeless body was sealed in a tomb 00:37:18.880 --> 00:37:21.200 One of the things that um the god 00:37:21.199 --> 00:37:28.000 God says about himself in the Old Testament in Sam 75 is that he is the judge 00:37:29.039 --> 00:37:31.839 Same Hebrew word as judges and judges 00:37:33.359 --> 00:37:36.399 And in Sam 75 it's about a world full of unrighteous people 00:37:37.119 --> 00:37:39.839 And there God says that he is the judge 00:37:40.639 --> 00:37:42.639 Whatever it meant for samson 00:37:42.719 --> 00:37:43.519 jail 00:37:43.519 --> 00:37:45.519 Gideon off neil 00:37:45.759 --> 00:37:47.759 All of these other people 00:37:47.759 --> 00:37:50.319 Whatever it meant for them to be judges to be saviors 00:37:50.320 --> 00:37:52.320 However, unlikely that seemed of them 00:37:53.280 --> 00:37:56.320 God was the definitive version of that 00:37:57.280 --> 00:37:59.280 He said he was the judge 00:38:00.000 --> 00:38:01.440 But did it ever 00:38:01.440 --> 00:38:02.800 Does it ever occur to you 00:38:03.440 --> 00:38:05.440 When you look at Jesus Christ 00:38:06.640 --> 00:38:08.640 That you are looking at 00:38:08.640 --> 00:38:10.640 The judge 00:38:10.640 --> 00:38:13.039 That you're looking at the unlikeliest 00:38:13.600 --> 00:38:15.600 The most unimaginable of saviors 00:38:16.800 --> 00:38:18.800 That you're looking at someone who fulfills 00:38:18.800 --> 00:38:20.800 The whole of the book of judges 00:38:22.320 --> 00:38:26.320 By he doesn't just fulfill it by being a man whom God was with 00:38:27.200 --> 00:38:29.920 Like off neil or Gideon or samson 00:38:30.480 --> 00:38:32.480 He fulfills it by being 00:38:32.880 --> 00:38:35.440 Immanuel by being God with us 00:38:36.160 --> 00:38:38.400 By being the god man by being the 00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:42.000 The word who is in flesh 00:38:42.000 --> 00:38:49.360 That the most surprising way for God to keep the promise he made to eve 00:38:49.920 --> 00:38:51.920 At the very beginning of that biblical story 00:38:52.159 --> 00:38:55.199 That the promise that one of her offspring would undo the fall 00:38:56.400 --> 00:38:59.519 That God himself did that by taking a human nature 00:39:00.880 --> 00:39:04.559 That God did that by becoming one of eve's own descendants 00:39:05.599 --> 00:39:08.159 And that he joined divinity 00:39:08.159 --> 00:39:11.359 And humanity in one person forever 00:39:13.199 --> 00:39:16.159 So that we can know that he will never let us go 00:39:16.799 --> 00:39:18.799 That we have this judge who is with us forever 00:39:20.159 --> 00:39:21.279 That's good news 00:39:21.279 --> 00:39:22.879 That is the gospel 00:39:23.519 --> 00:39:25.039 And that helps us I think 00:39:26.000 --> 00:39:28.480 It's here in the word of God to help us understand 00:39:28.480 --> 00:39:33.199 The gospel was rehearsed for these people in their world 00:39:34.079 --> 00:39:37.759 To prepare the world for the Jesus whom we know 00:39:37.760 --> 00:39:38.960 By name 00:39:38.960 --> 00:39:41.360 And for that reason we're really privileged to live 00:39:41.760 --> 00:39:43.760 When we do in history 00:39:43.760 --> 00:39:46.880 Not because we're superior to those people in their strange worlds 00:39:47.520 --> 00:39:50.240 Our people in thousands of years from now 00:39:50.240 --> 00:39:53.760 If the world is still here we'll look back on us and find us utterly bizarre 00:39:53.760 --> 00:39:54.960 In many ways 00:39:55.600 --> 00:39:58.400 And yet we have this privilege of living on this side of the cross 00:39:58.400 --> 00:40:02.800 This side of the fulfillment of all of those rehearsals 00:40:02.800 --> 00:40:04.000 Let's pray 00:40:04.000 --> 00:40:06.000 Lord our God 00:40:06.000 --> 00:40:08.000 We praise you for your gospel 00:40:08.000 --> 00:40:10.000 We thank you for your son Jesus Christ 00:40:10.000 --> 00:40:12.000 Who's come into our world 00:40:12.000 --> 00:40:14.000 Who has become our savior 00:40:14.000 --> 00:40:17.039 Who defies all of our expectations 00:40:17.039 --> 00:40:19.039 And yet in him 00:40:19.039 --> 00:40:22.000 You had planned to bring time together 00:40:22.000 --> 00:40:25.039 In all of its fullness to reveal yourself to us 00:40:25.039 --> 00:40:26.239 In him 00:40:26.239 --> 00:40:29.440 So Lord help us to grow in faith and love and hope 00:40:29.440 --> 00:40:30.960 Because of the gospel 00:40:30.960 --> 00:40:34.960 The gospel shown to us, rehearsed for us also in the book of Judges 00:40:34.960 --> 00:40:38.960 But we praise you that we don't just know of rehearsals 00:40:38.960 --> 00:40:42.960 But you've placed us in a time to know that 00:40:42.960 --> 00:40:46.960 The one who orchestrated that rehearsal has come into our world 00:40:46.960 --> 00:40:48.960 We praise you in his name 00:40:48.960 --> 00:41:00.960 Amen