Dark Times. Broken People. Faithful King. | Week 10
Bellevue Women reaches the end of its study of the book of Judges as Donna Gaines tackles Ch. 17-21.
Dark Times. Broken People. FAITHFUL KING.
Week 10
Judges 17-21
We are unsure when these two accounts in Judges 17-21 took place. Many believe it was earlier in the period of the judges. As we have studied the individual Judges, we have seen the disobedience of a nation. These last two accounts give us an up close look at how the people were living. It is not a pretty picture!
I. Micah and the Levite
A. The Curse
B. The Idol
C. The Levite
II. The Danites
A. The Need for Land
B. The Levite
C. Laish
The King James Version Study Bible notes:
Because the Danites were severely restricted by the Amorites (cf. 1:34), they sought an area that would give them adequate territory for their people. Having failed to possess their original tribal allotment (cf. Joshua 19:41–46; Joshua 14:14), the Danites compounded their sin by inaugurating their settlement in the newly won territory in the north by the institution of Micah’s apostate religion! (electronic ed.) (Judges 18:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson).
III. The Levite and the Concubine
Abortion
In 2017, 862,000 legal induced abortions were reported to the CDC from 49 reporting areas. The abortion rate (number of abortions per 1,000 women) was 13.5%.
Planned Parenthood
“Two bioscience companies have reached a $7.785-million settlement with the Orange County district attorney’s office over allegations that they illegally sold fetal tissue to companies around the world, prosecutors said Friday. According to the settlement signed Monday, DV Biologics LLC and sister company DaVinci Biosciences LLC, both based in Yorba Linda, must cease all operations in California within 60 to 120 days. The agreement also requires the companies to admit liability for violations of state and federal laws prohibiting the sale or purchase of fetal tissue for research purposes, prosecutors said.” (https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-fetal-tissue-20171209- story.html)
“The debate this year in Washington over infanticide is rightly shocking to many because it tragically flows from the abortion industry’s advocacy for late-term abortion in states like New York and Virginia” (ERLC Weekly, September 13, 2019)
The New York Senate passed a bill in January of this year that includes the most significant expansion of abortion rights in the state in almost 50 years. The Democratic-controlled Senate voted 38-24 to pass the Reproductive Health Act on the 46th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Roe V. Wade ruling that states can’t ban abortion. This law would give women the right to an abortion after 24 weeks if a fetus is no longer viable, or if a woman’s life or health is at risk. (Syracuse.com/politics/2019/01/ny-senate-passes-historic- expansion-of-aboriton-rights.html). The penalty for murder if a child was aborted after 24 weeks was removed from law.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/disgusting-new-york-not-only- legalized-late-term-abortions-but-also-celebrated-like-it-won-the-super-bowl
“The Born – Alive Survivors Protection Act seeks to protect children who survive an attempted abortion procedure and are born alive. If passed, the new law would require that abortion survivals be reported to law enforcement by the medical staff involved and that the surviving child be treated with the same level of medical care standard for any other child born prematurely. According to the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Wagner, this legislation also takes the critical step to ‘give the mother of the abortion survivor a civil cause of action and protection from prosecution, recognizing that women are the second victims of abortion and promoting the dignity of motherhood,’ The vote failed 53-44 in the Senate in February. Since that vote, pro-life members of the House began an effort to force a vote in their chamber as well” (ERLC Weekly, September 13, 2019).
IV. The Plight of Women in Judges
- Achsah (Caleb’s daughter) – Judges 1:13-15
- Deborah – Judges 4 & 5
- Jael – Judges 4 & 5
- The Concubine – Judges 19
- Women and the Tribe of Benjamin – Judges 20-21
Our idolatry has devastating effects on those around us. Jephthah’s idolatry killed his daughter and our idolatry is killing our daughters.
Facts:
- One out of every three children grow up in a single parent home.
- Abortion – Almost 3,000 - 2,889 performed every day in America (American Life League)
- Pornography has created an industry where the average age of the girls who enter that industry is 13 years old.
- In 2018, over half (51.6%) of the criminal human trafficking cases active in the US were sex trafficking cases involving only children.
- The average age a teen enters the sex trade in the US is 12 to 14 years old. Many victims are runaway girls who were sexually abused as children. (dosomething.org/us/facts/)
- 30 million mostly teenage girls have been diagnosed with anorexia and bulimia because we have idolized a certain figure or size.
Leading causes of death in 15-34 year olds – (CDC.gov)
- Accidents
- Suicide (47,173 per year in the US, 129 per day, one every 12 minutes)
- Homicides
- Drug Overdose
V. Cultural Decay
Tim Keller in a message at Dallas Theological Seminary Hendricks Center said, “Throughout history all cultures have believed that truth was something out there that could be known. Feelings were internal. If the truth is - you shall not commit adultery, but I feel like I would like to commit adultery, I would bring my feelings in line with what was true.
We are the first culture in the history of the world where we are being told truth is within and on the outside are nothing but culturally constructed feelings. You find truth inside. You come out and you tell everyone you have to accommodate me, because I have found the truth - this is who I am and this is what is right or wrong for me.
It is the complete reverse of what has been traditionally understood.
If you talk to a Muslim, or a Hindu there is some agreement that truth is without. We all disagree on what the truth or sacred order is, but we all said the meaning of life is to sublimate your selfish desires and align with the truth. The meaning of life was to be good and to align your life with that sacred order.
Our culture says exactly the opposite. The problem with this world is telling people they need to align with the truth. The solution is if every single person is able to define right and wrong for themselves and live as he or she seeks to live.
The culture of the past said the problem is the selfish autonomous individual; we must connect with the truth. But now culture says, Every single person must be free to define right and wrong for themselves and live as he or she seeks to live. Our current culture says the answer is the autonomous individual.
The one thing we need to be saved from is the idea that we need to be saved.” (https://lp.dts.edu/hendricks-center-video-watch/)
“When everything is moving at once, nothing appears to be moving, as on board ship. When everyone is moving toward depravity, no one appears to be moving. But when someone stops, he shows up the others by acting as a fixed point.” (Blaise Pascal)
“May we be brave enough to stop moving with the crowds, humble enough to stand in the grace of the cross, and rooted enough in the love of the Father to remain fixed points of hope for others on this journey home. And may we see the crowds that pass with the eyes of Jesus, feeling His compassion for their distress, for it was once our own.” (Joni Shankles)
“When he saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36
What are we to do?
Tim Keller - Reclaim the early church social project – It was marked by 5 things – (https://lp.dts.edu/hendricks-center-video-watch/)
- First multi-ethnic congregations
- Committed to the poor – Luke 7:22
- Never retaliated (civility, peace making)
- Pro-life
- Sexual counterculture