Judge 2 “Right in his own Eyes” 

Intro: 

• Welcome/ Guests/ Online
• Opener: wild west- law less. 
• Colonies in the east, midwest, down south to westward expansion
• Built towns and governments. In spite of the laws, and governance, we see they just do what they want.
• Do what you want, steal what you want, take and build. Have a problem, use your pistols.
• Like LA roads
• Series Overview: Oftentimes people are intimidated by the Old Testament and are not quite sure what to do with it. Especially passages that look at the warring of the nations and the corruption of the people of Israel living in their idolatry then God having to bring his judgement. Judges is the time between Joshua getting to the promised land and Saul and David becoming Kings.  
• Right in his own eyes – this is a statement that hits hard, especially at the end of the book. 
• 2 things 

Doing what is right in our own eyes often leads us astray. 

MPS/MPT:  God makes us an everlasting covenant. 

Prayer: 30, 60, 100x. Land on good and honest hearts that bear fruit in patience. Father, what we know not, teach us. What we are not, make us. What we have not, give us. All for the sake of your son who is our savior. Amen 

Judges 2:1-2a 

• Angel of the Lord  
• Maybe just an angel of God speaking with God’s authority
• Or maybe a manifestation of God; Christophany, maybe.
• Either way, God spoke. I am here and did this.
• They haven’t even been doing it this long 
• History lesson for the people of israel Gen and Exo
• Israel and captivity. Moses sets people free, Exodus, spies out land, don't love it and have to wander, Conquest of Canan
• (Joshua takes over to judge the wicked nations) 
• I did these things for you
• Covenant 
• The covenant of being his people. I god and you my people. I am yours and you are mine. Hundreds of years.
• God opens this chapter by saying that his covenant with them is forever, “I will never break my covenant with you.” You would think that the people would stick to it 
• If God showed up to you today and said I will be with you forever, leave behind all things. But we don’t even make it out of verse two.

Judges 2:2b-5 

• However, almost immediately the people are ready to leave God and chase what was “right in their own eyes” which was “evil in the eyes of the Lord.”  
• They picked new ‘gods/ idols’ to worship.  
• Didn't push people out of land but chose to be complacent.
• Yes, God does not break the covenant with them though they broke it with him. 
• So God says hey, because you broke the covenant, i am going to do exactly what i said, you get to chill here and be my people, but These people are not going to get kicked out, they will bother you 
• They weep, sorrowful over their sins.
• So they repent and offer sacrifice to God 

Judges 2:6-10 

• Serves as a transition statement, like a problem resolution
• they serve God as long as Joshua is in charge 
• Everything is going good when the big guy is leading the people, mostly how it has gone thus far for the people of Israel, mostly 
• But then what do we see by the end of this? They only serve God in obligation to themselves and Joshua 
• They don’t do what the shema says by teaching their children. They did tell them what God had done,  
• I will serve god so i dont get judgment, but not for their kids.
• sets up a new set of problems 

Judges 2:11-15 

• God told them what was going to happen, the set of parents are selfish in their generation and only self-seek and don’t tell their kids and now they are reaping the reward of unfaithful living 
• Now the same problem as verse 1-3
• Reaping the reward of their parents
• Side note: must have a missional component to following Jesus, others have to know.
• They are wicked and following their own ways and God is not having it 
• God begins to Judge them as he said that he would then  
• But god is good, listen to this.

Judges 2:16-23 

• Judges 2 is summary of the whole book, and really the whole bible, and our whole lives
• This week we are going to explore this idea of Deutoronomic history. (God and people are good, they sin, they get judged, they repent, God and the people are good)  
• OT THEME: even in the garden, delight to her eyes and saw it was good for food
• Yet they do what they think is right in their own eyes and there is the cycle
• There are consequences to our actions and sins. And yet God still forgives.
• We are going to see that this same thing happens to us all the time. We are trying to follow God but want to do what is right in our own eyes.  
• We see the fruit and it is good to our eyes and we fall
• Consequence: not god throwing lightening bolts
• Physical: That drink, the next morning and how do you feel? Go too far and see. Lie to boss and demotion, leave or firing.
• Emotional: guilty and shame. The thing on the computer. The anxiety and destress.
• Spiritual: how could god still love me, why god choose me? Why would he want me? He couldnt redeem me? 
• Do what is right in our eyes, it leads us astray, then what?
• God hears and has pity on them and saves them and reminds them of the covenant.
• OT - sacrifices covenant. NT - New covenant made in blood of Christ.
• GOSPEL: He came, died, rose, ascended, coming back. 
• RELATIONSHIP WITH ME
• DO NOT GET TO CONTINUE IN SIN!
• Physical act of response with the taking of the supper. 

Two applications of response: I don’t know you and your stories.

1. Never started a relationship with God. You can today. 
2. Find yourself like the people in judges, do what is right in your own eyes a lot and you find out it doesn't lead to anything good. When confronted with sin they respond in repentance, God I did this and I am sorry. Let my lifted hands and prayers be sacrifices and incense offerings.
3. He didn’t want lambs but your hearts.

Lord’s Supper 

• Remembrance – body and blood 
• Declaration – the Christian 
• Celebration – Victory at the cross over hell, death and the grave 
• Proclamation – evangelism and his return

Engage Group Questions

  1    In Judges, we see people doing what they thought was right instead of what God said was right. Where do you find yourself tempted to trust your own judgment over what God says?

    2    The Israelites had seen God do some incredible things, but they still struggled to obey Him. Why do you think it's so easy for you to forget God's faithfulness when life gets difficult?

    3    The Israelites followed God, but only part of the way. Are there areas of your life where you find it easier to obey God than others? What makes those other areas harder to surrender?

Examining Our Hearts

    4    In the sermon, we talked about becoming complacent in our faith, or taking our foot off the gas when it comes to following Jesus. What does spiritual complacency tend to look like in your life? How do you recognize when you're starting to drift?

    5    Judges 2:10 tells us that an entire generation grew up not knowing the Lord or what He had done. Who are the people in your life that you're helping grow closer to Jesus? What could you do to be more intentional about that?

    6    Throughout Judges, the Israelites kept falling into the same cycle of sin, consequences, and crying out to God. Are there patterns or struggles in your own life that you find yourself returning to? What do you think makes those cycles so hard to break?

    7    We talked about how sin doesn't just affect us spiritually, but can affect our relationships, emotions, and everyday lives. Have you ever experienced how one seemingly small compromise led to bigger consequences? What did you learn from that experience?

Remembering God's Faithfulness

    8    Even when Israel kept turning away from God, He continued to show them mercy and rescue them. When you think about your own life, where have you seen God remain faithful even when you weren't?

    9    One of the biggest reminders from the sermon was that our relationship with God is built on what Jesus has done, not how perfectly we follow Him. How does remembering that truth change the way you respond when you mess up or fall short?

Living It Out

    10    As you think back over the sermon and Judges 2, what's one area of your life where you feel like God is asking you to take the next step in following Him? What's one practical thing you can do about it this week?

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHILE READING SCRIPTURE

What does this reveal about God?

What does this reveal about you in relation to God?

What do you need to do about it?