Judges Sermons – Covenant United Reformed Church

The book of Judges is a book that is rather depressing. The book starts out with Israel sinning, having a nation come against them, crying out to the Lord, repenting, and then the cycle repeats. The book spirals down to civil war, and now finally we witness Israel sorting through the effects of the civil […] The post Reconciled or Not Reconciled? (Judges 21:1-25) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

We left off with the tribes of Israel ready to make war. There was a brief court case that was held, and Israel did ask the tribe of Benjamin to turn over the guilty offenders. Will Israel break out into full fledged civil war? Will the Lord be on one of the sides? What good […] The post Beyond Sibling Rivalry (3) (Judges 20:18-41) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

The sons of Jacob never fully got along in Jacob’s lifetime. In fact, we can see that Jacob is one who did not get along with his brother Esau. Yes, Jacob was the heir of the promise, but he did not treat his brother all that well. Will Israel ever come together? Will Israel get […] The post Beyond Sibling Rivalry (2) Judges 20:1-17 appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

The people of Israel come together as the ones who are supposed to serve the living God. They are called to be faithful to the Lord, and serve the Lord. However we have seen that Israel is one who does not get along well as the brothers have sold another brother into slavery. Can Israel […] The post Beyond Sibling Rivalry (Judges 19:1-30) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

So, there is no king in Israel, and the people of Israel do what is right in their own eyes. The Lord has promised to build His heavenly city, and so how far can they fall? If they fall too far will the Lord be able to bring them back? Will the people of God […] The post Dan's Good Luck Charm (Judges 18:1-31)) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

I had a rabbits foot novelty key chain, and always thought it was silly. I thought ti was silly because if the rabbit was so lucky he would still have his foot. Yet, as Christians we can look to our religion, and our religiosity as our "rabbit foot" while missing the Christ who secured our […] The post Micah's Good Luck Charm (Judges 17:1-13) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Samson the mighty warrior is the last official judge that Israel has. Samson is an interesting figure who does not want to do the will of the Lord, but then always finds himself fighting with the Philistines while running from the Lord. What is good about Samson running from the Lord? What is bad about […] The post Samson's Fall and Rise (Conclusion) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

So, the Lord’s warrior has finally called out to the Lord. Now, we arrive at the final chapter in Samson’s story. This is the man who is supposed to conduct the Lord’s war in the Lord’s wisdom. This man has not been conducting the Lord’s war, and wisdom would not characterize this man. Will the […] The post Samson's Fall and Rise? (3) (Judges 16:1-30) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

When we consider weddings we think that they are nice festive events that families can enjoy. Usually, this is the case, but for some reason Samson’s parents do not approve of his marriage. Why are not pleased with Samson’s choice? How does Samson’s choice show the state of Israel and the state of their redeemer? […] The post Samson's Rise and Fall (Judges 14:1-20) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

The people of Israel continue to be in rebellion against the Lord, and continue to conform to the Canaanites. They have failed miserably in subduing this land. There has been peace, but we find again that this peace is not lasting as the last narrative already hinted. The Lord promises a great deliverer for His […] The post A Warrior Child (Judges 13:1-25) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Jephthah is a man who speaks quickly, and knows how to craft a speech. What will he do when the tribe of Ephraim comes against him in the threat of civil war? What do we do with Israel having these civil wars? Why would the Lord put these things in His scripture? Why remember this […] The post Is There Finally Peace? (Judges 12:1-15) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

We will never deny that Christianity is a religion. It is a very distinctive religion with doctrines that are nothing like or even close to other religions. Is there a time when being religious and devout can be a contradiction to our religion? In other words can we be so religious that we end up […] The post Jephthah’s Religiosity (Judges 11:29-40) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Israel has asked the question, "Who is the man who will fight against the Ammonites?" This seems to be a good question in light of Israel putting away her gods. However, how does this question show their distance from the Lord? How does this question bring them the judge that embodies this question? How does […] The post Jephthah the Rejected (Judges 11:1-28) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

The people of Israel have sunk to a very deep low. They have forsaken the Lord, and have been ruled by a tyrant. In fact, in the book of Judges they "do what is right in their own eyes." In other words, they decide what is right and wrong for themselves. Has the Lord forsaken […] The post Has Israel Returned (Judges 10:1-18) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

So, Abimelech is king who rules over Shechem and he sees himself as part of the pure kingly line. What is he going to do if there is another king who comes into town? Is there another king who has a right to possess Abimelech's throne? Does Abimelech have the right to take this throne […] The post Abimelech's Rise and Fall (2) (Judges 9:22-57) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Abimelech’s name means my father is king. Israel is warned about having a king, but eventually she has a king. It is interesting to note that the Lord even covenants to David that David will have an eternal heir on his throne. If this is the case then why would the Lord warn Israel about […] The post Abimelech’s Rise and Fall (Judges 9:1-21) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Imagine an ideal warrior. What does he look like? My guess is that he is a man of action, and a man who is not afraid of conflict. I bet that he is also a man who will eagerly engage in battle and fight until the end faithfully for his king. These are some of […] The post Gideon the Procrastinator appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

The story of Gideon has had many ups and downs much like the history of Israel. Now, that Israel is in the land, and for all practical purposes has a king you would think that they would remember Gideon. Gideon had many flaws, but at least he had lip service to Yahweh. How will Israel […] The post Gideon's Legacy (Judges 8:29-35) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Gideon has come a long ways in his service to Israel. He has moved from an absolute cynic about the Lord’s deliverance to one who was used to accomplish a great victory with 300 men. The Lord’s deliverance through this man is remarkable. So, will Gideon see this as the Lord’s deliverance? Will Gideon seek […] The post Gideon A King? (Judges 8:1-28) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Gideon’s name has been changed to, "Let Baal Contend." The change happened after Gideon broke down Baal’s alter. Now, we witness the facing off of Gideon and the Midianites. The Midianites outnumber the Israelites. It seems that all the cards are staked in favor of Baal. Will Baal win? Will Yahweh defeat Baal? Will the […] The post Gideon's Victory or Loss? (Judges 7:16-25) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Finally, it is time for Gideon to go to war, but now it is the Lord’s turn to stall. Gideon has tried the Lord several times in the previous scenes, and now it is the Lord’s turn to try Gideon. Will Gideon really trust that God is the great king? Will he see that the […] The post Gideon A Warrior? (Judges 7:1-15) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

One of the names of God is El Shaddai. This means "God Almighty." The force of the name is that God is the mightiest of all beings. He is the king of kings and the Lord of lords. The point is that there is no being that can pull God down from His throne. There […] The post Let Baal Defend HImself (Judges 6:25-32) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Israel seemed to be in such a high point when we left off last time, but we find again the usual statement: and Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. How will they get out of this one? Will the Lord remember His people? How can the Lord show His mighty […] The post The Midianite Menace (Judges 6:1-24) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

The people of Israel have seen the mighty hand of the Lord working in covenant history. They have been lead through the Red Sea. Joshua lead the people of Israel into the promised land, but Judges is not progressing in a positive direction. What will the Lord do? Is the Lord able to establish His […] The post The Song of Deborah (Judges 5:1-30) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

The Lord declared that a champion would be raised through the seed of the woman. The Lord made clear in Genesis 3:15 that the Lord would triumph over Satan. As we have been studying the book of judges there is reason to doubt that the Lord will do this especially as we see the people […] The post What Has Happened to God's New Adam? (Judges 3:31-4:24) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

The battle for Jericho was a high point for the people of Israel. Now, that city is captured by the Moabites. The Moabites were involved in hiring Balaam to speak words of condemnation against Israel in the past. Now, Israel is held captive by Eglon the king of the Moabites. Israel’s holy city Gilgal, that […] The post Eglon the Ripe Cow (Judges 3:12-30) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

I imagine various Israelites sitting around the fire at night reminiscing the good old days when they heard or experienced the rest under Joshua or even Othniel. As humans we think of the man, but we do not think about what makes the man. Why was Othniel such a good judge? What power did he […] The post Othniel the Deliverer (Judges 3:7-11) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

The Lord states through Moses that Israel shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. It seems like the mandate is rather simple: go into the land, secure the land, dissposses, and then finally possess the land. What went wrong? Why did Israel fail to become this kingdom of priests? What has the […] The post The Lord Has Mercy (Judges 2:16-3:6) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Judges is a book that is supposed to come after the book of Joshua. The context of the book is that Joshua has died, and Israel is to finish the conquest. However, in chapter 2 we find that Joshua dismissed the people, and then Joshua died. Why is Joshua’s death mentioned again in chapter 2? […] The post Israel, the Failed Nation (Judges 2:6-15) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

The angel of the Lord vowed to fight on behalf of Israel as they were leaving Egypt. The Angel of the Lord was to go before Israel in the land of Canaan. However, we heard the report of Israel’s war in the land, and we know that they did not perform well. Has the Angel […] The post Israel's Incriminating Indictment (Judges 2:1-6) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

The land of Canaan is the land that is flowing with milk and honey. It is a land of riches, wealth, and a place of rest. The Lord made very clear to Israel in Deuteronomy 7 that if Israel followed the Lord’s precepts they would have the land. We see in the book of Judges […] The post And He Settled Luz…(Judges 1:21-36) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

The tribe of Judah is destined to bring forth a king from their midst. We notice that they are also the tribe that is to take the initiative in holy war. Judah is to lead the people of Israel in holy war. There are victories as they cleanse the land. However, are all these victories […] The post Judah Shall Lead You (Judges 1:1-21) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

We have studied the book of Joshua and witnessed the Israelites conduct the Lord’s holy war as they entered the land of Canaan. There were times when they did well, and there were times when they did not perform so well. So, now we turn to the next book that begins with the statement that […] The post Who Shall Go up for Us? (Judges 1:1) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.