Israel’s Spiritual Meltdown

Judges 4:1-3

The book of Judges is a gritty, dirty book. It is filled with sin, violence, and the judgment of God. The chapters before us today introduced two women God used in extraordinary ways for his glory. Those women are Deborah and Jael. One was a respected leader in the nation; the other was a simple housewife. They came from different walks of life, but they were both used by God in remarkable ways. We shall focus on Israel’s spiritual meltdown.

v. 1-3 THE SPIRITUAL MELTDOWN IN ISRAEL

These verses describe the horrible spiritual conditions that existed in Israel during the time of Deborah.)

1. v. 1 Their Corruption – After Ehud delivered Israel from Eglon and the Moabites, the land has rested from war for 80 years, Judges 3:30. As long as Ehud lived and judged the nation, the people followed God and served Him. 
2. When Ehud passed from the scene, the people returned to their sinful ways. We are told that they “again did evil in the sight of the Lord” Judges 5:8 says, “
3. They chose new gods.” The people of Israel turned their back on the God of their salvation and followed the gods of the Canaanites. 

The children of Israel are a picture of what we see too often. We see people who will follow God for a while, and then when there is a spiritual void in their lives, they turn away from God. The void could be the death of a loved one, parent, grandparent, or other influential relatives who pass away. It is sad when we base our faith on those around us and not on the Lord. We should live just as close and as clean regardless of who got removed from our lives. It happens when believers look up to men and not the Lord, Heb. 12:1-3.

2. v. 2 Their Chastisement – When Israel rebelled against God, He responded by giving them over to their enemies for punishment. The Bible says He “sold” them. This word means to “turn over; to give up.” In other words, God abandoned them to the life they chose for themselves. They paid a terrible price for their rebellion. The condition of the nation is described in Judges 5:6-7. They were driven from their highways and homes. There is still a high price to pay for disobedience to the will of the Lord. When we choose our ways over God’s ways, God will send chastisement into our lives (Heb. 12:6-11; Deut 8:5; Rev. 3:19. 

How?

• He might touch my flesh by bringing sickness or other sorrows into my life, Psa. 51:3; 40:12; 38:1-11.
• He might touch me through my family by working through them to bring me back to Him, 2 Sam. 12.
• He might touch me through my finances by bringing me to a place of want where I realize where my supply comes from, Hag. 1:6.
• He might touch me through my future by allowing me to reap the full consequences of what I have sown, Gal. 6:7.

3. v. 3 Their Cry – Israel was oppressed by Jabin and his armies for 20 years. As far as Israel was concerned, Jabin was undefeatable. Jabin possessed a powerful army anchored by 900 chariots of iron. The helpless armies of Israel were no match for his enemy. According to Judges 5:8, the Israelites possessed no weapons. They were a conquered, defeated, and hopeless people. Eventually, they got tired of their situation. They called on the Lord, and He heard them. 

Israel cries out for deliverance but not in repentance. They did not realize that walking with the Lord brought God’s blessings while sin brought His judgment. Most people in our day never learn that lesson either. People call on the Lord for delivering while ignoring the root of their problem, which is sin. To get delivered from the oppressive effects of evil and the harsh whip of chastisement, we must deal honestly with our sins. Our goal should not just be to escape our problems but to please the Lord. If we prefer God above all things, we could get spared many hardships in life.

How can we truly deal with the root of our spiritual problem?

• Joshua 7: 8-11, 13