The Flawed People of a Flawless God

Scripture: Deuteronomy 7:1-6

C.I.: Why God's People Fall

Today we begin a new series (“Judges” – “The Flawed People of a Flawless God” ). – To understand this book we need to remember their history (reading). – God said , “Make no covenants,” v. 2 – “don't marry them,” v. 3 – “destroy their items of worship,” v. 5. They disobeyed! [Cycle of rebellion: Step #1. = Rebellion , “They forsook the Lord and served B. & A.,” ( v. 13 ); Step #2, Oppression , “The anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He gave them into the hands of plunderers who plundered them,” ( v. 14 ); Step #3, Repentance , “…the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning,” ( v. 18 ); Step #4, Deliverance , “Then the Lord raised up judges who delivered them from the hands of those who plundered them,” ( v. 16) ! – Judges is the story of the faithfulness of God in the midst of faithlessness of man.

•  Three Reasons Why God's People Fall, (Judges 2:1-13) – Rom. 15:4, “For whatever was written….”

A. They Forgot What God Said, (vs. 1-2)

1. ( vs. 1-2 ), Now the angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, - and He said, ‘I brought you up out of Egypt and led
you into the land I swore to your fathers; - and I said, “I will never break my covenant with you, - and as for you, you shall
make no covenant with the inhabitant of this land; you shall tear down their altars.” – But you have not obeyed Me; what is
this that you have done?'”
a. To be pleasing to God & to live faithfully - God always gives His people all the information they need.

•  ( Jn. 6:63 ), “…the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” – ( quote Jn. 10:10 )

•  ( II Pt. 1:3 ), “Seeing that His divine power has granted to us all things pertaining to life & godliness, - through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”

•  Thus, the word of God is truly adequate – for all the things we face in this life, ( II Tim. 3:16-17 ).

•  Jesus warns about the danger of forgetting His words - in the parable of the sower.
1) ( Lk. 8:11-12 ), “The parable is this: the seed is the word of God. – And those who are beside the road are
those who have heard; and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so they may not
believe and be saved.”
a) Not just kids, but our entire society today has A.D.D.
b) People refuse to focus on the eternal, ( Matt. 6:33 ), “Seek first God's kingdom and….”
c) They forgot what God has said about the eternal things !
2) ( Lk. 8:13 ), “And those on the rocky soil are those, who when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these

have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in a time of temptation fall away.”
a) Everything looks easy – until it becomes hard, ( Quote I Cor. 10:13; I Pt. 5:8 ).
b) These forgot what God said about how to deal with temptations .

3) ( Lk. 8:14 ), “And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, - and as they go
on their way they are choked with the worries & riches & pleasures of this life, & bring no fruit to maturity”
a) These are “the distracted.” – Its not that they want to forget. – They are just busy!!!
b) They always “intend” to do what God wants (they leave church each week promising to be
better), - but they then allow their focus to be diverted to the affairs of “this life”!!
c) A nation of Marthas, ( Lk. 10:41-42 ), “Martha, Martha, you are bothered about so many things; but
only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not….”
d) They don't lose their soul (like the other 2) – they forgot what God said about necessary things

c. Israel fell in the days of the judges - because they forgot what God had said.
1) God's people today are in danger of the same thing…
2) ( Jms. 1:21-25 ), “…receive the word implanted which is able to save your souls. – But prove
yourselves doers of the word and not mere hearers who delude themselves. – If anyone is a hearer and
not a doer, he is a like a man who looks at his natural face in the mirror; for once he has looked at
himself and has gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. – But one who

looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer
but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does. ”

B. They Forgot What God Did, (vs. 7-11)

1. ( vs. 7, 10-11 ), “And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who survived
Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the Lord which He had done for Israel. – And all that generation also were
gathered to their fathers; - and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor the work He
had done for Israel. – Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals.”
a. The 1st generation probably lived exemplary lives – but they were not intentional in their teaching!
1) A good example is only instructive – if others know they are being taught something.

2) The world's greatest Example was a teacher, ( Jn. 13:13 ), “You call Me teacher and Lord; and you
are right, for so I am.”
3) Thus, all God's people were commanded to become teachers, ( Deut. 6:6-7 ), “The words which I
am commanding you today shall be upon your heart; & you shall teach them diligently to your sons and
you shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk be the way – and when you lie down
and when you rise up.”
4) In the N.T., God tells us, ( Eph. 6:4 ), “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring
them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
5) Not only what God has done in the Bible – but also what God has done in our lives – that is in
keeping with His word, ( Phil. 4:9 ), “The things that you have learned and received and heard and
seen me, practice these things; - and the God of peace will be with you.”

c. Israel fell in the days of the judges – because the people forgot what God had done for their parents!
1) If we fail to teach our children, then we will reap a generation who have no reason to love,
obey, or to be loyal to the God of heaven.


C. They Forgot Who God Was, (vs. 11-12)

1. ( vs. 11-12 ), “Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals,- and they forsook the Lord,
the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, - and followed other gods from among the gods of
the people who were around them, - and bowed themselves down to them; - thus they provoked the Lord to anger.”
a. Once you forget what God said and did it is a short step to forgetting who God is!
1) It is a sad situation when the people of God forget the God who gave them everything!
2) The warning yet remains, ( Rom. 1:21-25 ), “For even though they knew God, they did not honor
Him as God, or give thanks; - but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was
darkened. – Professing to be wise they became fools…, – Therefore God gave them over to the lusts of
the hearts to impurity, - that their bodies might be dishonored among them. – For they exchanged the
truth of God for a lie, - and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.”

b. As God's people today we must be careful that we don't make “gods” out of that which is no God!
1) Idolatry = anything that comes between us and God – becomes our God.
2) ( Col. 3:5 ), “Consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil
desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.”
3) As Paul warns us, ( I Cor. 10:6-7 ), “Now these things happened as examples for us, that we should not
crave evil things, as they also craved. – And do not be idolaters as some of them were.”
4) When we turn the creations of man into objects of adoration – we have FALLEN!!!

CONCLUSION:

1. Review the “Cycle of Sin”
2. Review the “Three Reasons Why God's People Fall”
3. Call us to discipleship, (Matt. 28:19-20)!!!