20120714: Judges 1: Partial Disobedience :Failure to Drive out Inhabitants

(Aboriginal Rock Art, old civilisation - Darwin ,2/6/2012)

 Judges 1:1 "Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying "Who shall go up for us against the Canannites first, to fight against them?"

Before this opening chapter, we must understand what happened before in the book of Joshua. Below is an extract which summarised
 what God told Joshua to do when he was supposed to conquer the land which was given to him after Moses' passing.
Many people find it confusing to know that God was not just a God of love but also one that allowed the killings to take place in those old days.

A short section from Norman Geisler’s book, A Popular Survey of the Old Testament, that directly addresses this issue which might help here.

A Moral Problem—the slaughter of the Canaanites (Josh 6, 8, 10).

Israel was commanded by God to completely exterminate the Canaanite inhabitants of the land including men, women, and children. This has been called a primitive and barbaric act of murder perpetrated on innocent lives. 

Several factors must be kept in mind in viewing this situation. (1) There is a difference between murder and justifiable killing. Murder involves intentional and malicious hatred which leads to life-taking. On the other hand, the Bible speaks of permissible life-taking in capital punishment (Gen. 9:), in self defense (Exod. 22:2), and in a justifiable war (Gen. 14). (2) The Canaanites were by no means innocent. They were a people cursed of God from their very beginning (Gen. 9:25). They were a vile people who practiced the basest forms of immorality. God described their sin vividly in these words, “I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants” (Lev. 18:25). (3) Further, the innocent people of the land were not slaughtered. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah clearly demonstrates that God would save a whole city for ten righteous people (Gen. 18:22f.). In that incident, when God could not find ten righteous people, He took the four or five righteous ones out of the place so as not to destroy them with the wicked (Gen. 19:15). On another occasion God saved some thirty-two thousand people who were morally pure (Num. 31:35). Another notable example is Rahab, whom God saved because she believed (cf. Heb. 11:31). (4) God waited patiently for hundreds of years, giving the wicked inhabitants of Canaan time to repent (cf. 2 Peter 3:9) before He finally decided to destroy them (Gen. 15:16). When their iniquity was “full,” divine judgment fell. God’s judgment was akin to surgery for cancer or amputation of a leg as the only way to save the rest of a sick body. Just as cancer or gangrene contaminates the physical body, those elements in a society—if their evil is left to fester—will completely contaminate the rest of society. (5) Finally, the battle confronting Israel was not simply a religious war; it was a theocratic war. Israel was directly ruled by God and the extermination was God’s direct command (cf. Exod. 23:27-30; Deut. 7:3-6; Josh. 8:24-26). No other nation either before or after Israel has been a theocracy. Thus, those commands were unique. Israel as a theocracy was an instrument of judgment in the hands of God. (Norman L. Geisler, A Popular Survey of the Old Testament, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1977, pp. 99-100.)

Having understood about theocracy in the days for Israel,  the opening chapter of Judges illustrated a very important concept. Many of the tribes from Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, Manneseh, Zebulun, Asher and Nephtali failed to obey God fully. They "did not drive out the inhabitants..."


What is this concept to learn?
1. We must obey God, not on human understanding to get rid of all the parasites completely.
2. We must be aggressive and not passive not allow them to continue to be thorns in our sides
3. We must not allow their gods to be a snare unto us.


As I ponder over this, and looking back at the recent events happening to our nation - the subtle decay of moral governance,  the compromise of the church and the general corruption of the society, the onslaught of the devil is real and festering and making headways like never before. We cannot be putting the finger at the devil all the time, can we? We reap what we sow. Decisions of the past become a reality of the present. 

The issue of Identity
I believe there is a rationale for God's instructions to ensure that the inhabitants of that land conquered be driven out.  It is a preservation of the identity of the people who had just been delivered out of the land of slavery.  God wanted for Himself a nation of people who knew Him and be set apart.  Unfortunately, history showed that indeed such contamination indeed was not good at all.  Hard truths. Hard lessons.


S'pore : A nation of 47 years in building


Our people seemed to have lost our heritage and national identity.  God has given to us a small 700sqkm of land and people of over only 2mio back then - the country of S'pore was birthed. We prospered and had a good many good years.  But today, we have officially opened the gateway legally to vices, casinos, drug trafficking and many foreign people to raid our land. They have become our thorns in our land.


We have forgotten how our forefathers, parents or grandparents had come thus far to build this place whom we call Home.  We did not drive out the parasites that invade us but on the contrary, we are bring them in.  What a mess!  We seemed to have fill up our cup of iniquities.  The wrath of God is invoked. It is like judgement metted out in Judges 2:3 " Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be as thorns in our sides and their gods shall be snare unto us"..Simply because we have not obeyed HIs voice.


Reflections
Judges 2 -4,5 " And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice and wept. And they called the name of that place Bo-Chim (Bo-kim)  and they sacrificed there unto the LORD


"Bo'Kim" sounds like no gold.  It means "weepers"


Indeed, it seems right for us to weep over this nation as she turns 47 this year.
Let our soul cries out. Let justice and praise become our embrace as we turned from inside out.  Beautiful song - a reminder of mercy , grace and hope.

20120712; John 5 - Judgment entrusted to the Son

Katherine Gorge, Darwin , 30 May 2012 

John 5: 22 " Moreover the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgement to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father"
John 5: 27 " And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man"
John 5:30 "By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgement is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me"


The Greek word for judge and judgment is "Krino"- a legal term meaning to make a decision on the basis of information. Singapore legal system is unlike the States where there is a jury who hears the evidence in a trial and possesses all the information needed to take action. Here we have the magistrates, the District Judge and the High Court Judge. 


Will be doing a book study on Judges in the month of July.


I guess the sudden interest in judges and judgement is primary due to the recent CHC saga. The pastor and a team of 4 others were charged last month.  Terms like prejudgement, contempt of court and subjudice (case being considered in court and not to be commented in the newspaper) are the current talk of the town.


In the book of Judges, one of the key verses has to do with the fact that in those days "Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit - what was right in his own eyes"


Katherine Gorge Analogy:
The above aerial view taken in Darwin as we flew over the gorge in Kakadu National Park showed a real divide of the formation of the mountain rock, hence forming a gorge.
I am reminded that in the past, God and man were in great commune until the fall of man in the Garden. Sin separates us - man from God. Just like the above Gorge, we cannot jump across that divide to have the fellowship back with our Father.


In John 5, we now see that the Father judges no one. How strange.
But our Father has entrusted all judgement to the Son. The Father gave the Son the authority to judge because He is the Son of Man.


Having seen that, I can now fully appreciate why this authority was given. Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins had laid his cross over the gorge so that we can cross over.
JOhn5:24" I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life"


This CROSSOVER is so important that we should not be confused with the Crossover project that CHC tried to embark ten years back.  While trying to reach the unreach with new methods or music and dance, we must never forget that the primary objective here is to remember the One who laid that cross for us so that we can cross over from death to life.  That person in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man.  He is the Judge. His judgement is fair. And while he seek not to please himself but the Father who sent him, so likewise must we do likewise.


In John 5:30, here we notice that Jesus never acted until he had all the direction he needed from the Spirit. That action is always right because he followed the Holy Spirit's guidance. 

Reflections

Perhaps the CHC saga is indeed a good thing that has happened. It draws up the importance of going back to the basics of Christian foundation. Focusing on the person called Jesus Christ. For some of us who had "crossed over' with our names recorded in the Book of Life, being grateful and thankful is something we all need.  Let the judgement take on the recent saga.  We can judge, why not? But it has to be righteous judgement just like our Lord.  Our Lord has given us wisdom from above and His Holy Spirit to guide us unto truth.  Perhaps a lamentation is that many of us do not dare to rock any boat even if we observe that sometimes things are going amiss. 

How are we to live the life that is given to us? 

We do have a ruler over our life.  He is Jesus - the King of Kings and Lord of Lords - the Rock of all ages. To have no fear of Him and to live like the days of Israelites in the days of Judges back in about 1000BC over a 350 Dark Age will surely spell doom.  It will be a long slippery road downhill for sure. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fear not man but the Lord God. That's how we should live.

Ps89:14 (KJV)

Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne:mercy and truth shall go before thy face.

 NIV Ps 89:14-16 "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you..blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD They rejoice in your name all day long, they exult in your righteousness"

20120703 : Judge 1 Cor 4:1-5

(Photo : Darwin at the Wildman Lodge, 1/6/2012)

1 Cor 4: 1-5 Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. ² Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. ³ But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court.^[a] In fact, I do not even judge myself. ⁴ For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. ⁵ Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.


The verb and noun "judges" appeared slightly over 280 times in the bible from the OT to the NT. In fact, in history, one book of Judges was included among the 66 books in the bible.


In the beginning of Genesis 15:14, we start to see the Lord judge the nation of Egypt as Abraham obeyed to enter this land, suffering more than 400 years of slavery before being delivered out of Egypt. Here in the NIV, the word "judge' was replaced by "punish"


And in the last Rev 19: 11, John saw heaven opened.


¹¹ Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.


Such is the main character of our Lord. He is Faithful. He is True. He is Just . He is Righteous.  And He judges. He brings to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. 


Last week, the Singapore church went through a tsunami.  The senoir pastor and 4 others of this large church CHC was charged with CBT. The case is now to be trial before the court.  Come 27th July 2012, the charges will be met out in details and the court process will be underway. This storm has created a real buzz in town among both believers as well as non-believers. The coin has 2 sides of the face.  We shall observe in time to come. Judge nothing before the time.  


Reflection
Rom 8:28. 

I believe this CHC saga that comes about is actually good for us living in this little red dot While is seems bad at this point but I believe in the greater good to come. 塞翁失马， 焉知非福。(when an old man in the frontier loss his mare, who would have thought it would be a blessing in disguise? The loss may turn out a gain)

Beautiful song that summarises it all in the light of the happenings and seeming mess in church history of our time.

“God writes straight with crooked lines

               He takes the mess we make in life

               Turns our groaning into perfect rhyme

               Hidden by the veil of time

               The wisdom of His love’s design

               God writes straight with crooked lines” 

– Title track Crooked Lines, Corrinne May. Singaporean