Introduction
God cares about each one of us.
- Judges 12:8-15 – Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon
- John 20:30-31; 21:25
- Jonah 4:11
- Genesis 1:16 – “… He made the stars also.”
- Luke 12:6-7 – God knows the number of hairs on your head. You are valuable to Him!
- God loves each one of us!
Humans repeat mistakes.
- Judges 2:16
- The judges may have been local leaders.
- The time periods of the judges may have overlapped.
There was a lot of peace.
- Oppression: 114 years
- Rest: 296 years
- Judges 3:30 – 80 years of peace. Some of the people living during this time may have known nothing other than peace!
The cycle of sin continued.
- Judges 10:1-5
- Ecclesiastes 1:4-9
- The cycle:
- Sin: Judges 3:7
- Oppression: Judges 3:8
- Cries to God: Judges 3:9
- Judge to deliver: Judges 3:9-10
- Period of rest and peace: Judges 3:11
- God is a god of grace!
- What problem can God not help with?
- I John 4:14; 1:9
Strength comes through struggle.
- Judges 2:20-3:4 – God left these nations on purpose to test the Israelites.
- Judges 3:31 – Shamgar; more struggle, more fighting
- II Corinthians 12:7-9 – God allowed Paul to have a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble.
- II Timothy 3:11; 4:14-18
- James 1:2-4