Text:
Judges 3:1-11
Topic:
Enemies in Canaan
This will be done with the following sub headings:
Background
The
nations left in Canaan and why
The
Israelites failures
God’s
reaction to their failure
God’s
mercy to the rescue
Conclusion
Background
To
the mind of a Christian once Canaan is mentioned one of the things that comes
to the mind is bliss, comfort and fulfillment which started with a promise from
the burning bush as recorded in Exodus 3:8 & 17 during that powerful
encounter God emphatically and repeatedly made some statement/comments:
1.rescue thee (the Israelites) from the Egyptian, 2.lead you into a land
flowing with milk and honey.3.Where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites,
Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites NOW LIVE, specific place and also implying
that maybe all of them will be wiped out.
God’s
word are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1:20, all that was promised the children of Israel
as regards the milk and honey in Canaan was fulfilled to the glory of God as
they began to stay and take possession from Josh. 1 ff, but they weren’t free
from having other persons occupying Canaan with them, coupled with that they
weren’t just sipping milk and honey they had confrontations, agitations, issues
and challenges same suffices for you and I, it doesn’t matter what level the
Lord has helped you to, as far we are still in this flesh we will have
issues/challenges we are only sure of winning as long as we are properly
aligned with God. John 16:33, Rom.8:30, 2 Chr.26:5.
The
nations left in Canaan and why
( a ) The nations left in Canaan vs. 3
They are the Philistines, Canaanites, Sidonians and Hivites
(b)
Why did the nations remain in Canaan vs. 1-2 & 4
·
To test and teach warfare to a generation without such
experience vs 1-2
·
To test the obedience to God’s
commandment vs.4
Have you prayed enough to find out why there
are Sidonians even in our Canaan today? But let’s know that by and large if we
are truly God’s i.e we serve Him exclusively then what He takes us through or
allows to happen to us are to teach/train us or test our loyalty to Him or
both.
The
Israelites failures vs. 6-7
The
children of Israel misbehaved in the passage by doing the following:
·
Serving strange Gods vs. 6
·
Forgot about their God vs. 7
This may serve as a warning to those already enjoying God in a way that makes them feel they are beginning to arrive like the children of Israel in Canaan or have arrived already and are forgetting God, please repent of this sin before it attracts God’s punishment.
God’s reaction to their failure vs.8
God was bitter with the children of Israel, He turned them to slaves of King Cushan Rishathaim of Aram-naharaim for eight years. Roman 1:28 paraphrased says that they did not permit God in their though/heart/deed then He gave them over to reprobate mind to do what is not right and in this case He gave them over to servitude for eight years.
What
servitude are you or am I going through that is as a result of our
disobedience/sin, come to Jesus today his arms are always wide opened.Rev.3:20
God’s mercy to the rescue vs.9-11
Before
God’s mercy spoke for them, they cried to Him and our merciful saviour
responded by doing the following:
·
Raised a rescuer Othniel vs.9
·
Released His spirit on Him vs.9
· God gave Him victory against King Cushan Rishataim.
Conclusion
There
were other nationals in Canaan but they sincerely had little or no impact until
the children of Israel became unequally yoked with them by marrying their women
and gave them their daughters’ hands in marriage and from that point they began
to fall further till they fell flat into slavery. We can as well say that the
children of Israel were the enemies of themselves, so they were the real
enemies in Canaan, may we receive grace not to be enemies of ourselves this New
Year and beyond in Jesus mighty name
Amen.
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