Government is an institution of God, but government was never to oppress the people. Dr. Tony Evans says society pays a penalty when God's authority is canceled. When men do not learn to be ruled properly by God, they will be ruled wrongly by man. because man will seek to become God.
This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. It doesn't take an earthquake to shake a foundation. A slow, steady shift over time will do it. Today, Dr.
Evans reveals how easily success can lead to spiritual compromise and how that compromise can spread if we don't let God rule our decisions. Let's join Tony in Judges chapter 8 as he begins.
Now, an interesting shift begins to occur in verse 22. A slight shift, but it will become major as we keep flowing through the book. and extracting principles for our own lives. Because remember, the Old Testament was written for our example. We don't repeat point for point, because we're not a, the church is not a political entity in that sense that the nation of Israel was.
But there are principles because God does not change. That are consistent to his character that transcends the Old Testament and is relevant for us today. Then the men of Israel said to Gideon. Rule over us. Both you and your son.
also your son's son, For you have delivered us from the hand of Midian. What they ask for is for Gideon to become their king. Rule over you become, he was already their deliverer. He's already functioning as their judge. They're saying, no, we want more.
We want you to be. Our Okay.
Now you have to understand something. God's plan for Israel Was for them not to be like the other nations. That he would be their God. and that they would only have a king when he was ready for them to have one. They are insisting on Gideon, because of his great prowess with the 300, that he becomes their king.
Gideon says, I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you. The Lord shall rule over you.
So that goes back. to the principle. We will not We will not become your king. In the sense that We do not want to remove the divine rule directly over his people. That's why God had judges along the way because he did not yet.
want them to have a monarch until they learned to live life under him. And you'll see this flow throughout the Bible because When men do not learn to be ruled properly by God, they will be ruled wrongly by man. Because man will seek to become God. That is the problem with Governments run amok. Because what they do is they seek to become God.
We call that statism, where men rule other men by force.
So He says, no, no, I'm not going to do that. Yet Gideon said to them, I would request of you that each one of you give me an earring from his foil. For they had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.
Now let's follow this now.
So I'm not going to be your king. But give me your earrings. They said, we will surely give them.
So they spread out a garment and they took the earrings.
So he's getting this gold. And he does something in verse 27. Gideon made into an Ifad and placed it in the city. Opera And all Israel played the harlot with it there. The ephod was It went over the chest of the high priest.
It had twelve stones on it representing the twelve tribes of Israel. And it had the Urim and the Thurim on it, which were two stones that were used to discern God's will.
Okay.
Now here's the key. The ephod Only belonged to the priest. And only were you the relationship. To the tabernacle. The place of worship.
He went and he got something. that did not belong to him. and brought it to a place that it should not have been. He rejected one position, but he took another position that was illegitimate. And that illegitimate position Exercising a religious right and a religious authority that had not been assigned to him.
And of course. He's acting in a role that he has not been appointed to act in. And all of Israel, because he's a superstar now, Gideon is a superstar. They're now looking to him. to be the spiritual guide that was never authorized for him to do.
Because that's what the ephod meant for the priest. He was going to be the spiritual in-between person.
Well, that's not his role. And so they play the harlot there. That is, they are being unfaithful to God's. program and God's process there. And it would become a snare.
It would become a trap. To both Gideon and his family.
So he's acting out of alignment. He's out of spiritual alignment. The Bible says whenever you go to the creation. To look. For guidance.
That has not been authorized. In Romans chapter 1.
So when you're looking for guidance because you are Leo or you are You know, whatever you are, you that is illegitimate. When you go to a palm reader, You know, when you appeal to an illegitimate source. Even if the source uses the name God. Because the Ephi was a legitimate thing. but it was being a legitimate tool used in an illegitimate way.
Many times our prayers don't get answered. Not because we're not having a legitimate request. or not because we're not communicating that request to God. But it must be done in an authorized way.
Okay, an approved way. This was not approved and it became a stumbling block. to the nation and to Gideon.
So Midian was subdued because he had defeated the kings and their armies, verse 28. And they did not lift up their heads anymore, and the land was undisturbed for 40 years in the days of Gideon. Then uh Drop L. Jerub Bel, which is Gideon's name, is the Bael Fighter. He got that nickname because he fought against Payle.
Gideon had 70 sons. who was his direct descendants. For he had many wives. We talking about a whole bunch of whys. You got 70 kids?
Got a whole bunch of you got a whole bunch of whys, okay? This introduces the whole issue of polygamy. Of course, God stated. His design for marriage. Male, female.
The two shall be one. Not the two, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight.
Okay? Leviticus 18:18 and Deuteronomy 17:17. prohibited the multiplication of wives And yet, it's a problem all the way through the Old Testament. And virtually every time you see The multiplication of wives or the addition of wives. You got a messy situation.
So he's got 70 sons from his Many wives.
So Not only does he have many wives, he's got a concubine. He got a girlfriend. Verse thirty-one His concubine was in Shechem. She also bore him a son. And his name is Abimelech.
That's major. This is major. Because Abimelech's going to show up here. And he's going to be a big problem. You understand where this is going by his name.
He names his son Abimelech. Abimelech means My father is king. That's what Abimelech means. And he names him. He names his son, My Father is King.
What does that tell you? He's trying to build a dynasty.
So watch the progress. One minute is, I'm not going to be a king. Khan's gonna be your king. But I'm going to be a priest.
So you can come to me for guidance from God. And then he got all these children. He's getting all his power. All is recognition. is getting to his hand.
So he has this son. He belongs to the Concubine. And he says, My father is king.
So he's now setting the stage for A dynasty. Which is what happens when you have unlimited power. when there's no accountability at all. God recognizes leadership. Leadership should be free to lead, but there's no such thing as no accountability.
You know, and so now he's moving in a whole different direction. And Gideon, verse 32, the son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in a tomb. Dr. Evans will tell us how the people responded after Gideon's death when he returns in just a moment. Don't go away.
The Bible makes it clear that you know when God has cursed a land, when its fathers are nowhere to be found. Dr. Tony Evans says that what becomes of the next generation of men depends on what happens with this one. Our kids need to see men in their midst who love God and who love them. But what does it take to be that kind of man?
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Let's get back to doctor Evans now in the eighth chapter of Judges. As soon as Gideon died, verse 33, the sons of Israel again. Played the harlot with the bales.
Now, there is the bale singular, and then there are the bales. It's like the church singular, and then saying the church is.
So, individual locations. Were set up for Baal worship. And you remember in Gideon's own home, his father had a Baal set up in his own house.
So they now are wandering from God again. What you have now is a Bad situation in the making. Because if my father is king, Then who am I? If my father's king And he named me that. Then I must be king in waiting.
I'm the prince.
So Gideon dies. We've got this syncretism going on. In chapter 9. Then Obimelech is the one who's now rising. And he makes an argument in chapter 9 why he should be king.
The first three verses. Abimelech, the son of Jerobael, went to Shechem to his mother's relatives, spoke to them and the whole clan of the household of the father, saying, Speak now in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem, which is better for you that 70 men, all my half-brothers, all the sons of Jerubael, rule over you, or that one man rule over you. Also remember, I am your bone and your flesh. And his mother's relative spoke all these words on his behalf in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem, and they were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, He is our relative.
So they gave him the silver. He hired worthless men and reckless fellows. They followed him.
So the men of Shechem are following now Abimelech. Then he went to his father's house at Oprah. and killed his brothers. The sons of Jerubael. 70 men On one stone.
Polygamy set in motion. A whole system of events. That brought 70 boys into the world. And a half. Brother, over here.
The half-brother is given the position by the father of potentially being the king. The father dies, Gideon dies, he sets the stage by getting the men of Shechem to. And he wants to get rid of the competition. He doesn't want any revolt against him.
So he kills them on one stone. Key phrase, one stone.
So, if you're only using one stone, this is one at a time, 70 people. Yeah. Stones were altars. This is human sacrifice. That's why over and over again Old Testament and New Testament, you see this consistent theme of compromising with idolatry.
So he kills his 70 brothers. But Jothan, the youngest son of Jerobael, was left, for he hid himself.
So you've got the youngest son, all the men of Shechem, and they assemble together. They went with Abimelech, made Abimelech king. by the oak of the pillow, which was in Shechem.
Well, this leads to a very interesting Situation. Jotham. The youngest son?
So he goes to Mount Gerzium, the place of blessing. and lifts up his voice and called out thus He said to them, Listen to me, O men of Shechem, that God may. Listen to you. And he tells this story. He says, watch this.
Once the trees went forth to anoint a king. Over them, and they said to the olive tree, Reign over us. But the olive tree said to them, Shall I leave my fatness? with which God and men are honored. And gold.
to wave over the trees? Then the tree said to the fig tree, You come, reign over us. But the fig tree said to them, Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees? Then the tree said to the vine, You come reign over us. But the vine said to them, Shall I leave my new vine with cheers, God and men, and go to wave over the trees?
Finally. All the trees said to the Bramble, You come, reign over us. The Bramble said to the trees, If in truth you are anointing me as king over you, Come and take refuge in my shade. But if not My fire comes out from the bramble and consumes the cedars. Uh Lebanon.
So what is all that about. He says the trees are looking for a leader.
So the trees go look for this leader. To rule over them. But in all of these cases, till you get to the bramble. The tree says No, we're not going to do that. The reason we're not going to do that is because what we are currently doing.
And what we are currently producing. Is honoring God and benefiting people. Notice each one he says God and man.
So what we are doing is honoring God and honoring people. Finally, in that desperation to be ruled over. because they keep coming and say rule over us rule over us they go to the bramble What is the bramble? The bramble is a thorn bush. A bramble has thorns in it.
It is unproductive, doesn't produce anything except thorns.
So the bramble bush is a curse. They are so desperate. To be ruled. that they will even accept a cursed ruler. that can produce nothing.
Except needles.
So you're you are giving power to an entity that cannot produce. The other trees, the other groups they went to say, we can't go because we are being productive. The point is. Good people. Don't seek to rule other people.
Yeah. and control them. while being unproductive themselves. That ought to help you. Choose a leader.
Or reject the leader. Who want power And all they can do is hurt you. 'Cause all the Bramble does is stick you. But they want the power. That is the problem with Ex Banding.
Government. All through the Bible. Government is an institution of God, so God created government. But government was never to oppress the people. It was to free people up to be productive.
Nobody Has the right to illegitimately control you. Nobody. has the right to illegitimately control you. You see this in families. You see women being abused by illegitimate control.
Or you can have it vice versa. Illegitimate control that is going outside of God to control you.
Okay, when God says He set us free. He set us free not only from illegitimate control, but from drugs. That's an illegitimate control or some other kind of force of habit. He set you free from being illegitimately controlled by an unauthorized agent. Which is why freedom is so important.
While you pursue freedom. Because you want to remove illegitimate freedom doesn't mean no restraints. Freedom means removal of illegitimate restraints. restraints that are not authorized.
Now, sometimes you can't control that because you may be living in a totalitarian regime that you don't have control over. But to the best of your ability, Do not allow illegitimate control. to deny the freedom that you've been granted. in the gospel. Yeah.
Dr. Tony Evans with important words about maintaining a clear allegiance to God.
Now, today's lesson is part of Tony's impactful series on the book of Judges. For a limited time, we are offering the complete two-volume 12-message collection. On digital download as well as on either C D or USB flash drive. packaged along with his powerful book, Kingdom Authority. This comprehensive set is our gift to you.
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designed to help these truths take root in your life and in the lives of others. Again, that's 1-800-800-3222-1. or online at tonyevans.org. When a nation drifts from God, confusion and conflict often follow. Tomorrow, Dr.
Evans looks at the way Israel's disobedience led to division and destruction. and how God turned the devil's word into his own tool for judgment. Be sure to tune in for this enlightening look at rebellion, repentance, and restoration.
