The further God moves away from a person, a home, a community, community or a nation. Devolution sets in and it doesn't matter who you elect. Dr. Tony Evans says no system can succeed when it sidelines the savior. Until the spiritual gets put back in place, then there is no divine standard operating.
This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. When God's people lose sight of His authority, it doesn't take long for false gods to fill the void. That's what happened in ancient Israel, when compromise in one home spread through an entire nation. Today, Dr.
Evans traces that progression, showing how idolatry can quietly infiltrate our hearts and communities. Before he begins, a brief word of caution. The passages Dr. Evans examines today reveal the depths of human brokenness during a time when, as Scripture says, everyone did what was right in his own eyes. They include strong themes of abuse and violence.
and the content may be disturbing to some listeners and unsuitable for children. Please listen with discretion as Dr. Evans explores these difficult sections of Scripture that expose the reality of sin and our desperate need for redemption. is this young Levite, young priest, who goes into Micah's home. who's got all these idols.
And Micah makes this young man his priest. And so paganism is now operating on a home level. In chapter 17. The book of Judges. In verse 11, the Levite agrees to live with the man, chapter 17, and the young man became to him like one of his sons.
So Micah consecrated the Levite and the young man became his priest. and lived in the house of Micah. Then Micah said, verse 13, now I know the Lord will prosper me. Seeing I have a Levite. As Priest.
Now, what makes this interesting Is that verse 4? If you go back up, so when he returned the silver to his mother, because remember, Michael was a thief. His mother was a thief. His mother took 200 pieces of silver and gave them to the silversmith, who made them into graven images and a molten image, and they were in the house of Micah.
So now Micah is double-minded. He's got idols in his house. But he wants a preacher in the house. He doesn't want to lose sight of the true God, but just in case the true God doesn't come through, let me keep a little idol over here, a little something, something over here.
So I have my back covered. And what we must understand is whenever idolatry, which is Any unauthorized source Enters the picture, the true God is cancelled.
So, one of the reasons people do not progress spiritually is that they got too many gods. in their heart or in their house. In those days, there was no king. of Israel. There was no authority, governing authority, bringing God's rule to bear on the nation.
So the Danites Not there. And they send out five men according to verse 2 to scour out to see what property they could take. They come near verse 3, the house of Micah. Who we just saw in chapter 17. And they recognized the voice of the young Levite.
Who had turned aside, the young man who was now in Micah's house, his own private preacher. And they said, you know, what's going on? And thus he said what Micah had done for him. And he had hired me, and I had become his priest.
So he bought me. To become his preach to bless his house. And so they said, well, if you're prospering him. Prosper us because we're looking for more territory, we're looking for more land.
So, why don't you do that for us?
So the preacher says to him, verse 6: go in peace. Your way in which you are going has the Lord's approval.
Okay. God bless you.
So even though he deal with idols. He said, Yeah, go ahead. God bless you.
Most times, you don't go to preachers and get bad news, right? you get good news and if you only get good news they're not doing a full job All right.
So he says, go in peace. And so the five men, while they depart. They came back to their brothers and they give the report in verse 8. They say, Arise, go up against the people because we got good news. We can go take this land.
It's very good. Do not delay. Enter it. When you enter it, you will come to a secure place, a spacious land, for God has given it into our hands, a place where there is no lacking or anything.
So it looks like. Preacher was right. And we're good. Because We see the blessing. We see the good stuff coming through.
And so they go up. And uh Spy out the country in verse 14. They ransacked the city.
So it looked like the preacher was right. They're good, they're good. He's blessing them like he was blessing Micah's house. Verse 18. When these men went into Micah's house and took the graven image, the ephod, and the household idols, and the molten image, The priest said to them, What are you doing?
You're coming to I gave you this good news. You've been blessed.
Now you're coming and you're taking over my master's house. What are you doing? They said to him, be silent. Put your hand over your mouth. Come with us.
and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man? or to be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel. The priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod and the household idols and the graven image. and went among the people.
Boy got a promotion. He got this little house church.
Now he got a whole big church. He got, you know, he didn't got a promotion now. And he takes the gods with him. Because as far as the preacher is concerned. The priest is concerned.
It was The idols that was helping him help them.
So when he leaves. He doesn't want to leave the idols behind. Cause we got a compromise preacher. in a compromise house.
now in a compromised community. The Danites.
So this thing is spreading and growing.
Okay, idolatry is spreading.
So he goes with them.
So they turn and they depart. with the little ones, livestock. When they've gone a distance from the house of Micah, The men who were in the house, near Micah's house, assembled to overtake the sons of Dan. They found out. I don't Most folk took your preacher.
Took your idols. Let's go get them. They cried to the sons of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, verse 23. What? is the matter with you.
That you have assembled together. He said, You have taken away my gods, which I made. By the way, any god you can make? If you can make it. It ain't God.
All right. People want gods, other gods, because they want gods they can control.
Okay, they want gods who will do their bidding.
So the God that I made. And the priest, and have gone away. And what do I have besides? Because you take my guys, you take everything.
So, how can you say to me, what is the matter with you? You know what's the matter with me. The sons of Dan said to him, Do not let your voice be heard among us, but be quiet. Or else Fierce men will fall on you. And you will lose your life.
And the lives of your household, I will kill you and your whole family. We will kill you in your way because this is a whole tribe, not just the whole family.
So the sons of Dan went on their way, and they thought twice about this.
So the sons of Dan went on their way, and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house. Then they took what Micah had made and the priest, who had belonged to him. and came to Leish. to a people quiet and secure. and struck them with the edge of the sword, and they burned the city with fire.
and there was no one to deliver them. They called the name of the city Dan. Because the Danites destroyed it, made it their own, after their father, who was born in Israel. The sons of Dan set up for themselves graven images. Verse 31, so they set up for themselves Micah's graven image, which he had made all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
Okay. He makes a point at the end of this chapter. They had set up their own sanctuary, and now they had created a pagan city. Got a pagan house. A pagan tribe.
Paganism spreads. and now you got a whole they've taken over a whole city leish And now you've got a pagan-driven community. while the house of God was in Shiloh. In other words, the true God was nowhere near them. But you got all this violence.
You've got ready to see some violence here in a moment. But you got all this violence taking place, you got all this. Theft taking place, you've got bad motivation taking place, you've got societal collapse among God's people in God's promised land because they have become secular. Secular meaning they have become idolatrous while keeping God's name. in the equation.
So it's not enough to use God's name. It's not enough to refer to God. Even you'll see in a moment, do we even inquire of God? If idols are part of the equation, all through the scripture, you hear this refrain about idolatry. Even in the New Testament, he says, Brethren, keep yourselves from idols.
Because every book in the Bible virtually. Brings up idolatry, and the reason every book brings up idolatry is because. God wants you to keep him in the vicinity. and he will not be in the vicinity if he competes with other gods. Any person, place, thing, or thought.
that competes as your source. is an idol. When Dr. Evans returns in a moment, he'll continue our look at how spiritual compromise has the power to infect an entire society. First, though, I want to let you know about the current resource offer we're making available to our listeners.
It starts with Tony's powerful book, Kingdom Authority. From its pages, you learn about the divine right God gives believers to live a victorious life. And how you can harness that power to overcome challenges, resist temptation. and live a purpose-driven life. Along with the Kingdom Authority book, you'll also receive all 12 messages from Tony's Current Sermon Series exploring the Old Testament book of Judges.
These messages reveal the consequences of moral compromise and illuminate the dangers of turning to worldly solutions in times of crisis. The Kingdom Authority Book and Judges series are yours when you make a contribution to help us keep the alternative coming your way each day. And there's an additional bonus available for those who want to dig even deeper. When you contact us at tonyevans.org, You can find out how to add the Kingdom Authority Leaders Kit to your package. Get all the details and make the arrangements at tonyevans.
org. or give our resource center a call any time of the day or night at 1-800-800-3222. where one of our helpful team members is ready to assist you. We'll return to today's message from Dr. Evans right after this.
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Now we come to a very sad chapter in chapter 19. Again, it has to do with the priests because he's showing you the failure of the priesthood. Because they were They were facilitating the compromise. And so in chapter 19. It came about in those days.
Verse 1 says, There was no king. in Israel.
So here we go with the reframe again. There was no standard, God's standard, operating among God's people.
So you have a Levite. who's in a remote hill country. who took a concubine for himself in Bethlehem in Judah. And his concubine play the harlot against him. She became a prostitute.
And she went away from him to her father's house in Bethlehem. In Judah. and was there for a period of four months. Her husband then goes searching for her. In verse 3.
He went after her. to speak tenderly to her. in order to bring her back. And when the girl's father saw him he was glad to meet him. His father-in-law, the girl's father, detains him And he remained with him three days, so that he ate and drank and lodged there.
On the fourth day, He's preparing to go, but the father-in-law says, no, don't go, you stay. This happens over and over again where he tries to go. Five times the father-in-law gets him to stay. Finally, he says, I got to go. I can't stay any longer.
Verse 10 But the man was not willing to spend the night This was after these five times of keeping him there.
So he arose and departed and came to a place opposite. Jabus, which would be Jerusalem in the future, and there with him a pair of saddle donkeys. His concubine also was with him. When they were near G bus The day was almost gone, and the servant said to his master, Please come, let us turn aside into the city of the Jebusites. And spend the night there.
However, the master said: we will not turn aside to this city. But we will go on to Gibeah. When they entered, they sat down, verse 15, in the open square of the city. For no one took them into his house to spend the night. It would be customary for you to offer.
the priest a place to stay. That would be customary. But nobody would let this priest in. Then behold, an old man, verse 16, was coming out of the field. from his work at evening.
Now the man was from the hill country of Ephraim. And he lifted up his eyes and he saw the traveler in the open square of the city. And the old man said, Where are you going? Where did you come from? He said, Well, we're just passing from Bethlehem to Judah.
From the remote country from Ephraim, and I went to Bethlehem and Judah, but I am now going to my house, and no one will take me into his house. Yet, there's both straw and fodder for our donkeys. In other words, I'm not going to be a burden to anybody, we got our own. Stuff to feed our animals. We also got bread and wine for me, your maidservant, and the young man who is with your servant.
There is no lacking of anything.
So, We're not going to be a burden.
Well, the old man said, Peace to you. Only let me take care of all your needs.
However, do not spend the night in the open square. How hospitable!
So he took him into his house and gave the donkeys fodder and washed their feet and ate and drank.
Now while they were celebrating. Behold, the men of the city, certain worthless fellows, surrounded the house, pounding the door, and they spoke to the owner of the house, the old man, saying, Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may have relations with him.
So, what you've got is Sodom and Gomorrah here.
Okay. Among God's people in God's promised land. Then the man, the owner of the house. went out to them and said to them, No, my fellows, Please do not act so wickedly since this man is coming to my house. Do not commit this act of folly.
He's my guest. Here is my virgin daughter. and his concubine. Please let me bring them out to you. that you may ravish them.
and do to them whatever you wish. But do not commit such an act of folly against this man. This Priest hadn't said a word. He is totally silent. in this process.
But he's awake and he's up because they were celebrating with him.
So he is aware of what's happening. with no intervention. Yeah. Which lets me know he has not. Forgotten or forgiven.
She was a prostitute on him. But the men would not listen to him, so the men seized his concubine. and brought her out to them. And they raped her. and abused her all night until morning.
Then let her go at the approach of dawn. Because there's a lot of men all night. As the day began to dawn, the woman came and fell down at the doorway. of the man's house. where her master was until full daylight.
When the master arose in the morning, so he goes to bed. When he's on his way, verse 27, then behold, his concubine was laying at the doorway of the house with her hands on the threshold. You know, like she was trying to get into the house. He said to her, Get up and let's go. But there was no answer.
Then he placed her on the donkey. And the man arose and went to his house.
So he is now. Carrying a dead wife to his house. When he entered his house, verse 29, he took a knife. and laid hold of his concubine, and cut her in twelve pieces. and sent her throughout the territory of Israel.
All who saw it said, nothing like this has ever happened. And be seen from the day when the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it, take counsel, And speak up. You are watching Cultural decadence and decline. In the promised land.
All because there was no king in those days. There was no divine standard operating. Thus, all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united as one man. Then the tribe of Israel sent men through the entire tribe of Benjamin, saying, What is this wickedness that has taken place among you? Yeah.
Now then deliver up the men, the worthless men. That we may put them to death and remove this wickedness from Israel. But the sons of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers.
So, a civil war is going to break out in Israel between the other tribes and Benjamin. Over this incident, Yeah. That does stem from Spiritual failure. that leads to societal chaos. among the people of God.
But you're also going to see some grace. Even in the midst of that. The point I want us to take away is simply one point. As we survey this book. Yeah.
Get rid of idols. Get rid of any illegitimate source. Israel is going to do the right thing. but they're gonna do the right thing outside of a relationship with God.
So, you can do the right thing in the wrong relationship. And if you do the right thing, but you're in the wrong relationship, you still don't get God's help, even though you're doing the right thing. A lot of times people will do the right thing and wonder why God didn't help them because you may have been doing the right thing, but you may have been doing it out of the wrong relationship.
So the question is not, did I do right? That's certainly half the question. But the question is, did I do right in the right way? Dr. Tony Evans, covering some unsettling themes from the book of Judges today, exposing the reality of sin.
Regardless of the depth of our rebellion, though, We're never beyond God's redemptive reach. Dr. Evans is back with this follow-up thought. Do you feel like. You're too sinful.
too flawed too rebellious that you failed too much. for God to ever forgive you? Guess what? You are a perfect candidate for salvation. Jesus said, that he didn't come to call the righteous but sinners.
So if you're big sinner, you've got a bigger Saviour. If you go to Jesus Christ now, Carry the boat load of sins with you to the cross, Acknowledge him to be your Saviour. Acknowledge your sins needing to be forgiven. And trust him to do the forgiving that you desperately desire. He promises He will forgive you, give you eternal life.
and offer you the free gift of salvation. I don't care how big your basket of sins are. Carry them to Jesus. He's ready to empty them for you. Learn more about how that process works.
Visit TonyEvans.org today and follow the link at the top of the home page that simply says Jesus. Tony has a video message and some free resources waiting for you there.
Well, today's lesson is part of Tony's eye-opening study of the book of Judges. As I mentioned earlier, you can get all 12 lessons in this collection as our gift. Along with Tony's powerful book, Kingdom Authority, Just visit tonyevans.org to get the details and make the arrangements. or call our resource center at 1-800-800-3222. where team members are ready to help you twenty-four-seven.
And don't forget to ask about how to upgrade your offer to include the Kingdom Authority Leaders Kit. Again, that's 1-800-800-3222. When God's people drift from him toward idolatry, They also drift toward defeat. Tomorrow, Dr. Evans walks us through a civil war among God's own people.
and reveals why spiritual victories depend upon our own relationship with the Lord. Be sure to join us for the powerful conclusion to the book of Judges.
