Greetings. I'd like to begin with a story that I once read. I saw a pathetic sight in Scotland. It was a great eagle in a massive cage. The sun shining brilliantly in the heavens seemed to be calling to it to rise from the earth and rejoice in its natural element. And the royal bird in response to the call fixed its eye on the sun and spread its mighty wings and stooped for flight. And then becoming conscious of the iron bars that held it prisoner, It drooped its wings and lowered its head in apparent disappointment and shame. I watched that captive bird on that lovely summer afternoon with growing interest. Again and again the light flashed in its eyes as it faced the sun and lifted its wings in the futile endeavor to soar away to the upper air. Just as often its wings sank down and it bowed its neck. The most striking figure of depression and defeat that I had ever looked upon. Had I been an artist, and had I wished to paint a picture of defeat, that great bird would have been my model. Thus wrote J.T. Mousen in his book, How to Overcome. I use this story as an introduction to the book of Judges, a book that we're going to be looking at together the next few broadcasts. And though we find much defeat in this book, we also find flashes of victory. I personally feel that the Book of Judges has much to say to us at this time in history. We find the key verse to this book in the last chapter and the last verse of the book. In those days there was no king in Israel. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes. When a person does that which is right in his own eyes, it isn't long until he's doing something that is evil in the sight of the Lord. Or in the book of Proverbs we have it this way. There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. No wonder the book of Judges has been called the dark ages of the Bible times. Another dark period of history was the forty years of wandering in the wilderness. The book of Judges covers a period of about ten times that length, or around four hundred years. The book just before Judges in the Bible is Joshua. And there we have a record of victory over seven nations. But in Judges, we have seven apostases, seven oppressions, and seven deliverances. The book begins with these words. This is Judges chapter one, verse one. You may want to get your Bible so you can follow along with some of these verses. This is Judges chapter one, verse one. Now after the death of Joshua, it came to pass. Now Joshua was the great general who took over after Moses, and he had led the armies of Israel through victory in the sinful campaign, also in the northern and southern campaigns in Palestine. Joshua passes off the scene, as do other leaders. As one man has put it, God buries his workmen. but carries on his work. And though there is much to discourage in the book of Judges, there are great deliverances. First, let's consider the setting of the book. Israel had taken part of the land of Palestine. They had begun to possess their possessions. God's word to Joshua had been, Every place that the soul of your foot shall tread upon... That have I given unto you, as I said to Moses. Now this has been called God's two-foot rule. We usually think of three feet in a yardstick, but this two-foot rule was God's method for the land. All they had to do was to walk through the land with their two feet, and it was theirs. It sounds simple, and it was simple, but they had to obey the Lord. Now coming to chapter one of Judges, again we will see that after taking part of the land, we read these words, and the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem. That was choice territory, but they did not take it. And then in verse twenty seven of chapter one of Judges, we read, neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean in her towns. Then in verse thirty of chapter one, Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kittron, and another place. And in verse thirty-one, neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Echul. And on the chapter goes. That's chapter one of Judges. The question comes to mind, were the children of Israel weak and just unable to fight these enemies? That question is quite clearly answered in verse twenty-eight. Take a good look at it. This is chapter one, verse twenty eight. And it came to pass when Israel was strong that they did put the Canaanites to tribute and did not utterly drive them out. They were strong, but they made slaves of the people, and they did not drive them out. God had told them to drive out the Canaanites. They had the strength, and by the help of the Lord to do it, they could have done it. Instead, they compromised and fell short of God's plans. And so it's recorded in chapter two of Judges, and the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, and there arose another generation after them which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. In the next verse, as we read these disturbing words, and the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Balaam. And thus begins a cycle in the book of Judges, a cycle which we find over and over again. The circle or cycle went something like this. The children of Israel did evil. They forsook the Lord and went their own sinful way. The Lord had then allowed them to be sold into slavery. That's to another country or another nation. There was a period of servitude. And then and only then did they turn to the Lord. They cried out to the Lord for help. They repented of their sins. The Lord would then raise up a judge or a deliverer. Here I feel is an important distinction that we need to make in our study of the Book of Judges. These men designated as judges were military men and probably were more like generals than judges as we know them today. And after the judge moved into action there would be a victory from the Lord and a time of serving the Lord. Then back into sin they would go again and the cycle would begin all over again. You'd think they would have learned their lesson, but over and over again they went through that cycle. Sin, slavery, sorrow or repentance, salvation, and serving God. Then back into sin, slavery, and the whole list again. In our next time together we'll consider a specific case and take up the entire cycle. But now let's take a look at this pattern of behavior. Someone has used these words for the cycle. Ruin, retribution, repentance, and rest. First there was sin or ruin. They forsook the Lord and serve Baal and Ashtroth. And we say, why? Why would anyone, let alone a nation, turn from the living God to serve idols of wood and stone? Bael or Balaam was the male God or idol, and Asteroth was the female goddess. The rites and ceremonies connected with the worship of Bael and Asteroth are so filthy we would not even like to speak of them. The people turn from a holy God to sin. Adam and Eve turn from the living God to listen to Satan and to act on his suggestion. So we must remember that back of it all is Satan. Behind all sin is Satan. Behind the mixed up world in which we live is Satan. Man has gone his own way by choice. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, the Bible says. Let's be perfectly clear as to Satan's work. He blinds, Second Corinthians four, four tells us, in whom the God of this world blinder the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them. Satan blinds so that people cannot see the light. Satan is a liar. He promises great things, but he breaks one promise after another until he leaves disillusioned old people at the end of life. Satan is a murderer. The Lord Jesus said of Satan, He was a murderer from the beginning. and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it. These are the words of the Lord Jesus concerning Satan. People who turn from the Lord to Satan make a very bad bargain. From sin they go into slavery. This is always the case. Satan makes slaves of those who follow him. The longer you follow him, the more terrible the slavery. Possibly I'm speaking to someone who is in that slavery of sin right now. You know what it is to have those chains grow tighter and stronger until you despair of ever getting any release. The Book of Judges has good news for you. The children of Israel were in their extremity. Here's the way it's described. They were greatly distressed. Now comes the turning point. And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, The Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel who delivered them. That's Judges chapter three, verse nine. These Judges were deliverers sent to them by the Lord. And though they had been oppressed, they very quickly were given freedom. They had liberty. What does the Lord Jesus do for one who calls out to him for salvation today? The Lord Jesus is our deliverer. If we don't receive Him as deliverer, someday He will be our judge. The Lord Jesus delivers because He died on the cross and rose again, and He has broken Satan's power. Satan would blind, but the Lord Jesus opens blind eyes. He takes us out of darkness into light, and we walk in light with Him. Satan is a liar. The Lord Jesus is the truth. We can count on every word, every promise that he makes. All you have to do is open the Bible to see some of those many promises. He has never failed anyone, and he never will. Satan is a murder according to the verses we read. The Lord Jesus gives life, eternal life, life without end with him in heaven. He is the way, the truth, and the life. In the book of Judges, we have a cycle. Sin, slavery, sorrow, salvation, and serving God. Where are you on this cycle? I would urge you to consider this carefully. Sin, slavery, sorrow, salvation, serving God. If you're in the slavery of Satan, we urge you to consider your ways and see that this slavery leads to a lost eternity, the blackness of darkness forever. Do an about face. Do a change of direction and turn to the Lord. Call out to him for salvation. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. We read in the Bible. He's waiting for you to call on him by faith. He's never turned anyone away. The Bible says, Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. This is what he's promised. Listen to this. Verily, verily, I say to you, He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me half everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation that is passed from death unto life. This is what he has for you. Life instead of death, but you must make the choice. You must come to this place of decision. You are not saved automatically. You have to make a definite choice. Life is made up of choices, but this is the greatest one. I remember some years ago I had a tract. that I used, and the title of it was Decision Determines Your Destiny. Decision determines your destiny. This is true. You may be a slave of sin this moment, but as you come repenting of your sin and trusting in the Lord Jesus, you will be saved. Saved from a slave to a son. That's what the Lord wants to do for you right now.