The Tragedy of Autonomy
A CAUTIONARY STORY FROM THE BOOK OF JUDGES
Our moments of victory afford us our greatest temptations to fall. Israel entered the promised land and experienced the fulfillment of a long-awaited promise. It should have been the best of times but spiraled into the worst.
Judges is a tragedy. The downward spiral of the nation of Israel assimilating the prevailing culture into moral, spiritual, and national demise. The book begins with Israel disobeying God in the wake of the victory He provided in bringing them into the promised land which ends in civil unrest. Throughout the many sub-tragedies of the account, the reader is reminded of Israel’s autonomy “everyone did what was right in their own eyes”. The book offers the accounts of various “Judges” or leaders who ruled over Israel between Joshua’s death and Samuel. Judges leaves the reader with the question- who can lead Israel out of its depravity and back into being the people of promise God called them to be?
This book has a powerful message because the period of the judges in which ‘everyone did what was right in his own eyes’ is being lived out today. Judges makes the case that living in this way is tragic. God doesn’t allow the people then, or us today to continue on this self-destructive path. He is always at work redeeming. This book constantly reminds its readers that there was no king in those days, revealing our innate desire to be led. Where Israel’s leaders fail, Jesus succeeds. He is the King we all need.
We desire that over the next few months, as we study verse by verse through The Daily, discuss together in our Communities, and are taught at our Gatherings, we will take heed the message of Judges- that fueled by the grace of the gospel we would live obediently to Jesus Christ and resist adopting the idols of our prevailing culture that we might be a people who act upon what is righteous in the Lord’s eyes.
- The Downtown Hope Theology Team
The Book of Judges | Overview
May 28, 2023 | DAVID BEMPONG
In this message, David goes over the book of Judges and what we’ll be focusing on in this sermon series.
Drawing a connection to our own lives, we see that the period of the judges in which ‘everyone did what was right in his own eyes’ is being lived out today. Join us over the next 10 weeks as we dive deeper into the book of Judges and explore what comes with the desire for autonomy.
The Test | Judges 3:1-11
June 4, 2023 | AARON MAYHEW
Nothing puts our beliefs to the test like insurmountable circumstances. That is exactly where the Israelites find themselves in chapter 3 of Judges. They are surrounded by enemy nations and they have a choice to make. They can trust God or do things their way and choose autonomy. The choice they make can help us answer the question: is autonomy from God what we really want?
The Unexpected | Judges 3:12-20
June 11, 2023 | DAVID BEMPONG
During Othniel's leadership, Israel enjoyed forty years of peace. However, this peace ended abruptly when they once again chose autonomy. In this sermon, David walks us through some unexpected events that unfold as we meet the next Judge. We will encounter a surprising deliverer who brings about salvation in the most unexpected way.
The Song of Abandonment | Judges 4 + 5
June 11, 2023 | JOEY TOMASSONI
This Sunday, Joey walks us through Judges 4-5 to discover a moment where the nation of Israel abandoned its autonomy and found strength through the most unexpected of resources.
Our prayer is that the account of Israel's courage in Deborah, Barak, and Jael will cause our church family to abandon ourselves to Jesus with utmost dependency! He is our true source of strength and courage in hardship!
Gideon | Judges 6:1-6
June 25, 2023 | DAVID BEMPONG
In our journey through the book of Judges, we encounter the next Judge: Gideon. This passage teaches us an important lesson about what happens when we don't fully appreciate God's power and presence in our lives. It shows us the consequences of underestimating God's greatness.
Internal Enemy | Judges 9
July 2, 2023 | AARON MAYHEW
As Gideon’s life comes to a close and Abimelech rises to power, we discover Israel’s greatest enemy, and it’s not another nation. The greatest threat to Israel is the pride that has infiltrated their leaders and is beginning to infect the entire nation. Pride is a potent force that hides in the deep recesses of the human heart and the story of Abimelech shows us what can happen when we lose control of it in our lives.
Unending Grace | Judges 10:6-18
July 9, 2023 | DAVID BEMPONG
The book of Judges shows a recurring pattern of Israel's disobedience and subsequent oppression. However, amidst this cycle, God's grace shines through. Join us this Sunday as we explore Judges 10 and see God's grace extended to His people, despite their repeated transgressions, reminding us that even in our darkest moments, His grace is available for all who call on Him.
Samson: The Riddle | Judges 13-16
July 16, 2023 | CHRIS ADOMANIS
As we continue our journey in the book of Judges, we read of Samson, a leader dedicated to God from birth and set apart by his supernatural gifts. One of the questions that surface in Samsons’ life is how he could be blessed with such supernatural gifts and behave ungodly? It’s a riddle that will be uncovered throughout this narrative. More surprising is God’s actions in the life of Samson. Join us this Sunday as we unpack Judges 13-16 and learn more about our God, who remains faithful to forgive, redeem, and restore, even after we’ve made choices that aren’t in our best interest.
God’s Goodness | Judges 17
July 23, 2023 | DAVID BEMPONG
That last portion of the book of Judges highlights the true tragedy of autonomy in great detail. This section of scripture unveils how far God's people have deviated from His way and the tragic consequences of their decisions. Through it all we see a man named Micah and his longing for God's goodness amid the chaos.
King or No King? | Judges 21:25
July 30, 2023 | JOEY TOMASSONI
One of the greatest tragedies of the notion of human autonomy is that it is a complete falsity. Physiologically there is no such thing as an autonomous human being. Our condition is utterly dependent on resources, including people, outside of ourselves. So when we read in the last verse in the Book of Judges (21:25) "that Israel had no king" it begs an important question for Israel and for us, worth considering: was there no king in Israel or in Israel was there some alternative king?