THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY by Dr. Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson, NC
Introduction: In the 1960s and 70s, a new genre of Western movies appeared on the big screens known as the “Spaghetti Western.” These were movies on the Old West that were produced and directed by Italian filmmakers. They took an existing genre of cowboy movies but made them more dramatic, unrealistic, and far more violent. One such movie was “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” starring Clint Eastwood. It was part of a trilogy of movies, along with “A Fistful of Dollars” and “For a Few Dollars More.” In fact, these movies made Clint Eastwood, the actor from “Rawhide,” into the famous Hollywood star we know today. In “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” three gunslingers are fighting to get their hands on some buried Confederate gold during the Civil War. The “Good” is the quiet bounty hunter played by Clint Eastwood. The “Bad” is the cold-blooded assassin called “Angel Eyes,” and the “Ugly” is the Mexican bandit who turned to crime to help his family. As I mentioned in our first message of this new series on the book of Judges, the judges remind me of the cowboys and even the lawmen of the Old West. In today’s message titled “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” we will be talking about a different kind of “the good, the bad, and the ugly.” Main Point: In the Christian life, we must contend with the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The Good are the giant-size problems, the Bad are Sin and Satan, and the Ugly are the facts of life. Knowing the difference between the three is the key to living the Promised Life.
Judges 1:19 So the LORD was with Judah. And they drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowland, because they had chariots of iron.
Context: Just like the Spaghetti Westerns, the book of Judges also seems to be in a genre by itself. It has rough characters, scandalous events, and gruesome violence. It almost seems that this book got into the Bible by mistake. No wonder the book doesn’t get preached on or studied as much. To understand the reason why God in his divine wisdom and sovereignty chose to include it in the Bible, we have to apply 2 filters to the book:
1. Filter of Christ:
- John 5:39 “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”
- Luke 24:25 Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself…32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”
If you fail to apply the filter of Christ to the book of Judges, you will fail to see God’s grace and salvation in the most difficult and undeserving times of Israel’s history.
2. Filter of the Christian Life:
- Paul mentioned them in his sermon at Antioch in Pisidia – Acts 13:20 “After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.”
- Paul also mentioned the historical events as our examples – 1 Corinthians 10 1“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6Now these things became our examples (tupos = type, model, example), to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them…11 Now all these things happened to them as examples (tupikos, adjective), and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”
- Also, after extolling the judges in Hebrews 11 for their faith, listen to Hebrews 12 1 “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
If you fail to apply the filter of the Christian life to the book of Judges, you will misunderstand the rich application of this book to our daily walk with Christ, our victory over sin, and our understanding of how to face the struggles of life.
With that said, what are the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in the Christian life? To follow the text, we will re-arrange them:
1. The Bad – Sin and Satan
Judges 1 4 Then Judah went up, and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand; and they killed ten thousand men at Bezek. 5 And they found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and fought against him; and they defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
Background: This is the first battle for the land. What is very interesting is that it is against a king of Canaan named Adoni-Bezek at Bezek. We don’t know for sure where ancient Bezek was. Based on the following verses and 1 Samuel 11:8-11, it could not have been far from Jerusalem. It could very well be what we know today as Khirbet Ibzik. What is even more interesting is this king, Adoni-Bezek, it could be that his capital or base was in Bezek, but the word Bezek also means “lightning flash.” Ezekiel 1:14 “And the living creatures ran back and forth, in appearance like a flash of lightning.” So, he was referred to as the “Lord or God of Lightning” like Baal or Zeus or Taranis. He represented the Satanic ruler of the world. There’s more – Judges 1 6 Then Adoni-Bezek fled, and they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and big toes. 7 And Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather scraps under my table…” Once again, this was no ordinary tribal king. He had defeated and captured 70 kings. Last fall, we did a series title “Table of Nations” from Genesis 10, which gives us the various peoples and nations that were formed right after the Great Flood. Guess how many original nations and peoples there were? 70. In other words, behind all the opposition that Israelites were facing was a Satan-like figure.
How interesting that the very first battle that had to be fought was between Judah and Adoni-bezek! Verse 4 says, “Then Judah went up…” Jesus also came from the tribe of Judah. As Hebrews 7:14 says, “For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.” Once you place the filter of Christ on the book of Judges, you begin to understand what is really happening here! This is a foreshadowing of a future battle that was going to come not just for the land but for our souls. Adoni-Bezek also says something very curious – 7 “…as I have done, so God has repaid me.” Of course, on one level, this was a simply a declaration of God’s justice, but, on a deeper level, this was God breaking the power of Sin and Satan over us. Yes, Satan is still around and he does whatever he can to harass us, but it is like those kings and Adoni-bezek, he has no balance or strength left.
One more thing – Judges 1:7 “…Then they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.” This detail is also very important. Although Adoni-bezek was a king, he was an earthly king and just a representative of the Enemy. One day, another king would have to enter Jerusalem, the royal city. He would not be a mere earthly king. He would be Heaven’s king come down to give his life on a hill call Calvary in Jerusalem.
Application: Do you know this king? Whose domain are you living in Adoni-bezek’s or Jesus Christ’s? Are you saved? As we enter into our Promised Land, don’t forget that our battle is not “against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
2. The Good – Giant-Size Problems
Judges 1 8 Now the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it; they struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. 9 And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who dwelt in the mountains, in the South, and in the lowland. 10 Then Judah went against the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron. (Now the name of Hebron was formerly Kirjath Arba.) And they killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
Context: It is very interesting that the former name of Hebron is given. Kirjath-Arba means the “City of Four.” It could be referring to the four major cities in the Hebron area (Aner, Eschol, Mamre, and Hebron), but Arba was also a name. Keep in mind that the Bible uses many puns. Joshua 14:15 “And the name of Hebron formerly was Kirjath Arba (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim).” The Anakim were the race of giants. He was the forefather/ancestor of the giants. Numbers 13:22 “And they went up through the South and came to Hebron; Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there.” Remember, when Moses came to the borders of the Promised Land and sent in the 12 spies. They all returned with evidence that the land indeed flowed with milk and honey, but 10 came back with a horrible report – Numbers 13 32 “…The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. 33There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” But 2 of the spies had a different response – Numbers 14 6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, “a land which flows with milk and honey.’ 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them.” 10 And all the congregation said to stone them with stones…
Guess what – all that faithless congregation died in the wilderness. In fact, the generation of Joshua and the conquest has also died. But one man is still around. Judges 1 11 From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. (The name of Debir was formerly Kirjath Sepher.) 12 Then Caleb said, “Whoever attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give my daughter Achsah as wife.” 13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so he gave him his daughter Achsah as wife. 14 Now it happened, when she came to him, that she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you wish?” 15 So she said to him, “Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
Principle: When you walk by faith in the living true triune God, you not only conquer Giant-size problems, but you are able to outlive your critics!
Application: What are the giants in your life?
Another good – Judges 1:16 “Now the children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up from the City of Palms with the children of Judah into the Wilderness of Judah, which lies in the South near Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.” Even during all this blood and gore, God’s plan to save humanity is still operating. Here, the Kenites, from Moses’ father-in-law’s family, the Midianites, are still grafted among the people of God. Isn’t that wonderful that in the world of chaos and craziness, God’s plan is still operating.
3. The Ugly – Facts of Life
Judges 1 17 And Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they attacked the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. So the name of the city was called Hormah. 18 Also Judah took Gaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory. 19 So the LORD was with Judah. And they drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowland, because they had chariots of iron.
This is very interesting to remember. Even though God was with them, they were not able to drive out the inhabitants of the lowland because of the chariots of iron. I have 2 hypothetical questions:
- Could it be that if the first generation had obeyed God, would that still have been a problem? Maybe they didn’t have the chariots at the time. But waiting 40 years gave them the chance to develop that technology.
- Could it be that we need to recognize that somethings are not sin and Satan or Giant-size problems? We need to learn to accept that somethings are beyond our control.
Best we can do with the facts of life are:
- Accept the situation.
- Try to understand the reasons.
- and find the best solution possible with God’s guidance.
Invitation: Can you tell the difference between the Sin and Satan, Giant-Size Problems, and Facts of Life? Are you saved? Is Jesus your Savior and King?