Judges 3 - Testing and Teaching, Which Comes First?

I have a confession to make. I have great anxiety about taking tests. Sometimes I still have anxiety filled dreams about those make or break tests in college. You know, the final exams where they lock you in a room for 2 hours, a battle ensuing, your only weapon a dull pencil. I have vivid recollections of those battles. The hours, days and months of study, preparation, and practice, brought to one single moment where I hope to produce the desired knowledge on demand. No pressure, right?

I vividly recall one accounting professor from my senior year that especially enjoyed his position. He had a stern presence, taught in the same manner and was known for his stringent and thorough exams. This was to be my last and most advanced accounting course and graduation was looming as a bright light at the end of my tunnel, only a semester away. No setbacks could be afforded, I needed this course in the completion column. The final exam was daunting. 2 hours in a hard chair, a calculator and my gray matter all I had to assist me. It took the full two hours to complete his test, I’ll never forget walking out of that room feeling like someone had wrung my brain out like a wet dish towel. I won the battle, but still have some scars.

But you know, when it comes to taking tests something must happen first, teaching. I mean, how can you pass a test on a subject if you haven’t first been taught and then learned the material? What if I were to challenge you today to take a test on advanced accounting without any teaching first occurring? You’d probably think me daft and I would agree with your conclusion. How can you be tested on something you have yet to learn? What if I were to tell you that God does it just this way…backwards? What if God were to test His children first and as a result of experiencing that test, the true learning occurs? Quite unorthodox.

As we cruise along in the book of Judges, we arrive at chapter 3. We have been alerted to the fact that none of the 12 tribes drove out all the evil people from the Promised land as God had instructed them. As a result, we are set to witness failure. The evil temptations reach tantamount levels and the people seek their own sinful ways and God is quickly forgotten. In a bitter pattern to observe, we see that almost every single judge in Judges is introduced by a similar verse:

“ And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Ashteroth.” Judges 3:7

The cycle begins again. The people follow their flesh, they sin against God, God condemns them, the people cry out to God for mercy and as a result, God raises up a man or woman to rescue His people. 13 times this happens in Judges, and 13 times God raises up a person to fight for His people. A reckless pattern that stretches across all 66 books within the cover of God’s Word. But what grabbed my attention this morning was one particular passage.

“Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before. They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.” Judges 3:1-2,4

Notice in the passage God uses the word test twice and the word teach once. This new unbelieving generation did not know what their parents had known. They did not know of the fierce fighting that had taken place to attain the land they now so easily enjoyed. But God would educate them. And He did that by testing them first before He taught them.

God still operates the same way today. He tests us and out of that testing can come great learning. If you have called upon Jesus in great faith, then you must continue following Jesus in that same great faith. And from time to time, God will test that faith to see if you are still solely focused on Jesus as the Lord of your life. Just as with the wayward Israelites we see today, God tests them “to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord.” You see, if the Israelites would have passed this test, there would not have been need for a judge to rescue them. If they were living in obedience to the commandments of God, they would not have the need to be taught about war. How odd, the testing does indeed come well before the teaching.

So what does this testing look like today? God tests our faith using various methods to see just how we will react. There is no greater judge of your faith and love of Christ than by it being tested. Yet, instead of being anxious about the tests, God informs us once again to think of things in a new way. Not to see things in our eyes, but through His. We are told that when we are tested by God we should rejoice and be happy in it. What? Be happy with a test? In a few of my favorite verses, we see the wisdom of God’s testing and teaching.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” 1 Peter 4:12-13

Folks, there is one guarantee to all believers in this life, God will test your faith.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born near Hannibal, Missouri in 1835. He was born on the Mississippi River and for the entirety of his life, that muddy water flowed through his veins. As soon as he was old enough, he became a “cub pilot” on the great river paddle-boats of the day, eager to one day captain his own paddle steamer. That day soon came for him at the age of 23, his knowledge of the 1200 mile long Mississippi riverbed as familiar as his own face in the mirror. As he captained up and down the Mighty Miss there was one major obstacle to constantly deal with…depth. Constant readings, called soundings, had to be taken to ensure the needed 2 fathoms (twelve feet) of water was below his bow at all times. If the leadsman’s reading was the desired 2 fathoms he would cry out “mark twain.” “Mark” announcing a new reading and “twain” being archaic river vernacular for the number two. Clemens soon adopted this oft heard term for his pen name and the rest is American literature history.

Folks, just like an 1860’s river boat captain taking multiple depth readings of the riverbed over his journey, God will test the depths of your faith throughout your journey. And in His wisdom, the depth reading He gets will never be deep enough. You see, the tests He gives you are to continually create depth in your walk with Him. The testing of your faith is not in vain, God uses it to produce patience, long-suffering, endurance, steadfastness and perseverance. God, out of His great love for you, is never done teaching you. And for that reason, He is never done testing you. In this process, count it as joy in your life when you feel God testing the depths of your faith. For it is in that moment, that God is growing you. Through the testing of your faith, you are learning the lesson God has for you.

It’s not easy when trials come your way, but today don’t see them as just useless obstacles, pointless pain or senseless suffering. See them as what God sees them as, an invaluable test that will “make you perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Praise be to Jesus Christ, the best teacher the world will ever know.

Hong Kong