In his 1983 Templeton Prize address, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn offered this summary explanation for why all the horrors of Soviet communism came to pass: "Men have forgotten God; that's why all this has happened."
[Dreher, R. (2020). Forward. In The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution (p. 11). Crossway.]
Proverbs 14:34
Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a reproach to any people.
Judges 1:1-2
The chronology of Joshua and Judges is difficult to follow. In fact, we can't be sure of the chronology of events at all. We can simply piece together the major events. The primary marker of both books is the death of Joshua. His farewell address is given in Joshua 23. His death is recorded in Joshua 24:29-30. While his death is recorded at the end, some of the events in the middle of the book were after his death.
Joshua led the children of Israel into the Promised Land. The summary of Joshua's conquests are shown in the eleventh chapter of Joshua. Chapter 13 begins by noting Joshua's advanced age as well as the remaining land to be conquered. The land was divided up and given to the tribes by lot. Joshua gives a general perspective. It speaks of the tribe's inheritance but doesn't mention that in many cases they failed to drive the Canaanites from the land.
Now, in Judges, we pick up the narrative with a more specific look at some of the battles. No one thinks this is a complete list, but representative of the spiritual and political transition. Moses led the children out of the Egypt and took them to the edge of the promised land. Joshua brought them into the land. Could the tribes now hold their own? Could they rule themselves under the Lord's guidance?
Judges documents the transition from Joshua to the first king of Israel. The events of Joshua take place 1250-1050BC with the focus on the military leaders of the time. These days and events could be summed up in the transition that takes place. In the first verse of Judges, the children of Israel "asked the Lord". By the last verse of Judges:
25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
[NKJV (Judges 21:25). (1982). Thomas Nelson.]
We can easily see our culture in the book of Judges.
- There is no king in Israel.
- People were doing what was right in their own eyes
- The people can't seem to work together.
- The people were in bondage to the enemies.
Joshua and all his generation had passed away. A new generation began to drift away from God. God's people, Israel, exist because of the miracles of God in Egypt. Their heritage is grounded in God but yet they ignore it, take for granted and start following other things and other gods.
The basic reasons for this gradual falling away were disobedience, idolatry, intermarrying with the Canaanites, failure to heed the warnings of the judges and then forgetting their past, history and heritage. We see this cycle of falling away repeated numerous times:
- It starts with a departure from God. They didn't wake up one day an decide to leave God. This is a failure to remain in pursuit of Him. It's the natural occurrence in a heart that is sinful by nature. There is always something in life to draw us away or distract us. Many of these things seem legitimate reasons at the time. Suddenly, before we know it, a momentary distraction has taken root to a full-blown departure.
- God responds to the departure with chastisement. This is done by military defeat and being subject other kings.
- Israel then responds with prayer and pleading with God to deliver them from their oppressor or defeat.
- God responds by sending a judge to deliver Israel. Some of these Judges were not necessarily godly in all their ways. God uses them for His purpose much like He uses foreign kings and armies in chastisement.
As noted, we see this pattern repeatedly throughout the bible. Does this patter apply to us? Maybe, but what is required for this pattern to repeat is for the people to recognize the chastisement of God. One has to wonder in looking at our own culture if we have failed to recognize chastisement and are therefore stuck in step 2 of the cycle. While we can't say this for sure, what we do know for sure is that we've covered all the basic reasons for falling away just as Israel did.
We should also note this cycle is often present on a personal level. If we don't actively maintain our faith and relationship with God, we will slip away. It seems innocent at first and we often get very good at justifying our actions. God chastens us, we cry out to Him and run back
The title of Judges speaks men and women God raised up as leaders of His people to preserve them against their enemies. God is still in this business today. There is no stated author of this book. The Jewish Talmud states that Samuel is the author. This book covers a span of 350 years.
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Joshua left the people with the understanding that they had to finish the conquest. This was not a question at all. Their question was about who would lead them. The very first thing is that Israel asks God who will lead them after Joshua's death. The Lord answered them and assigned this to the tribe of Judah. The Lord spoke of the conquest as if it had occurred; the battle fought, victory won. All they had to do was believe it possess the land.
Judges 1:3-7
Judah was the tribe from which the King of kings would come. Its inheritance was large and prominent. Their rise to become the leaders was God's plan playing out. Judah immediately looked to Simeon for help. This was likely because Simeon's land was within Judah's (Joshua 19:9). This was good for both, at least in the beginning. Simeon would eventually be absorbed into Judah and lose their identity.
Was it a lack of faith partner with Simeon? Is this wisdom? Or is this a lack of faith? The Lord spoke to them as if it were won already. Judah had the largest army of all the tribes. If the Lord leads you to battle, will He not fight it? Why didn't they ask the Lord about partnering with Simeon? We don't know that they didn't, but we're left wondering about Judah's heart and faith in the things of the Lord.
9 So Joshua said to the children of Israel, "Come here, and hear the words of the Lord your God." 10 And Joshua said, "By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites.
[NKJV(Joshua 3:9–10). (1982). Thomas Nelson.]
It seems that we humans have a need to follow a human we can see and hear and touch. This seems to be the beginning of failures due to lack of human leadership. It seems they were unable to function with the Lord as their king, they needed someone to intercede. It makes you wonder, were they previously following the Lord or Joshua? Or were they following the Lord because of Joshua's leadership.
Best guesses place this battle straight east of Shechem, in the valley east of the Jordan in the allotment of Gad. The Lord delivered them and 10,000 men were killed. Adonai Bezek was the king of Bezek and they fought against him. His name means Lord of thunder! This must've sounded intimidating to everyone but God. They captured him and cut off his thumbs and big toes. This served two purposes:
- They would never fight another battle. They would be unsteady on their feet and would not be able to hold a weapon.
- The once proud king was humiliated.
The Lord of thunder could only speak of days gone by. He had humiliated 70 kings himself in a similar manner. There wasn't much thunder or intimidation in him now. He understood that God had repaid him.
Judges 1:8-10
Judah then fought against Jerusalem (probably Jebus at the time). While he took Jerusalem and burned some part of the city, he didn't conquer it completely. We know this doesn't happen until King David takes it many years later.
The army of Judah continued south toward Hebron attempting to conquer as much of his allotment of land. Then he went to the city of Hebron (19 miles se of Jerusalem). The city was formerly known as Kirjath Arba. This is spoken of in Joshua:
13 Now to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a share among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the Lord to Joshua, namely, Kirjath Arba, which is Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak). 14 Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak from there: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. 15 Then he went up from there to the inhabitants of Debir (formerly the name of Debir was Kirjath Sepher).
[NKJV (Joshua 15:13–15). (1982). Thomas Nelson.]
The three specific men listed as killed in this battle are the three sons of Anak. The Anikim were the giant clan that had troubled Israel so often.
Judges 1:11-15
Debir was southwest of Hebron around the southernmost part of the Judean hill country. This would be very near, if not in, Simeon's allotment. Debir may have been an outpost of the Anakim. It was formerly named Kirjath Sepher, which means city of the scroll. It is thought to have had a library or had a scribal school.
Joshua 15:15 tells us that Caleb was given an allotment in Judah. Not only did he clear Hebron of the sons of Anak but he went to Debir to clear it. Then verses 16 through 19 of Joshua 15 describe Caleb offering his daughter as a reward for the one who conquered this city. Caleb was leader of men and instilled other men to do great things. Othniel became a biblical, military hero and took Achsah as his wife. Judges 1:12-15 is an exact duplication of this.
Why is this story repeated here? Othniel means 'powerful man' and he must've been strong, courageous and savvy. This story introduces him and his elevated status by marrying into Caleb's family. Othniel will be the first judge in the book of Judges. He is identified as Caleb's younger brother. This most likely means a brother in arms or distant relative.
The bride encouraged Othniel to request land to support the family. This may have been a dowry or maybe, more likely a land grant to a military hero. Either way, the request for the father's land had to come from him. The land was apparently granted upon which Achsah dismounted her donkey. There is much speculation of what this entailed. Was an act of submission, dismount and bow before him? Others wonder if she said something and dismounted as derision due to receiving land with no water on it. The statement, "you have given me land in the south" is translated from Negev. She had received 'Negev-like' land. Caleb responded by granting them ownership of the upper and lower springs. We don't know what these springs are for sure. This may have been land instead of the original grant; land that had water. Or, it may have been land in addition to the original. Possibly it was just access to the springs to water the land of the original grant.
Achsah's request of her father is interesting. Sh e asks her father for a blessing, a blessing she won't receive without asking. She asks also for springs, in essence returning to him since he had previously blessed her.
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
[NKJV (Matthew 7:11). (1982). Thomas Nelson.]
If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."
[NKJV (John 4:10). (1982). Thomas Nelson.]
Judges 1:16-21
The Kenites connection to Moses goes back to Exodus 3:1; it not clear how this could be Moses' father in law, unless Moses had two wives. His father-in-law was previously identified as Jethro. They were portrayed as herders, caravanners and metal workers. Their name means 'forger'. The 'city of Palms' has been used previously to describe Jericho. This seems to be another location known by the same name in this context, but we don't know for sure.
Arad was 20 miles south of Hebron and the city of Zephath was nearby. The utter destruction and renaming of this city is actually a retelling of Numbers 21:1-3 when Arad was destroyed. Judah and Simeon now destroy Zephath in a similar way. On this march, they also took:
- Gaza: SW section of coastal plain; on the international highway called "Way of the Philistines". This became the most important of 5 Philistine cities.
- Ashkelon: another of the main cities of the Philistines. It was an important seaport 10 miles north of Gaza.
- Ekron: Another major Philistine city, assigned to both Judah and Dan (Josh 15:11; 19:43). Twenty miles southwest of Jerusalem, it became a frontier separating Philistia from Jerusalem. Ekron was a major producer of olive oil starting in BC1000.
The text tells us the Lord was with Judah, but they couldn't drive the inhabitants out of the lowland. Why? Because they had chariots of iron. This makes it sound like the Lord could not overcome chariots of iron. Is it not to be understood that the Lord was with them, the chariots of iron were weakened their faith and belief the Lord could deliver in those circumstances. Is this not the similar heart of seeing giants in the land? As in, 'Yes, this land is God's promised possession, but there are giants we can't overcome!' The land where a chariot was useless was conquered, but the flat plains of the lowland allowed them to use chariots.
The greatest conquest of Judah was overcoming the sons of Anak and taking Hebron. In appears these other areas were only partially conquered. This success under the leadership of Caleb stands in great contrast to the failure of Judah to completely conquer the Philistine cities and Benjamin's failure to conquer Jerusalem.
Judges 1:22-26
Bethel was an important city in Ephraim – called the 'house of Joseph'; possibly revealing a bias against Ephraim. Bethel (formerly Luz) was a sanctuary city and would later become one of the worship sites for the northern kingdom's idolatry. Again, we see that the Lord was with them. Spying the city for a weakness to exploit was probably learned from Joshua. They bargained with a citizen coming out of the city; then they attacked – letting this man and his family free.
The spies weren't to swing deals of compromise with the enemy. The whole idea of spies seems contradictory to seeking God's will and trusting. It may be that God used these spies, but in this case, they allowed an enemy to live who built a city and dwelt within the Promised Land.
The Hittite land was the area generally known to us as Syria, a nation and people who would cause the children of Israel great grief through the years.
Judges 1:27-28
God told them to utterly destroy the Canaanites but they spared them. All the tribes allowed these Canaanite tribes to live in their land when they were to be totally destroyed. This is the beginning of the breakdown of things. They no longer were following God. They were no longer obeying the command to destroy totally; make no treaty.
7 "When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, 2 and when the Lord your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. 3 Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. 4 For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the Lord will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly. 5 But thus you shall deal with them: you shall destroy their altars, and break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images, and burn their carved images with fire.
6 "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. 7 The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8 but because the Lord loves you,
[NKJV (Deuteronomy 7:1–8). (1982). Thomas Nelson.]
The partial victories and failures begin to stack up:
- Manasseh failed to drive out the inhabitants:
- Beth Shean; Eastern Jezreel valley. An outpost to guard the Via Maris highway; control of the city was control of the imports. This will be the area of the Decapolis in New Testament times.
- Taanach: in the area of Megiddo.
- Dor; a coastal city in west Manasseh.
- Ibleam; on the eastern end of the Jezreel Valley. Again, it had strategic importance throughout the years.
- Megiddo: at the western entrance to the Jezreel Valley. The Canaanites were apparently more determined to live there than the Israelites.
A key to understanding the decline of the nation is given in verse 28. They were compromising, doing it there way instead of God's way. Man's way seemed right to them, more compassionate. These people under tribute could be useful and might bring wealth; they also would get tired of paying tribute and become strong.
The Israelites didn't wake up on day and decide to part from the Lord. It was subtle, happening a little at a time. It was a little compromise today, and a bit of indecision tomorrow and failure to trust became a way of life. They had been warned this would happen if they didn't take heed. We also must take heed in our life.
I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
[NKJV (2 Timothy 4:1–5). (1982). Thomas Nelson.]
Judges 1:29-36
We don't get a tribe by tribe blow of the failures of all twelve, but we get enough to see it was across the board.
- Ephraim failed in a similar way. Gezer; a city that linked the coastal plain controlled by Philistines to the central hill country.
- Zebulun failed also at Kitron and Nahalol. Neither of these places are exactly known, but the compromise is recorded. The Canaanites dwelt among them.
- Asher failed at Sidon, a major Phoenician coastal city. The Asherites were allowed to dwell in the lands of Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik and Rehab.
- Naphtali makes the list also. The failed to drive out the inhabitants at Beth Shemesh and Beth Ahath. They dwelt among the Canaanites of the land. They drew comfort from receiving tribute from them.
- Dan makes the list; their failure greater than all. They were told where they could live by the Amorites, forced into the mountains. The Amorite determination greater than that of the children of God. They drew comfort from the strength of the house of Joseph; the threat allowing them to exact tribute for a time.
The Amorites were to have no boundary in the Promised Land. They would not exist if the people had been obedient to the word of God. God did not want the Canaanite culture to contaminate his people. The immorality and religious practice of the Canaanite people was an affront to God and should also be so to His people. Because they were not totally destroyed, their practices poisoned them for a long time; affecting many people, maybe even through to today. The evil of the Canaanites looks very much like the evil all around us today.
Why did Israel spare them? Maybe they were weary from being at war for so long. Maybe it was fear that the enemy was stronger than they. But mostly they lacked leadership. Where are the priests that should have been pointing them to the Lord and His ways? Where was the godly leadership reminding the people of God's word and promises? While we are at it, we might ask the same questions for our world today.
The first chapter establishes the trend and the tone of the times. The first verse of the book documents the children of Israel asking the Lord about their path forward. The last verse of this book shows us where it is trending to.
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
[NKJV (Judges 21:25). (1982). Thomas Nelson.]
The Lord had given them 300,000 square miles and they had claimed less than 30,000 square miles of it.
This book is:
- A wake-up call for a church trending to wokeness or apostasy.
- It is a good shaking to those energized only by their own selfish pursuits.
- It is a lens for those that have lost their spiritual glasses.
- It is an alarm clock to those who have no time for God, the things of God or the church.
- It is an opportunity to heed the call and let Jesus be Lord and do what's right in His eyes.
© 2015, 2022 Doug Ford, Calvary Chapel Sweetwater
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