Judges 1 - Trouble In Canaan

Judges 1

And it came about when Israel became strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely. 

Message: Trouble in Canaan

Time: Judges covers about 250 years from death of Joshua to birth of Samuel (1360-1110 BC). The people of Israel largely divided with different local triable judges. It was a period of stirring interventions by the Lord and also great disobedience on the part of the Israelites. Without a king, everyone did right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25). 

What the Lord is Saying: After Joshua has died, the question comes up in verse 1 of Judges about who will now fight the Canaanites and in verse 2 it is mentioned Judah (a fulfillment of prophecy from Genesis 49:8-12; about 400 years prior). It seems they are still going to the areas that are allotted them.  Verse 4 - "The Lord gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands and they defeated ten thousand men at Bezek." 

Verse 8 mention how the sons of Judah then fought against Jerusalem, capturing it and then setting it on fire. And Judah continued to fight against other Canaanites in other cities. Caleb then offers up his daughter as wife to the one who attacks Kiriath-sepher (verse 12). Caleb's younger brother, Othniel, is that one. The daughter received a gift of the upper and lower springs of the Negev at her request. 

Other cities are captured, like those living in Zephath (v 17), Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron (v. 18). The Jebusites did not leave Jerusalem and stayed with the sons of Benjamin (v.21). 

In Bethel, family requests to be treated kindly and they are allowed to go free. Manasseh lived alongside people in Beth-shean as those people did not leave (v. 27-28), nor Ephraim in Gezer (v. 29), Zebulun in Kitron and Nahaloi (v. 30) or Asher in Acco or Sidon (v. 31-32) or Naphtali in Beth-shemesh (v.33) and sons of Dan with Amorites in the hill country, though they became forced labor (v. 34-36). 

And that's the chapter. So a 2nd leader is provided in Judah. Jerusalem is seized. And many other lands as well, some with their captors remaining and some being killed. Perhaps it seems kind that people did not die, but another way to look at this is probably the antithesis of what we will continue to see in this chapter and that is the people in these lands were supposed to be driven out. And they were not. perhaps because the people became frightened and let the people remain. They did not trust the words and promises given in Joshua earlier that people would be driven out if there were obstacles. But instead, they gave into the obstacles. 

Summary: Judah takes over now after the death of Joshua and lands continue to be inhabited. The goal was taking over these lands but often people remained as Israel let obstacles stay rather than trusting in God for their conquest. 

Promise: Outward success occurs, but often at the expense of spiritual failure. Our success comes only from the Lord. 

Prayer: O God, let my world be defined by You and only You. You give me the power and strength, but I must trust in You. Show me each day the ways in which I need to trust in You and not give in to the things around me. I pray for your power in my life. 

 

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