Told of the Upcoming Pattern – Judges 1-2

Joy: You’re listening to Season 2 of the Lifting Her Voice podcast.   This is Episode #77 and today we’ll read Judges chapters 1-2 together.   Judah overcomes the Canannites, Benjamin fails.  The house of Joseph prevails; the other tribes don’t.  We are told of the upcoming pattern of sin, judgement, crying out, and God’s mercy, in Israel.

Welcome

Welcome to the Lifting Her Voice podcast, Season 2!  I’m your host, Joy Miller, and I invite you to grab your Bible and join me – from the beginning – simply reading God’s word together.  We built some spiritual muscles in 2020 with just the New Testament.  But this year we’re going all out, cover-to-cover, Old Testament and New.  So, whether with your first cup in the morning, your commute to work, or as the last thing on your mind before sleep, God’s Word will equip you for every good work.  I’m really glad you’re here!

Intro to Judges

In my early days, I used to put the book of Judges in the same category as the book of Acts…boring.  After all, it was history.  Then I started reading it with adult eyes I guess, because the book of Judges is definitely not boring.  Oh, it’s disturbing, but not boring.  In short, it is a graphic – very graphic – exposé on just how depraved we are as human beings.  When everyone does what is right in his own eyes, depravity ensues.  That’s not freedom, that’s mayhem.  No sooner than they had promised Joshua that they would follow God, did the people abandon Him.  

Before there were kings in Israel, God raised up judges – military leaders – to “save” Israel.  There is an obvious recurring pattern here:  Israel abandons God, God punishes them with oppression by other nations, Israel cries out to God, and God sends a judge to save them.  But don’t think these judges were made of any more moral fiber than the Israelites themselves.  They start out okay but just go downhill…way downhill.  The final story is like Sodom and Gomorrah on steroids.  You’re gonna have to steel yourself against the violence in this book, but there is a purpose.  This is one of the big, bold arrows that points to the fact that we need a Savior.  We cannot measure up to God’s perfect standard by ourselves.  You know who I’m talking about.

Most agree that this book was written by the prophet Samuel about 350 years after it all happened.  It’s not chronological but happening in different regions, either concurrently or overlapping.  As always, I encourage you to watch the overview video at The Bible Project.  Here we go….

Judges Chapter 1

Judah’s Leadership against the Canaanites

After the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of the Lord, “Who will be the first to fight for us against the Canaanites?”

The Lord answered, “Judah is to go. I have handed the land over to him.”

Judah said to his brother Simeon, “Come with me to my allotted territory, and let’s fight against the Canaanites. I will also go with you to your allotted territory.” So Simeon went with him.

When Judah attacked, the Lord handed the Canaanites and Perizzites over to them. They struck down ten thousand men in Bezek. They found Adoni-bezek in Bezek, fought against him, and struck down the Canaanites and Perizzites.

When Adoni-bezek fled, they pursued him, caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes. Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. God has repaid me for what I have done.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

The men of Judah fought against Jerusalem, captured it, put it to the sword, and set the city on fire. Afterward, the men of Judah marched down to fight against the Canaanites who were living in the hill country, the Negev, and the Judean foothills. Judah also marched against the Canaanites who were living in Hebron (Hebron was formerly named Kiriath-arba). They struck down Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. From there they marched against the residents of Debir (Debir was formerly named Kiriath-sepher).

Caleb said, “Whoever attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher, I will give my daughter Achsah to him as a wife.” So Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s youngest brother, captured it, and Caleb gave his daughter Achsah to him as his wife.

Caleb Received Hebron

When she arrived, she persuaded Othniel to ask her father for a field. As she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you want?” She answered him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs also.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs.

The descendants of the Kenite, Moses’s father-in-law, had gone up with the men of Judah from the City of Palms to the Wilderness of Judah, which was in the Negev of Arad. They went to live among the people.

Judah went with his brother Simeon, struck the Canaanites who were living in Zephath, and completely destroyed the town. So they named the town Hormah. Judah captured Gaza and its territory, Ashkelon and its territory, and Ekron and its territory. The Lord was with Judah and enabled them to take possession of the hill country, but they could not drive out the people who were living in the plain because those people had iron chariots.

Judah gave Hebron to Caleb, just as Moses had promised. Then Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak who lived there.

Benjamin’s Failure

At the same time the Benjaminites did not drive out the Jebusites who were living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites have lived among the Benjaminites in Jerusalem to this day.

Success of the House of Joseph

The house of Joseph also attacked Bethel, and the Lord was with them. They sent spies to Bethel (the town was formerly named Luz). The spies saw a man coming out of the town and said to him, “Please show us how to get into town, and we will show you kindness.” When he showed them the way into the town, they put the town to the sword but released the man and his entire family. Then the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a town, and named it Luz. That is its name still today.

Failure of the Other Tribes

At that time Manasseh failed to take possession of Beth-shean and Taanach and their surrounding villages, or the residents of Dor, Ibleam, and Megiddo and their surrounding villages; the Canaanites were determined to stay in this land. When Israel became stronger, they made the Canaanites serve as forced labor but never drove them out completely.

At that time Ephraim failed to drive out the Canaanites who were living in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived among them in Gezer.

Zebulun failed to drive out the residents of Kitron or the residents of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them and served as forced labor.

Asher failed to drive out the residents of Acco or of Sidon, or Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob. The Asherites lived among the Canaanites who were living in the land, because they failed to drive them out.

Naphtali did not drive out the residents of Beth-shemesh or the residents of Beth-anath. They lived among the Canaanites who were living in the land, but the residents of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath served as their forced labor.

The Amorites forced the Danites into the hill country and did not allow them to go down into the valley. The Amorites were determined to stay in Har-heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim. When the house of Joseph got the upper hand, the Amorites were made to serve as forced labor. The territory of the Amorites extended from the Scorpions’ Ascent, that is from Sela upward.

Judges Chapter 2

Pattern of Sin and Judgment

The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, “I brought you out of Egypt and led you into the land I had promised to your ancestors. I also said: I will never break my covenant with you. You are not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land. You are to tear down their altars. But you have not obeyed me. What have you done? Therefore, I now say: I will not drive out these people before you. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a trap for you.” When the angel of the Lord had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly. So they named that place Bochim and offered sacrifices there to the Lord.

Joshua’s Death

Previously, when Joshua had sent the people away, the Israelites had gone to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance. The people worshiped the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and during the lifetimes of the elders who outlived Joshua. They had seen all the Lord’s great works he had done for Israel.

Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110. They buried him in the territory of his inheritance, in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. That whole generation was also gathered to their ancestors. After them another generation rose up who did not know the Lord or the works he had done for Israel.

The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. They worshiped the Baals and abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed other gods from the surrounding peoples and bowed down to them. They angered the Lord, for they abandoned him and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths.

The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and he handed them over to marauders who raided them. He sold them to the enemies around them, and they could no longer resist their enemies. Whenever the Israelites went out, the Lord was against them and brought disaster on them, just as he had promised and sworn to them. So they suffered greatly.

Judges to Save Israel

The Lord raised up judges, who saved them from the power of their marauders, but they did not listen to their judges. Instead, they prostituted themselves with other gods, bowing down to them. They quickly turned from the way of their ancestors, who had walked in obedience to the Lord’s commands. They did not do as their ancestors did. Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for the Israelites, the Lord was with him and saved the people from the power of their enemies while the judge was still alive. The Lord was moved to pity whenever they groaned because of those who were oppressing and afflicting them. Whenever the judge died, the Israelites would act even more corruptly than their ancestors, following other gods to serve them and bow in worship to them. They did not turn from their evil practices or their obstinate ways.

The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and he declared, “Because this nation has violated my covenant that I made with their ancestors and disobeyed me, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. I did this to test Israel and to see whether or not they would keep the Lord’s way by walking in it, as their ancestors had.” The Lord left these nations and did not drive them out immediately. He did not hand them over to Joshua.

Close

Know what came strongly to my mind as I read these first two chapters, particularly chapter 2?  The Shema.  Specifically, Deuteronomy 6:7 which says, Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. It is evident that the Israelites did not teach their children what they knew about God.  And it is equally evident that our generation and perhaps the one before is guilty of the same thing.  I know, I know…the current societal rule of thumb is to let the child grow up and make his own decision.  But it’s too late by then.  Children learn what they live.  

There are some young families in our church for whom I have so much respect.  They are living the Christian life and requiring the same from their children.  I like that.  I wish I would have done a better job of that.  Children are gifts from God, just like our material wealth.  We are expected to be good stewards of those gifts.  God will hold us accountable for that stewardship.  Don’t get me wrong, this is not a guilt thing.  We can’t go back, all we can do is live that life today and pray that God will fill in the gap.  What do you think?  Let me know at Lifting Her Voice.com, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

See You Tomorrow!

Thank you for joining me here today.  I pray that by spending time in His Word every day, you will by changed.  Visit me at Lifting Her Voice.com with your comments and questions.  And don’t forget to visit the Blog page while you’re there.  If you like the podcast, it would be great if you’d give it a five-star review and share it with everyone you know.  Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  See you tomorrow!

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible(r), Copyright (c) 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible(r) and CSB(r) are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.