Let Judah Go Up First (Praise)*

Judges 1:1–2 “Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the Lord, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.”

Jacob, the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham, fled to his mother’s brother Laban. At the time, Jacob feared his twin brother, Esau, would kill him (Genesis 27:41–46). It was at Laban’s that Jacob met Leah and Rachel. Laban offered his nephew Jacob a place to stay. Jacob soon fell in love with Laban’s younger daughter, Rachel, and agreed to work for Laban seven years in exchange for marriage to her (Genesis 29:16–20). Laban agreed, but after seven years, he deceived Jacob. On the night that Jacob and Rachel were to be married, Laban gave Rachel’s older sister, Leah, to him as a wife instead. Jacob protested, but Laban argued that it wasn’t the custom to give the younger daughter in marriage first. So it was official: Jacob and Leah were to stay married. Laban then said Jacob could still have Rachel in exchange for another seven years of work (Genesis 29:21–30). Jacob showed favoritism to Rachael and loved her more than Leah.

Leah was not loved. She was not desired. But she was the one that was bearing children.

God compensated for the lack of love Leah received by enabling her to have children and closing Rachel’s womb for a time (Genesis 29:31).

The name of Leah’s firstborn reflects the tension that filled the house of Jacob-

she named him Ruben, saying, “Surely my husband will love me now.” (Genesis 29:32). The following sons also served as living testimonies to the broken heart of their mother.

Simeon was named next, with Leah’s exclamation- “ Because the Lord heard that I was unloved, he gave me this son.” (Genesis 29:33)

With the birth of her third son, Leah named him Levi and said, “Now this time my husband will show me affection, because I have given birth to three sons for him” (Genesis 29:34).

After the first three sons, who all bear names referencing Leah’s struggle, she conceived and gave birth to a fourth. Judah.

“She said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” That is why she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.” Genesis 29:35b

At some point between the 3rd and 4th son, she decided to stop crying over Jacob's lack of love for her; she said, Now I will Praise The Lord

And, It is from this passage that we derive the meaning of the term Judah, being "praise".

Leah’s praise in Judah’s name indicates a shift in her priorities and thinking. She is willing to praise the Lord, even though, her status as the unloved wife remained unchanged. She was willing to worship despite unanswered petitions and praise without improved conditions.

Because, To Praise is a Choice, To Not praise is also a choice.

I choose to praise the Lord.

Everyone of us woke up this morning with an issue. But the fact that He woke me up, gae me the strengh to see another day, in my right mind. I dressed my self. I drove to church. I decided that I will praise the Lord.

I Choose to Praise Him Now

John 4:23–24 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

Don’t procrastinate your praise, the more you worry, the more frustrated you will be come, the more stressed out you will become. But as soon as you start praising.

Praise in spite of your Circumstance

There are times in all of our lives when circumstances can hurt so much to the point that the last thing we want to offer God is praise. There are situations that grip our hearts to the level of desperation. We feel hopeless, helpless, and powerless to affect any positive change. In Psalm 34 David made a conscious decision to bless ("praise") the Lord at all times. He chose to continually keep the praises of God in his mouth.

Psalm 34 (KJV 1900)

A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.

I will bless the Lord at all times:

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make her boast in the Lord:

The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

O magnify the Lord with me,

And let us exalt his name together.

I sought the Lord, and he heard me,

And delivered me from all my fears.

They looked unto him, and were lightened:

And their faces were not ashamed.

This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him,

And saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the Lord encampeth

Round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

O taste and see that the Lord is good:

Blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Judah Characteristics

When we consider other references to the term "Judah", we will learn that Judah,

this same 4th son of Jacob, interceded on behalf of his younger brother Joseph when his brothers plotted Joseph's death. It was on Judah's suggestion that they sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites (Gen. 37:26-27).

It was also Judah, several chapters later, who acted as surety for their younger brother Benjamin when Joseph, now a high-ranking official in Pharaoh's government, demanded Benjamin be brought to him (Gen. 43:8-9).

It was from this 4th son that the tribe of Judah descended. The tribe of Judah was the largest of the numbered tribes to emerge from Egyptian bondage.

It was from the tribe of Judah that Jesus Christ, and King David sprang.

In the book of Judges we see 2 instances where the Lord said the tribe of Judah is to go up first against their enemies in battle.

The first occurrence is found in Judges Chapter 1 following the death of Joshua. When the children of Israel inquired of the Lord who should go up first against the Canaanites, the Lord responded, "Judah shall go up. . . " (Judges 1:2 NASB).

The second is found in Judges 20:18, when once again the children of lsrael inquired of the Lord who was to go up first against the sons of Benjamin. Again, the Lord’s answer to them was "Judah shall go up first ".

Tension in The Text

While Judges Chapters 1 and 20 tell of battle in the human realm, where the "praise" tribe went out first against their enemies, the question we must ask ourselves is: when we find ourselves doing battle in the spirit realm, what or who goes first before us in battle?

Do we enter the battle alone, or do we allow Judah, or "praise" to go first?

Do we merely repeat the problem to God in prayer or in our complaining?

Consider the Lord's Prayer. It begins and ends with acknowledging God for Who He is. The Word of God says that flesh and spirit are constantly at war with one another (Galatians 5:17).

Praise is not an act of the flesh; it is an attitude of the heart. It takes discipline to train our spirits to send out praise as we enter battle with our enemy, the devil.

Three reasons why we need to praise God when we are faced with a battle.

1. Praise Must Become a Priority

“Judah shall go up first”

(The order of Praise)

Because King Jehoshaphat stationed a praise choir to march before the army in 2 Chronicles Chapter 20, by the hand of God there was no battle to be fought when they reached the battleground. The enemies of God's people destroyed themselves.

I want to challenge those of you who may be neck-deep in battle right now. In the heat of our spiritual battle let Judah go up first. Let the praises of God go forth out of your mouth. Let the praises of God be as rivers of living water flowing from your belly (John 7:38). Before you spend hours just talking about the problem and how bad things are, stir up the power that God has already given you in your praise to Him; sacrificial though it may be. This is the kind of praise that reaches the heart of God. It is this kind of faith-building praise that will sustain you while you wait on God. This is the kind of praise that will keep you focused on God's promise, His plan, and His provision; it will keep you grounded in His faithfulness, and determined to press into your blessing.

Psalm 100 “A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: Come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; And his truth endureth to all generations.”

Enter with worship!

2. Praise Shifts Our Focus From The Problem To Gods Provision (feel)

Praising God when we see no logical reason to do so gives us power to face our obstacles. Praise changes our focus and shifts our minds off the problem and on to God's power to sustain us.

In our sacrificial praise, God may choose in His sovereignty to change us before He brings change to the situation.

You cant wait until you feel like praising. The devil will do everyting possible to discourgae you from praising God. Because the moment you start praising God. You shift the atmosphere. You start getting the victory!

The more I praise Him the better I feel

3. Praise Engages God to fight your Battles

Judges 1:2 “And the Lord said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.”

How?

There is a principle: There is an untapped power in praise

Praise engages God to fight your battles

There are somethings that God has for you

It is often a sacrifice for us to offer up praises to God rather than complain. But there is a secret to Praising God in the battle. Praise Engages God to fight our battles.

When King Jehoshaphat was facing battle with three armies, he stated the problem to God, but he also called to His remembrance God's faithfulness in the past. He knew God had shown Himself as a Deliverer and mighty Warrior before, and he had every confidence that He would do it again.

David knew well that Saul was out to kill him, but that did not stop him from exalting God when he wrote Psalms 34, 57 and 59.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego faced certain death in a fiery furnace, but they continued to exalt God's name and trusted Him for their deliverance.

Paul and Silas’ feet were in stocks, yet they offered up praise to God in song and in prayer while in jail.

There is untapped power in your praise!

Jericho walls

Gideon going up against the midianits

Judges 7:20 “And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.”

Johasephat

Paul and Silas

Psalm 149 (KJV 1900)

Praise ye the Lord.

Sing unto the Lord a new song,

And his praise in the congregation of saints.

Let Israel rejoice in him that made him:

Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

Let them praise his name in the dance:

Let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.

For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people:

He will beautify the meek with salvation.

Let the saints be joyful in glory:

Let them sing aloud upon their beds.

Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,

And a twoedged sword in their hand;

To execute vengeance upon the heathen,

And punishments upon the people;

To bind their kings with chains,

And their nobles with fetters of iron;

To execute upon them the judgment written:

This honour have all his saints.

Praise ye the Lord.

Psalm 150 KJV 1900

Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: Praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: Praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: Praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: Praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: Praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

Songs

My Praise is a weapon

Praise the Lord oh my soul

And the Lord said, Judah shall go up.—God sovereign over His servants:— May we not pause here to allow this oracular response to sink into the heart? How full it is in its manifold meaning! It asserts the sovereignty of God in disposing and ordering the work which His servants have to perform. It reminds us that every one is not to attempt everything; for Judah is to fight the enemy and the other tribes are to remain at home. It promises victory, not to every ardent soldier who might volunteer to take the field, but to the tribe whom the Lord shall order to the battle. It disturbs all rule-of-three calculations of success in proportion to the number of agents men may induce to go to work; success is for those whom the Lord shall send. It allows of no objection, no plea of incompetency, no deceitful humility, on the part of the called soldier: “Judah shall go up”; it is the word of a King. It hides pride from man, by declaring that although Judah would conquer, it would be only through Divine ordination and help. (L. H. Wiseman, M.A.)

Judges 1:1 (b) … it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the Lord, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them? Although the Israelites were in the Promised Land, there were pockets of Canaanites there as well. Consequently, there was still much guerilla activity throughout the land of Israel. The same is true of us. Our salvation is secure. Jesus won the war when He hung on the Cross and cried victoriously, “It is finished.” But there’s still work for us to do, still pockets of resistance in our flesh. Judges 1:2 And the Lord said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand. “Where do we begin? What should we do first?” asked the children of Israel concerning the mop-up operation before them. “Start with Judah,” the Lord said. Judah means “praise.” Praise always has priority in warfare. On the Day of Pentecost, before Peter stood up to deliver the message in which three thousand would be saved, we first see the Holy Spirit inspiring the people of God to worship Him, magnify Him, and glorify Him as they spoke praise in other tongues (Acts 2:11). Something unique happens when we praise the Lord. Praise prepares the way, clears the air, sets the stage. Praise is powerful. I need to be reminded of this a lot. Praise paves the way to victory. When you’re discouraged and don’t know what to do, call for Judah. Lift up your hands, bow your knee, express your heart energetically and watch and see how the enemy is beaten back.

Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary: Volume One: Genesis–Job (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2005), 717.

1. Now after the death of Joshua—probably not a long period; for the Canaanites seem to have taken advantage of the demise of the Hebrew leader to attempt recovering their lost position, and the Israelites were obliged to renew the war. the children of Israel asked the Lord. The Divine counsel on this, as on other occasions, was sought by Urim and Thummim, by applying to the high priest, who, according to Josephus, was Phinehas. saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first? The elders, who exercised the government in their respective tribes, judged rightly, that in entering upon an important expedition, they should have a leader nominated by Divine appointment; and in consulting the oracle, they adopted a prudent course, whether the object of their enquiry related to the choice of an individual commander or to the honour of precedency among the tribes. 2. the Lord said, Judah shall go up. The predicted pre-eminence (Gen. 49:8) was thus conferred upon Judah by Divine direction; and its appointment to take the lead in the ensuing hostilities was of great importance, as the measure of success by which its arms were crowned would animate the other tribes to make similar attempts against the Canaanites within their respective territories. I have delivered the land into his hand—not the whole country, but the district assigned for his inheritance.

Robert Jamieson, A Commentary, Critical, Experimental, and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments: Joshua–Esther, vol. II (London; Glasgow: William Collins, Sons, & Company, Limited, n.d.), 70.

2. After Joshua’s death, Israel seeks the Lord (1b–2) a. The children of Israel asked the Lord: Here they did the right thing—the thing Joshua would have wanted them to do. With Joshua gone, they were not left without a leader; they were simply called to a renewed trust in God. b. And the Lord said: When Israel sought the Lord, He guided them. This is a consistent pattern through the Book of Judges. God never failed to deliver and help His people when they sought Him. i. Jesus expressed the same idea in Luke 11:9: “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” When we ask of God and seek Him in sincerity we should expect that He will answer us. His response may come in an unexpected way, but we should expect that it will come. c. Judah shall go up: God directed that the tribe of Judah—the tribe that the Messiah would come from—should lead the way in this fight. Judah was also the largest and strongest tribe. In this case, God’s plan made obvious military sense as well. i. Under the leadership of Joshua Israel had broken the back of the Canaanite’s military strength; yet it remained for each individual tribe to actually go in and possess what God had given them.

David Guzik, Judges, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2013), Jdg 1:1b–2.