From Conquest to Compromise

INTRODUCTION

This is such a special day for us, as a church, as we commission and send out these graduates. It’s an exciting time in their lives, too. All of us, adults, can think back and remember when we were in their shoes—about to really get our first taste of freedom…you’re leaving the nest. You’re going to be out on your own. Will you keep following Jesus?

Parents, you’re asking—did we lay a strong enough foundation? Did we do it right?

And, this is where we find the nation of Israel at the beginning of the book of Judges. Joshua is dead…somewhere between 50-60 years between Egypt and Judges. The people don’t have a leader and they’re in the Promised Land still fighting to take possession. Will they stay faithful?

As we walk through the book of Judges over the next couple of months, I want to strongly recommend that, throughout the week, go back and read the book of Joshua. It’s the pretext to everything happening here.

Now, before we jump in, one of the more difficult things we’ve got to deal with is Israel’s conquest of the land of Canaan—the Promised Land. This portion of the Bible is problematic for some people and some use it to argue against a good and loving God. In the book of Joshua, God gave Joshua and the people of Israel a very specific command—as they go into Canaan, a land that God had promised Abraham, they were to “devote everything to destruction.” In other words, kill everyone and everything.

There are a couple of things we need to keep in mind. We can’t necessarily read this through 21st century/western civilization eyes. This is happening in the Ancient Near East and, in that world, everything was defined by land, people, and deity. Every civilization was tied to a specific deity and that people group believed that the land they lived in was given to them by their deity and they were to honor their deity in that land. So, in the land of Canaan are people who represent different deities and who do horrific things (like, for example, child sacrifice) to honor their gods. So, as Israel is on this conquest, it’s not so much Israel versus the Canaanites. It’s YHWH versus the false gods—the demons—of the Canaanites.

A second thing we’ve got to keep in mind is that God is using Israel as an instrument of judgment against these wicked peoples. And…God will use other nations as an instrument of judgment against Israel when they become wicked.

A third thing…throughout Joshua and Judges…as God is bringing judgment to these pagan nations through Israel, we also see His mercy. Think about Rahab. She helps the Israelites in Jericho and she, and her family, are spared—ultimately being the family line of David and Jesus.

So, with all that being said…The book of Judges serves as a warning to us.

There are two introductions to the book. Both begin with the death of Joshua. The first introduction details Israel’s MILITARY failure. The second—we’ll see next week—beginning in 2:6 details Israel’s MORAL failure. They are connected, though. Their failure to drive out the inhabitants of the land results in their moral collapse.

Summarizing the Book of Judges:

God's people are to be holy.

Compromise is costly.

God is unbelievably merciful.

The problem in Judges is the problem in our own hearts—we try to make peace with what God says put to death.

Judges 1:1 “After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the Lord, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?””

So, the book of Judges opens up with a question…opens with the people seeking the Lord—“Who is going to lead us now?” They’re looking to God. This is a great sign, right? They’re inquiring of the Lord. This looks promising, right? They’re heading in the right direction.

So, God answers…

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

The Lord appoints the tribe of Judah. We’re now seeing the emergence of this tribe as the leader among the rest of the tribes.

Background—Genesis 49:10 “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.”

“I have given the land into his hand.” —Assurance of victory. This is a promise that goes all the way back to Abraham. God’s plan has not changed.

So, the book of Judges opens with the continuing military conquest of Israel through the land of Canaan. They’re just picking right up after Joshua’s death…seemingly not skipping a beat.

Vs. 3—the tribe of Judah reaches out to the tribe of Simeon and they fight together as the conquest/taking of the land continues.

Interesting—they defeat 10,000 Canaanites and Perizzites at the city called Bezek. And, look at this…

Judges 1:5–7 “They found Adoni-bezek at Bezek and fought against him and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes. And Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.”

This is the first sign that things might not be as good as we think. The pattern in the book of Joshua was—destroy the city and everything in it and kill the king. In fact, in the book of Joshua, chapter 12, we’re told that during his leadership, Joshua killed 31 foreign kings. But, here, the first king they come against post-Joshua, they torture. I mean…what’s the big deal? This isn’t what God told them to do.

In fact, there are some OT scholars who point out that their compromise is not just that they’re disobeying God…they are actually beginning to mimic the pagans. Yes, Adoni-bezek rightly sees this as God’s judgment against him, but he’s saying, “These Israelites are acting the same way I have acted.”

Continue telling the story…

Judges 1:19–21 “And the Lord was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had chariots of iron.”

This is interesting. We’re not told why Judah couldn’t drive out the inhabitants of the plain but it’s the author’s way of subtly giving us another clue that something isn’t right. Again, the author is expecting that we have read Joshua.

Joshua 17:18 “but the hill country shall be yours, for though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.””

Let’s keep reading in verse 20…“And Hebron was given to Caleb, as Moses had said. And he drove out from it the three sons of Anak. But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites have lived with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.”

Whoa…the people of Benjamin DID NOT drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem. We’ve gone from “could not drive out” in verse 19 to, now, “could not drive out” in verse 20.

Things are starting to take a turn. In fact, this is the first of EIGHT times in the rest of this chapter that the author tells us that the tribes did not drive out the inhabitants from the land…

Instead, the Israelites enslaved them. Instead of destroying them they tried to tame them. And, this is how the first chapter of Judges ends—with Israel’s failure/their compromise and disobedience. Partial obedience is disobedience.

Judges 2:1–5 “Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. And they called the name of that place Bochim. And they sacrificed there to the Lord.”

Now, we’re introduced to this character, “The angel of the Lord”—the first of three appearances that he makes in Judges. Difference in the OT between “an angel of the Lord” and “THE angel of the Lord.” This is, most likely, the Son of God.

He reminds them of His salvation and deliverance and power and grace and faithfulness.

And he reminds them of their covenant…that they are to worship and obey and serve Him alone.

This is our story. This is the Son of God’s work for us, too. This is the gospel. He has delivered us out of sin and death and brought us into the good land of life and blessing and established an eternal covenant by the blood of His death on the cross between God and His redeemed people. And, our response, is to love and serve and obey and live in holiness to our God.

The problem in Judges is the problem in our own hearts—we are the redeemed and free and covenant people of God yet we try to make peace with what God says put to death.

Colossians 3:5–10 “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”

1. Little compromises are sinful disobedience.

A warning for all of us but specifically students today.

The leader is gone…you’re going out on your own.

Are we leading the next generation to faithfulness and holiness?

2. The sin we tolerate will ultimately destroy us.

A lot of people who know anything about the book of Judges know—everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

We get soft on sin.

We will forfeit God’s blessing.

A “thorn” and a “snare/trap.”

3. Our sinfulness can never run deeper than God’s covenant mercy and faithfulness.

True repentance—they weep but they don’t change.