Judges: Faithful God — Broken People:

The Israelites made a wonderful beginning in entering the Promised Land, but soon lapsed into disobedience. The first part of chapter one chronicles the adventures and failures of Judah (vv. 3-20), punctuated with the courage of Caleb (vv. 11-15). Almost in a verse-by-verse march through the rest of the chapter, excuses increase as disobedience increases. The final segment of the chapter plunges us into a downward tribe-by-tribe spiral of defeat (vv. 27-36).

Israel is a nation that begins going in the right direction, but ends up heading in the wrong direction. If you’ve ever been through one of the nation’s larger airports you’re familiar with their “people movers” — long stretches of automated walkway that enable travelers to get from one terminal to the next either with more speed (as they walk “double-time”) or with more comfort (as they relax while being moved). Now, imagine that you are walking the wrong way on one of those people-movers. Its movement is slow enough that you can make progress in the direction you are headed. But if you stop, you don’t progress, nor do you stand still; you regress. In some ways the Christian life is like that — it is often described as a “walk” in Scripture. It’s not a climb up a hill, not a coast down a hill, but simply an ongoing walk. The bad news is that “the world, the flesh, and the devil” are all flowing against you, impeding your walk, and there are time when you are tempted — not to turn away from the Lord — but to take a break, and put your spiritual walk on pause. The problem is, if you’re not moving forward, you’re going to be moving backward just as if you’d stopped on that people-mover.

This describes Israel by the end of chapter one.

I. TOTAL OBEDIENCE: STRAIGHT AND NARROW 1:1-2

1. after Joshua’s death God’s people had a task to complete — finish the occupation of the land God had promised them

the land God had promised them

a. the Book of Joshua closes the Joshua gathering all the tribal leaders at Shechem where they renewed their covenant with God

where they renewed their covenant with God

1) Joshua reminds them of all that God had done for them beginning with Abraham and recalling all of the major events in Israel’s life up to the crossing of the Jordan river and their victories over the people’s inhabiting the land

and recalling all of the major events in Israel’s life up to the crossing of the Jordan river and their victories over the people’s inhabiting the land

2) he ends with that famous challenge

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”” (, NIV84)

b. Israel’s leaders accept the challenge

“Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods! 17 It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our fathers up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because he is our God.”” (, NIV84)

c. and for a time, all went well

“Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the LORD had done for Israel.” (, NIV84)

2. although they began well, the Israelites gradually moved from obedience to disobedience, “editing” God’s command

disobedience, “editing” God’s command

a. beginning with Judah, the narrative moves geographically from south to north and provides a litany of the successes and failure of each of the tribes

provides a litany of the successes and failure of each of the tribes

A. GUIDANCE REQUESTED

“After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the LORD, “Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?”” (, NIV84)

1. Israel was experiencing a vacuum of leadership

a. unlike Moses, Joshua had no “right-hand man” who would be able to assume leadership

leadership

2. Joshua had died and they weren’t really sure how to move forward, and so they did the good and right thing — they asked God for guidance

the good and right thing — they asked God for guidance

a. unfortunately, is the spiritual high-water-mark for the nation found in this book

book

B. GUIDANCE RECEIVED

1. the Tribe of Judah was chosen by God to begin what should have been the end of the military operations

military operations

a. half the chapter is dedicated to Judah’s military exploits

2. God’s answer should not have surprised the Tribe of Judah

a. long before, Judah had been prophesied to lead the nation

“The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.” (, NIV84)

b. in the desert, it was always Judah that “set out first” and took the point for the nation

“All the men assigned to the camp of Judah, according to their divisions, number 186,400. They will set out first.” (, NIV84)

3. not only did God answer, but the response contained an affirmation that God had already given Judah the victory

already given Judah the victory

“The LORD answered, “Judah is to go; I have given the land into their hands.”” (, NIV84)

a. this is a promising beginning

II. PARTIAL OBEDIENCE: CURVE IN THE ROAD 1:3-15

1. the Book of Judges begins by showing the proper way Israel should have dispossessed the Canaanites

dispossessed the Canaanites

a. the tribes of Judah and Simeon joined forces to defeat the Canaanite despot Adoni-Bezek

Adoni-Bezek

1) Adoni-Bezek is an interesting character because he is known for his cruelty

“When Judah attacked, the LORD gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. 5 It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites. 6 Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes. 7 Then Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.” (, NIV84)

b. a second example of success was Caleb’s family, whose courage paved the way for the Judahites to control the hill country

the Judahites to control the hill country

1) Othniel, Caleb’s nephew, captured Debir; and drove out the Anakites from Hebron

Hebron

2. however, the Israelites only followed God’s command partially

“When Judah attacked, the LORD gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek.” (, NIV84)

a. they struck down the men, but God had commanded them to strike down all

b. thus they failed to drive out the Canaanites completely

c. the nations they did subdue were placed under forced labor rather then destroyed

3. Israel chose material wealth over obedience to God, and thus chose a partial obedience

obedience

“When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— 2 and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. 3 Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, 4 for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods, and the LORD’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you. 5 This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire. 6 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.” (, NIV84)

a. few passages have caused such consternation among Christians than this passage

b. the issues for the modern interpreter surrounding this passage are two:

1) 1st, is the harshness of the language, and God's command to destroy totally every man woman and child of the seven nations listed in this passage

every man woman and child of the seven nations listed in this passage

a) In a culture where tolerance has become the most significant virtue of our era, it is nearly impossible for 21st century readers to "get their arms around" this and similar passages.

it is nearly impossible for 21st century readers to "get their arms around" this and similar passages.

2) second, is the isolationist stand towards outsiders that seems as variance with what we know of God elsewhere, especially in the light of Israel's calling to be a kingdom of priests to the nations ()

what we know of God elsewhere, especially in the light of Israel's calling to be a kingdom of priests to the nations ()

ILLUS. One of the earliest heresies the church had to deal with grew out of trying to understand God’s command to totally destroy these cultures. The early Christian theologian, Marcion (ca. 85-160), developed a dualistic system of theology that argued for the existence of two gods: Yahweh, who created the material universe, and the Heavenly Father of the New Testament, of which Jesus Christ was the living incarnation. Yahweh was seen as petty, cruel and jealous, a tribal God who is only interested in the welfare of the Jews, while the Heavenly Father is a universal God who loves all of humanity, and looks upon His children with mercy and benevolence. This dual-God notion allowed Marcion to reconcile what he considered the contradictions between God’s command to destroy all of the inhabitants of the Promised Land and .

understand God’s command to totally destroy these cultures. The early Christian theologian, Marcion (ca. 85-160), developed a dualistic system of theology that argued for the existence of two gods: Yahweh, who created the material universe, and the Heavenly Father of the New Testament, of which Jesus Christ was the living incarnation. Yahweh was seen as petty, cruel and jealous, a tribal God who is only interested in the welfare of the Jews, while the Heavenly Father is a universal God who loves all of humanity, and looks upon His children with mercy and benevolence. This dual-God notion allowed Marcion to reconcile what he considered the contradictions between God’s command to destroy all of the inhabitants of the Promised Land and .

c. like all Scripture, passage like Deuteronomy must be interpreted in light of its particular setting

particular setting

1) vs. 4-5 give the underlying rationale for the destruction of the land's inhabitants

2) in the infancy of Israel's faith, God knew that it was in the best interests of His people to have little contact with foreign gods and foreign worship

people to have little contact with foreign gods and foreign worship

3) experience had proved that Israel's weakest point was her susceptibility to going astray after other gods

astray after other gods

4. the members of these tribes deserved to die for their sin, just as all men deserve to die or their sin

or their sin

"Do not say in your heart, after the LORD your God has thrust them out before you, 'It is because of my righteousness that the LORD has brought me in to possess this land,' whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is driving them out before you. 5 Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the LORD your God is driving them out from before you, and that he may confirm the word that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." (, ESV)

a. we know from the study of their religion, literature, and archaeological remains that these tribes were among the most morally depraved cultures on Earth at that time

these tribes were among the most morally depraved cultures on Earth at that time

5. to only kill the soldiers who fought against them was a partial obedience

III. PARTIAL DISOBEDIENCE: DOWNHILL SLOPE 1:16-26

1. the focus of vv. 16-26 is on the battle in the north of the country

a. although ground was being gained they could not attain total victory

“The LORD was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had iron chariots.” (, NIV84)

b. the writer tells us that they did not drive out their enemies and he repeats the phrase a further six times (in vv. 27–33) as if to highlight their failure

phrase a further six times (in vv. 27–33) as if to highlight their failure

2. the partial disobedience is found in vv. 22-25

“Now the house of Joseph attacked Bethel, and the LORD was with them. 23 When they sent men to spy out Bethel (formerly called Luz), 24 the spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, “Show us how to get into the city and we will see that you are treated well.” 25 So he showed them, and they put the city to the sword but spared the man and his whole family.” (, NIV84)

IV. TOTAL DISOBEDIENCE: DOWNWARD SPIRAL 1:27-36

1. in this passage we’re repeatedly told that the various tribes were unable to drive out the inhabitants of the land and merely settled in among them

the inhabitants of the land and merely settled in among them

a. they did exactly what God had commanded them not to do

We learn from this chapter that when we fail to be totally obedient and to rid ourselves of

situations or people, it or they will one day cause us significant problems. The day we stop

listening to God is the day we begin a downward journey.

As sinful human beings it is difficult to maintain a faithful walk with our Precious Holy God.

Complacency, Envy, Fear, Laziness, and Worldliness all combine to cause wrong thinking and

beliefs. It’s a battle we need to be constantly fighting. There can be no retreat and no compromise with sin.

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society, by Eugene Petterson. (2000). “There is a great market for religious experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship in what earlier generations of Christians called holiness.”

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