Conquest Halted

Some of you have seen the Back to the Future trilogy of movies. In these fiction movies Marty McFly travels back or forward in time in an effort to change circumstances that lead to a different present.

5 years ago, Gospel recording artists Mercy Me recorded the song “Dear Younger Me.”

Are there things you would like to go back and tell your 20-year-old self?

I noticed a Facebook post that several of my friends shared. It simple says “we are the same distance from 1990 and 2050.”

If there are things that you could have changed 30 years ago that would influence today. What are the things we should do today to make 2050 better?

I’ve spent time this week thinking about change. We all change physically. Culture changes over time. Values change as life events bring new experiences. 2019 has made some of us first-time parents or grandparents. Last year or this will see some of us send our babies off to college or military service. Already 2020 had made sister Joanne a widow for the 2nd time.

Some change is progress. Some “progress” is decline. Some values or practices from the past we wish to reinstitute. Some challenges require us to acquire new skills in order to cope.

I had a brief conversation with a grandmother this last Wednesday who was exhausted from tending to her grandchildren. My comment was “there is a reason that God gives us children in our youth, rather than middle or later life.”

Much ink has been spilled over America’s political leaders. Social media and the 24-hour news cycle contribute to an unprecedented level of information about the personal lives and public policies of current and potential leaders.

Since Jesus Christ is not on the ballot for any office this year, then NO candidate is infallible. If all candidates have faults, should we vote for any of them?

I don’t believe the end justifies the means. Yet, I do believe that God uses sinful people to accomplish His perfect goals. Today we begin a 10-week series in the Hebrew Scriptures book of Judges. My goal is to learn from the mistakes of others and help us to see warning signs that we should avoid in our patriotism.

When: events happened between 1350-1050 BC. [based upon estimate death of last Elder who served with Joshua until time Saul was made King]

Who: Jewish Talmud indicates that Samuel (the last Judge) wrote Judges, although there is no internal evidence to this. The tradition is that Joshua, Judges and Ruth were written to fill in the gap between Moses and David. Other Scholars find that 18:30 speaks of the captivity of Dan which didn’t happen until 733 BC (300 years after Samuel died). So we don’t really know who wrote it in the inspired form.

Transition: Now that we’ve done the 50,000 foot flyover, let’s look at the on-the-ground details of today’s text.

“Good” Start in the High Country (1:1-8)

Judges 1:1–8 ESV:2016

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?” 2 The Lord said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.” 3 And Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, that we may fight against the Canaanites. And I likewise will go with you into the territory allotted to you.” So Simeon went with him. 4 Then Judah went up and the Lord gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they defeated 10,000 of them at Bezek. 5 They found Adoni-bezek at Bezek and fought against him and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 6 Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes. 7 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. 8 And the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire.

Victory (v.1, 4)

1. They inquire of the Lord

2. They are working together

a. Judah and Simeon were the 4th and 2nd sons of Leah to Jacob, so they are blood brothers

b. Reuben was Leah’s firstborn and his land was on the East of the Dead Sea.

c. Levi was her 3rd son – the Levites were provided for by Temple taxes, they did not get their own land.

3. They experience victory

Compromise (v.6-7)

1. Difference between “ethnic cleansing” and “religious purification”.

2. Instruction to Israelites was to “drive out” the idolaters (Ex 33, Dt 11, Josh 3)

“The Canaanites were not innocent. [they] were so grossly wicked (Deut. 9:4–6). If you want all the gory details, see Leviticus 18:6–30 and Deuteronomy 18:9–14. These texts show that the conquest was an act of justice, Yahweh’s justice. Israel was the instrument of his just judgment upon a corrupt and perverted people”[i] --Ralph Davis

3. By Josh 13 we find the compromise of “good enough” or “Okay”

4. This same compromise continues after Joshua’s death.

Application

Amputating toes and thumbs was a humiliation because the soldier could no longer hold a sword or spear, nor could he maintain balance in battle.

· the newly arrived Israelites (including the tribe of Judah) have quickly adopted a Canaanite ethic. Instead of looking to Yahweh for ethical guidance, the Israelites use the Canaanites as models when deciding how to treat captives.[ii]

· Instead of destroying the enemy, they would continue to taunt them. This was an early example of cruel and unusual punishment and was a violation of the dignity of life that belongs to all image bearers.

Transition: The rest of the chapter mentions so many places that it may seem like a geography lesson. And for many of us the only memory of geography is the name of the 50 capitals. Let me remove some of the mystery by showing these on a map so that we can have reference points to make some sort of sense of this chapter. It may be helpful to imagine a capital “G” hanging from a balloon.

1. Hebron (v.10)

2. Debir (vv.11-15)

3. Arad (v.16)

4. Hormah (v.17)

5. Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron (v.18)

6. Jerusalem (v.21)

7. Bethel (vv.22-26)

8. Northern Tribes (vv.27-36)

Challenges in the Lowland (1:9-20)

Just as the Minutemen in our Revolutionary war did well in woodland skirmishes, but faced challenges to the superior numbers of the Redcoats in open battlefields, The army of Judah did well in the Hills, but struggled in the open plains of the low country.

Judges 1:9–20 ESV:2016

9 And afterward the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, in the Negeb, and in the lowland. 10 And Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba), and they defeated Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai. 11 From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir was formerly Kiriath-sepher. 12 And Caleb said, “He who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter for a wife.” 13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife. 14 When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?” 15 She said to him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. 16 And the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the Negeb near Arad, and they went and settled with the people. 17 And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they defeated the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and devoted it to destruction. So the name of the city was called Hormah. 18 Judah also captured Gaza with its territory, and Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory. 19 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. 20 And Hebron was given to Caleb, as Moses had said. And he drove out from it the three sons of Anak.

Negev (vv.9-17)

1. Big Picture (v.9)

2. Hebron (v.10)

· Sheshai, Ahiman & Talmai were tribal leaders in Hebron.

· They are the 3 Anakim referred to in v.20

3. Debir (vv.11-15)

a. Caleb had been given this area by Joshua in (Josh 14:6-15)

b. Introduction of Othniel is foreshadowing to his role in ch.3.

4. Arad (v.16)

· Kenites (Medianites) moved from Jericho (city of Palms) and settled among the people of Judah

· “These alien allies compromise Israel’s mandate to eliminate the Canaanites. Instead of destroying the city and its population they settle down among them, thereby sowing the seeds of Canaanization that sprout and flourish in the following chapters.”[iii]

5. Hormah (v.17)

a. Simeon actually does what they were instructed – destroy the idolatrous city, then re-establish it under Jewish ownership.

b. The new name, which means “destruction,” plays on the term ḥerem, “devoted for destruction,”[iv]

Coastal Region (v.18)

1. These 3 cities are on the Mediterranean coast and would mark the Western border of Judah’s land.

2. While Gaza and south is the strip currently occupied by Palestinians, Askelon and Ekron are in current Israeli territory between Gaza and Tel Aviv.

An Importance Contrast (vv.19-20)

1. Joshua 6 (Jericho) should have left Judah afraid of no one.

2. Joshua 17:16-18 specifically mentions that Ephraim and Manasseh would have power to overtake chariots.

3. “Presumably the Judahites experienced a failure of nerve at this point, or they were satisfied with their past achievements.”[v]

4. Caleb (v.20) seems to be the only one taking God at His word that they would not be overcome. He’s driving out “giants” while the rest are intimidated by technology.

Transition: Contrasted to Caleb’s victory in the Hill Country and the compromise in the lowlands, the rest of the chapter is a pessimistic list of failures.

Failures in the North (1:21-36)

Benjamin (v.21)

1. The contrast with Caleb’s success in v. 20 focuses attention on the tribe of Benjamin’s failure. This foreshadows the utter disaster of Benjamin in Judges 19-21.

2. The apparent contradiction between v.8 and v.21 can be attributed to a Jebusite colony on the edges of Jerusalem proper.

Just as Strong City and Cottonwood Falls are separate municipalities, our proximity to one another causes many to refer to us as one town.

Ephraim (vv.22-26)

1. It is easy to see a parallel with the interaction between the Spies and Rahab regarding Jericho, and this interaction between one of Joseph’s sons (tribal land belonged to Ephraim, although he is not mentioned in this text) and the man from Luz.

2. A distinction can be made that Rahab acknowledged YHWH and her family integrated into Jewish culture. This man is spared and established his own Hittite community, refusing to assimilate.

Northern Collapse (vv.27-36)

1. In contrast to Judah and Simeon who conquered their lands (but allowed Canaanites to remain). The Northern Tribes settled for living among/nearby the Canaanites and Amorites.

Application

Instead of reshaping the world after the image of Yahweh’s will, they live in and with the world, and before long they have taken on the characteristics of the world. Instead of making this the land of the people of God, they become like the people of the land. [vi]

Conclusion:

Sometimes we think death means the end. Several Bible books start after a hero’s death to remind us that God remains faithful to His purpose. (Joshua, Judges, 1 Kings, 2 Samuel, Acts)

If anything positive is accomplished by God’s people, it is because of his gracious presence and his action on his people’s behalf[vii]

[i] Dale Ralph Davis, Judges: Such a Great Salvation, Focus on the Bible Commentary (Ross-shire, Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications, 2000), 16.

[ii] Daniel Isaac Block, Judges, Ruth, vol. 6, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 91.

[iii] Ibid., 98.

[iv] Ibid., 98.

[v] Ibid., 100.

[vi] Ibid., 109.

[vii] Ibid., 109.