Sunday Morning Service

Judges 1

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“So Many Ways To Compromise” • 6.8.14 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service

Intro.

- The book of Judges begins where the book of Joshua left off. Aside from their close proximity to each other, they are really quite different.

- Joshua records, with a few notable exceptions, the great military success that Israel had over the inhabitants of Canaan. The exact opposite is true about the book of Judges.

- Except for a few notable exceptions, the book before us is one long tale of what happens to a people who have been given everything, only to squander it.

- It's believed that Samuel wrote Judges, which provides us with about 350 to 400 years of Israelite history and most of that is quite dark.

- Chapters 1 and 2 form the prologue of the book and describe for us the cause of Israel's degeneration and why it was necessary for Judges or "Deliverers" to rise to action.

- Their attitudes toward the Lord's commands and their physical enemies mirrors our attitudes toward that which requires our spiritual attention.

- The enemy of Israel's soul sought hard to keep the nation from settling, especially given the fact that the Messiah, the Savior of the World, would come from this nation.

- In a typical way, he is working just as hard against us, hoping to detract from Christ's presence in and through our lives. With that in mind, this chapter becomes very instructive for us.

- What is our attitude toward sin and that which has the ability to bring attack into our lives? How should we respond? The answer is simple, but this chapter provides us with why we do not!

Text

• Judges 1:1-7 : "Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the Lord, saying, 'Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?' And the Lord said, 'Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand.' So Judah said to Simeon his brother, 'Come up with me to my allotted territory, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I will likewise go with you to your allotted territory.' And Simeon went with him. Then Judah went up, and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand; and they killed ten thousand men at Bezek. And they found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and fought against him; and they defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. Then Adoni-Bezek fled, and they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and big toes. And Adoni-Bezek said, 'Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me.' Then they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died." : Things begin in a very promising way after the death of Joshua. That note isn't meant to be chronological. It's introductory to the time of the book.

- The time of the Judges happened after Joshua's death, but in these first two chapters, some of this prologue material will contain references to things that happened during his life.

- After his death, without a national leader to lead them, the children of Israel asked the Lord to direct their next step.

- It's likely that the leaders within the tribes met with the Priest and were guided by the Urim and Thummim.

- They wanted to know who would go up first among the 9 remaining tribes and in a fitting response, the Lord appointed Judah, the largest and most significant of the tribes, to go first.

- Judah is the tribe that will bear the Messiah Jesus, the Ruler of God's people. Immediately, there is an almost indistinquishable issue. Judah asked for Simeon's help.

- Granted, God did not prohibit them from requesting assistance. Simeon's tribe will eventually be granted their territory within Judah's land.

- The problem is that you run into issues when you run with that God has not addressed as if that expresses equal weight with what He has said.

- When we build an "argument from silence," we run the risk of nullifying God's promise to us as well as approving of something that God does not approve of.

- God wanted to be their help, to show them that they could go on without the help of Simeon. Unfortunately, they would neither gain that testimony, nor would they know that power.

- They went up with Simeon but notice, that it was still the Lord who delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites. The Simeonites had lent their hands, but without God, there would be no victory!

- After routing the city of Bezek, the name is associated with the term "lightning," the men captured Adoni-Bezek, "Lord Of Lightning" and cut off his thumbs and big toes.

- You won't get a complaint out of Adoni-Bezek. He watched seventy Kings grovel under his table for food scraps after rendering them helpless to fight and run.

- He rightly admits that God had repaid him through the tribe of Judah, as he died in Jerusalem. In the eyes of the world and even the wicked Adoni-Bezek, justice was served.

- Nobody lamented this King's demise. However, note also that God was not obeyed. Their orders were clear. They were to kill all the inhabitants of the land, not torture them.

- Our argument would be that he did actually die, albeit a slow death and that is true.

- His wounds were inflicted by Israelite blades and the infection slowly brought him to death.

- There is great danger in playing the game where the means are justified because of the ends! It's a widely known truth that partial obedience to God is still simply disobedience!

• Judges 1:8-11 : "Now the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it; they struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who dwelt in the mountains, in the South, and in the lowland. Then Judah went against the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron. (Now the name of Hebron was formerly Kirjath Arba.) And they killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. (The name of Debir was formerly Kirjath Sepher.)" : Only a part of Jerusalem was taken. We'll see in a few verses that a people remained there that should not have been there. This was an incomplete victory.

- Hebron was a greater success in that the sons of Anak, giants within the land, were vanquished. These "Anakim" had been the reason for the first generation's refusal to enter the land.

- After establishing themselves in Hebron, Judah went on to Debir, a more recent name for the city of Kirjath Sepher.

• Judges 1:12-15 : "Then Caleb said, 'Whoever attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give my daughter Achsah as wife.' And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so he gave him his daughter Achsah as wife. Now it happened, when she came to him, that she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, 'What do you wish?' So she said to him, 'Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.' And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs." : Most will recall this story from Joshua 15. Caleb offers his daughter Acsah, whose name means "adorned" to the man that can take the city of giants!

- Great men would often make such grandiose offers to men who were able to display their valor. The man who could overtake the cities defenses would be a worthy Son-in law.

- Othniel took Caleb's challenge, took the city and took the girl! The daughter displayed her Father's character as she asked for a blessing of springs of water. How could Caleb refuse?

- He gave her both the upper and lower springs. Take note again of this prophetic picture!

- Here is the bride whose name means "adorned." The church is the bride of Christ, adorned by the righteousness of Christ. The bride makes a request of the Father.

- In that arid part of the country, living water would have been priceless. She asks for springs of water and the Father gives her upper and lower springs, an abundant supply.

- That is the gift of our Father to us, giving us the Holy Spirit, the Living Water that brings refreshment to our soul, as well as the souls of others! It's a beautiful picture.

- Aside from that, why is this repeated here? First, Caleb's victory was astounding, given the giants that were in the area of Hebron. Nothing could stand in the Lord's way.

- Second, this is Samuel's way of introducing Othniel, the valiant deliverer that pushed forward and took a city for a bride.

- Third, remember that Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, was a Kennizite, a Gentile, annexed into the people of Judah. God gave great victory to whoever believed Him! Caleb is not the only one!

• Judges 1:16-18 : "Now the children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up from the City of Palms with the children of Judah into the Wilderness of Judah, which lies in the South near Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people. " : The Kenites were also a Gentile group, likely related to the Midianites brought into the tribe of Judah!

- Remember the discussion between Moses and Hobab in Numbers 10:29ff? He invited Hobab to come with them and promised that whatever good came their way would be shared.

- Hobab, after initially saying no, said yes and here is his family taking territory in the land! It's interesting though that no battle is mentioned. They dwelt among the people.

- Later, King Saul will have to tell them to leave their allegiance with the Amalekites in I Samuel 15:6. Sadly, they found similar company to their previous company before the Lord!

- A new walk with the Lord requires friendships that will build you up in the Lord! The Kenites it seems stayed with their natural affinities rather than seeking out redeeming relationships!

• Judges 1:17,18 : "And Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they attacked the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. So the name of the city was called Hormah. Also Judah took Gaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory." : With the help of Simeon, Judah finished taking territory that belonged to the Philistines and would be a source of contention.

- Things are looking up. They are on the attack. There is momentum! Look at the next verse.

• Judges 1:19-21 : "So the Lord was with Judah. And they drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowland, because they had chariots of iron. And they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said. Then he expelled from there the three sons of Anak. But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day." : God was with Judah. He wanted the people of Israel to come into their inheritance.

- He wanted to establish them and remove the idolatrous blight of the Canaanite nations. Their success was only limited to what they would not believe or push through.

- They had vanquished the mountaineers, but could not deal with those in the valley because of their iron chariots. What do iron chariots have that God doesn't have!?

- The issue was not the chariots. Israel had faced a chariots before in the Northern Campaign. In Joshua 11:4, by the waters of Merom, Israel disposed of an army of charioteers!

- The problem did not lay with God, who has been with them. The issue lay squarely with the people of Judah. I can only wonder if the people of God simply tired of conflict.

- They had been fighting for a prolonged period of time, seven years in the time of Joshua, plus the fighting that was necessary after that time. Chariots might have been their excuse to stop!

- Samuel again notes that Caleb overthrew a land of giants, but Benjamin, the nearest neighboring tribe to Judah, couldn't rid Jerusalem of the  remaining Jebusites!

- They just allowed them to settle there and were still there when this book was written, an instructive clue as to the dating of this book, which is after Saul, but before David's reign.

- Did Benjamin tire from battle? Did they settle? Did they view the inhabitants that they were told were dangerous, as "not that bad?"

- Before we look down our nose at them, we had better remember our own hearts! How many of us have simply grown weary of fighting battles or underesteemed a given sin?

- How many want better in their Christian life, but have given up on the notion that there is inevitable victory? How many of us fail to summon the God given energy to endure through the end?

- Worse still, how many have the wrong view of sin and the enemy of our souls, seeking to minimize the influence that certain sins have upon us?

- Whatever the reason, we see here an utter failure to do all that God commanded.

• Judges 1:22-28 : "And the house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them. So the house of Joseph sent men to spy out Bethel. (The name of the city was formerly Luz.) And when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, 'Please show us the entrance to the city, and we will show you mercy.' So he showed them the entrance to the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man and all his family go. And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day. However, Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; for the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land. And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites under tribute, but did not completely drive them out." : The lesson of Manasseh's creative methodology is given to us here, as they employ a spy from the city to enter.

- The Word tells us that the Lord was with them, which seems to connect God's favor with this plan to send in spies. The fact that they found someone willing to share the city secret was the Lord.

- However, after the city was destroyed the house of Joseph allowed the man to live, who rebuilt the city in another location among the Hittites!

- If you don't put your enemy down, he'll just pop up in another place to blaspheme the Lord!

- Sadly, Manasseh did not drive out these various people groups. Earlier, we saw the words "could not." This was a failure of their own will to do what the Lord had commanded!

- The Canaanite people for their part were determined, resolved to remain.

- Your enemy, your sin, will not go willingly! Your flesh is determined to stay. Are you more determined that they should go?

- They later became strong physically and numerically to impose taxes upon them, but they weren't spiritually strong enough to completely drive them out!

- They did not follow God's prescription, but instead sought to profit from the Canaanites. These next verses show that this was not an isolated event. It became a trend.

• Judges 1:29-36 : "Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; so the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them. Nor did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or the inhabitants of Nahalol; so the Canaanites dwelt among them, and were put under tribute. Nor did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Acco or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob. So the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out. Nor did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh or the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but they dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were put under tribute to them. And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountains, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley; and the Amorites were determined to dwell in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim; yet when the strength of the house of Joseph became greater, they were put under tribute. Now the boundary of the Amorites was from the Ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela, and upward." : This last section reads in such a depressing way, as each tribe failed in their quest to remove the native people groups out of the promised land.

- Ephraim, Zebulun and Asher all allowed God's enemies to remain. Naphtali dwelt among the Canaanites, eventually only going so far as to put them to tribute.

- In the case of the tribe of Dan, the Amorites set them back on their heels and dispossessed them. They occupied until Ephraim was strong enough to dribe them back. This is an abysmal failure.

- Look again at verse 35. The Amorites were determined to dwell in Aijalon. That area was the exact area where the sun stood still for Joshua and the enemies of God were routed!

- It's as if Samuel is saying that the people of God even gave up on territory where the miraculous had once won the day!

- We see this summary of the Amorite territory and we wonder about it geographically. How much was taken? This is the wrong concern. The fact is that none of it belonged to them!

- This was Israel's and they gave it up! This was never to be disputed. The enemy was not to have a foothold to attack, oppress or to influence.

- Here Israel has given them plenty of space to operate! How will you respond?

Conclusion

- Perhaps you use arguments from silence or figure that the ends justify the means. It might be that your circle of friends keeps dragging you down.

- Maybe you're tired of fighting or the urge just won't go away. Perhaps you feel it's not as bad as anyone else thinks.

- Each of these can be boiled down to one category: Compromise! When it comes to sin, there can be no compromise!

- Jesus is your Deliverer. He has rescued you from sin and calls you now to act like that's true! It will take time, commitment and great cooperative effort. But you'll be free and He'll be free to bless!