You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you are going to dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every leafy tree. And you shall tear down their altars and smash their memorial stones to pieces, and burn their Asherim in the fire, and cut to pieces the carved images of their gods; and you shall eliminate their name from that place. - Deuteronomy 12:2-3
Good morning. Last week we wrapped up the book of Joshua and touched on a few verses in Judges. This morning we will officially begin our study of Judges and review a few scenes we’ve already discussed in Joshua. There is notable overlap in the closing and opening chapters of these 2 books. According to Jewish tradition the book of Judges was written primarily by Samuel with various additions and edits made by others, but this isn't for certain.
Due to the overlap, the timing of events described in Judges 1 is difficult to nail down precisely. A careful study reveals seemingly identical occurrences taking place both before and after Joshua died. Either way, it's not a big deal. Suffice it to say that for a few decades following the conquest while Joshua was still living and for a few more decades after his death, the various tribes of Israel struggled to drive the lingering Canaanites out of the Promised Land. While successful to some extent, they ultimately failed in their efforts to remove or destroy them all. Their inability to do so would ultimately lead to some serious consequences…
I. EXAMPLES OF SUCCESS (Judges 1:1-26)
After Joshua’s death, the people of Israel asked God which tribe would go up first in their ongoing hostilities against the persistent Canaanites. The LORD selected Judah, stating that He had handed the land over to him. So the tribe of Judah, along with the Simeonites, went out to battle the Canaanites and Perrizites who remained. They defeated 10,000 men at Bezek, causing its king to flee. When the Israelites caught him, they cut off his thumbs and big toes, as he had done to 70 kings previously. What goes around comes around I suppose! The king of Bezek was taken to Jerusalem where he later died.
Most likely prior to this, while Joshua was still alive, the sons of Judah had captured the city of Jerusalem, though many Jebusites continued living there - especially in the portion of the city allotted to Benjamin. It was during this time that Judah had gone down to fight against the Canaanites remaining in the hill country, the Negev, and the lowland. This is when Caleb was credited for defeating the 3 sons of Anak - namely Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai - and was given the city of Hebron as an inheritance (Joshua 14:13-15; 15:13-14). This was also when Caleb gave his daughter Achsah to be the wife of Othniel, his nephew, as a reward for capturing the nearby city of Debir (Joshua 15:15-19).
After winning at Bezek, the combined forces of Judah and Simeon defeated the Canaanites at Zephath and renamed it Hormah. They also took control of Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron with their respective territories. The descendents of Jethro who had joined Moses and the Hebrew children during the exodus (Numbers 10:29-32) went along with the tribe of Judah and settled in the wilderness south of Arad.
In addition to these victories, the house of Joseph (the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh) sent spies to the city of Bethel. It had formerly been called Luz, many years earlier. A man there told them of an entrance into the city which made it possible to bypass the outer walls. Using his intel, they captured the city and struck its citizens. However, they allowed the man who’d helped them to go free and he went to the land of the Hitties and founded a new city called Luz.
II. EXAMPLES OF FAILURE (Judges 1:27-36; 2:10)
The Benjaminites didn’t drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. The ½ tribe of Manasseh in Canaan never took possession of Beth-shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, or Meggido with their respective villages despite the fact that most of these cities had been defeated during the conquest. As a result, many Canaanites persisted among them and were eventually subjected to forced labor.
Ephraim didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Gezer. Zebulun didn’t drive out the Canaanites in Kitron or Nahalol. Asher didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob. Instead, the Asherites just lived among them. Nephtali didn’t drive out the people of Beth-shemesh or Beth-anath, but rather allow them to remain. In some cases these lingering Canaanites became forced labor for Israel, but in others they lived freely among them.
The Amorites (aka Canaanites) forced the tribe of Dan into the hill country where they were pinched for space. This would lead some of the Danites to seek a new territory for themselves - a story which we will study in an upcoming sermon. The Amorites also persisted in living on Mount Heres, in Aijalon and Shaalbim. Though many eventually became servants for Israel, they nevertheless maintained a significant presence in the land.
In some instances, the Canaanites proved too formidable and strong for the Israelites to drive out. In other instances, there was little or no effort made to drive them out. Perhaps some of the tribes were content with allowing these pagan peoples to remain or had become intrigued by them to the extent that they actually wanted them to stay. It wasn't that God was unable to drive them out, but rather that Israel’s faith was waning. This new generation didn’t know the LORD as closely as their parents had.
III. THE LORD’S REBUKE (Judges 2:1-5)
God had commanded the Israelites to utterly destroy all of the Canaanites when they took possession of the Promised Land. This was to be done as an act of judgment against them for centuries of wicked idolatry, but also to eliminate their pagan influence. Unfortunately, the tribes of Israel failed to follow-through with the LORD’s command. They allowed many Canaanites to remain in the land and to continue their religious practices.
The angel of the LORD, whose last appearance had been to Joshua at Gilgal just before the battle of Jericho (Joshua 5:13-15), visited the people of Israel at Bochim (which many scholars believe to be Bethel or somewhere near to it). There are various opinions regarding the identity of this “angel”, but I believe Him to be a preincarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. His words indicate that he was not merely an angel, but rather God appearing in the form of an angel.
The angel rebuked Israel for not fully driving out the Canaanites or destroying their altars. He regarded their partial obedience as disobedience. He warned that these lingering Canaanites would become a thorn in the side of Israel and their pagan gods would become a snare. When the Israelites heard these words they raised their voices and wept. They offered sacrifices there as well. The name Bochim means “weeping”.
CONCLUSION
God’s command was that the children of Israel completely rid themselves of the Canaanites and their sinful influence. God knew that if they were allowed to stay, even to a limited extent, their pagan worship of false gods would inevitably become a hindrance to and a temptation for the Israelites. Yet, the tribes of Jacob disobeyed the LORD by permitting many of the Canaanites to remain in the land.
In much the same way, God’s desire for His children is that they be holy (1 Peter 1:14-16). Holiness requires that we put away all imperfections and sinful practices. We are called to walk in spiritual purity and to purge our lives of all wickedness and iniquity. But, like the sons of Israel, we are often content with allowing some of our sinful thoughts and ways to remain. If we aren’t careful, these “pet” sins will become our downfall…
Good morning. Last week we wrapped up the book of Joshua and touched on a few verses in Judges. This morning we will officially begin our study of Judges and review a few scenes we’ve already discussed in Joshua. There is notable overlap in the closing and opening chapters of these 2 books. According to Jewish tradition the book of Judges was written primarily by Samuel with various additions and edits made by others, but this isn't for certain.
Due to the overlap, the timing of events described in Judges 1 is difficult to nail down precisely. A careful study reveals seemingly identical occurrences taking place both before and after Joshua died. Either way, it's not a big deal. Suffice it to say that for a few decades following the conquest while Joshua was still living and for a few more decades after his death, the various tribes of Israel struggled to drive the lingering Canaanites out of the Promised Land. While successful to some extent, they ultimately failed in their efforts to remove or destroy them all. Their inability to do so would ultimately lead to some serious consequences…
I. EXAMPLES OF SUCCESS (Judges 1:1-26)
After Joshua’s death, the people of Israel asked God which tribe would go up first in their ongoing hostilities against the persistent Canaanites. The LORD selected Judah, stating that He had handed the land over to him. So the tribe of Judah, along with the Simeonites, went out to battle the Canaanites and Perrizites who remained. They defeated 10,000 men at Bezek, causing its king to flee. When the Israelites caught him, they cut off his thumbs and big toes, as he had done to 70 kings previously. What goes around comes around I suppose! The king of Bezek was taken to Jerusalem where he later died.
Most likely prior to this, while Joshua was still alive, the sons of Judah had captured the city of Jerusalem, though many Jebusites continued living there - especially in the portion of the city allotted to Benjamin. It was during this time that Judah had gone down to fight against the Canaanites remaining in the hill country, the Negev, and the lowland. This is when Caleb was credited for defeating the 3 sons of Anak - namely Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai - and was given the city of Hebron as an inheritance (Joshua 14:13-15; 15:13-14). This was also when Caleb gave his daughter Achsah to be the wife of Othniel, his nephew, as a reward for capturing the nearby city of Debir (Joshua 15:15-19).
After winning at Bezek, the combined forces of Judah and Simeon defeated the Canaanites at Zephath and renamed it Hormah. They also took control of Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron with their respective territories. The descendents of Jethro who had joined Moses and the Hebrew children during the exodus (Numbers 10:29-32) went along with the tribe of Judah and settled in the wilderness south of Arad.
In addition to these victories, the house of Joseph (the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh) sent spies to the city of Bethel. It had formerly been called Luz, many years earlier. A man there told them of an entrance into the city which made it possible to bypass the outer walls. Using his intel, they captured the city and struck its citizens. However, they allowed the man who’d helped them to go free and he went to the land of the Hitties and founded a new city called Luz.
II. EXAMPLES OF FAILURE (Judges 1:27-36; 2:10)
The Benjaminites didn’t drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. The ½ tribe of Manasseh in Canaan never took possession of Beth-shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, or Meggido with their respective villages despite the fact that most of these cities had been defeated during the conquest. As a result, many Canaanites persisted among them and were eventually subjected to forced labor.
Ephraim didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Gezer. Zebulun didn’t drive out the Canaanites in Kitron or Nahalol. Asher didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob. Instead, the Asherites just lived among them. Nephtali didn’t drive out the people of Beth-shemesh or Beth-anath, but rather allow them to remain. In some cases these lingering Canaanites became forced labor for Israel, but in others they lived freely among them.
The Amorites (aka Canaanites) forced the tribe of Dan into the hill country where they were pinched for space. This would lead some of the Danites to seek a new territory for themselves - a story which we will study in an upcoming sermon. The Amorites also persisted in living on Mount Heres, in Aijalon and Shaalbim. Though many eventually became servants for Israel, they nevertheless maintained a significant presence in the land.
In some instances, the Canaanites proved too formidable and strong for the Israelites to drive out. In other instances, there was little or no effort made to drive them out. Perhaps some of the tribes were content with allowing these pagan peoples to remain or had become intrigued by them to the extent that they actually wanted them to stay. It wasn't that God was unable to drive them out, but rather that Israel’s faith was waning. This new generation didn’t know the LORD as closely as their parents had.
III. THE LORD’S REBUKE (Judges 2:1-5)
God had commanded the Israelites to utterly destroy all of the Canaanites when they took possession of the Promised Land. This was to be done as an act of judgment against them for centuries of wicked idolatry, but also to eliminate their pagan influence. Unfortunately, the tribes of Israel failed to follow-through with the LORD’s command. They allowed many Canaanites to remain in the land and to continue their religious practices.
The angel of the LORD, whose last appearance had been to Joshua at Gilgal just before the battle of Jericho (Joshua 5:13-15), visited the people of Israel at Bochim (which many scholars believe to be Bethel or somewhere near to it). There are various opinions regarding the identity of this “angel”, but I believe Him to be a preincarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. His words indicate that he was not merely an angel, but rather God appearing in the form of an angel.
The angel rebuked Israel for not fully driving out the Canaanites or destroying their altars. He regarded their partial obedience as disobedience. He warned that these lingering Canaanites would become a thorn in the side of Israel and their pagan gods would become a snare. When the Israelites heard these words they raised their voices and wept. They offered sacrifices there as well. The name Bochim means “weeping”.
CONCLUSION
God’s command was that the children of Israel completely rid themselves of the Canaanites and their sinful influence. God knew that if they were allowed to stay, even to a limited extent, their pagan worship of false gods would inevitably become a hindrance to and a temptation for the Israelites. Yet, the tribes of Jacob disobeyed the LORD by permitting many of the Canaanites to remain in the land.
In much the same way, God’s desire for His children is that they be holy (1 Peter 1:14-16). Holiness requires that we put away all imperfections and sinful practices. We are called to walk in spiritual purity and to purge our lives of all wickedness and iniquity. But, like the sons of Israel, we are often content with allowing some of our sinful thoughts and ways to remain. If we aren’t careful, these “pet” sins will become our downfall…