Juízes 1

Juízes 1

Stedman writes that Judges "is the first in a series of books that sets before us the warnings and danger signals regarding the perils that lie in the path of a believer. The pattern of defeat described in the book of Judges is presented to us over and over again. The key principle that always spelled defeat in the lives of the people of Israel is given to us in the very last verse of the book: "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit" (Jdg 21:25). These people were not trying to do wrong. They were not rebellious people, bent on frustrating God’s will for their lives. (ED: I MIGHT ARGUE THAT THEY WERE REBELLIOUS! SEE DEFINITION OF A REBEL) At this stage of Israel’s history these people were determined to do right—but they were trying to do what was right in their own eyes (ED: IS THAT NOT THE ESSENCE OF REBELLION AGAINST GOD?). They succumbed to the folly of consecrated blundering. They were well-intentioned blunderers, intending to do right (ED: FRANK SINATRA'S WAY - "I DID IT MY WAY!" NOT GOD'S WAY) but ending up all wrong. I have seen this pattern again and again in my counseling experience. Time after time I have heard people say, “I don’t know what went wrong. I tried to do right. I did what I thought was best. But everything seemed to go wrong.” (ED: NOTICE THE "KEY WORD" IN THEIR COMPLAINT = "I" - IT IS NO ACCIDENT THAT THE BIG "I" IS THE MIDDLE LETTER OF "sIn"! This was the problem with Israel in the book of Judges. As the text says, there was no objective authority in their lives. The Lord Jehovah was supposedly their King, but they did not take Him seriously. And when they did not take Him seriously, they ended up taking themselves too seriously (ED: WHEN WE FAIL TO SUBMIT TO GOD, WE DEFAULT TO THE FALLEN FLESH!). (Adventuring through the Bible.) Sidlow Baxter commenting on Judges wrote "Would that we might erase from the tablets of Israel's history the many dark doings and sad happenings which make up the bulk of this seventh book of the canon! But alas, the sin of Israel is written "with a pen of iron and with the point of a diamond. "Though Israel wash herself "with nitre" and take "much soap," yet is her iniquity here marked for all time and for all to see. Says Jehovah, long afterwards, through His prophet Jeremiah: "I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof - but when ye entered ye defiled My land, and made My heritage an abomination" (Jer 2:7). As we cannot obliterate the tragic record, let us be quick to learn from it; for although it is such a pathetic anticlimax to the book of Joshua, it is nevertheless one of the richest books of Scripture in the salutary lessons and examples which it contains. (See Baxter's Explore the Book - The Book of Judges) Henrietta Mears writes that…Someone has called the book of Judges the account of the Dark Ages of the Israelite people. The people forsook God (Judges 2:13) and God forsook the people (Judges 2:23). Ingersoll (Robert Green Ingersoll, 1833-1899, American orator known as the Great Agnostic) spoke much of “the liberty of man, woman and child.” His was a godless liberty. The modern equivalent is “doing our own thing” which permeates the book of Judges. Judges was a new hour in the history of Israel who had come from a long era of bondage in Egypt to a period of forty years when she lived in tents and wandered in the wilderness. Now the march was over. The nomads were to become settlers in a land of their own. The change was not as easy for them as they expected it to be. The book of Judges is in a way another book of beginnings where we see a new nation adjusting her national life. It is filled with struggle and disasters, but also with the moral courage of a select few. (What the Bible Is All About ) In its introduction section, the Disciple Study Bible reminds that…Disobedience prevented Israel from receiving the blessings promised by God in the covenant. But the God who made the covenant is a God who is characterized by covenant-keeping love. When Israel recognized disobedience as the cause of their difficulties, they turned to God and confessed their rebellion. Then God acted again with unmerited grace, provided a deliverer, and led Israel to the promised blessings. The covenant people learned they needed a God-directed leader to ensure their loyalty to God. Without such leadership, "everyone did as he saw fit'' (Jdg 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). God's people set themselves on the road to self-destruction. Yahweh is the Lord of history. What He has promised He will perform. We are to believe in Him, accept the conditions of obedience to His covenant, and become like Him in character and attitude. This is righteousness. Anything else is disobedience, unrighteousness, sin. Sin cuts us off from God's promised blessings and plunges us into confusion and chaos. Confession of sin results in forgiveness by God and His provision of a Deliverer. Old and New Testaments present a God who is able to provide what we truly need in this life, "a righteous God and a Savior'' (Isaiah 45:21). Something of how God's Spirit works may also be learned from Judges. The prime mover in God's deliverance is God's Spirit. This role is first presented in the period of the Judges but becomes a major motif throughout the Bible. Gospel narratives of Jesus' life also attribute this role to the Spirit of God. When God's power is acting on our behalf, it is God's Spirit in action. The Spirit empowers individuals with the necessary skills to accomplish God's assigned task. This endowment enhances the personality of its recipient, but it does not displace that personality. (The Disciple's Study Bible) PROGRESSION Judges 1:1-3:4 Judges 3:5-16:31 Judges 17:1-21:25 Explanatory Prologue Main Body of Book Illustrative Epilogue Apathy Apostasy Anarchy Deterioration Deliverance Depravity THEMES Causes of Cycles Curse of Cycles Conditions in Cycles Failure to Complete Conquest of Canaan Seven Cycles of Deliverance Depravity of Israel in times of the Judges Living with the Canaanites Warring with the Canaanites Living Like the Canaanites PLACE "Promised Land" of Canaan TIME 350 Years Begins: circa 1050 B.C. Judges begins with compromise and ends with confusion. This is what happens in every unsurrendered life! The people of Israel forgot that God had chosen them for a purpose—to tell the world the truth that there is but one true God. And so we see It the story of humans’ constant failure and God’s constant mercy. It is notable that human pride would love to believe that humanity’s trend is upward, but God’s Word in general and specifically in Judges shows us that the natural course without supernatural intervention is downward. Failure through compromise permeates every page of the book of Judges. The exploits of the judges teach the lesson that a return to the true faith brings renewed victory; yet the very teaching of this accentuates the main, stark reality, that all the failure is due to compromise. Let the words burn into the mind, and burn out any easy-going toleration of the unholy or questionable thing. We can never enjoy God's promised rest for long if we tolerate only "partially crushed" sins to continue with us. If we make league with questionable things because they seem harmless, we shall soon find ourselves wedded to the desires of the flesh again, and down from the heights to which God had lifted us. Failure through compromise! Oh that Israel had heeded the message of this book! Oh that a compromising Church today never disregard it! God's word to His people of today is still that of 2 Cor 6:17-18 "Therefore (read the incredible promise in 2Cor 6:16 that prompts this "therefore"), COME OUT (aorist imperative = Command to do this now. Don't delay! Can even convey a sense of urgency. see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE (aorist imperative = Command to mark off from others by setting a boundary, cf Psalm 1:1+) ," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH (present imperative with a negative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) WHAT IS UNCLEAN and I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty. Gary Inrig writes that…Judges begins by giving us a graphic reminder of the consequences of compromise and partial obedience in a time of spiritual anarchy. It is the fundamental principle that the Holy Spirit communicates about spiritual survival in a society without standards. Partial defense is no defense at all. As D. L. Moody once said, "The place for the ship is in the sea, but God help the ship if the sea gets into it!" When God's people begin to take on the water of the world, they go down fast, and in the opening verses of this great book we see that process vividly portrayed. (Hearts of Iron, Feet of Clay ) As you study Judges notice the repeated emphasis on… 1. The wickedness of the human heart (Jdg 2:11-13, 17, 19; 8:33, 34, 35; 10:6; 13:1 - see notes Jdg 2:11-13, 17, 19; 8:33-35; 10:6; 13:1). 2. God’s delight in using the weak things 3. The Holy Spirit in Judges. Over the book of Judges as a guide to its spiritual interpretation might be written Zechariah’s great word (Zech. 4:6)— Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty Ralph Davis asks "Have you ever noticed how new beginnings are punctuated by the earthly end of God’s servants? Exodus begins with the death of Joseph. Joshua begins with the death of Moses. Judges begins with the death of Joshua. 1 Kings begins with the death of David. And yet for all that, God’s kingdom does not collapse, not even when Sheol takes God’s most useful servants. The kingdom of God continues though the servants of God die. That is the witness of Judges 1. Joshua died, but “Yahweh said, ‘I have given the land into Judah’s hand”’ (Jdg 1:2). Joshua died, but “Yahweh gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand” (Jdg 1:4). Joshua died, yet “Yahweh was with Judah so that he possessed the hill country” (Jdg 1:19). The point should not be lost on contemporary Christians. Your help is in the name of the Lord, not in the name of your favorite Christian hero. Even when the Lord himself “went away,” it proved a boon for his church (John 16:7). (Judges: Such a Great Salvation - Focus on the Bible) When did the events in Judges take place? In the range of 1400 - 1050 BC (350 years) a time period that covers a little less 25% of Israel's history in the OT (assuming an approximate date for Abraham's call of 2100 B.C. and of 400 B. C. for the book of Malachi which would be about 1700 years) And many are only vaguely familiar with this historical book. When Joshua was Israel’s leader, all the tribes worked together in obeying the will of God. In the Book of Judges, however, you don’t find the nation working together as a unit. Nevertheless it seems here the sons did come before God in this moment of crisis to seek His will. Dale Ralph Davis writes that the diligent student needs to "remember that Judges 1 deals with a second movement of the conquest of Canaan. The Book of Joshua, especially in chapters 1–12, tells of “taking” the land, breaking the back of Canaanite resistance in something of a blitzkrieg style. Judges 1 emphasizes the process of “possessing” the land in which separate tribes or tribal groups were to follow up the previous conquest and nail down and settle their assigned territories… for many readers Judges l raises once more the so––called moral problem of the conquest. How horrid that Israel butcher innocent Canaanites, wreak havoc and misery, grab their land — and all, allegedly, at Yahweh’s command! If only the Canaanites could know how much emotional support they receive from modern western readers. And the conquest was frightful. But people who bemoan the fate of the poor Canaanites don’t view the conquest from the Bible’s own perspective. They forget one vital fact: the Canaanites were not innocent. Moses was emphatic about that; he humbled the Israelites by insisting that Yahweh was not giving them Canaan because they were such godly folks but because the Canaanites were so grossly wicked (Dt 9:4, 5, 6). If you want all the gory details, see Leviticus 18:6-30 and Deuteronomy 18:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 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. The Bible, of course, does not claim the conquest will be palatable; but it does insist it was just." (Focus on the Bible: Judges) JOSHUA AND JUDGES CONTRASTED Joshua Judges Victory Conquest through belief One Man is Prominent Israel as a tutored child Israel served God Freedom Faith Progress Heavenly vision Upward trend, spiritually Fidelity to the Lord Joy Strength Sense of unity Sin judged Objective morality Defeat Defeat through disbelief No Single Person Prominent Israel as an adult Israel served self Bondage Unbelief Declension Earthly emphasis Downward trend, spiritually Apostasy from the Lord Sorrow (sobbing) Weakness Declension, anarchy Sin tolerated Subjective morality Israel knew the person of God and the power of God (Josh 24:16, 17, 18, 31) Israel knew neither the person of God nor the power of God (Jdg 2:10) “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods” (Josh 24:16) “So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God, and served the Baals and Asherahs” (Jdg 3:7). Moody Bible Institute's devotional "Today in the Word" has an interesting summary cycle of men and of nations (“bird’s eye view of the cycle of men and nations”), a pattern that is similar to that seen repeatedly in Judges… CYCLE OF MEN AND NATIONS (1) from bondage to spiritual faith. (2) from spiritual faith to great courage. (3) from courage to liberty. (4) from liberty to abundance. (5) from abundance to selfishness. (6) from selfishness to complacency. (7) from complacency to apathy. (8) from apathy to dependency. (9) from dependency back to bondage. Henrietta Mears offers the following outline for Judges that is easy to remember. Seven apostasies, Seven servitudes to seven idolatrous and cruel nations, Seven deliverances! Dale Ralph Davis notes that "The principle theme of the Book of Judges is ‘Failure through Compromise’ which is in contrast to the main theme in the Book of Joshua which is ‘Victory through Faith.’ (Judges: Such a Great Salvation - Focus on the Bible) The Book of Judges begins with a series of victories and defeats that took place after the death of Joshua. The boundary lines for the twelve tribes had been determined years before (Joshua 13-22+), but the people had not yet fully claimed their inheritance by defeating and dislodging the entrenched inhabitants of the land. When Joshua was an old man, the Lord said to him, “You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed” (Joshua 13:1+). The people of Israel owned all the land, but they didn’t possess all of it; and therefore they couldn’t enjoy all of it. Does this sound familiar dear follower of Jesus? Paul writes " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." (Eph 1:3) THOUGHT - The previous discussion begs the question -- have you possessed all (or even some) of your possessions in Christ? Or has unbelief and it's bedfellow disobedience "leaked" into your life, preventing your full possession of God's promises? Whatever your answer is, the book of Judges has just what the Great Physician ordered - the truth about apathy which if unchecked eventually leads to anarchy! Do not be deceived, God is not mocked! Do not be deceived (present imperative with a negative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey = stop being deceived!), God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Gal 6:7-8+) Paul gives all us a stern warning writing "Therefore (in light of the preceding truths) let him who thinks he stands take heed (blepo in present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Word and the Holy Spirit to obey) that he does not fall." (1 Corinthians 10:12+) SHAPHAT HEBREW FOR JUDGE The Hebrew word is Shaphatim (see word study on shaphat), meaning “judges, rulers, deliverers, or saviors.” Shaphat not only carries the idea of maintaining justice and settling disputes, but it is also used to mean “liberating and delivering.” See excellent map depiction of the judges in Judges and their locations First the judges deliver the people; then they rule and administer justice. The Septuagint (LXX) used the Greek equivalent of this word, krites (“Judges”). The Latin Vulgate called it Liber Judicum, the “Book of Judges.” Judges could also appropriately be titled “The Book of Failure.” But why would any Christian today want to read a book that is such a "downer"? Paul gives us a good reason… Now these things (the events in the OT Paul had just referenced - Israel was "laid low in the wilderness") happened as examples (tupos = a "type") for us, that (here's the purpose and the reason we should not forget this history) we should not crave evil things, as they (Israel) also craved (context refers to fact that Israelites preferred the food of Egypt to God's manna! - Nu 11:4+ - Can you apply this to the modern church in American?!)… Now these things (OT) happened to them (Israel) as an example (tupos = a "type") , and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. (1Co 10:6,11+) (See Excursus on Typology). We must remember that: "Straight ahead lies yesterday!" "Future events cast their shadows before them." "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." THOUGHT - One message in this book is that the result of abandonment of God’s law is corruption from within and oppression from without. Compromise will bring failure. Incomplete mastery of evil at the outset always means constant trouble from it afterwards and often defeat by it in the end. So was it with Israel. Israel is a picture of our fallen flesh. Let us beware for ourselves! Let the truth of this book burn into our mind and burn out any toleration of unholy or questionable things. We can never enjoy God's promised rest and blessing for long if we allow partially defeated sins to continue. If we "flirt" with questionable things because they seem harmless, we will soon find ourselves in shackles to the desires of the flesh. Oh that Israel had heeded the message of this book. Oh that the compromising Church today would pay holy heed! God's word to His people today is still that of 2Cor 6:17-18+. Israel's enslavements were not accidents but were judicial (divine) punishment. God may confer special privileges on certain persons and nations, but He is no respecter of persons in the sense that he winks at their indiscretions!. Those who sin against extra privilege bear heavier responsibility and incur heavier penalty (cp Jas 3:1+, 2Co 5:10+, He 13:17+). God gives privileges, but He never gives the privilege to sin! Let us as saints who enjoy the privilege of the New Covenant of grace beware lest this sense of privilege should beguile our own hearts into the sin of presumption! We must ever beware of the temptation to "turn the grace of our God into licentiousness" (Jude 1:4+, 1Co 8:9+, Ga 5:13+, 1Pe 2:16+) THOUGHT - Let us read Judges and be alarmed (and warned) that such low living could go with such high calling. We must watch and pray lest we ourselves enter into temptation (Mt 26:41+, 1Cor 10:12+). The cycle that dominates the book of Judges is...Sin > Suffering > Supplication > Salvation The major apostasies described in detail are all initiated by a variation of the phrase "the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord" (Jdg 3:8, 12, Jdg 4:1, Jdg 6:1, Jdg 10:6, Jdg 13:1). Note also that all of these servitudes of Israel are declared to be brought on by Jehovah Himself! There were three types of judges in the OT - (1) the warrior-judges such as Gideon and Samson, (2) the Priest-judges such as Eli, and (3) the Prophet-judges such as Deborah and Samuel. After reading Judges you may think that the whole of these three hundred years was spent in rebellion and sin. But if you read it carefully, you will see that only about one hundred out of these possibly 300-350 years were spent in disloyalty to God. In any event, one lesson we learn in the book of Judges is that a people who spend much of their time in disobedience to God make little progress during their lifetime. Sensational headlines like murder, rape, kidnap, etc are everyday fare on the front page of America's newspapers every day now, but similar headlines could describe some of the events that actually occurred in the Book of Judges. What a contrast between the last section of Joshua, where we see Israel resting from war and enjoying the riches God had given them in the Promised Land. Joshua repeatedly pictures victory over enemies. But as we move into the historical period of the Judges we see Israel suffering from defeat, invasion, slavery, poverty, and civil war. What happened to God's "chosen people" who had it all as the saying goes? Israel begin to decay as the new generation took over, for this generation knew neither Joshua nor Joshua’s God. Israel moved from love of God to apathy for God; from obedience to Jehovah to apostasy from Jehovah, from a law abiding nation to a lawless nation filled with anarchy. For Israel, the dark days of Judges were indeed the worst of times. How could this happen within one to two generations? One reason might be that the older generation had failed to instruct their children and grandchildren in the ways of the Lord. Or it may be that they had faithfully instructed their offspring but this new generation refused to submit to God’s Law and God’s ways, instead doing things "my way". Although it is a proverb (which is generally true) in this case the proverb proved completely true, Solomon recording that “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Pr 14:34). Judges is the record of God's reproach, not just to "any people" but "His own people"! Cundall writes in his introduction: The period of the judges did not terminate until Saul's accession to the throne. (cp 1Sa 12). A complete discussion of the period of the judges must take 1Sa 1-12 into account and also the book of Ruth (see notes beginning at Ruth 1:1). There are close parallels between Joshua and Judges Jdg 1:10-15,20 What appears to be a major difference is that in Judges attention is given to the individual participating tribes, particularly Judah, whereas in Joshua the Conquest is viewed as the work of the united tribes under one leader. The difficulty cannot be sidestepped by the supposition that Judges 1 is a history of the later stages of the Conquest after the death of Joshua, as would appear from Jdg 1:1. Such a view would increase rather than decrease the problem, since the parallels with events in Joshua are too close. Some thoughts that might help resolve the issue: (1) The attention given to the southern tribes, particularly Judah, in Jdg 1:1-36, probably indicates that this is an extract from a southern version of the Conquest, placing particular stress upon the part played by its own members. (2). It is inaccurate to suppose that the book of Joshua depicts a COMPLETE conquest and occupation of the whole land in a relatively short space of time. In the speeches of Joshua reference is made frequently to the incompleteness of the occupation (e.g., Jos 13:1-13, 16:10; 17:12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 18:2, 3, 4) and earlier on in Joshua there are hints that the campaign was a protracted one (Jos 11:18). Victories are indeed claimed over the armies of many of the cities listed in Judges, but he defeat of an army and the death of its king, even the destruction of a city, does not involve the occupation of the city. There may well be a certain idealization in the record (Jos 11:23, 21:43, 44, 45, 23:1) and reference to those passages alone could be used to support the view of a complete conquest and occupation. But certain sections do not support this view and the tension of evidence suggest a great victory but an incomplete one. Joshua does not give a misleading picture. The fact is openly noted that 'there remains yet very much land to be possessed' (Jos 13:1). FOLLOWING NOTES ARE COMPLETELY REVISED SPRING, 2022 Judges 1:1 Now it came about after the death of Joshua that the sons of Israel inquired of the LORD, saying, "Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?" (NASB: Lockman) Now it came about - Joshua 24:29, 30 See excellent map depiction of the judges in Judges and their locations Judges 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Joshua 24:29-30+ It came about after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being one hundred and ten years old. 30 And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of Mount Gaash. Judges 2:6-9+ (THIS PASSAGE PROVIDES THE KEY TO THE RAPID SPIRITUAL DECLINE OF ISRAEL IN JUDGES) When Joshua had dismissed the people, the sons of Israel went each to his inheritance to possess the land. 7 The people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the LORD which He had done for Israel. 8 Then Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of one hundred and ten. 9 And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who (1) did not know the LORD, (THE PERSON) (2) nor yet the work which He had done for Israel. (THE POWER). Numbers 27:21+ “Moreover, he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD. At his command they shall go out and at his command they shall come in, both he and the sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation.” WHEN A GODLY LEADER PASSES ON Someone has entitled Judges "Avoid Generation Degeneration." I like that title as it incorporates the essence of Israel's problem in Judges with an admonition to believers to learn from Israel's degeneration lest we also experience spiritual "degeneration," and loss of spiritual power and joy and fruitfulness! Are you listening? (I'm preaching to myself beloved!) Judges may be just the book the Divine Doctor ordered for the spiritual cancer that is just beginning to grow in your heart but which can be eradicated by radical spiritual surgery which can bring about a complete cure! Of course, for the rest of your life, you will need "periodic wellness checkups" to assure that there is no recurrence! Amen? Amen! Now it came about after the death of Joshua - Note how Joshua and Judges both begin with death of a great leader. In other words “Here’s what happened after the death of Joshua”. As an aside, do you think the Canaanites had heard of the death of Joshua and if so what effect that might have had on their moral to attempt to recover some of the lost territory? Compare Joshua 1:1+ Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying... COMMENT - The striking difference between Joshua and Judges is that in the latter there is no "Joshua figure" raised up to take the place of Joshua. God is sovereign and all wise, so He knows why this leadership void was allowed. Clearly, the void in leadership contributed to the decline in the spiritual condition of the nation. Oh how we need godly, God appointed leaders in our churches today! George Bush on after the death of Joshua. - How long after we have no means of determining; probably not long, for Othniel, the first judge after Joshua’s decease, had been his contemporary, and was in fact his son-in-law. The first few words of the book of Judges may at first glance seem to be only a helpful historical notation. "After the death of Joshua," however, is a statement of drastic change in the spiritual health and direction of the nation of Israel as summarized below: (see also preceding table) Whereas Joshua is a book of conquest, Judges is a three century story of defeat. Joshua is a book of faith, while Judges is a chronicle of national unbelief leading to disobedience. Joshua depicts a people united in following God's man, but Judges is a book of division and anarchy, because every man "did what was right in his own eyes." (Jdg 21:25). In Joshua, God's Word is central and men submit to His authority, while in Judges, God Word is neglected and even rejected. In Joshua, the vow of Israel was "we will not forget the Lord". In Judges the fact is that "the people forgot the LORD." (Jdg 3:7+) Judges sets before us the warnings and danger signals regarding the perils that lie in the path of a believer. Judges sets before us the warnings and danger signals regarding the perils that lie in the path of a believer. The pattern of defeat described in the book of Judges is presented to us over and over again. Use of the phrase "now it came about..." Gen. 6:1; Gen. 8:13; Gen. 21:22; Gen. 22:1; Gen. 22:20; Gen. 26:32; Gen. 27:1; Gen. 27:30; Gen. 30:25; Gen. 34:25; Gen. 42:35; Gen. 48:1; Exod. 2:11; Exod. 2:23; Exod. 4:24; Exod. 6:28; Exod. 12:29; Lev. 9:1; Jos. 1:1; Jos. 5:1; Jos. 5:13; Jos. 9:1; Jos. 10:1; Jos. 23:1; Jdg. 1:1; Jdg. 6:7; Jdg. 9:42; Jdg. 19:1; Ruth 1:1; 1 Sam. 1:12; 1 Sam. 18:1; 1 Sam. 18:10; 1 Sam. 20:35; 1 Sam. 23:6; 1 Sam. 28:1; 2 Sam. 1:1; 2 Sam. 7:1; 2 Sam. 13:23; 2 Sam. 15:1; 2 Sam. 15:7; 2 Sam. 16:16; 2 Sam. 21:18; 1 Ki. 6:1; 1 Ki. 9:1; 1 Ki. 13:20; 1 Ki. 17:17; 1 Ki. 21:1; 2 Ki. 6:24; 2 Ki. 14:5; 2 Ki. 18:1; 2 Ki. 25:27; 1 Chr. 19:1; 1 Chr. 20:4; 2 Chr. 8:1; 2 Chr. 20:1; 2 Chr. 21:19; 2 Chr. 24:4; 2 Chr. 25:3; Neh. 4:1; Est. 5:1; Isa. 7:1; Jer. 52:4; Jer. 52:31; Ezek. 1:1; Ezek. 11:13 THAT THE SONS OF ISRAEL INQUIRED OF THE LORD SAYING, "WHO SHALL GO UP FIRST FOR US AGAINST THE CANAANITES, TO FIGHT AGAINST THEM: Jdg 20:18,28; Exodus 28:30; Numbers 27:21; 1Sa 22:9,10; 23:9,10) Judges 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Judges 20:18 Now the sons of Israel arose, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God and said, “Who shall go up first for us to battle against the sons of Benjamin?” Then the LORD said, “Judah shall go up first.” Judges 20:23 The sons of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall we again draw near for battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin?” And the LORD said, “Go up against him.” Judges 20:27-28 The sons of Israel inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, Aaron’s son, stood before it to minister in those days), saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?” And the LORD said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.” ALWAYS A GOOD START: TO BE SEEKING GOD The sons of Israel inquired of the LORD - Inquired (sa'al) means to ask and in context means to seek a direct message or oracle from Jehovah. How the oracle was received in this verse is not clear. In the OT inquiries were made by Urim and Thummim,(Nu 27:21) by the word of the Lord through a prophet serving as God's mouthpiece (1Sa 9:9) simply by prayer, (Ge 25:22), and improperly of false gods (2Ki 1:2, 16), of teraphim, and semi-idolatrous priests (Jdg 18:5, 14). dreams (1Sa 28:6) George Bush on inquired of the Lord - The original phrase is the usual one for consulting the oracle, or inquiring by the ministry of the high-priest, and through the medium of the Urim and Thummim, the will of Jehovah as to the great matters of duty and policy. As we read of no particular person, who succeeded Joshua as commander-in-chief of the Israelites, it is probable that every tribe was governed by one or more of its elders for a number of years, and that in their wars with the Canaanites they also were their military leaders. As the people were now becoming more numerous and capable of occupying a larger extent of territory, they deemed it expedient to renew the war, but having no single head to take the lead in the enterprise, they very properly sought direction from above as to the manner in which the war should be conducted. It will be observed that they do not inquire what individual should be chosen as successor to Joshua and commander of the forces, but which of the tribes shall take the precedency in the expedition. Whether each tribe was ambitious of the honor or fearful of the danger of being first, it is not possible to determine, but by common consent it was resolved to refer the matter to God, the proper arbiter in every doubtful case. Happy is it for us that we have the same infallible source of guidance to which to apply in all our perplexities. Who shall go up for us? The common term for a military expedition. See Isa 7:1; Jer. 50:3. The phrase ‘for us’ puts the ‘going up’ in relation to the whole body of the people. The success of whatever tribe took the lead would be an earnest and assurance of the success of the rest in obtaining complete possession of their respective allotments. Joshua had been faithful to his task to "Be strong and courageous… (and) give this people possession of the land which (Jehovah) swore to their fathers to give them" (Jos 1:6+) and yet much of the Promised Land remained to be conquered. The first act of the children of Israel was to seek God’s will about how they should carry out the final conquest. THOUGHT- We always begin well when we consult the omnipotent, omniscient, sovereign Living God of the Universe. Israel asked Jehovah which tribe was to engage the enemy first. Seeking God's wisdom and will is always the best place to begin any venture. It is interesting to notice that from this time forward inquiring of the Lord is mentioned only at the end of Judges but then occurs with greater frequency in 1 Samuel, the time that followed the days of the Judges. Note that Moses and Joshua had received direct revelations from God, but at this time presumably the Pentateuch (Torah) had been recorded by Moses for consultation. Inquired of the LORD (Jehovah) - phrase found 11 times in NAS - Jdg 1:1, Jdg 20:23, Jdg 20:27 1Sa 22:10, 23:2, 23:4, 28:6, 30:8 2Sa 2:1, 5:19, 5:23 (THOUGHT - How often is this phrase found in my life?) Inquire(d) of God (Elohim) - Ex 18:15 Jdg 18:5; 20:18; 1Sa 9:9, 14:37;22:13; 15, 1Chr 14:10, 21:30