Judges 1
JUST a word, first, about this book: it is the history of failure on the people’s part, and of God’s delivering them again and again when their disregard of Him and His word brought them into slavery. At first, when Joshua was but lately dead, there was some spiritual energy and of this we read in the opening chapters. But the book is a record of increasing sin, each revival followed by greater decline.
The children of Israel did well indeed, in asking God for guidance (verse 1), and great encouragement they received in the answer (verse 2): “Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.” The sequel, too, in verse 4: “Judah went up and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hand” shows the reward of those who put their trust in God.
The captured king, Adoni-bezek, (his name means “Lord of lightning”) had that done to him which he had done to others. He had to own, “as I have done, so God hath requited me” (verse 7). No power can withstand God, however great its boasting.
In the 10th verse we learn of the slaying of Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmiai, of whom mention was made by the spies in their report to the people of Israel in Numbers 13:22, 28, 3322And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) (Numbers 13:22)
28Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. (Numbers 13:28)
33And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. (Numbers 13:33); and by Moses in Deuteronomy 9:22A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak! (Deuteronomy 9:2). Caleb, we were told in Joshua 15:14,14And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. (Joshua 15:14) had driven these giants out, and here but a line or two is taken to record their being put to death at the hands of the people of Judah.
Fear of these men had been used by Satan to keep the people out of the inheritance God had provided for them. “We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight”, said the spies, but their children, going in God’s strength to the battle, are quickly victorious. “There be more with us than with him” (the enemy), 2 Chronicles 32:77Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: (2 Chronicles 32:7).
Next we have examples of individual faith in Caleb, Othniel and Achsah, first given to us in Joshua 15, and as it appears, faith on the part of some who were not of Israel (verse 16), in forsaking the city of palm trees (thought to be the cursed ruins of Jericho) for the company of God’s people. Again Judah and Simeon are seen warring against their enemies, “and the Lord was with Judah” (verse 19), but their faith in Him was not sufficient for victory over those whose chariots were of iron.
The fourth chapter shows us something different in this respect (verses 13-16, etc.), where the army of Sisera with “nine hundred chariots of iron” was destroyed after the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of twenty years of cruel oppression (verse 3).
Seven of the tribes of Israel, —Benjamin, Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali and Dan did not drive out the former inhabitants, and no doubt these latter went on with their idolatry and the wickedness which they practiced along with it. Very soon the Israelites became like those who lived among them, as we may see from chapter 2.
O, that God’s people today were stirred in their hearts to serve Him first! To consider their own comfort last!
ML 10/04/1925