Even after the warfare to overthrow the kings and armies and governments that had previously possessed the land, and though they had years of peace, there were still Canaanites and others in the land that were rising up against Israel. So, in Judges 1:1–2 the Israelites inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Who will go up first for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?” 2 And Yahweh said, “Judah will go up. I hereby give the land into his hand.” The Lord is with them and they have many victories, but in Judges 1:19 “they could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain”. It doesn’t matter why what matters is they didn’t trust God and press forward. They didn’t drive them out and the angel of the Lord tells them in Judges 2:3 “Now I say, I will not drive them out from before you; they will become as thorns for you, and their gods will be a trap for you.” It is easy for us to say they had weak faith. It is easy for us to say we would have finished the task. But hasn’t God given us the commission to take the world for our generation just as it was in Matthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come”. And aren’t we to be going just as the apostles did in Mark 16:20 “And they went out and proclaimed everywhere, while the Lord was working together with them and confirming the message through the accompanying signs”. What has God given into your hand?
I Hereby Give The Land Into His Hand
Judges 1:1–10
In his final words to Israel before his death, Joshua said in
Joshua 24:23 He said, “Remove the foreign gods that are in your midst, and incline your hearts to Yahweh the God of Israel.”
So, the Israelites do what they should always do and they inquire of the Lord in
Judges 1:1–2 After the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Who will go up first for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?” 2 And Yahweh said, “Judah will go up. I hereby give the land into his hand.”
They have seen the deliverance of the Lord before, but that was through Joshua and some twenty-five years before. There are new leaders and new warriors and Judah takes on the challenge to “fight against the Canaanites” in Judges 1:3 but only partially trust God’s word of deliverance and Judah asks Simeon for help, as if God’s promise was not enough. As they went, “the defeated ten thousand men” in Judges 1:4 and “defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites” in Judges 1:5 and “fought against Jerusalem, and they captured it” in Judges 1:8 and “pursued to fight the Canaanites” in Judges 1:10.
They Could Not Drive Out the Inhabitants
Judges 1:11–19
Caleb had led the taking of Hebron, the city given to him and makes an offer to whoever takes the next city, Debir (Kiriath Sepher) in
Judges 1:12 And Caleb said, “Whoever attacks Kiriath Sepher and captures it, I will give to him Acsah my daughter as a wife.”
The city is taken and Caleb gains a son-in-law and grants a gift to his daughter in
Judges 1:15 And she said to him, “Give me a gift; you have given me the land of the Negev, and give me also a spring of water.” And Caleb gave to her the upper and lower spring.
so they settle in the land along with others in Judges 1:16 and “they defeated the Canaanites inhabiting Zephath” in Judges 1:17 and captured territory in Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron in Judges 1:18 and “took possession of the hill country” in Judges 1:19.
Then it says “they could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain” in Judges 1:19. What happened? Was God suddenly powerless? No, it was that they were looking at the power of the enemy and “because they had iron chariots” in Judges 1:19 they stopped believing what God had said to them in
Judges 1:2 And Yahweh said, “Judah will go up. I hereby give the land into his hand.”
They Did Not Drive Out
Judges 1:20–28
They Became Subjected to Forced Labor
Do Not Make Covenant With the Inhabitants of This Land
Judges 2:1–5
Joshua had warned the people and now the angel of the Lord speaks reminding them of their covenant with him in
Judges 2:1 And the angel of Yahweh went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I brought you up from Egypt, and I brought you to the land that I had promised to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you.
It doesn’t say how this word was delivered, however, it often happened that the Lord would appear to a prophet and they would speak to the people. Whatever the method of delivery, the message was clear, God says “I will never break my covenant with you” and then the message continues because the Lord had told Israel “do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; break down their altars” in Judges 2:2
Yet, again and again, Israel had allowed the residents to stay as their servants as in
Joshua 16:10 But they did not drive out the Canaanites who were dwelling in Gezer, and so the Canaanites live in the midst of Ephraim to this day, but they became forced laborers.
and also in
Joshua 17:13 And it happened, when the Israelites grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor but never drove them out completely.
So, the angel of the Lord now declares in
Judges 2:3 Now I say, I will not drive them out from before you; they will become as thorns for you, and their gods will be a trap for you.”
Each to Their Own Inheritance to Take Possession of the Land
Judges 2:6–10
They Followed the Gods of the People Around Them
Judges 2:11–23
Study Verses
- Judges 1:1–10 I Hereby Give The Land Into His Hand
- Judges 1:11–19 They Could Not Drive Out the Inhabitants
- Judges 2:1–5 Do Not Make Covenant With the Inhabitants of This Land
Today’s Reading
- Judges 1:1-36
- Judges 2:1-23