Judges Part 2

III. Judges 1. A. Joshua had died without appointing a successor but at least the children of Israel were yet willing to proceed with Canaan’s conquest and sought God’s direction. vs. 1-3. 1. This was proper protocol. NUM 27:21. 2. A lack of inquiry of God had earlier been costly. JOS 9:14. 3. A church’s efforts in evangelism should likewise be according to the commands and guidelines of Scripture. a. We should go to God about men when considering going to men about God. b. There are some fields that might be assumed to be white unto harvest but the time may not be according to the Spirit. Is there a reasonably plain call? ACT 16:6-10. 4. Judah was chosen to go first, even as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, Jesus Christ, first engaged the powers of darkness and overcame them and so animates us to be “...more than conquerors through him that loved us” (ROM 8:37). 5. The great tribe of Judah asking Simeon to join him may remind us that in the church the more feeble members are necessary. 1CO 12:21-22. 6. It may be that faithful Caleb (of Judah, NUM 13:6) was still vigorous and participated in the action, perhaps even in a leadership role. JOS 14:11 c/w JDG 1:19-20. B. The venture was successful. vs. 4-8. Judges 6-26-25 Page 2  1. Though victory was in hand, they didn’t let Adonibezek escape. This is wisdom useful to us in fighting against the lusts of the flesh. Unaddressed lusts can infect character and gain strongholds. JAM 1:14-16 c/w GAL 5:9; ROM 7:23. 2. The treatment of Adonibezek is curious. a. A charge of cruelty might be levelled against Judah but the cutting off of his thumbs and great toes was not far akin from the law of Israel’s justice system which demanded equal retribution (DEU 19:21) and Adonibezek basically acknowledged the justice of the matter. b. Their charge from God was to utterly destroy the devoted nations and make no covenant with them or show mercy to them. DEU 7:1-2. c. NOTE: to win against sin it must be mortified, not just hobbled (a making provision for the flesh to fulfil its lusts). COL 3:5-10; ROM 13:14. 3. In overcoming Adonibezek, Judah had essentially also overcome seventy other kings under his mastery. Sometimes overcoming the main weakness is the path to victory over lesser issues. JAM 3:2. 4. NOTE: The Canaanites were not living in peaceful harmony with one another before the conquerors got there. This is a common false assumption about the pagan lands that were overcome by Christian-influenced civilization. 5. v. 8 seems to refer to earlier action against Jerusalem in Joshua’s time. C. vs. 9-20 further set forth the ventures of Judah and Simeon. They were very successful but consider v. 19. 1. The last phrase, “...because they had chariots of iron” is not a valid reason but their excuse. They should have been operating under the divine promise of v. 2. 2. The enemy had chariots of iron but God has chariots of fire. PSA 68:17; 2KI 2:11. 3. The Egyptians’ chariots were rendered useless by God. EXO 14:25. 4. The more recent victory in Joshua’s day should have inspired them. JOS 11:4-9. 5. Distrust in God’s promises and power is not uncommonly a partner with willing compromise and complacency in our battles. a. Battle-fatigue or the cares of this world crowd out the effect of the word. LUK 8:14; 2TI 4:3-4. b. There is no dart of the enemy that applied faith cannot resist and overcome. EPH 6:16; 1PE 5:8-9 c/w 1CO 10:13. D. The rest of this chapter presents various quasi-conquests of the tribes of Israel over the Canaanites. 1. The Jebusites (v. 21) were never fully overcome until David (1CH 11:4-8). Some powers are especially problematic. MAT 17:21. 2. The lingering Canaanites that were not driven out were made tributaries: they no longer had absolute mastery. 3. In our warfare against sin, we will not have complete victory until our vile bodies are changed: the lusts of the old nature will have to be kept under power until they are eliminated. ROM 7:21-25; 1CO 9:27 c/w PHIL 3:20-21. a. For now, we continue the resistance effort and occupy until Christ comes. LUK 19:13. b. The elements of our nature can at least now be made serviceable to us as long as we have power over them (and not vice-versa). 1CO 6:12; ROM 6:12. E. “The conquest of Canaan was very partial. Israel dwelled among the ancient inhabitants of the land, much as the Normans did among the Anglo-Saxons, whom they found in England; and the mixture of the two peoples was the beginning of moral degeneracy and Judges 6-26-25 Page 3 decline in the chosen race. Wherever there was the old-time faith in God, as in the case of Caleb, the land was cleared of the Canaanite; but where God was out, the Canaanite was in. So it is in the life of the soul. It is intended that the whole should be yielded to Christ, that no evil passion should reign, that no besetting sin should enthrall. But how often Christian people give up the fight! They say that the old Adam is too strong for them, and settle down to a joint-occupation. Let us not yield to reasoning like this! The Lion of Judah can break every chain. By faith in Him we can be more than conquerors! The Holy Spirit strives with the flesh, so that we may not do as otherwise we would. Only give Him the right of way! Sin shall not reign in your mortal body!” (F.B. Meyer Commentary on JDG 1:16 – 2:5) Judges 6-26-25 Page 4