Text: Judges 1
Theme: Occupancy of the Land
Introduction:
The term JUDGE doesn’t mean someone who sits in a court and decides legal issues. The Hebrew word shaphat has more of the idea of a heroic leader, ruler, saviour, deliverer. “The Hebrew word Shophetim means to put right, and to rule. The English title is somewhat misleading with its judicial or legal connotations, for the judges' role of administering justice was only secondary. There were fourteen judges in the book, including Deborah and Barak, who served as co-judges. These leaders combined spiritual, civic, and military efforts, specially empowered by God, to save Israel from the nations who afflicting her.
This book had a double introduction followed by the cycles of judges in the middle of the book and closed by the double conclusion. The book of Judges gives us a general downward progression in Israel’s morals, character, and worship. Instead of progressive sanctification, they had a systematic deterioration of holiness and morality. It’s known as progressive Canaanization.
Leadership Crises:
The book of Judges shows that there was no Leader in Israel for about 340 years. It shows us a time that is sometimes confusing, difficult, and dark. God used Moses to bring Israel out of Egypt. God used Joshua to bring them to the land of promise. God gives wonderful human leaders to His work on this earth. But Joshua appointed no leader after him to guide the whole nation. There was no capital for the nation. No central leadership. However, there were national deliverers who were neither elected nor succeeded in royal succession. They were specially gifted by God for leadership in their times. The people forsook God (Judges 2:13) and God forsook the people (Judges 2:23). 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'' (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25).
Description of the Land:
Cundall explains Judges 1:9 with the following descriptions. he said there were Three major geographic divisions of Israel: 1. The mountains, or the hill country between Jerusalem and Hebron. 2. The South, or the Negev, is the area between Hebron and Kadesh-Barnea. 3. The lowland, or the Shelphelah is a region of foot-hills running north and south between the coastal plain and the central mountain range.
Conquering Jerusalem:
The city of Jerusalem fell to Judah. Judah was the most numerous and powerful tribe, and therefore let Judah venture first. It was occupied for a time but later fell back to the Jebusites (Judges 1:21). Under the leadership of King David Israel conquered the city again some 400 years later (2 Samuel 5:6-10). “The city of Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world, having been occupied almost continually for a period of 5,000 years.” (G Campbell Morgan).
Outline:
This chapter gives us a particular account of what sort of progress the several tribes of Israel made in the reduction of Canaan after the death of Joshua.
Judges 1: 08-20: Judah’s victories in the southern part of the land given to Israel.
Judges 1: 22-26: The house of Joseph conquers the city of Bethel.
Judges 1:27-29: Manasseh and Ephraim fail to drive out all the Canaanites.
Judges 1:30: The tribe of Zebulun compromises and accommodates the Canaanites.
Judges 1:31-32: The tribe of Asher fails in taking full possession of their land.
Judges 1:33: The tribe of Naphtali compromises and accommodates the Canaanites.
Judges 1:34-36: The tribe of Dan fails in taking full possession of their land.
Conclusion:
“We can never enjoy God's promised rest for long if we tolerate only "partially crushed" sins to continue with us. If we make a 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.” (Disciple Study Bible).
(Ref: Enduring Word Commentary, Matthew Henry, Explaining to the Books: Judges, Austin Precept)
