Written by: Andy Walker – Church Army
Judges 1 v 1-6
After Joshua died, the Israelites asked the LORD, “Who will be first to go and
fight for us against the Canaanites?”
The LORD said to them, “The tribe of Judah will go. I have handed the land over
to them.”
The men of Judah said to the men of Simeon, their relatives, “Come and help us
fight the Canaanites for our land. If you do, we will go and help you fight for
your land.” So the men of Simeon went with them.
When Judah attacked, the LORD handed over the Canaanites and the Perizzites to
them, and they defeated 10,000 men at the city of Bezek. There they found Adoni-Bezek,
the ruler of the city, and fought him. The men of Judah defeated the Canaanites
and the Perizzites, but Adoni-Bezek ran away. The men of Judah chased him, and
when they caught him, they cut off his thumbs and big toes.
Notes
Today’s reading sees the Israelites at a time when they had just lost their
leader, and so they were taking their directions straight from God. Until
this point Joshua had taken the lead and directed the Israelites in the way
they should do things. The different tribes of Israel were wondering who
to send into battle against the Canaanites and, not surprisingly, they couldn’t
agree on who should go and so they asked God. Who better to ask!
God told them that the tribe of Judah should go into battle, and he also said that they would have the victory. So, why did God choose the tribe of Judah?
They were the biggest and most powerful tribe. They were held in high regard by the rest of the tribes. They were the tribe from which Jesus was to come years later, so he was spiritually with them, going on before them in the spiritual realm.
The passage goes on to say that, with a little help from some friends, the Israelites went into battle and won, just as God had promised. So, what does this mean for us?
Well, if we hear God speaking to us in any way - be it through friends, a talk we hear, reading the Bible, our conscience, a sense of God guiding us, or in a direct audible way - then we need to take notice.
If God is asking us to do something, then he has chosen us for a reason. He doesn’t make mistakes! God doesn’t give us anything to do that we can’t handle, and he will see us through whatever he asks us to do. We can also be sure that Christ is there alongside us on the way, and that he has gone before us to prepare the way.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for choosing me to do your work in whatever way you see fit.
Help me to follow you in whatever you ask me to do, even when it seems scary
and I feel inadequate. Stay close to me and guide me, through the power of
your Spirit. In the name of Christ I pray, Amen
Judges 1 v 7-10
Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings whose thumbs and big toes had been cut off
used to eat scraps that fell from my table. Now God has paid me back for
what I did to them.” The men of Judah took Adoni-Bezek to Jerusalem, and
he died there.
Then the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They attacked
with their swords and burned the city.
Later, they went down to fight the Canaanites who lived in the mountains, in
the dry country to the south and in the western hills. The men of Judah went
to fight against the Canaanites in the city of Hebron (which used to be called
Kiriath Arba). And they defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai.
Notes
Today’s passage starts off by talking about this bloke, Adoni-Bezek. Now, apart
from having a rather strange name, this man was very powerful until the Israelites
took him and his land down. In Judges 1 v 6 we read that when he ran away
from the Israelites, “The men of Judah chased him, and when they caught him,
they cut off his thumbs and big toes.” Which was nice of them!
Back in today’s passage, we see that Adoni-Bezek had actually had the same thing done to seventy kings, and he was realising that what he had done to others was returning to him with some kind of poetic justice. We also see that he seems not to have lived very long after that, as the Israelites, and more specifically the tribe of Judah, carried on with their onslaught, taking Jerusalem and other places in God’s name.
This bloke, Adoni-Bezek, interests me, not least because I wonder how on earth anyone came up with that name, but I think his life has something to teach us too.
I think it teaches those of us in positions of power and authority to be careful, and to stay in line with what God wants us to do or we may fall from our positions. It says to all of us to be careful about how we treat others. I’m not saying that everything we do to others will then be done to us, but one day we will all be called to account for our actions.
A line from a Martyn Joseph song also springs to mind: “He never said do unto others before they do it unto you, like they’re gonna do.” Instead, we need to treat others as we would want to be treated by them.
Prayer
Lord, help me to love my neighbours as myself and to treat them with respect.
Help me to see those around me as you see them, and remind me that they too
are made in your image. Be with me this day in all I do. In the name of your
Son, my Saviour, Jesus Christ, Amen
Judges 1 v 11-15
Then they left there and went to fight against the people living in Debir.
(In the past Debir had been called Kiriath Sepher.) Before attacking the
city, Caleb said, “I will give Achsah, my daughter, as a wife to the man
who attacks and captures the city of Kiriath Sepher.” Othniel son of Kenaz,
Caleb’s younger brother, captured the city, so Caleb gave his daughter Achsah
to Othniel to be his wife. When Achsah came to Othniel, she told him to ask
her father for a field. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb asked her,
“What do you want?”
Achsah answered him, “Do me a special favour. Since you have given me land
in southern Canaan, also give me springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper
and lower springs.
Notes
I can’t help but feel sorry for the girl in today’s reading who is given away
to be married with what appears to be very little discussion. I guess that
is just a cultural thing, though, and later on in the reading she doesn’t
seem to have kicked up too much of a fuss.
It seems a little strange that Achsah tells Othniel to ask her father for a field. In The Message version of the Bible, today’s reading talks about asking for a wedding present. To me, this makes a little more sense.
Achsah then goes on to ask her father for more which, as if the first part didn’t sound a little cheeky, sounds even more cheeky! That said, it does make some logical sense; after all, there is no point in having land that can’t be watered as nothing will grow.
This is true for us as Christians. We can have God’s love within us, and we can know the salvation which Christ brings, but we need constantly to be “watered”. We need constantly to be learning more about God and growing daily in knowledge and love of him.
In any relationship there is a need to communicate. The longer you are with the other person, the more you learn about them. I have been married to Ruth for nearly a year now and we are still getting to know each other and how each other works. Our relationship is still developing and deepening, and we are growing closer each day.
The same is true for our relationship with God. We need to keep growing and developing, spending time studying the Bible, as well as spending time with other Christians and sharing with them about our experiences of God.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for the privilege of being able to know you and draw close
to you. Help me to learn from others and from your word, so that I may know
you better and enjoy a closer relationship with you. I pray through the most
high God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen
Judges 1 v 16-21
The Kenite people, who were from the family of Moses’ father-in-law, left Jericho,
the city of palm trees. They went with the men of Judah to the Desert of
Judah to live with them there in southern Judah near the city of Arad.
The men of Judah and the men of Simeon, their relatives, defeated the Canaanites
who lived in Zephath. They completely destroyed the city, so they called it
Hormah. The men of Judah captured Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron and the lands around
them.
The LORD was with the men of Judah. They took the land in the mountains, but
they could not force out the people living on the plain, because they had iron
chariots. As Moses had promised, Hebron was given to Caleb, and Caleb forced
out the three sons of Anak. But the people of Benjamin could not make the Jebusite
people leave Jerusalem. Since that time the Jebusites have lived with the people
of Benjamin in Jerusalem.
Notes
Today’s reading shows us an interesting paradox. In previous verses, God had
promised to be with the Israelites and give them the victory. However, in
today’s passage we see that the tribe of Judah was not able to overcome some
armies “because they had iron chariots”.
This raises some interesting questions. Why did God not give them the victory? Was God lying when he had promised to be with the Israelites and help them overcome their enemies? We are not told why this happened other than it appears that the opposing army was too well equipped.
My guess would be that the tribe of Judah were not the right people to be fighting this war, or maybe they had not listened to God clearly enough and it was not God’s intention for these lands to be taken. One thing is certain: even though the Israelites did not have the victory, God was still with them. He did not leave them and did not allow them to be taken out. He was true to his word and was with them, alongside them all the time.
Sometimes as we go through life, things happen that we don’t understand or that don’t seem to be in God’s plan. We may even question where God has gone, or if he still exists.
No one knows for sure why these things happen. We may be able to guess, but no one can truly know, only God himself. I believe there are times, when God sees some of the things that happen in the world, that he weeps and his heart breaks because this is not what he intended.
I do firmly believe, though, that just as with the Israelites, God never leaves us. He is always there, holding us close to himself.
Prayer
Lord, help me when I suffer and when those around me suffer. Help me to know
that you are with me, holding me close. Thank you that you will never let
me go, and although I might fall out with you at times, you will never fall
out with me. Help me know your presence with me always, in Christ’s name,
Amen
Judges 1 v 22-26
The men of Joseph went to fight against the city of Bethel, and the LORD was
with them. They sent some spies to Bethel (which used to be called Luz).
The spies saw a man coming out of the city and said to him, “Show us a way
into the city, and we will be kind to you.” So the man showed them the way
into the city. The men of Joseph attacked with swords the people in Bethel,
but they let the man and his family go free. He went to the land where the
Hittites lived and built a city. He named it Luz, which it is called even
today.
Notes
Today’s reading tells us of another tribe who went into battle, and the Lord
was with them also. We also read of a man who helped the spies and the tribe
of Joseph to take over the city. In reward for his help, the man and his
family were spared and not killed like the rest of the people in the city.
The man was shown mercy because he had helped the Lord’s people to carry out the Lord’s will. There are many times when God uses people to carry out his will, and although we may think that “God is going to do it” in some miraculous way, very often he just uses everyday people like you and me.
As Christians we have the hope of eternal life and, although we will face God on the day of judgement and will have to account for our actions, we will not face judgement. God will show us his mercy because have accepted Jesus as our Saviour and we have followed in his way. We have done his work and helped others to do his work, just as the guy in the story had.
Prayer
Lord, help me to do your will and help me to recognise how and when to help
others who are working for you. Be with me this day, and in all I do may
I glorify you. In the precious name of Jesus my Saviour, Amen
Judges 1 v 27-30
There were Canaanites living in the cities of Beth Shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam,
Megiddo and the small towns around them. The people of Manasseh did not force
those people out of their towns, because the Canaanites were determined to
stay there. Later, the Israelites grew strong and forced the Canaanites to
work as slaves, but they did not make all the Canaanites leave their land.
The people of Ephraim did not force out all of the Canaanites living in Gezer.
So the Canaanites continued to live in Gezer with the people of Ephraim.
The people of Zebulun did not force out the Canaanites living in the cities
of Kitron and Nahalol. They stayed and lived with the people of Zebulun,
but Zebulun made them work as slaves.
Notes
Today’s passage sees an interesting turn in the story. So far this week, we
have read that the Israelites had gone into lands and cities and killed people
and taken over the places they had invaded. However, in today’s passage we
see the people of God deciding to live alongside those whose land they had
invaded, although some were taken as slaves.
I wonder why this happened. Was it that this tribe had a different interpretation of what God had said? Were they just too nice to go round killing people? Or did they just decide to disobey God?
Today, different Christians have different interpretations of what God has said in the past. So many times these differences cause such big problems within churches that it almost seems like we are on opposing sides of a fight, not brothers and sisters in Christ who just see things differently.
There seems to me to be a real lack of understanding about the differences between different denominations, and even different traditions of the same denomination. This lack of understanding breeds suspicion and assumption, and this then causes a lack of tolerance of each other.
Mark 3 v 24-25 says, “A kingdom that is divided cannot continue, and a family that is divided cannot continue.” I firmly believe that those in the church needs to start understanding each other, accepting each other’s differences, celebrating unity in diversity, and acting like the brothers and sisters we are rather than falling out all the time.
We have the love of Christ with us, and we need to show that love to one another within the church, as well as sharing that love with those outside the church who need to know the love of Christ for themselves.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for my church family. Thank you for the richness that exists
in the variety of beliefs that are held by different parts of the church.
Help me to be understanding of others and give me the grace to explore others’
beliefs before I dismiss them out of hand. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen
Judges 1 v 31-36
The people of Asher did not force the Canaanites from the cities of Acco, Sidon,
Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek and Rehob. Since the people of Asher did not
force them out, the Canaanites continued to live with them. The people of
Naphtali did not force out the people of the cities of Beth Shemesh and Beth
Anath. So they continued to live with the Canaanites in those cities, and
the Canaanites worked as slaves. The Amorites forced the Danites back into
the mountains and would not let them come down to live in the plain. The
Amorites were determined to stay in Mount Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim. But
when the Israelites grew stronger, they made the Amorites work as slaves.
The land of the Amorites was from Scorpion Pass to Sela and beyond.
Notes
Have you ever looked at a passage in the Bible and thought, “What on earth
can God say through this?” Especially if the few verses before said exactly
the same thing!
I think that sometimes we can try to pull the Bible apart too much. Yes, at times we can learn things from small parts of the Bible. The shortest verse in the entire Bible is just two words long: “Jesus cried” (John 11 v 35). Although these are only two words, we can learn a lot from them.
However, sometimes we can sit and search for some deep hidden meaning that just isn’t there. The passage could just be giving us a piece of history, or is a piece of writing which speaks for itself. Sometimes we can try to use the Bible to prove or say something that it doesn’t say; that seems to me to be a misuse of the Bible. If you want to, you can drag together enough snippets of verses to justify anything.
We need to use the Bible wisely, to look into the context in which bits were written, who they were written for and why. Bible commentaries can help us to do this.
It is also good practise to check out for yourself what is being written or said, in Christian books, articles and sermons. Just because someone is called “minister”, “vicar” or “youth worker”, doesn’t mean they get it right all the time. We are all human and we all make mistakes.
Yes, we need to trust those who are in responsible positions, but we should also check things out against what others have said. Whatever people say, that is only their interpretation and others will have a different view; there are usually at least two sides to every story.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for the Bible, and for all it has to say and all I can learn
from it. Help me to use it wisely, and give me wisdom when I hear others
teach about what is in the Bible. Help me to gain a big picture of different
views, and, with your guidance, help me to make up my own mind about what
things mean. In Jesus’ name, Amen
word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993 by Word Publishing Milton Keynes