Thursday
Evening Bible Study
September
13, 2018
Introduction
The book of Joshua records the conquering of the Promised Land of Canaan.
Through their battles they conquer 31 kings over a period of about five
years.
Through Joshua’s leadership, they had done the larger, overall job of
taking care of the main resistance and establishing themselves as the dominant
force in the land.
(Jos 21:43–45 NKJV)
—43 So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to
their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. 44 The LORD gave
them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And
not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their
enemies into their hand. 45 Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD
had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.
The main battles were over, but there were still pockets of resistance
left, still places to be conquered.
There is unfinished business.
The book of Judges gets its name from the people God used to help lead the
nation during the period between Joshua and the kings.
This would be a period of four hundred years.
Some were warriors, others prophets, one was a woman.
These people were not kings as such. The nation considered God to be their
king, and that God used a specific man to bring help and leadership to the
nation at various times.
The book of Judges is a “messy” book.
You are going to see a lot of things happen that will make your skin crawl.
You’re going to see God use some very flawed people to save the nation.
The book is summed up by the last verse:
(Judges 21:25 NKJV)
In
those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was
right in his own eyes.
We might tend to think that God only uses “perfect” people, but the truth
is, everyone God has every used is flawed at some point.
You’re going to see God’s people doing the most horrible things.
Note: Some of the events recorded in Judges may not be in chronological
order.
There aren’t a lot of time markers in each section. For example, in Judges
20:28 (at the end of the book), Phinehas is mentioned as being the high priest.
Yet he was also the high priest at the time of the beginning of the book. We
know that the book of Judges covers roughly four hundred years, and Phinehas
didn’t live that long.
1:1-21 Judah’s battles
:1 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of
Israel asked the Lord, saying,
“Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against
them?”
:2 And the Lord said, “Judah
shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand.”
:2 the LORD said
How did God speak?
The Jewish historian Josephus records that Phineas, the grandson of Aaron,
was the high priest at this time –
After the death of Joshua and Eleazar, Phineas prophesied,
that according to God’s will they should commit the government to the tribe of
Judah, and that this tribe should destroy the race of the Canaanites; for then
the people were concerned to learn what was the will of God.
:3 So Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me to my allotted
territory, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I will likewise go
with you to your allotted territory.” And Simeon went with him.
:3 Simeon his brother
The tribe of Simeon was given land within the borders of the land of the
tribe of Judah. (Josh. 19:1)
(Joshua 19:1 NKJV) The second
lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to
their families. And their inheritance was within the inheritance of the
children of Judah.
They didn’t compete for land. They
cooperated and worked together.
Lesson
Working together
Things go a lot easier when we learn how to work together.
(Php 2:1–4
NKJV)
—1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if
any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by
being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of
mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not
only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
We are not in competition with the Baptist church down the street. We are
not competing with Eastside. We don’t compete with our landlords Searchlight.
We are all on the same team.
Sometimes when you meet other people and find out they are Christians (like
at work), we can tend to start comparing our churches. We can feel like we need
to make our church sound better than their’s.
We are all on the same team.
We all need to be working together to reach a lost world for Christ.
Sometimes people don’t do things as well as we can. So sometimes we just do things by
ourselves. That’s not always a good
idea.
We can still work together.
It’s good to include others in the journey. It’s good to allow others to
help.
:4 Then Judah went up, and the Lord
delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand; and they killed
ten thousand men at Bezek.
:5 And they found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and fought against him; and they
defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
:4 Bezek – Bezeq –
“lightning”
It is thought to be the modern village of Khirbet Ibziq in the West Bank,
about 22 km northeast of Shechem (Nablus).
It is also the place where Saul will gather his troops before rescuing
Jabesh-gilead (1Sam. 11:8-11)
:5 Adoni-Bezek – literally, “my lord is Bezek”, or, “Lord of Bezek”.
This is probably the man’s title, not his name.
Most think Bezek is northeast of Shechem (Nablus)
:6 Then Adoni-Bezek fled, and they pursued him and caught him and cut off
his thumbs and big toes.
:7 And Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut
off used to gather scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has
repaid me.” Then they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.
:7 thumbs and big toes cut off
The cutting off of this man’s thumbs and big toes was not something that
the nation of Israel did as a practice, as a “rule of thumb”.
The object of this kind of mutilation of the hands and feet was to keep a
man from ever being able to be an effective soldier.
Here it seems that the reason Israel did it to this man was because he had
a reputation of having done it to others.
:7 God has repaid me
Lesson
Reaping and Sowing
Jesus said we need to be careful how we treat other people. He said that
the way we treat others will determine how others treat us:
(Matthew 7:1–2
NKJV) —1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge,
you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to
you.
If you treat others harshly and unfairly, don’t be
surprised if someone comes around one day and treats you harshly and unfairly.
If you treat others with mercy and patience, you will find
that for the most part, people will treat you the same way.
In the days of Moses, a standard for just punishment was set:
(Exodus 21:24 NKJV)
eye
for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
An eye for an eye…
…and a toe for a toe…
Jesus said,
(Matthew 5:38–39
NKJV) —38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth
for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you
on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
This ruler realized that he was getting just what he deserved.
Jesus said,
(Matthew 7:12 NKJV)
Therefore,
whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and
the Prophets.
The Bible says,
(Galatians 6:7–8
NKJV) —7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows,
that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but
he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
:8 Now the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it; they
struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire.
:8 Jerusalem – Judah was given a portion of the city of Jerusalem.
They took their portion.
:9 And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the
Canaanites who dwelt in the mountains, in the South, and in the lowland.
:10 Then Judah went against the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron. (Now the
name of Hebron was formerly Kirjath Arba.) And they killed Sheshai,
Ahiman, and Talmai.
:10 Hebron … Kirjath Arba – “city of Arba”
Hebron (see map) is about twenty miles south, southwest of Jerusalem.
Joshua recorded that it was Caleb who conquered the city of Hebron. He was
an eighty-year old man when he did it.
:10 Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai
These were “sons of Anak”, giants.
This was recorded in the book of Joshua.
(Joshua 15:14 NKJV)
Caleb
drove out the three sons of Anak from there: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the
children of Anak.
Caleb was a giant killer … and he’s in his eighties
:11 From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. (The name of
Debir was formerly Kirjath Sepher.)
:11 Debir – “sanctuary”
The city of Debir is about 8 ½ miles southwest of Hebron.
It was a royal city for the Canaanites.
:12 Then Caleb said, “Whoever attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I
will give my daughter Achsah as wife.”
:13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so he
gave him his daughter Achsah as wife.
:12 Whoever attacks Kirjath Sepher
Caleb knew that there was land to conquer. He put out a challenge to see
who would help him conquer the land.
The warrior would be rewarded with the hand of Caleb’s daughter.
Caleb’s nephew decided to take up the challenge, and he won the girl.
:13 Othniel – We’ll see more of Othniel later. God isn’t finished
with him.
:14 Now it happened, when she came to him, that she urged him to ask
her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb
said to her, “What do you wish?”
:15 So she said to him, “Give me a blessing; since you have given me land
in the South, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper
springs and the lower springs.
:15 Give me a blessing
Two miles north of Debir are where these “springs” are located. The city is
completely dependent on these springs during the dry season for their water
supply.
Achsah wasn’t satisfied. She wanted more. She asked for more. She got more.
Lesson
Just ask
When Jacob wrestled all night with the Angel, the Angel said …
(Genesis 32:26
NKJV) “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go
unless You bless me!”
Jacob was desperate for blessing.
A man named Jabez prayed,
(1 Chronicles 4:10
NKJV) “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that
Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I
may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.
This is not a concept that some of us are comfortable with.
We have a hard time thinking that we should “deserve” a blessing.
I used to hear Pastor Chuck talk about how he started every morning asking
God to bless him.
He wasn’t talking about having lots of money and fancy
stuff, but blessing in the sense of spiritual blessings.
The truth is, we don’t deserve His blessing, but He gives it because of
grace, because of His great love for His children.
It’s been a part of my daily prayer for myself and my
wife. Every day.
I’ll pray Aaron’s blessing (Num. 6:24-26), or lately the
Hebrews blessing (Heb. 13:20-21).
(Numbers
6:24–26 NKJV) —24 “The Lord bless you
and keep you; 25
The
Lord make His face shine upon
you, And be
gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His
countenance upon you, And give you peace.” ’
(Hebrews
13:20–21 NKJV) —20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the
dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting
covenant, 21 make you
complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well
pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever
and ever. Amen.
:16 Now the children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up from the
City of Palms with the children of Judah into the Wilderness of Judah, which lies
in the South near Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.
:16 Kenite – “smiths”
The tribe of Moses’ father-in-law settled in the wilderness of Judah.
:16 City of Palms
Another name for the city of Jericho. The city was destroyed by Joshua, and
wouldn’t be rebuilt until the time of Ahab, but it seems that people still
referred to it by its location.
The Kenites went up from there to the “wilderness”
There is a vast desert south of Jerusalem
:17 And Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they attacked the
Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. So the name of the
city was called Hormah.
:17 Hormah – “destruction”
:18 Also Judah took Gaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory,
and Ekron with its territory.
:18 Gaza … Ashkelon … Ekron
Three of the main five Philistine cities
Gaza and Ashkelon are cities today. Gaza belongs to the Palestinians and
Ashkelon to Israel. Ekron is no longer a city.
Even though Judah conquered these cities, they were unable to actually
occupy them and drive the inhabitants out …
:19 So the Lord was with
Judah. And they drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the
inhabitants of the lowland, because they had chariots of iron.
:19 the lowland
The “lowland” was along the coast, occupied mainly by the Philistines.
The “mountains” in Israel are the hills that run north and south in the
middle of the land.
Here we begin to see the failure of the people to take all the land that
God had given to them.
:19 because they had chariots of iron
Did God have a problem with chariots of iron? Was this too difficult for
God?
The problem doesn’t lie in God’s abilities. The problem lies in man’s
ability to trust and obey.
:20 And they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said. Then he expelled from
there the three sons of Anak.
:21 But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who
inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in
Jerusalem to this day.
:21 Jerusalem
Shared by Judah and Benjamin
Judah had done its part (vs. 8), but Benjamin didn’t do its part.
It would be David who would finally drive out the Jebusites when he
reconquered the city after becoming the king of Israel. He then made Jerusalem
his capital (originally Hebron was his capital).
1:22-26 Joseph’s Battles
in verses 22-26 we have the account of how the tribe of Joseph conquered
the city of Bethel.
:22 And the house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them.
The house of Joseph was made up of two of the tribes – Ephraim and
Manasseh.
:23 So the house of Joseph sent men to spy out Bethel. (The name of the
city was formerly Luz.)
:24 And when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him,
“Please show us the entrance to the city, and we will show you mercy.”
:25 So he showed them the entrance to the city, and they struck the city
with the edge of the sword; but they let the man and all his family go.
:26 And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called
its name Luz, which is its name to this day.
:22 Bethel – “house of God”
This is the city where Jacob saw the angels on the ladder.
The place was originally known as “Luz”, but Jacob renamed it “Bethel”.
This would be one of the cities that Jeroboam would set up a golden calf as
a substitute to worshipping in Jerusalem.
It was in the center of Israel.
Today it looks like this.
:26 Luz – Luwz – “almond
tree”
This fellow would go start another town, and give it Bethel’s original
name, “Luz”
1:27-36 Failures
:27 However, Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth
Shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor
and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the
inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; for the Canaanites were determined to
dwell in that land.
:27 Beth Shean …Megiddo
Both cities are in the north.
Beit She’an is one of the very coolest of archaeological sites to visit in
Israel.
Megiddo is the site of Armageddon, and was a major city protecting a major
trade route.
:28 And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the
Canaanites under tribute, but did not completely drive them out.
:28 under tribute
Someone came up with the brilliant idea, “If you can’t beat them, tax
them”. And they did.
Reminds me of Joseph’s brothers – instead of killing Joseph they decided to
make a buck and sell him as a slave.
Verses 29-36 give us a list of the various places that the tribes of Israel
did not finish conquering during the days of the judges (though they would
later).
:29 Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; so the
Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
:30 Nor did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or the inhabitants
of Nahalol; so the Canaanites dwelt among them, and were put under tribute.
:31 Nor did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Acco or the inhabitants of
Sidon, or of Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob.
:31 Acco – Modern Haifa
:31 Sidon – home of the Phoenicians
:32 So the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the
land; for they did not drive them out.
:33 Nor did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh or the
inhabitants of Beth Anath; but they dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants
of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were
put under tribute to them.
:34 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountains, for
they would not allow them to come down to the valley;
:35 and the Amorites were determined to dwell in Mount Heres, in Aijalon,
and in Shaalbim; yet when the strength of the house of Joseph became greater,
they were put under tribute.
:36 Now the boundary of the Amorites was from the Ascent of
Akrabbim, from Sela, and upward.
2:1-23 The Cycle
We’re not going to move the clock back a bit to the time before Joshua’s
death.
:1 Then the Angel of the Lord
came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said:
We believe this is Jesus.
:1 “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to
your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you.
:2 And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you
shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you
done this?
:2 you have not obeyed My voice
Josephus records: (Antiquities, 5:2:132)
After this, the Israelites grew effeminate as to fighting any more
against their enemies, but applied themselves to the cultivation of the land,
which producing them great plenty and riches, they neglected the regular
disposition of their settlement, and indulged themselves in luxury and
pleasures; nor were they any longer careful to hear the laws that belonged to
their political government;
It's like the church at Laodicea.
They felt they were well off and didn’t need anything, but they were
“lukewarm” (Rev. 3:17)
(Revelation 3:17
NKJV) Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of
nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and
naked—
:3 Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they
shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to
you.’ ”
:4 So it was, when the Angel of the Lord
spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up
their voices and wept.
:5 Then they called the name of that place Bochim; and they sacrificed
there to the Lord.
:6 And when Joshua had dismissed the people, the children of Israel went
each to his own inheritance to possess the land.
:5 they called the name of that place Bochim
Bokiym – “weeping”
They wept over their lukewarmness
Lesson
Repentance
There are times when God needs to remind us that we are going the wrong
direction. Sometimes when we realize this, it causes us to “weep”.
Weeping isn’t enough.
(2 Co 7:8–11
NLT) —8 I
am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at
first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. 9 Now I am glad I
sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and
change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so
you were not harmed by us in any way. 10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to
experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret
for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in
spiritual death. 11 Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such
earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm,
such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You
showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right.
God is looking for sorrow that results in a change of
life.
:7 So the people served the Lord
all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who
had seen all the great works of the Lord
which He had done for Israel.
:8 Now Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died when he was one hundred and ten years old.
:9 And they buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath
Heres, in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash.
(Not sure where Timnath Heres – also called Timnath Serah – is, but most
likely in the West Bank)
:10 When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another
generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.
:10 another generation arose after them
Lesson
The next generation
I sometimes wonder if we’re passing on the important things to the next
generation … like baking cakes…
As parents, we have an obligation to teach our kids about the Lord.
Pass it on to the next generation.
God’s desire is that parents pass on their faith to their children.
(Deuteronomy 6:7
NKJV) You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of
them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down,
and when you rise up.
But Israel didn’t pass it on…
:11 Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals;
:12 and they forsook the Lord
God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they
followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were
all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger.
:13 They forsook the Lord and
served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
:13 served Baal and the Ashtoreths
These were the gods of the Canaanites.
One male, the other female.
You couldn’t tell the Israeli kids apart from the Canaanite kids.
– Ba‘al – “lord”.
The plural is actually “Baalim”. These were the gods of the
Canaanites. The name “Baal” simply means “lord”, and it is used in a couple of
different ways. The Canaanites worshipped Baal as the “sun-god”. Baal was also
the principle male god of the Phoenicians. But each city also had its own
variation of Baal, and the group of all the “Baals” of the cities could be
called “Baalim”.
:13 Ashtoreths –
The Phoenicians worshipped the sun, calling it “Baal”, and they worshipped
the moon, naming it “Ashtoreth”. She was the principle female deity of the
pagan world. She was called Ishtar by the Assyrians and Astarte by the Greeks.
:13 They forsook the LORD
Lesson
Tolerance leads to compromise
The Israelites had become “tolerant” of the religions around them. Instead
of “tearing down the altars” (2:2), they had learned to appreciate the
“diversity” in the religions practiced around them.
And as a result, they fell into the worship of these other gods.
Be careful about what you learn to “tolerate”.
:14 And the anger of the Lord
was hot against Israel. So He delivered them into the hands of plunderers who
despoiled them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so
that they could no longer stand before their enemies.
:15 Wherever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for calamity, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were
greatly distressed.
:15 against them for calamity
Lesson
Tough Times
Not all difficulties are not like these “calamities”
The book of Job is all about a good man going through difficult times.
His friends assumed that he must have done something bad
to deserve such trouble.
But Job’s difficulties were NOT because Job had sinned.
Sometimes difficulty comes because we have gone astray and God is trying to
encourage us to turn around.
(Hebrews 12:11
NKJV) Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful;
nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those
who have been trained by it.
:16 Nevertheless, the Lord
raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered
them.
:16 judges – shaphat – to
judge, govern, vindicate, punish
These “judges” (like the name of the book) were God’s appointed leaders
over the nation.
They weren’t kings, because God was considered the king.
They didn’t develop dynasties with their sons and grandsons continuing to
rule (though sometimes one generation might follow in leadership).
These men were acting as God’s servants, sometimes even as prophets
(speaking for God).
Sometimes these men led the armies of Israel.
:17 Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they played the harlot
with other gods, and bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in
which their fathers walked, in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do so.
:18 And when the Lord raised
up judges for them, the Lord was
with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days
of the judge; for the Lord was
moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed them and
harassed them.
:19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they reverted and
behaved more corruptly than their fathers, by following other gods, to serve
them and bow down to them. They did not cease from their own doings nor from
their stubborn way.
:17 Yet they would not listen
We’re going to see this pattern through the book of Judges.
One generation does well and follows the Lord.
They fall away and serve other gods.
Difficult times come and an enemy attacks.
The people repent, and God rescues them. The cycle
repeats.
Lesson
Rollercoaster
The book of judges is a continual roller coaster for Israel.
I used to love roller coasters, but I’m beginning to think I’m getting a
bit too old for them. Jungle Cruise is
about as exciting as I want to get right now.
Has your life been a giant roller coaster? Are you ready to get off?
Know Him
(Judges 2:10 NKJV) When all
that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose
after them who did not know the Lord
nor the work which He had done for Israel.
Know the Lord personally.
Jesus died on a cross because our sins have separated us from God.
God wants you to trust Him and know Him.
No compromise
(Judges 2:11 NKJV) Then the
children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals;
There are things that just don’t belong in our lives.
The Israelites started to look and act just like those around them that
didn’t know God.
He is patient. He waits. He grieves.
Compromise will bring you down.
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit will play a huge role in the book of Judges.
When God raises up a “judge”, a “deliverer”, he was a man filled with the
Holy Spirit.
(Galatians 5:16
NKJV) I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust
of the flesh.
Learn what it means to yield to the Holy Spirit.
Serve
(Judges 2:7 NKJV) So the
people served the Lord all the
days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had
seen all the great works of the Lord
which He had done for Israel.
Christianity is not a “spectator sport”.
Get down on the field and get into the game.
They say “Idle hands are the devil’s playground”. I believe it.
:20 Then the anger of the Lord
was hot against Israel; and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed My
covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not heeded My voice,
:21 I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which
Joshua left when he died,
:22 so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways
of the Lord, to walk in them as
their fathers kept them, or not.”
:23 Therefore the Lord left
those nations, without driving them out immediately; nor did He deliver them
into the hand of Joshua.
:22 through them I may test Israel
Lesson
Testing 1-2-3
God used these remaining Canaanites as a way of testing Israel.
He was testing them to see just how serious they were at following Him.
Sometimes God will use difficult times, things that make us uneasy, as ways
of testing us as well.
Illustration
A woman in a supermarket has been walking behind a grandfather and his
badly-behaved, 3-year-old grandson. It’s obvious to her that he has his hands
full with the child screaming for sweets in the sweet aisle, cookies in the
cookie aisle, and for fruit, cereal and soda in the other aisles. Meanwhile,
Granddad is working his way around, saying in a controlled voice, “Easy,
William, we won’t be long, easy, boy.” Another outburst, and she hears the
granddad calmly say, “It’s okay, William, just a couple more minutes and we’ll
be out of here. Hang in there, boy.” At the checkout, the little terror is
throwing items out of the cart, and Granddad says again in a controlled voice,
“William, William, relax buddy, don’t get upset. We’ll be home in five minutes;
stay cool, William.” Very impressed, the woman goes outside where the
grandfather is loading his groceries and the boy into the car. She said to the
elderly gentleman, “It’s none of my business, but you were amazing in there. I
don’t know how you did it. That whole time, you kept your composure, and no
matter how loud and disruptive he got, you just calmly kept saying things would
be okay. William is very lucky to have you as his grandpa.” “Thanks,” said the
grandfather, “but I’M William
... the little brat’s name is Kevin.”
Hang in there in the tough times.
This may just be a test.
I like the fact that the grandad recognized that he was the one being
tested.
Paul wrote,
(1 Corinthians
10:13 NKJV) No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man;
but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what
you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that
you may be able to bear it.