Judges 9-10

King Abimelech. (Jg. 9:6,22 — Oh, you thought Saul was the first king of Israel? Well, now you are a bit better prepared for Bible Trivia Night!) Clearly, although Abimelech carries his father Gideon’s DNA, that DNA does not convey Gideon’s faith in the LORD. He convinces the men of Shechem to act wickedly, enabling him to murder his brothers. Though the scheme works for a while, and Abimelech is proclaimed king, God is not mocked. God brings their sin back upon their own heads, and they all come to a violent end. (Jg. 9:56-57)

So what are we supposed to do with this story? Why is it here? Why does wicked Abimelech occupy an entire chapter of the Bible, while many faithful people are barely mentioned, or not mentioned at all? When was the last time you heard a sermon about King Abimelech? Never? Hmm, me neither. Yet Judges 9 is here, so maybe we shouldn’t skip it.

It seems to me that at the very least this story portrays how things go when people abandon God and His ways — and we should be appalled, and warned. Remember, in this period of Israel’s history, even when God has a judge in place to deliver Israel from its oppressors, the inclination of Israel’s heart is progressively away from God. Idolatry is everywhere. Righteousness is scarce. And Abimelech and the men of Shechem are the natural result. The only reason we expect anything else is because God, in His mercy and compassion and steadfast love for Israel, shows up to deliver and sustain them.

Another thing we should see in this story is how God can use human actors — in their own wickedness — to accomplish His purposes. God does not confront Abimelech with leprosy. Nor does He smite him with lightning. Nor does He have the earth open up and swallow him alive. (He could, of course, do any of those things, as we have previously seen.) Instead, God lets the people of Shechem grow discontent with their own choice of Abimelech, so that in the end all the wicked actors destroy one another.

Maybe we should take heed and wake up to these realities. Maybe we should listen to the words of Jotham (Jg. 9:7-20), especially with regard to acting in good faith and integrity. Maybe we should honor the honorable and not make deals with scoundrels. Maybe we should walk in faith and obedience to the LORD, and not pursue our own agenda. In short, maybe we should repent.

Judges 6-8

Before we get any further into the book of Judges, I should mention that we need to be careful in how we read and interpret what we encounter here. The story of Gideon presents a great example. We know Gideon as a great hero of the faith. Even if you have never before read through Judges yourself, you’ve probably at least heard of Gideon and may even be reasonably familiar with his story. Our tendency then is to look at everything that such a hero does and assume it’s all a positive example, with the thought of “go and do likewise.” But that would be a mistake.

Take, for example, the bit about the fleece. (Jg. 6:36-40) Gideon twice asks the LORD for a sign to confirm the LORD’s direction, using the wetness or dryness of the fleece in contrast to the surrounding ground as the indicator. The LORD accommodates Gideon’s requests and provides the signs. Should we, then, follow suit? When the LORD tells us to do something, should we set up an array of tests to confirm His direction? Well, not really…

Let’s look at the situation a bit more closely. First of all, though Gideon has made a start, he is not yet a strong hero of the faith. The general environment of Israel is not one of faithful obedience, but of apostacy and idolatry. His father worships Baal, and (for all we know) Gideon may have, too, until now. So Gideon is not likely to be particularly acquainted with the LORD’s voice or even necessarily have a good sense of what direction the LORD might lead. The LORD’s direction seems to him to be entirely outside his wheelhouse. So it is understandable why he wants confirmation — and why the LORD accommodates him.

Gideon’s requests for signs demonstrate his unfamiliarity with the LORD, coupled with his fear and timidity, not wisdom. They are what did happen, not what should have happened. In reality, he had already been given a sufficient sign (Jg. 6:11-24) and should have simply obeyed. For us, we usually know deep down what the will of the LORD is, either from plain Scripture or from hearing His Holy Spirit, so asking for further signs is typically an indication of resistance to His will, an unwillingness to obey. The broader scope of Scripture tells us that when the LORD has already made Himself clear, we should not seek such signs or put the LORD to the test. (See Dt. 6:16; Mt. 4:7; 16:4; Mk. 8:12; Lk. 11:29.)

What then might we take away from this story of Gideon? Here are a few things to note:

• The LORD may accommodate our weaknesses, but He still expects our obedience
• The LORD can transform even the timid and fearful into people of faith and courage
• The LORD is all sufficient; He does not need a large army to fight His battles

So how about you? Is the LORD calling you out of your comfort zone? Are you putting Him off in any way? Might He be able to overcome whatever obstacles you see?

Judges 3:7-5:31

Straightaway we see the cycle from yesterday’s reading play out, first with Othniel (Judges 3:7-11), then Ehud (Judges 3:12-30), and Shamgar (though in very abbreviated fashion! Judges 3:31). Then we come to the story of Deborah. The mention of a woman in leadership should immediately wake us up, since that is clearly not the norm in the Biblical narrative. We should, in fact, be a bit shocked — not shocked that a woman can lead or that she can demonstrate courage and faith (of course she can!), but shocked at the absence of a man. In other words, Deborah’s story is simultaneously an extolling of her faith and a rebuke of the lack of faith in the men of her time. And so Deborah says to Barak, “The road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman” (Judges 4:9), referring to yet another woman, Jael, who kills Sisera by driving a tent peg through his temple. (Judges 4:17-22)

Barak, at least, answers Deborah’s call and leads the battle against Sisera — but only with assurance from Deborah that she will come along. Many more men likewise join in, men from Ephraim, Benjamin, Machir (i.e., Manasseh), Zebulun, Issachar, and Naphtali. But others, from Reuben, Gilead (i.e., Gad), Dan, and Asher, stay home. (Judges 5:15-17)

So where are you in the story? Are you there alongside Deborah calling for faith in the LORD and calling for action? Are you like Barak, responding to that call, perhaps a bit reluctantly, but still stepping forth in faith and in leadership? Are you a soldier in the army, offering [yourself] willingly (Jg. 5:2) in the battle? Or are you one staying home, perhaps with great searchings of heart (Jg. 5:15)?

Let the LORD speak to you through these stories and these characters. Let Him show you yourself. But even more, let Him show you Himself.

Judges 1-3:6

Israel now enters a new phase of its history, the period of the Judges. It is a time that we might just as well call “the yo-yo years.” Lacking the strong godly leadership of Moses and Joshua, the people of Israel rapidly descend into idolatry, which sets off a series of up-and-down cycles that follow this pattern:

• The LORD gives the people over to their enemies to discipline them
• The people suffer and groan, and the LORD has compassion on them, so He raises up a new leader (aka a “judge”) to deliver Israel from its enemies
• Under that judge, life improves
• But then the people again abandon the LORD and serve false gods
• And the cycle starts all over again

All of this is laid out for us in today’s reading, perhaps most clearly in Judges 2:11-23. We could almost just skip the rest of Judges and move on to Ruth. But we won’t. Why? Because the lessons we need to learn are learned (and remembered) best through stories, not just lectures. We will read some encouraging stories and some horrendous ones. We will meet some true heroes of the faith along the way. We might even meet ourselves. Hopefully, we will also see anew the steadfast love and faithfulness of our God, who ever longs to give life to His people, despite their (our) unfaithfulness to Him.

Joshua 23-24

Joshua comes to the end of his life’s journey. Like Moses, before he departs this life, Joshua exhorts the people of Israel to keep the covenant, to continue following the LORD, to cling to Him, and to utterly forsake any and all other gods. Under Joshua’s leadership, Israel is mostly faithful, serving the LORD. (Joshua 24:31) But Joshua knows that even then, there may be some riding the fence, so he challenges them to get off the fence and choose, making it clear where he himself stands:

Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Joshua 24:14-15

The fact that he mentions putting away other gods, strongly suggests that more than a few people still actively cling to those gods, despite all that the LORD has shown them since Egypt. The people confidently declare their allegiance to the LORD (Joshua 24:16-18), but Joshua knows better. He knows that, sincere as they might feel in the moment, they are kidding themselves. He knows they are unable to hold true to the LORD, because he knows that their hearts are already compromised. So he reiterates his exhortation: Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel. (Joshua 24:23)

And so I ask again: What holds you back from wholehearted devotion to Christ? What else pulls at your heart, demanding your attention? What else do you look to for security? Or for affirmation? Or for provision? Or for love? How do you spend your time? Or your money? Or your energy? Is Christ truly at the center of your life? Is He really on the throne? Indeed, is He your entire life? Why not?

Joshua 20-22

And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size. … And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them.

Joshua 22:10,12

I’m pretty sure that the first time I read this story, my first reaction was, “Say what? War? What’s the problem?” The problem is that the Torah forbids offering sacrifices anywhere other than on the LORD’s one altar at the Tabernacle. (See Leviticus 17:8–9; Deuteronomy 12:13–14.) The problem is the risk of idolatry. This extra altar is seen as a declaration of intent on the part of the eastern tribes to violate the covenant, to leave the LORD and go their own way. So a big “Bravo!” to the people of Israel for their zeal in guarding the faith here.

But when Phinehas and the chiefs of the western tribes confront Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, they learn that the altar’s actual intended purpose is exactly the opposite of rebellion. The eastern tribes do not intend for the altar to be used for sacrifices at all, but rather to be a marker of remembrance that the eastern tribes are united with the western tribes, that they likewise have a portion in the LORD. So a big “Bravo!” to the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh for their desire to protect their future generations from exclusion from Israel in worshipping the LORD.

And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh, “Today we know that the LORD is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the LORD. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the LORD.” … The people of Reuben and the people of Gad called the altar Witness, “For,” they said, “it is a witness between us that the LORD is God.”

Joshua 22:31,34

And so civil war is averted and all of Israel now has a monument testifying that the LORD is God.

So what lessons can we learn here? Well, for one, clear communication goes a long way toward good relations. The entire incident is essentially a misunderstanding that could have been avoided by better communication. What if, instead of taking it upon themselves to build the altar and leave without explanation, the eastern tribes had consulted with the western tribes first? What if they had gone to Phinehas and Joshua earlier and expressed their concerns of future exclusion from Israel? Might the leadership of all of Israel then have been able to agree upon a suitable safeguard? I expect that someone might well have proposed a different monument — a heap of stones, perhaps, as we have seen before (See Gen. 31:43-50; Joshua 4:1-10.) — something that would not be so easily mistaken as a violation of the covenant. Clear and timely communication can avoid any number of problems.

Another lesson to learn is to avoid making assumptions. Get all the facts before acting precipitously. Here both sides make assumptions. The eastern tribes assume that the western tribes will treat them unfairly and exclude them from worship. The main body of Israel, on the other hand, assumes evil intent on the part of the eastern tribes in building the altar. Given Israel’s track record, neither of these assumptions is particularly outlandish or unreasonable. Both make decent sense. But both are completely wrong. Fortunately, the western tribes do not just attack straightaway but instead do the right thing and have a conversation to clarify the truth.

So how about us? How might we do a better job of communicating in our own lives? What assumptions might we be making that contribute to misunderstandings and conflict? Do you have any broken relationships that need mending? Is there anyone you have wronged or offended to whom you need to apologize and from whom you need forgiveness? Go talk to them. Or is there someone who has wronged you, who needs your forgiveness? Go talk to them. Don’t let misunderstandings or wounds just sit there festering. Go talk it out.

Joshua 18-19

So the men went and passed up and down in the land and wrote in a book a description of it by towns in seven divisions. Then they came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh, and Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD. And there Joshua apportioned the land to the people of Israel, to each his portion.

Joshua 18:9-10

Remember that Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh previously laid claim to land east of the Jordan River. Judah, Ephraim, and the other half of Manasseh have likewise already received their portions within the Promised Land. Now it is time to divvy up the rest of the land among the remaining seven tribes to encourage them to take hold of their inheritance.

I don’t know about you, but textual descriptions of borders (especially using names of places that I’ve never visited) are a bit challenging for me. Perhaps a map is in order. Fortunately, Wikipedia has one freely available.

Yep. That’s easier.

One thing to note here is that the tribes do not get to pick and choose which bits of land to take for themselves. Instead, each tribe receives the land assigned to it by lot. Each tribe should gratefully accept its inheritance, take hold of it, put down roots, and thrive there.

The same idea applies to us, as much as our current secular society preaches otherwise. We certainly have an abundance of choices to make all the way through life, but there is much that we do not get to choose at all. We simply get the hand that we are dealt. For instance, I am mostly white. I had no choice in the matter. I was born in the U.S.A. I had no choice in the matter. I was born in the 1960s, not in the 1840s, nor the 1320s. I had no choice in the matter. And I was born a male. Again, I had no choice in the matter — and I still don’t, even though some may scream that I do.

Yes, as I go through life there are any number of circumstances that I can work to change or improve, and I should insofar as Christ calls me to do so. But there are some things I simply cannot change, and any desire or attempt on my part to change them is a slap in my sovereign Creator’s face. It is discontentment that leads only to misery for myself and anyone in my vicinity. And it is covetousness, which amounts to idolatry. (Col. 3:5)

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Reinhold Niebuhr

---

One more thing…

When the territory of the people of Dan was lost to them, the people of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and after capturing it and striking it with the sword they took possession of it and settled in it, calling Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor.

Joshua 19:47

Although Dan is given territory near the center of the map (northwest of Judah, west of Benjamin, and west and southwest of Ephraim), Dan loses this territory somehow (or never actually takes possession of it) and relocates to the far north, where the city of Dan is situated in the northeast of Naphtali. If you think this action runs counter to the idea of accepting one’s lot, you would be right. Nothing in the text should be construed as approval of Dan’s relocation. (See also Judges 18.)

Joshua 15-17

But the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the people of Judah could not drive out, so the Jebusites dwell with the people of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.

Joshua 15:63

However, [Ephraim] did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this day but have been made to do forced labor.

Joshua 16:10

Yet the people of Manasseh could not take possession of those cities, but the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land. Now when the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.

Joshua 17:12-13

It should be clear by now that any failure to drive out the Canaanites is not due to some weakness or inability on the part of the LORD God Almighty. So why the failure? Given what we’ve previously seen, I think it is reasonable to assume that not all the people of Israel are as wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD as Caleb. That is not to say that they are completely faithless or that they are in outright rebellion against the LORD. No. They are indeed pressing forward — somewhat — which just goes to say that they are a lot like us (or me, anyway)…

The early victories (in the power of the LORD) probably led many to start thinking something along these lines: “This is easier than I thought it would be. I must be a better fighter than I imagined. And these Canaanites are wusses. I can do this!” And so, they drift into self-reliance, meaning less trust in the LORD. Of course, the consequence of such self-reliance (and forgetting the LORD) is the subsequent train of thought along these lines: “Some of these Canaanites aren’t wusses at all. They have chariots of iron. I’m not that good a fighter. I can’t do this! Maybe we should call a truce.” And so, the Canaanites are not fully driven out.

Sound familiar?

Continuing with the allegorical notion that the Canaanites represent sin in our lives, our objective should be to utterly drive out that sin, but we, like Israel, generally stop short and do not fully accomplish that objective. We fall into the same patterns of thinking as they, and we surrender to some “acceptable” level of sin that “isn’t too bad.” Let’s break that pattern here and now. Let’s re-engage the enemy, but not in our own strength. We cannot fight this battle alone. We must fully rely on Christ to gain the victory. He just needs our cooperation.

Joshua 12-14

Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the LORD my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’ … ”

Joshua 14:6-9

We know Caleb as one of the twelve spies who looked over the Promised Land early on, just a year after leaving Egypt. Of those twelve spies, only Caleb and Joshua trusted the LORD to drive out the inhabitants of the land. (See Numbers 13-14.) At that time, Caleb was forty years old. Now he is 85, and only Caleb and Joshua survive from that generation, the rest having died in the wilderness wanderings.

Note what sets Caleb apart. It is not his excellent livestock handling skills. (We know nothing about those, if any.) It is not his wealth. (We know nothing of that.) It is not his rugged good looks. (We know nothing of those, either.) It is not even his strength and skill as a warrior. (We can surmise that he has those.) What sets Caleb apart is simply this: he wholly followed the LORD.

It is now time for Caleb to receive the land that the LORD had promised to give him. (Num. 14:24; Dt. 1:36; Joshua 14:9) It is fitting that Caleb should be the first to receive an inheritance. He has been at the front of the line for 45 years. But an even better reward than the real estate is the testimony that the Scriptures continue to bear to Caleb: he wholly followed the LORD, the God of Israel. (Joshua 14:14b)

May we, like Caleb, follow the LORD fully. May we dedicate ourselves to Christ with wholehearted devotion, so that one day we might hear our Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Mt. 25:21)

Joshua 9-11

Today’s reading covers the bulk of Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land. With Jericho and Ai in hand, Joshua moves on to further territory. But the people of Gibeon (and neighboring towns — a bit north-northwest of Jerusalem) recognize the coming destruction and preemptively undertake a deceptive plan to make peace, claiming to have traveled from a far country. Without consulting the LORD, Joshua and the other leaders of Israel agree to let the Gibeonites live. Even when the deception is uncovered, Joshua decides to let the covenant stand.

The other cities in the area, perceiving that they cannot each stand alone, form an alliance against Israel (and Gibeon), but the LORD gives them into Joshua’s hand, raining down hail on the enemy and making the sun and moon stand still for about a day. Joshua then moves on to conquer first the southern portions of the land and then the northern areas, annihilating everyone along the way. And the land had rest from war. (Joshua 11:23)

One reason this post is a bit late today is that I’m having a hard time choosing which of three points to focus on. (Given how much ground we cover each day, that is not particularly unusual!) I can’t decide, so today you’re getting all three…

First, the treaty with the Gibeonites. Even though Israel’s covenant with Gibeon is based on Gibeon’s deceit and made without seeking the LORD’s counsel, that does not create a loophole for Joshua to jump through. A promise is a promise, especially one made in the name of the LORD. Joshua is not free to break that promise. We might think that the LORD would rebuke Joshua here for failing to wipe out Gibeon, but He does not. Aside from noting the failure to seek the LORD’s counsel, our reading today is silent on what the LORD thinks of the covenant, except that He clearly lets it stand. In fact, the LORD later ratifies the covenant, showing His displeasure with Saul for violating it. (See II Samuel 21:1-14.) We should learn at least two things from this: 1) seek the LORD’s counsel before making any substantive decisions and especially before making promises; and 2) keep your promises.

Second, the miracle of the sun standing still. If you find the idea of stopping the earth’s rotation for a day to be ludicrous, let me refer you back to Genesis 1:1 and this year’s very first post. God can do whatever He pleases with His creation. Making the sun stand still is certainly extraordinary (as Joshua 10:14 clearly states), but we should not therefore find it unbelievable. In speaking of this miracle (and miracles in general), Saint Augustine says much the same thing:

In regard then to human knowledge of the nature of things, the unbelievers have no right to becloud the issue by their assumption that nothing, even by the power of God, can happen to nature beyond what is known already by human experience. And remember too that there are qualities and powers in the natures of the commonest things that are nothing less than stupendous and would in fact be reckoned portents by anyone who examined them, except that humans have accustomed themselves to have no wonder to spare save for things that are unusual.

Augustine of Hippo, City of God 21.8

Though written in the early fifth century, Augustine might just as well be speaking to the 21^st-century physicist.

Third, the annihilation of the enemies of Israel. Although this is an account of real history and real events, we can also take this book somewhat allegorically. Consider again the idea of Joshua as a type of Christ. And consider Joshua’s conquest of the peoples of the land as a portrayal of Christ’s conquest of sin in our lives. The people of Israel can no more conquer the inhabitants of the land on their own any more than we can conquer sin on our own. In both cases, it is the LORD Who gives the victory. But just as the people of Israel must themselves take up the sword and participate in the battles, so we must cooperate with the LORD and actively engage in annihilating sin. I have said it before, and I will say it again, and I will keep on saying it: Christ died so that we might be free from sin, not just sin’s penalty. He died to annihilate sin in us, not to enable us to keep on sinning without consequence.