Judges 1 - 6

Failed To Drive Out

We begin a new book today. In contrast to the military leadership of Joshua, this book describes the charismatic leadership of different judges.  These were not people where were in any type of formal position in the priestly hierarchy, nor were they kings, or descendants of Moses necessarily.  These were people the Lord called when the people of Israel suffered under the stress and duress of the native inhabitants of the land.

If the tribal leaders had obeyed Joshua, then none of the trials described in Judges would have happened.  But in the first chapter of Judges we read repeatedly, "they failed to drive out..." This failure represented a disregard for the Word of the Lord from Joshua. It also showed a lack of regard and esteem for the promises of God. He promised to give them victory over the inhabitants of the land, but the people did not take God at His Word and did not obey Joshua. Thus in chapter 2 verse 10 we read, "After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel."

A cycle begins of Israel putting up with the inhabitants, then being oppressed by the inhabitants, the crying out to the Lord for relief, then the Lord calling an individual who delivers them from the oppressors, then some period of peace, then the deliverer dying, and the process repeating. The first Judge was Othniel - a descendant of Caleb.  He set the example for future Judges by destroying the altars of Baal and the king of Aram. There was forty years of peace during Othniel's judgeship. After he died, the people did evil in the site of God.

Some of the Judges have more written about the than others.  In the case of Shamgar, the third judge, there is only one verse (3:31) describing him.  For Deborah  and Barak, co-judges after Shamgar there are 2 chapters (4 and 5).  

Gideon is introduced in chapter 6. He was a reluctant judge, claiming to be from the weakest clan (6:15). I 6:13, when the angel of the Lord appears unto him, Gideon asks a tremendous question, "If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about?"  I think it was this insight that the Lord saw in Gideon and used to choose him as a judge.  Gideon's reluctance manifested in nearly all he did.  He had the angel show him a sign with an offering. After the Angel of the Lord  consumes the offering, Gideon is afraid the Lord will kill him. When he prepares to battle the Midianites, he places a fleece of wool before the Lord asking for dew to fall on it only and not the ground. After the Lord does this, he places the fleece, again, asking that the fleece remain dry and the ground be dewy.

There are several lessons for believers: We should always drive evil influences totally from our lives. If we take God at His Word, even though we have battles, we have the promise of victory. And, unlike Gideon, when the Lord calls us, reluctance only slows down His process.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.