The Judges. Day 10, The Fourth Judge: Deborah, Part One

We begin Chapter 4 and our study of the only known female judge of Israel.

"Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, now that Ehud was dead." (Judges 4:4) Shamgar was the judge between Ehud and Deborah but, as we saw yesterday, only one verse of the Bible was devoted to his exploits. That brief description didn't include the length of time he held the position of judge. That time period may have been quite short, which would explain why the Bible indicates that the people started doing wrong again as soon as Ehud passed away.

Because the people have gone astray, the Lord allows them to be oppressed again by an enemy. "So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor." (Judges 4:2a) This is not the same Jabin of Hazor who was defeated in battle by Joshua over a hundred years earlier. Scholars speculate that "Jabin" was a royal title. If that's the case, we can compare it to the tradition in ancient Egypt of calling each king "Pharaoh" or the tradition in ancient Rome of calling each emperor "Caesar". There's also the possibility that "Jabin" was a dynastic designation, meaning that all the direct descendants of the royal line stemming from the original Jabin are being referred to as "the house of Jabin", if you will. An example of this type of designation is the calling of King David's royal line "the house of David". 

Jabin gains the upper hand over Israel through the military cunning of his army general, Sisera, and by the use of advanced military equipment. "Sisera, the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim. Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help." (Judges 4:2b-3) 

The first king who oppressed the Israelites made them his subjects for eight years. The second king who oppressed the Israelites made them his subjects for eighteen years. Now Jabin makes them his subjects for twenty years. It appears to be taking longer for each successive generation to repent or to learn from the correction being applied. As we've said before, the Lord only applies as much discipline as is needed and He only applies it for as long as it is needed. He's allowed Jabin to oppress Israel for twenty years either because it took that long for those who had fallen into idolatry to turn back to the Him or because the time of hardship needed to be that long so that generation would not forget it and make the same mistakes over. Human beings have a tendency to be stubborn and to learn a lot of lessons the hard way. Sometimes the Lord allows unpleasant circumstances to go on for a little while past our repentance so that we don't forget how bad the consequences of sin are. He doesn't want us to remember our sinful past with fondness. For example, you'll recall how the Israelites grumbled against Moses in the wilderness and recalled their time in Egypt fondly, glossing over the memories of their hardships in favor of remembering the plentiful food they enjoyed there. 

At the end of twenty years, the Lord sends deliverance through the person who succeeded Shamgar as judge. "Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided." (Judges 4:4-5) 

Deborah hears legal cases and hands down verdicts. She also, as a prophetess, receives messages from the Lord. She relays a message from the Lord to a man named Barak whom the Lord is calling to lead Israel's army in a campaign against the Canaanite oppressors. "She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, 'The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: 'Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor.'" (Judges 4:6)

Deborah herself has a part to play in this endeavor. She tells Barak, 'I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.'" (Judges 4:7) I believe the battle strategy has been laid out by the Lord, just as the battle strategies for Israel's previous successful attacks have been laid out by the Lord. 

Barak is willing to fulfill his calling to lead the army of Israel if Deborah goes with him to Kedesh to summon the troops. Barak believes the Lord is able to do what He says He's going to do but he will feel better in the company of a human being whose presence comforts him. He believes that being in the presence of Deborah, upon whom is the anointing of the Holy Spirit and upon whom great authority has been granted, will comfort him. He will feel strengthened and supported for the task ahead.

Barak has been criticized by a lot of scholars and pastors and commentators for asking Deborah to go with him instead of going alone to call the troops to battle. Many people find his behavior "unmanly" when he asks a woman to accompany him. But I think the reason a lot of people feel this way is because they are being sexist, whether they realize it or not. Naturally Barak feels a bit apprehensive about asking thousands of men to trust him enough to follow him into battle. He wants Deborah with him because of the political and spiritual position she holds in the nation. Her presence will lend political and spiritual authority to Barak's call to arms. Deborah is the judge of Israel, chosen by God. The fact that she happens to be a female political leader is neither here nor there. She is also a person of spiritual authority, for the Lord has given her the gift of prophecy. The fact that she happens to be a female prophet is neither here nor there. I daresay that very few people, if any, would have found fault with Barak if he had asked a male judge and prophet to accompany him to rally the troops. 

Join us tomorrow as Deborah tests him to see whether he's confident enough in his manhood to be comfortable sharing the credit for victory with a woman. He will answer in the affirmative, which I find admirable, for it displays his respect for women and for the gifts God bestows upon women.

The Judges. Day 9, The Second And Third Judges: Ehud And Shamgar, Part Two

We were told in yesterday's passage that Israel's second judge was Ehud of the tribe of Benjamin. He was described as a left-handed man, which will be important later, and today we are told that he was the person selected to take tribute to King Eglon of Moab who had managed, with the help of the Ammonite and Amalekite kings, to subject Israel for eighteen years. When King Eglon sees Ehud, he will appear to him like just another messenger bringing him the taxes he's imposed upon Israel. But the Lord has placed a calling upon Ehud's life; in yesterday's passage we found the Bible calling him "a deliverer".

"The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a cubit long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man." (Judges 3:15b-17) Eglon has lived a life of wealth and excess. He is morbidly obese. The Bible doesn't often provide us with physical descriptions of the characters contained within its pages but when it does there's a reason for it. Momentarily we will see why Eglon's obesity and Ehud's left-handedness set the scene for an Israelite victory.

Ehud has not come to Moab alone. "After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it." (Judges 3:18) The amount of tribute is too large for one man to carry. He is the man chosen to interact with the king but an entourage had to come with him to carry the amount of tribute (gold and silver and perhaps other valuable goods) that had been assessed. After presenting the tribute, Ehud sees his fellow Israelites off on their journey and then turns around and re-enters the king's presence. "But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, 'Your majesty, I have a secret message for you.' The king said to his attendants, 'Leave us!' And they all left." (Judges 3:18-19)

Eglon is currently headquartered at the "City of Palms" which is believed to be Jericho itself or an area just outside of Jericho. In yesterday's study we were told that Eglon took this city away from Israelite control when he and his allies attacked the Israelites and made them the subjects of the kingdom of Moab. Gilgal is within three miles of Jericho and is where the Israelites set up camp before, during, and for a while after conquering Jericho. We find Ehud leaving the king's presence and seeing his entourage off on their journey, but when he reaches "the stone images near Gilgal" (possibly an idolatrous display located there) he turns back and asks for a private audience with the king. The king thinks there's no harm in granting his request. Ehud is alone and is left-handed which was thought to be a handicap in the ancient world. Not only that, but since the majority of people are right-handed (about 90%), a man who is on the alert for a weapon to be drawn will be watching the right hand, not the left hand. It will catch the king off guard when Ehud draws his sword with his left hand. 

The king himself is no warrior. He may have been at one time, but his days of being a young and physically fit man are far behind him. A man in his condition is not able to successfully participate in hand-to-hand combat. When Ehud pulls his weapon, the king won't be able to move quickly enough to evade him. "Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace and said, 'I have a message from God for you.' As the king rose from his seat, Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king's belly. Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them." (Judges 3:20-23) It's easy to see why Ehud left his sword imbedded in the king. Not only was it covered in waste but concealment of it as he made his exit was rendered impossible with blood and offal dripping off it. 

"After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, 'He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the palace.' They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead." (Judges 3:24-25) What an inglorious way for the king of Moab to meet his end! It's doubtful there's anything his servants could have done to save his life since his injury was so grievous but Ehud removed Eglon's slight chance of survival by locking the door. Eglon's servants presumed he had locked the door for privacy while using the bathroom. Their supposition was aided by smelling the aroma of his evacuated bowels coming from underneath the door. They waited quietly and respectfully for quite some time for him to unlock the door but he did not. After a while they must have called or knocked and, receiving no answer, realized something was wrong. Upon opening the door they found him lying dead and his cause of death would not have been immediately apparent, for we were told that the fat had closed completely around the hilt of the sword. There must have been at least a few moments in which the king's servants believed he had perished of natural causes.

While this long scene is playing out, Ehud makes his escape. "While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the stone images and escaped to Seirah. When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them. 'Follow me,' he ordered, 'for the Lord has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands.' So they followed him and took possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab; they allowed no one to cross over. At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not one escaped. That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years." (Judges 3:26-30) During the eighteen years Israel was subject to Moab, the people who had turned to idolatry repented and turned back to the Lord and cried out to Him. Though we are not told how and when this happened, the Lord called Ehud to lead Israel to victory over the Moabites and the Lord laid out a plan for Ehud to follow. Ehud, in turn, laid the plan out for the soldiers of Israel, who were waiting for him to blow the trumpet as the signal that the king was dead and it was time to attack his army. 

It's interesting how the Lord can take what is considered a weakness (the ancient opinion that a left-handed man was be disqualified as a warrior) and make it into a strength. A right-handed man might not have been successful in killing the king of Moab, for the king of Moab might have caught onto what was happening just in time to evade the sword. Ehud was successful because he possessed this "handicap", not in spite of it. 

There might be things about us that we feel disqualify us as mighty soldiers for the Lord but the Lord knows what qualifications are needed for His army! The very thing that we consider a disadvantage may be what gives us the advantage. Moses, as you'll recall, evidently had some sort of speech impediment that he felt disqualified him from delivering the children of Israel from Egypt, yet no one can argue that Moses did a phenomenal job (with the Lord's help) of not only bringing the Israelites out of Egypt but of also leading them in the wilderness for forty years. Moses has given some impressive speeches in the Old Testament, hasn't he? That's because, as the saying goes, little is much when God is in it! God can take our weaknesses and turn them into strengths. God can make advantages out of disadvantages. The very thing we think hinders our progress forward may be the very thing the Lord uses to bring us great victories. His ability to do such things glorifies His name, for when He is strong in our weakness it becomes evident that the power is from Him and not from human strength and ingenuity. His ability to use fragile and weak creatures like us brings honor and praise to Him. And when we honor and praise Him, our faith grows. And when our faith grows, He can use us to do even greater things in His name. And when we do greater things in His name, our faith grows even more, and our testimony becomes more and more impressive, and others want to know Him like we know Him, and souls are saved.

The Bible only provides us with one verse concerning Shamgar, Ehud's successor, but he also did mighty things in the name of the Lord. "After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel." (Judges 3:31) An oxgoad is a strange weapon but when wielded by command of the Lord it became a powerful weapon. Shamgar probably did not kill six hundred Philistines in the same battle, as this is likely the total of Philistines he killed in his lifetime, but it's interesting to note he didn't choose a sword for a weapon. Battles are not always won with the most obvious and most common implements of war. Battles are won when we used the weapons God places in our hands, and those weapons may be unusual and they may appear too weak to do the job, but no weapon the Lord places in His children's hands will ever be too weak to do the job. If we follow His instructions, victory is assured.

The Judges. Day 8, The Second And Third Judges: Ehud And Shamgar, Part One

Israel's first judge, Othniel of the tribe of Judah, who was both the nephew and the son-in-law of Caleb, died after leading Israel for forty years. After his death the people fell into idolatry again. The remainder of Chapter 3 deals with the next two judges: Ehud and Shamgar. It will take us two days to complete this chapter.

"Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord, and because they did this evil the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel." (Judges 3:12) The first time they fell into idolatry they were made the subjects of Cushan-Rishathaim, the king of Aram Naharaim, for eight years. During the days Othniel was judge, they were not subject to anyone. But they've fallen into the bondage of sin again and as a form of correction the Lord allows them to become subject to another king. 

The Moabites were related to the Israelites, for Moab was one of the sons of Abraham's nephew Lot, but the Moabites had an intense hatred for the Israelites. They are not powerful enough, however, on their own to subdue the Israelites. Moab's king calls upon two of his allies to help him. 

"Getting the Ammonites and the Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms." (Judges 3:13) The Ammonites were descended from Lot's other son, Ammon. This is not the only time in the Bible that we'll find the Ammonites allying themselves with enemies of Israel. The Amalekites are thought to be descended from the family line of Esau, Jacob's brother. Esau had a son named Eliphaz who fathered a son named Amalek. This means the Amalekites, along with the Moabites and Ammonites, were related to the Israelites. Yet the Amalekites attacked the Israelites after they came out of Egypt in Exodus 17 and will continue attacking them at every opportunity. The Moabites, Ammonites, and Amalekites join forces here in Chapter 3 to fight against someone they consider their common enemy: Israel.

The City of Palms is believed to be a reference to Jericho or to the region around Jericho. We know Jericho was the first city conquered by the Israelites after they crossed the Jordan River into the promised land. Eglon manages to take control of that area out of Israelite hands and at the same time he makes Israel his subject for a longer period of time than Israel was made subject to the king of Aram. "The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years." (Judges 3:14) Were their idolatrous sins even more shocking this time than last time, causing the Lord to have to apply a longer period of discipline? Or were they more stubborn about renouncing their false gods this time, so that it took eighteen years instead of eight years for them to repent and turn back to the Lord? The Bible doesn't provide us with those details but as we said yesterday, the Lord doesn't apply discipline for a longer time than is needed. He knows exactly what type of correction we need and how long to administer it. He doesn't do anything out of spite; He doesn't pile on more discipline than necessary and He doesn't drag it out longer than necessary. 

The discipline has the desired effect in time: it leads to repentance. "Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and He gave them a deliverer---Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite." (Judges 3:15a) The Lord hears their cry for help and places a calling on the life of a man who will deliver them from their oppressor.

As we continue our passage tomorrow, we'll find out why Ehud's left-handedness is important to this story. But for now we'll close by thinking about how giving themselves to the bondage of sin caused the ancient Israelites to fall into bondage to other nations. Having to pay tribute to a foreign king was just the outward proof of what was going on in their hearts: they had given in to sin and had become enslaved by it.

Sin never sets us free! We may have the attitude that we'll do what we want when we want. We may stubbornly insist that we have the right to live our lives however we choose. But the truth is, sin always enslaves us. We are never less free than when we are living in rebellion to God. As the Lord Jesus phrased it, "Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin." (John 8:34)  

The Judges. Day 7, The First Judge: Othniel

As Chapter 3 opened we were told that many members of the new generation of Israelites living in the promised land fell prey to the seductive lure of idolatry.  

The Lord promised the Israelites that no enemy could stand before them if they would remain faithful to Him. Likewise, He warned them that they would not be able to stand before their enemies if they do not remain faithful to Him. "If you follow My decrees and are careful to obey My commands...I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you...But if you will not listen to Me and carry out all these commands, and if you reject My decrees and abhor My laws and fail to carry out all My commands and so violate My covenant...I will set My face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you." (Leviticus 26:3,6-8,14-15,17) 

In today's passage, as we learn about the first judge of Israel, we find the Lord's warning coming true. Some of the new generation chose not to follow His decrees and obey His commands. As discipline He allows an enemy to gain the upper hand over them for a time. "The Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that He sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishahaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years." (Judges 3:7-8) 

Nothing is known of this king outside of the Bible; or rather, he is not known by the name of "Cushan-Rishahaim" outside of the Bible. The name by which he is called in the Bible means "double wickedness" or "twice evil", which is probably a derogatory title given to him by the Israelites or by his other enemies. No details are provided to us about how he managed to make the Israelites his subjects for eight years but these details weren't as important to the author of Judges as the reason for Israel's subjugation: their unfaithfulness to the Lord.

When we are unfaithful to the Lord, unpleasant circumstances are going to befall us sooner or later. There are natural consequences to living in opposition to God's holy laws, for one thing. For another thing, He disciplines His children. If we do not heed His voice of warning and keep rushing toward danger, He will have to do something to cause us associate unpleasant circumstances with our disobedience. Our earthly parents often had to resort to causing us to associate an unpleasant circumstance with our disobedience (a timeout, the removal of a privilege, etc.) and the Lord, who is a good Father, employs similar methods to impress upon us the importance of not making the same mistakes over and over. In our passage today we find the Lord bringing an unpleasant circumstance upon Israel: becoming subject to a heathen king. The Lord allowed this circumstance to continue for eight years, perhaps because it took eight years for widescale repentance to occur. When the Lord allows unpleasant circumstances for correction, He only leaves us in those circumstances as long as is necessary. 

"But when they cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, who saved them." (Judges 3:9) The first judge of Israel is Caleb's nephew and son-in-law, Othniel. Othniel already demonstrated his bravery and his faithfulness to the Lord when he led the charge to attack the heavily fortified city of Debir (also known as Kiriath Sepher) in Joshua 15. 

Othniel is still a brave man who is still faithful to the Lord. "The Spirit of the Lord came on him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died." (Judges 3:10-11) This victory was so decisive that no enemy dared trouble Israel for the remainder of Othniel's lifetime. He led the nation as judge for forty years after winning this battle.

As we move through the Old Testament we'll find a number of the people falling into idolatry a number of times. But the Lord always has a remnant who are faithful to Him. Othniel is an example of this, as are those who followed him into battle. More importantly, though, we find that the Lord is always faithful to Israel. He never turned His back on Israel and walked away, no matter how many times a portion of the people turned their backs on Him. Though some of the people violated the terms of their covenant with Him, He never violated the terms of His covenant with them. Many of the promises of the Bible are conditional upon man's faithfulness but some of them are conditional only upon the faithfulness of God. He made a covenant promise long ago to Abraham to make a great nation---a chosen people---of Abraham's descendants. This promise was not conditional upon anything Abraham did or didn't do. It was conditional only upon the faithfulness of God.

He has been faithful to you and to me as well. I am in a covenant relationship with God the Father through God the Son, and although I have failed Him a number of times, He's never turned His back on me and walked away. My inclusion in the family of God depends solely on what Christ did on the cross; I did nothing to save myself (other than to believe) and it is Christ who keeps me saved. My heavenly Father has to correct my behavior from time to time but He has never disowned me. Nor will He. My salvation doesn't hinge on perfectly keeping every law and commandment (which I cannot do) but it hinges on the One who did perfectly keep every law and commandment and who gave His life for me and who rose in victory from the grave to prove that His sacrifice on my behalf was enough once and for all. 

In the Bible we see the depravity of man clearly illustrated. We see the unfaithfulness of man on display. But at the same time we see the holiness of God clearly illustrated. We find the faithfulness and goodness of God on display. It is only because of His faithfulness and His goodness that we have obtained mercy and forgiveness. It is only because of His great love that He offers us a means of salvation.

The Judges. Day 6, The First Test

In Chapter 1 the author of Judges told us that within each tribe's allotment there were still settlements maintained by the nations that occupied the promised land before the Lord brought Israel into it. In some cases the remaining tribes of Canaan fought so fiercely to hold onto their settlements that they prevented the Israelites from using all the land that the Lord intended to be theirs. In other cases the Israelites managed to subject them to forced labor. 

Even in the areas where the Israelites have driven the heathens out, in Wednesday's study we found the Lord scolding them for not ridding the land of all the idolatrous altars and idolatrous images. He stated that this was why they were not able to completely conquer their allotments; they had not been fully obedient to Him. Their faith would have been stronger if they'd destroyed all these sinful centers of worship. Their faith would have been strong enough to continue taking hold of the entire land. The Lord said they would not be able to drive out any more heathen peoples until they gave this matter their full attention and obedience. As we begin Chapter 3 we'll take a look at who continues to occupy the promised land along with Israel. 

"These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan." (Judges 3:1) You'll recall from Wednesday's study that in addition to Joshua, the elders who were his contemporaries have also passed on. The people who had witnessed the Lord's miraculous provision in the wilderness have passed on. The soldiers who experienced the Lord helping them conquer armies more powerful than theirs have passed on. The Bible told us in Judges 2:10, "After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who neither knew the Lord nor what He had done for Israel." They knew intellectually what He had done but they had not seen it with their own eyes. 

The new generation was raised in the prosperity of the promised land and had never fought a battle. They should have fought some battles because the Lord had commanded Israel to eradicate their entire inheritance of the heathen tribes of Canaan, but the living was easy just as it was. Sure, there were pagan settlements and fortified garrisons here and there throughout the land the Lord intended to belong solely to Israel, but the Israelites had cleared enough territory to be able to live reasonably comfortably without being too bothered by the Canaanites. When the Bible says the Lord left nations to test the new generation, it's not that He didn't know what they would do, it's because He was giving them a choice to step up their faith. They could continue to share the land with people they were supposed to drive out (and in the process they could fall prey to idolatry), or they could finish the work their forefathers started and gain the kind of faith their forefathers had and witness the kind of miracles their forefathers witnessed. 

I have been guilty of the same "good enough" attitude that the ancient Israelites were guilty of in our current chapter. I've been contented with less than what the Lord wanted to give me. I've subsisted on a lower faith level than where the Lord called me to be. I've been comfortable with mediocre spirituality. I've compromised on matters where I should have stood firm. As a result, I am positive I have not experienced all the victories and all the faith-building breakthroughs that could have been mine. I can't point an accusing finger at anyone who has lived on a "good enough" level, or who has been reluctant to step out of their comfort zone, because I've done it myself and will likely do it many more times. 

The Lord wanted to teach warfare to the new generation: military warfare and spiritual warfare. Instead of driving the heathen nations out Himself, He expected the soldiers of Israel to engage them in battle. He was going to be with them in battle, of course, but they had to take the initiative like their forefathers did. The Bible clearly tells us that He meant this for their own good. "He did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience." (Judges 3:2) 

Just as our parents and teachers didn't do everything for us when we were growing up, the Lord isn't going to do all the work of ridding the promised land of the nations who occupied it before them. He will lend His help, just as our parents and teachers helped us as we learned to do new things and as we took on new responsibilities. But if someone does everything for us, we become soft and weak. That isn't good for us. Being soft and weak militarily or spiritually was not good for Israel. The Lord wanted the new generation to go on the offensive and begin taking every remaining inch of the promised land.

These are those who remained to be fought: "The five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath. They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord's commands, which He had given their ancestors through Moses." (Judges 3:3-4) 

We have to keep in mind that the test is for the students, not for the teacher. The Lord knew what they would do. They didn't know what they would do. We often think we know what we'd do if presented with a particular set of circumstances but until we are actually faced with those circumstances we aren't really being tested. I've failed some of those tests! I've failed some tests I expected to pass with flying colors. If anybody had told me I was going to mess up in some of the ways I've messed up, I wouldn't have believed them. But that's what happens when we become too soft and weak and comfortable. We can start having too much confidence in ourselves because the living is too easy. When the living is too easy we aren't building any spiritual muscle. Then, when faced with a temptation or problem, we aren't strong enough for battle. I think that's what happened to the new generation in the promised land here in Chapter 3. Their forefathers did most of the work for them. Instead of finishing the work, they are comfortable enough with the pockets of heathen tribes living among them. They are comfortable and they don't want to make themselves uncomfortable. We don't like being uncomfortable, do we? Going on the offensive and taking the initiative against something that shouldn't be in our lives requires us to step out of our comfort zone. It requires us to step up our faith. That can be hard work and the carnal side of our nature prefers taking the easy path.

Because it was comfortable to compromise, this is what happened: "The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods." (Judges 3:5-6) 

We fool ourselves when we think small compromises here and there aren't going to hurt anything. I'm sure that's what the new generation thought too. Leaving heathen settlements here and there in the less desirable regions of the mountains or the deserts didn't seem like that big of a deal. They thought they could ignore and avoid these people. Subjecting some of the pagan clans of the land to forced labor didn't seem like that big of a deal either. The one who does the subjecting is the one in control, or so it seemed to them, and the new generation thought they were in control and were going to remain in control. They thought they were keeping the lid on the pot, so to speak, but the pot eventually boiled over. When we begin compromising our values we are under the illusion that we are still in control. We fool ourselves into thinking we have the lid firmly on the pot and that we'll be able to keep the lid firmly on the pot. But sin doesn't like to stay in the pot. The more we have contact with sin, the more it heats up until eventually it boils over and burns us. That's why the Apostle Paul urges us to daily submit ourselves to the Lord (he refers to this as making "a living sacrifice") and to focus on Him in everything we do, for compromising with the world will get us out of the will of God and cause us to make mistakes we never thought we'd make. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God---this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is---His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:1-2)

The Judges. Day 5, A Summary Of Disobedience

Today the author of Judges gives us a brief recap of the behavior of the nation during the days of Joshua and the days of the men of his generation who outlived him. Then we are given a summary of the behavior of the nation during the era of the judges.

You'll recall that Joshua made a speech not long before his death and urged the people to commit themselves to the Lord and remain faithful to Him. He stated his intention to serve the Lord and encouraged them to do the same. Then he dismissed the assembly and each tribe went to their own allotment to begin building new lives in the promised land. Our text today begins there. "After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to their own inheritance. The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel. Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash." (Judges 2:6-9) 

When the generation died out that had witnessed the mighty works of God in the wilderness and in the conquest of the land, a new generation arose in the land of plenty. "After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done for Israel." (Judges 2:10) It's not that the new generation didn't know about the things the Lord had done for Israel; it's that they had not been present when those miracles occurred. A new generation arose that had not eaten manna in the wilderness or drunk water from the rock. A new generation arose that had not seen the parting of the Jordan River or the miraculous fall of the wall of Jericho or the power the Lord gave Israel's army over the bigger and more powerful armies of the land of Canaan. I suppose we could say this generation was "soft" due to the abundant prosperity they were born into and, as we've pointed out before, prosperity can be more of a threat to faith than hardship. It doesn't have to be that way, not if we remain close to the Lord every day, but it's a human tendency to spend more time in prayer when we are in distress than when we are comfortable.

What did a number of the people do when they were feeling comfortable? "Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them." (Judges 2:10-12a) Some entirely rejected the Lord in favor of other gods but a bigger percentage were dabbling in idolatry while still performing the required religious rituals prescribed by God. Their hearts were not fully committed to Him. We could compare this to a marriage in which a person who is still married to and living with their spouse is also seeing someone else. There will be lots of times in the Old Testament where we'll find the Lord comparing His covenant relationship with Israel to the covenant relationship of marriage. He will compare Israel's idolatry to the behavior of an adulterous wife. 

Like a betrayed husband, the Lord is righteously indignant about the unfaithfulness of His wife. "They aroused the Lord's anger because they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths." (Judges 2:12b-13a)

The Lord warned the people that hard times would come if they did not remain faithful to Him. He laid out the terms of the covenant very clearly and these terms included the blessings they would receive for faithfulness and the curses that would fall on them for unfaithfulness. "In His anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as He had sworn to them. They were in great distress." (Judges 2:14-15) There are consequences to our disobedience. The Lord is a good Father and good fathers don't reward disobedience. Sometimes we're so stubborn that the only way we learn our lesson is by experiencing the unpleasant consequences of our disobedience.

But the Lord, like a good Father, is loving and merciful. He provides us with good examples in the faith. "Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders." (Judges 2:16)

If we do not take the Lord's words to heart and if we do not take to heart the godly advice of those He sends to shepherd us onto the right paths, we have no one to blame but ourselves when we reap the consequences of our actions. "Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord's commands. Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, He was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways." (Judges 2:17-19) 

There are some mistakes I've only made once and there are other mistakes I've made more than once. When we continue making the same mistake over and over, we become more and more stubborn. Our hearts keep growing harder. We can even get so used to repeating the same sin that it doesn't seem like sin anymore. Not only that, but we can start thinking other sins don't look so bad either. That's how we can become "even more corrupt" (to quote from verse 19) as time goes on. 

"Therefore the Lord was angry with Israel and said, 'Because this nation has violated the covenant I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to Me, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.' The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; He did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua." (Judges 2:20-23) 

At the time of Joshua's death, the Israelites had cleared the promised land of enough of the heathen Canaanites to be able to settle there but each tribe's allotted territory still had settlements where idolaters dwelt. If the Israelites had been fully obedient to God, they would have had the power to take hold of every inch of the promised land. But since they weren't always completely faithful to Him, they had to live with the thorn in the flesh of these pagan tribes occupying portions of their land. This was a form of discipline. It was a consequence of their actions. We've all had to endure discipline and the consequences of our actions. If we respond properly we will repent and get back on the godly track and get back to enjoying the blessings the Lord longs to bestow on us. If we react with a stubborn attitude we can expect further discipline and further unpleasant consequences. But even these things are the evidence of God's love! For the Bible assures us that, although discipline is unpleasant, the Lord is treating us like His sons and daughters. (Hebrews 12:7-11) He's disciplining us out of love, not because He wants to beat us down for our mistakes and not because He wants to cast us aside and be done with us. He's trying to teach us valuable lessons so He can bless us for obedience.

My parents used to promise me treats for good behavior. They enjoyed giving me good things and they enjoyed watching me enjoy those good things. The Lord is the same way! He wants to give us good things to enjoy. It pleases Him to bless us and to watch us enjoying those blessings.

The Judges. Day 4, A Message From The Angel Of The Lord

In our passage today we find the Lord sending a message to Israel by "the angel of the Lord".

Opinions on the identity of this person are varied. The word translated as "angel" simply means "messenger" and it is translated in different ways according to where we find it in the Bible. For instance, in the book of Revelation the Lord tells the Apostle John to write letters to the "angels" of seven churches and there the word clearly should be interpreted as the pastors: God's messengers to the churches. In other places "angel" could be interpreted as a prophet or priest, for the men who held these offices were the messengers of God to the people. In yet other places "the angel of the Lord" appears to be a Christophany: an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ. This is what Joshua is believed to have experienced when he was on his way to fight the battle of Jericho and saw a man standing in his path with a drawn sword. This man said he was the commander of the Lord's army and this man accepted worship from Joshua, leading mainstream Christian scholars to suggest that the man was Christ. 

In today's Scripture it is unclear which type of messenger we are dealing with but whoever it is speaks in the voice of the Lord, in the first person, as if he is the Lord. So he is either repeating a message word for word as given to him by the Lord or else he is the Lord. Rather than getting caught up in trying to figure out the identity of this person, we will concentrate on the message he brings.

"The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokam and said, 'I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors. I said, 'I will never break My covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.' Yet you have disobeyed Me. Why have you done this?'" (Judges 2:1-2) In yesterday's passage we learned that within the borders of each tribe there were still Canaanite settlements. The people did not make an end of the heathen occupants of the land as they were commanded to do by the Lord. In some cases they managed to subject the Canaanites to forced labor, but this is not what the Lord told them to do. In other cases they were so intimidated by the Canaanites that they didn't attempt to attack them at all. Not only that, but in the areas where they did rid themselves of the Canaanites, they failed to destroy all the pagan altars and the images of false gods. The Lord told them they must destroy both idol and idolater but they have not been fully obedient and He demands to know the reason why.

It's not because He hasn't been good to them. It's not because He hasn't kept His promises. It's not because He doesn't go out with the army of Israel. The Lord has kept His end of the bargain. He has a right to know why they have not kept theirs. He reminds them that they are in covenant with Him and not with any other god. No other god brought them out of Egypt, subdued giants and mighty armies before them, and settled them in the prosperous land of Canaan. Yet heathen idols and images still dot the land as if the Israelites have a suspicious fear or reverent attitude toward them. There is no reason they should show any respect whatsoever to the names or the altars or the images of these gods because these gods do not exist. These gods didn't protect those who worshiped them. These gods can't protect the places dedicated to themselves. These gods can't do anything in retribution if the Israelites tear down the altars and cast the idols into the fire. The only god to be respected and feared is the one and only God there is.

Because the people have not fully obeyed the Lord's instructions, they have been unable to drive out some of the very fierce clans still living in the promised land. The Lord doesn't have to bless partial obedience. I am sure there have been many times when I have not experienced full victory because I was not fully obedient. I could have had much more success over my circumstances and over my wrong attitudes and over my fears and over my doubts if I had obeyed the Lord's words to the letter. Because attitudes have to be right before the fullness of blessing can be experienced, the Lord reminds the people of this warning, "And I have also said, 'I will not drive them out before you; they will become traps for you, and their gods will become snares to you.'" (Judges 2:3)

"When the angel of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud, and they called that place Bokim. There they offered sacrifices to the Lord." (Judges 2:4-5) The word "Bokim" means "weeping." The people respond appropriately by being sorrowful for their disobedience. They make sacrifices in their recognition of their need for forgiveness. 

We will not always find the people in a repentant spirit when they should be in a repentant spirit, but couldn't we say the same for ourselves? Though you and I may never have bowed on our knees to an idol, I think we've had trouble letting go of a particular sin or habit or attitude. Maybe we've been sorrowful over it and have tried to lay it down and leave it behind us many times but we kept picking it back up again. I can think of things I had to lay down an uncounted amount of times before I was finally able to leave them there. I can think of anxieties and obsessions in my life right now that I'm having difficulty letting go of. We can't be judgmental about the mistakes the ancient Israelites made unless we have never been guilty of making the same mistake more than once. We are going to find them making the same mistakes more than once but God will be merciful to them just as He is to all of us.

The Judges. Day 3, Further Conquests, Part Three

Chapter 1 concludes with more information about further military exploits against the heathen occupants of the promised land and information regarding settlements the Israelites did not conquer at this time.

The tribe of Judah is partnered with the tribe of Simeon to gain control of more territory on the west side of the Jordan River. They've undertaken this endeavor not only to benefit themselves but to benefit the other tribes. Earlier in our chapter we found them conquering fortified cities in territories belonging to other tribes. They are working on behalf of their fellow citizens, not just on their own behalf, which displays the type of attitude the Apostle Paul told us the people of God should have: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." (Philippians 2:3-4)

"The descendants of Moses' father-in-law, the Kenite, went up from the City of Palms with the people of Judah to live among the inhabitants of the Desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad." (Judges 1:16) The Kenites have remained closely allied to the Israelites. They dwelt among the Israelites in the wilderness and they crossed the Jordan River with the Israelites. Now that the tribe of Judah has conquered more territory, the Kenites are invited to choose a dwelling place for themselves within the borders of Judah. They settle in the desert near Arad where they will have plenty of room for expansion. Later we'll find the Kenites mixing with the heathen Amalekites but, due to the kindness they showed Israel in the past, they will be given a warning to escape the city of Amalek before the army of Israel attacks it in 1 Samuel 15. 

After seeing the Kenites safely settled in the Desert of Judah, the tribes of Judah and Simeon make further raids on the pagan settlements within the borders of Israel. "Then the men of Judah went with the Simeonites their fellow Israelites and attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they totally destroyed the city. Therefore it was called Hormah. Judah also took Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron---each city with its territory. The Lord was with the men of Judah." (Judges 1:17-19a)

The Lord was with the men of Judah. The Lord was with all the fighting men of Israel, yet the remainder of our chapter mainly deals with areas the Israelites did not conquer. The majority of Bible scholars attribute this failure to a lack of faith, for the Lord was willing and able to deliver every inch of the land into their hands, yet we do not find them holding control over every inch of the land. Judah has been valiant in battle up until now but does not dislodge the people of the plains who have advanced military equipment. "They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had chariots fitted with iron. As Moses had promised, Hebron was given to Caleb, who drove from it the three sons of Anak. The Benjamites, however, did not drive out the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the Benjamites." (Judges 1:19b-21)

Could the God who enabled Caleb to defeat three giants not enable the soldiers of Judah to defeat men with chariots? Of course; there was nothing lacking on His part. I think what happened is that the fearsome chariots caused a faltering of faith. They've been killing giants for a while now, on both sides of the Jordan River, and they have a confidence borne of experience that the Lord is able to defeat giants. But chariots? Those fast and furious vehicles of war threw the fighting men of Judah for a loop, mentally and emotionally and spiritually. We have all been guilty of what I think the men of Judah are guilty of: sending more time considering the power of the enemy than spending time considering the power of their God. When we place more focus on the problem than on our God, the next thing you know it seems as if the problem is bigger than our God. 

The men of Ephraim and Manasseh are fierce fighters but they too fail to conquer all the heathen settlements in their territory. "Now the tribes of Joseph attacked Bethel, and the Lord was with them. When they sent men to spy out Bethel (formerly called Luz), the spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, 'Show us how to get into the city and we will see that you are treated well.' So he showed them, and they put the city to the sword but spared the man and his whole family. He then went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a city and called it Luz, which is its name to this day. But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land." (Judges 1:22-27)

Naturally the Canaanites did not want to be dislodged from the land. They were determined to fight for it at all costs. But their determination would have made no difference if the soldiers of Israel were equally determined to trust in the power of the Lord. I'm convinced the main reason our enemy often gets the upper hand over us is because we have not firmly settled it in our minds that the Lord will empower us to do whatever He has commanded us to do. Our faith falters when we compare our puny human strength to the strength of the enemy of our souls. However, as the children of the living God, we are not going up against the enemy solely in our own strength. We'd surely lose a battle like that. But we are commanded to go forth in the strength of the Lord our God, and with Him on our side no enemy can stand before us. This is why James, the brother of Jesus, gave this advice to the church: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7) In our own strength we can't command the enemy to depart from our presence, but if we are submitted to God, committed to God, and trusting in God, we can stand firm in the power of God and our enemy will flee from the presence of the God who is with us.

The Israelites are powerful enough to force the Canaanite tribes to become their subjects. If that extra measure of faith had been added in, they would have eradicated them entirely from the land. "When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely. Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them. Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living it Kitron or Nahalol, so these Canaanites lived among them, but Zebulun did subject them to forced labor. Nor did Asher drive out those living in Akko or Sidon or Ahlab or Akzib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob. The Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land because they did not drive them out. Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath; but the Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and those living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced laborers for them. The Amorites confined the Danites to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain. And the Amorites were determined also to hold out on Mount Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim, but when the power of the tribe of Joseph increased, they too were pressed into forced labor. The boundary of the Amorites was from Scorpion Pass to Sela and beyond." (Judges 1:28-36) 

I've found it's not always the big things (the giants) that cause me to struggle with doubts and fears. A lot of times it's the small things (the Canaanites, if you will) that get the better of me. There's something about facing down a mighty foe that rallies our spirits to trust in the power of a mighty God, but the little day to day annoyances or the small to medium sized trials that keep happening one after another without any breathing room in between---those have the ability (if we let them) to wear us down. The chariots with their iron fittings were less of a fearsome foe than giant warriors who stood anywhere from nine to twelve feet tall, but those chariots were loud and they were fast and they were disconcerting and they were something the Israelites never arrayed themselves against in battle before. So they did what we all do from time to time: they learned to live with the Canaanites. In some cases they managed to keep a modicum of control over them, just as we may manage to barely keep a lid on a situation in our lives. In other cases they compromised their values and mingled with them, just as we may allow ourselves to be taken captive by some type of sin or bad attitude or unhealthy obsession. This is why we need to take all our problems to the Lord for help, even when the problems seem quite small, and not put them off or ignore them or compromise with them. (Just as no problem is too big to bring to God, no problem is too small to bring to Him either.) The Israelites didn't fully deal with the Canaanites the way the Lord commanded them and those Canaanites who remain are going to be a problem for them later. Some will remain the Israelites' mortal enemies and will attack them whenever possible. Others will intermarry with them and lead them into idolatry. The problem of the Canaanites could have been avoided altogether, just as many of our meltdowns and seasons of discouragement could have been avoided altogether. So let's bring our giants to the Lord and let Him handle them. And let's bring our day to day annoyances and inconveniences to Him too. He will put us in the right frame of mind.

The Judges. Day 2, Further Conquests, Part Two

Chapter 1 of the book of Judges tells us about further conquests made by the Israelites in the promised land after the death of Joshua. In yesterday's passage we found the tribe of Judah being first to go up in battle against some of the heathen cultures still living in the land. Judah partnered with the tribe of Simeon in this endeavor. Yesterday's passage concluded with the capture of Jerusalem and today's text picks up right after that.

"After that, Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev and the western foothills. They advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath Arba) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. From there they advanced against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher)." (Judges 1:9-11) Hebron was the territory allotted to Caleb of the tribe of Judah. It still contained men of giant stature, as we learned in Joshua 14 when Caleb declared that though he was eighty-five years old he would drive the giants out with the Lord's help. Hebron's original name (Kiriath Arba) was in honor of a man named Arba who was said to be "the greatest man among the Anakites". (Joshua 14:15) The Scriptures have already told us that the Anakites were giants, and we see that Caleb had the faith to believe he could conquer giants in the name of the Lord, but he also has the help of his fellow Israelites. Soldiers of the tribe of Judah come out to Hebron and defeat three Anakite clan leaders: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. In Numbers 33:22 we were told that Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai were descendants of Anak the giant and it is generally believed that these three men were brothers.

Caleb also has help in taking the region of Kiriath Sepher, which lay within his allotment. We found the following story mentioned in the book of Joshua, though it was probably a postscript added to the book sometime after Joshua's death just as the account of Joshua's death itself was added by someone else. "And Caleb said, 'I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.' Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage." (Judges 1:12-13) 

As we pointed out when we studied this account in Joshua 15, though Othniel and Aksah were first cousins there was no prohibition in the Old Testament law against marrying a first cousin. In the United States today there are still twenty-four states that prohibit marriage between first cousins because at one time it was believed that the genetic similarity between first cousins enormously increased the chance of birth defects and genetic diseases in their offspring. However, studies and statistics have proven that the odds of this are actually not much greater than the odds of it happening to the children of two unrelated people. Scientists are now saying that there are enough genetic differences between first cousins that they can marry and produce children quite safely. This explains why the Lord did not prohibit marriage between first cousins in the list of prohibited relationships we studied earlier in the Old Testament. Repeatedly joining close cousins in marriage on down through the generations can, over time, result in above-average incidences of birth defects and genetic diseases (we commonly refer to this as "inbreeding") but an occasional marriage here and there between first cousins, such as that between the daughter of Caleb and the son of Caleb's brother, did not present much risk to the resulting offspring. The Lord, who is the Creator of our DNA, knew what He was doing when He gave instructions regarding which types of unions were allowed and which types of unions were prohibited.

Aksah and her husband want a particular piece of land granted to her by her father, as we studied in Joshua 15. "One day when she came to Othniel she urged him to ask her father for a field." (Judges 1:14a) Part of this verse is obscure and many scholars believe it should be rendered as, "One day when she came to Othniel he urged her to ask her father for a field." The wording of this verse is the same, in the original language, in Joshua 15, and there too it is thought that it is Othniel asking Aksah to go to her father. I agree that it makes more sense that Othniel urges Aksah to ask her father for the land. For one thing, Caleb may be more willing to grant a request made by his beloved daughter than one made by his son-and-law and nephew. For another thing, we find Aksah and not Othniel going to Caleb to make the request. If Aksah asked Othniel to make the request, it doesn't make sense that she's the one who hops on her donkey and rides out to her father's house to ask for the land, which is what happens next. "When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, 'What can I do for you?' She replied, 'Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.' So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs." (Judges 1:14b-15) In giving Aksah the land, he is also giving it to his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and on down the family line. 

It pleases Caleb to grant the request of his daughter. She is not asking for anything sinful. She is not asking for anything that will be bad for her and her family. She respectfully requests something that lines up with what a good father will be happy to provide. This is how we are to approach our heavenly Father who loves us and who wants to give us good things. If what we are asking for is not sinful, and if it is something that lines up with the Lord's will, the Lord will joyfully grant our request. It will make Him happy to see us enjoying the good thing He's given us. 

How can we make sure we are asking for something good and that the Lord will be happy to grant our request? The Bible puts it like this: "Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4) If we are taking delight in the Lord (which means that we love Him, are faithful to Him, enjoy spending time with Him, and are obedient to Him) then the desires of our heart will line up with the Lord's will for our lives. We won't desire anything that would grieve Him. We won't desire anything that will make a mess of our lives or that will make life difficult for our loved ones. If we take delight in the Lord, we will desire the types of things that the Lord wants for us, and then when we make our requests of the Lord we can be confident that He is happy to grant them. 

Aksah loved her father and her father loved her; therefore she went to him with confidence that he would patiently hear her request. Even if he said no, she had the confidence that it would change nothing about their relationship and that he was only looking out for her best interests if he said no. But she didn't think he would say no because she wasn't asking anything of him that was sinful. She didn't think he would say no because, knowing him as well as she did, she thought her request lined up with his fatherly will for her life. She thought he would be delighted to grant this desire of her heart because he, in his fatherly wisdom, knew the land would be a good thing for her and her descendants. Caleb was happy with her request because it was a wise request. The fine land with its springs of water would be beneficial to her now and beneficial to her descendants in the future. 

The Lord loves it when we come to Him with requests that He can joyfully grant. We would have our prayers answered in the affirmative far more often if we delighted ourselves in the Lord enough (spent enough time with Him in Scripture study and in prayer) to discern whether the desires of our heart line up with the type of things the Lord wants for His children. We'd hear a joyful, "Yes!" to our requests far more often if we spent enough time in our Father's presence to allow Him to align our will with His. Then we wouldn't ask for the wrong things. Then we wouldn't ask for good things for the wrong reasons. Then we wouldn't ask for the right things at the wrong time. The more time we spend with our Father, the better we will know Him. The better we know Him, the more the desires of our hearts will line up with His will for our lives.

The Judges. Day 1, Further Conquests, Part One

By the time of Joshua's death, the Israelites had conquered enough of Canaan to be able to occupy the land. The population of Israel is growing and their flocks and herds are multiplying. They need room to expand and must continue eradicating from their territory the heathen tribes that the Lord told them to destroy. As we will see later on in Chapter 1, they will not fully carry out the Lord's instructions regarding the destruction of these pagan peoples, but as we begin the book of Judges we see them making the decision that it's time to go back into battle to gain control of more of the land.

"After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, 'Who of us is to go up first to fight the Canaanites?'" (Judges 1:1) They don't need to ask the Lord whether they should fight the Canaanites; He's already told them they are to utterly destroy them. But they are without Joshua, their former army commander, and they need advice regarding military strategy. The question is not whether they are to go into battle. The question is who is to go into battle first.

This inquiry of the Lord was almost certainly made by the high priest by using the objects known as the Urim and Thummim which were worn in his breastpiece. We studied these objects earlier in the Old Testament and learned that they were to be worn over the heart of the high priest whenever he enters the presence of the Lord so that he will "always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord". (Exodus 28:30) The Urim and Thummim may have been smooth stones or something like ancient dice that were cast after prayerfully consulting the Lord. They are not to be confused with any type of divination practices that were used by the heathens. They are not to be compared to the flipping of a coin. Only the high priest of Israel, in a reverent and submissive attitude, could use these in the presence of the Lord (at the center of worship where the ark of the covenant was housed) and then the Lord Himself would cause the answer to come out according to His will for the people. 

The people consult the Lord for direction and He faithfully answers them. "The Lord answered, 'Judah shall go up; I have given the land into their hands.'" (Judges 1:20) Judah was the largest tribe and had the greatest number of fighting men, which made them a logical choice to go first in battle. The tribe of Judah was the first to be assigned an allotment on the west side of the Jordan, so in that sense it's their duty to go into battle first. Judah was essentially Jacob's chief heir because Judah's three older brothers disinherited themselves from that position by their sinful actions, so just as Judah was given the first allotment on the west, Judah will be given the first turn at driving more Canaanites from the land. On top of all that, Judah is going to be the royal tribe of Israel and the tribe from which the Messiah will come. When asked who is to go up first, the Lord gives the tribe of Judah the preeminence for all these reasons.

The territory given to the tribe of Simeon lies within the borders of Judah. The men of Judah ask the men of Simeon to partner with them in battle. "The men of Judah then said to the Simeonites their fellow Israelites, 'Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours.'" (Judges 1:3) This partnership is mutually beneficial to both tribes.  Though they are two separate tribes, they are inhabiting the same section and it is in their best interests to get along well with each other. There's also the close familial relationship to be considered. Jacob's sons Simeon and Judah were full blood brothers born by Jacob's wife Leah. 

"When Judah attacked, the Lord gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek." (Judges 1:4) The heathens of the promised land (the land of Canaan) are often referred to as a whole as "Canaanites". Other times they are mentioned as separate tribes, such as Perizzites, Amorites, Hittites, and so on.

Judah, and Judah's partner Simeon, are fighting in Bezek which was situated north of their own allotments. They are fighting on behalf of all Israel, not just on their own behalf, and they don't look after their personal interests first. They begin the fight outside of their own land. They win the battle of Bezek and capture its king. "It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites. Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes." (Judges 1:5-6) This may sound like a bizarre thing to do but it rendered him incapable of going into battle ever again. In ancient times, men who did not want to be conscripted into the army would sometimes cause intentional injuries to themselves such as having an "accident" that resulted in the loss of the thumb of their primary hand or the thumbs of both hands. 

Adoni-Bezek had been a very great warrior (we'll see in a minute that his impressive resume includes conquering seventy kings) but now he is incapable of participating in battle. His injuries are a form of poetic justice as well, and he will recognize them as such, for he has inflicted these same injuries on many other men. "Then Adoni-Bezek said, 'Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them.' They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there." (Judges 1:7) Adoni-Bezek is using a figure of speech when he says seventy kings picked up scraps under his table. They did not literally sit under his table eating scraps; he made them his subjects. They had to serve him and pay tribute to him. He will now become a subject himself. The Israelites don't put him to death or else the Bible would have said so. Instead it says he died at Jerusalem, which indicates a natural death, meaning he lived the remainder of his life in servitude to those who defeated him.

The fighting men of Judah and Simeon took the city of Jerusalem which lay within the southern portion of Benjamin's territory. "The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem also and took it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire." (Judges 1:8) The Israelites will not retain control of Jerusalem from here on out, for the Jebusites who live within the borders of Benjamin will occupy it for a time because the Benjamites will not rid their land of the Jebusites. But David will later destroy the Jebusites from Jerusalem and take the city from them. It will become the religious and political capital of Israel.

The Book Of Joshua. Day 64, The Death Of Joshua

The book of Joshua ends with the death of this brave and faithful man who took up the heavy mantle Moses once wore. Like Moses, Joshua is referred to in our passage today as "the servant of the Lord". Joshua led the army of Israel against the heathen tribes of Canaan, brought the nation of Israel into the promised land, oversaw the division of the land, and saw the people settled in the inheritance the Lord promised long ago to the descendants of Abraham. Joshua fulfilled the Lord's calling upon his life and I believe the Lord said when he entered into His presence, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

The remainder of the book of Joshua was penned by an unknown author sometime after Joshua's death, since it speaks of the death and burial of Joshua. In this same way the final words of the book of Deuteronomy were written by someone other than Moses (presumably Joshua) because it tells us of the death and burial of Moses. Our next book, Judges, was primarily compiled by the prophet Samuel according to ancient Jewish tradition and it could be that Samuel also added the remaining verses of Chapter 24 to the book of Joshua. But we simply don't know and not knowing who wrapped up this book doesn't affect or take away from anything written therein; as always, the main objective of the Holy Bible is to illuminate the goodness of God and to lead men and women to Him.

Our passage begins by saying "after these things" and that is a reference to the renewal of the covenant of Shechem which we've studied for the past four days. Officiating at the renewing of the covenant was the last thing on Joshua's "to do" list. "After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash." (Joshua 24:29-30) You'll recall that Timnath Serah was the town Joshua asked for. He took his allotment after everyone else in Israel, other than the Levites, because the towns going to the Levites lay inside the allotments of the other tribes and all the tribes had to be assigned their allotments before this could be done. Unlike Moses, Aaron, Miriam, and all the Israelites who died and were buried in the wilderness, Joshua dies in his own bed in his own home in his own town and is buried on his own land. The promise the Lord made long ago to Abraham has been kept. Joshua could not have been buried on land belonging to him if the Lord had not kept His promise.

The people who renewed their covenant with the Lord earlier in Chapter 24 also kept their promise. "Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel." (Joshua 24:31) Those who swore their allegiance to the Lord in the presence of Joshua remained steadfastly committed to the Lord. Some private idolatry took place here and there but it won't be until we are deep into the middle of the Old Testament that we'll begin to see any widescale idolatry. 

"And Joseph's bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the tract of land that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph's descendants." (Joshua 24:32) Another promise is kept, a promise which regards the earthly remains of Joseph the son of Jacob. You'll recall from our study of Genesis that Joseph firmly believed the Lord would keep the promise He made to Abraham regarding the land of Canaan, even though the Israelites were living in Egypt at the time and even though Joseph knew an era of slavery lay ahead of them. As Joseph neared the end of his life he spoke of his faith in the Lord's promise and instructed his people to take his remains out of Egypt with them when they were rescued. "Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, 'God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.' So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt." (Genesis 50:24-26) 

Joseph wanted to be buried in the promised land, though his interment in the land did not take place until several hundred years later. Joseph, as the man second-in-command to the pharaoh of his day, was given Egyptian funerary rites but was not apparently buried in a tomb. Ancient tradition has it that his coffin was kept in the Israelite territory of Goshen, for his coffin was easily accessible to them when they left Egypt in the exodus. He knew the Lord would keep his word, so when Joseph extracted this promise from his people, he did it on faith: "By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones." (Hebrews 11:22) The Lord's promises never fail, no matter how long it may take to see the fulfillment of them. We must not let ourselves become discouraged when a long time passes after the Lord tells us He is going to do something. Momentarily we will close with a personal story of my own which has to do with a promise which was a long time in coming but which was recently fulfilled by the Lord.

An era is coming to an end and the men who lived through the wilderness years are beginning to pass out of this life. The high priest Eleazar, like Joshua, dies at the end of this book. "And Eleazar son of Aaron died and was buried at Gibeah, which had been allotted to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim." (Joshua 24:33) Great men have passed away in Chapter 24 but there are still great men and women of faith in Israel to take up the torch and march on. Phinehas is now the high priest and as we've seen before, he is a man who displays his faith with bold action. He will do an admirable job serving the Lord and serving the people.

The Lord fulfilled a promise in October 2021 that He made to me back in 2008. At that time my marriage was on the rocks and my husband had not been to church in many years and had stated multiple times to me that he no longer believed in God. I was attending church services and one night during prayer at church the Lord sent a very clear image into my mind. His Spirit testified to my spirit that this was something He was going to do. What I saw in my mind was my husband sitting to my left, at the end of a pew near the back of the sanctuary, with his hands lifted up giving praise. If you knew what our home life was like at the time you'd understand why I knew this would take a miracle. Most people would have thought I was deluding myself if I'd told them I believed this was going to happen someday. Between 2008 and now my husband had come back to church, had rededicated his life to the Lord, and had been attending every service I attend. But the scene in my mind had not yet played out. We don't even sit in the spot where we were sitting in the vision the Lord sent me. My husband isn't an emotionally demonstrative person in church, or in generally really. The vision the Lord sent me was still in the back of my mind but overall I was extremely thankful for all the Lord had already done. 

A few weeks ago, when we arrived at church, a large family was already seated all down the pew where my husband and I usually sit. We seated ourselves in a different spot and I didn't think anything of it until later in the service when, out of the corner of my left eye, I saw my husband lifting his hands above his head to clap in praise. That's when it struck me: we were sitting in the very spot I saw in the vision the Lord sent me in 2008! Would my faith have been shattered if the vision had not some true? No, because the Lord had already done great and mighty things. But He caused it to come true to remind me that He always keeps His promises. (In fact, I believe that's why He sent me the vision in the first place, so He could remind me of His promise-keeping faithfulness thirteen years later.) Not only has my husband come back to the church and rededicated his life to the Lord, but these days he sets the household spiritual example for me to follow, which is the role the Lord has assigned husbands to fill in the home. Many times my husband reacts to difficult situations with more faith and confidence than I do. His attitude encourages me to do a better job of exercising my own faith. A number of people who know us would have bet good money in 2008 that our marriage was doomed; I even had one person come right out and tell me that I was "beating a dead horse" and that I needed to cut my losses and move on. And that person would probably have been right if God had not been part of the equation. But with God nothing is impossible, and if He has made a promise then nothing in heaven or on earth or in hell can prevent Him from keeping that promise. 

I don't know what promises the Lord has made to you or how long it's been since He made them. He will keep them! Maybe He told you He'll heal a relationship or supply a need or help you meet a goal that's one of your heart's main desires. He is faithful and He will do what He says He will do. Maybe He's told you that a lost loved one you've been praying for will come to Him for salvation someday. You may see that happen in your lifetime or it may happen after you've gone on to be with the Lord (Joseph's faith in the exodus and in the inheritance of the promised land didn't take place in his lifetime, but it did happen.) You can be absolutely certain that if the Lord says He's going to do something, it's as good as done.

The Book Of Joshua. Day 63, The Covenant Renewed At Shechem, Part Four

When Joshua told the people to make their choice to serve the Lord or to serve other gods, they responded, "Far be it from us to forsake the Lord and serve other gods!" Joshua will now counsel them not to take this commitment lightly. They cannot halfheartedly serve the Lord. They cannot "leave room for the flesh", as the Apostle Paul put it in Romans 13:14 (KLV version) by dabbling in pagan rituals or allowing heathen idols to be among them. The congregation is gathered together at Shechem to renew their vows to the Lord, and just as in the marriage ceremony we are advised that marriage is not to be entered into lightly, the covenant with the Lord is not to be entered into lightly. Or, as Jesus put it, they must count the cost. (See Luke 14:25-33.) 

"Joshua said to the people, 'You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve other gods, He will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after He has been good to you.'" (Joshua 24:19-20) What is he saying here? That it's an impossible task? That the Lord is setting them up for failure? No, I believe that first of all he is talking about what we discussed yesterday: People cannot serve the Lord in their own strength. Yesterday we talked about the pitfalls of trusting solely in ourselves to stand firm in the faith and to resist sin. In our own strength, what Joshua says is true; we are not able to serve the Lord. We can't live a perfect life. In our human weakness and in this fallen world, we won't be able to keep every law and commandment. But our faith in the Lord's redeeming grace makes up for our lack of perfection. We place our trust in the One who is perfect and we come to Him in repentance for our sins and receive mercy at His throne. Secondly, I believe Joshua is saying that the people cannot serve the Lord unless they do it singlemindedly. They must not attempt to serve both the Lord and the flesh. They must not serve both God and the things of this world. They must not worship both God and idols. As Jesus phrased it, "No one can serve two masters." (Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13) We know this is the type of situation Joshua has in mind---an attempt to serve two masters---since he makes reference to serving other gods in our text above. 

Having heard that they must consider the cost before vowing their commitment to the Lord, the congregation deems the Lord's terms acceptable and they restate their intention to serve Him and Him alone. "But the people said to Joshua, 'No! We will serve the Lord.'" (Joshua 24:21) Joshua wants to make certain they understand the vows they are making, for once the vows are made the people will be held accountable if they break them. "Then Joshua said, 'You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.' 'Yes, we are witnesses,' they replied." (Joshua 24:22) He's asking something like, "Do you take the Lord to be your one and only God, forsaking all others and clinging only unto Him?" And they reply, "We do." 

To prove their sincerity they must begin "forsaking all others" immediately. "'Now then,' said Joshua, 'throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.' And the people said to Joshua, 'We will serve the Lord our God and obey Him.'" (Joshua 24:23-24) There were pagan idols in the households and in the villages and towns of some of the citizens of Israel. Whether these were objects brought out of Egypt by their forefathers, or whether these were objects they allowed the foreigners among them to retain (we were told a "mixed multitude" came out of Egypt with the Israelites), or whether these were heathen objects of the land of Canaan that the people did not destroy as they had been commanded, there appears to have been reluctance to dispense with them. There seems to have been an attitude of reverential superstition toward them. Joshua commands, "If you intend to serve the Lord, you must serve Him alone, and that means ridding your homes and your land of every trace of heathen idolatry. You cannot say you are wholly faithful to the Lord if there is an idol in your possession. You cannot say that the Lord is the only God if you have a superstitious fear of destroying images of false gods."

"On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord. 'See!' he said to all the people. 'This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.' Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance." (Joshua 24:25-28) Joshua officiates over this ceremony and records the reconfirming of the people's vows in the Book of the Law of God. This copy of the law is almost certainly the one kept in the ark of the covenant, for in verse 26 we find mention of "the holy place of the Lord", which likely means that although the tabernacle was headquartered at Shiloh at this time, it (or at least the ark) was transported to Shechem for the renewing of the covenant. Some scholars suggest that the reason for holding the ceremony at Shechem was not only because this is where the Lord swore a solemn oath to Abraham to give the land to his descendants, but also because it was closer to Joshua's homestead and that he has grown too elderly and too feeble to make the journey to Shiloh. I think there's a lot of merit to this theory since the next thing to happen in the book of Joshua is Joshua's death.

The stone which Joshua placed under the oak tree may have had the words of the people's vows carved into it. It would stand there as a memorial to the words they spoke on this day. Should the people ever transgress the covenant they made with the Lord, this stone will provide testimony (serve as evidence in the Lord's court) against them that they have broken the vows written upon it. Later in the Old Testament, when some of the people have forsaken the Lord in favor of idolatry, the Lord will use the word "adultery" when speaking of the breaking of their vows. We've seen how the vows of the covenant resemble the vows of a marriage ceremony, and indeed the people are binding themselves to the Lord in a similar manner; therefore, He will refer to Himself as the faithful husband (and the wronged party) in the marriage and will refer to the idolaters as adulterous wives. It is a very serious thing to transgress this solemn covenant. It is the highest form of unfaithfulness. The closest thing on earth that can be compared to it is the solemn covenant between a husband and a wife. The most hurtful kind of betrayal people can usually think of is the betrayal of a spouse. That's why the Lord will use the marriage covenant as a symbol of His covenant with Israel. He will be faithful to His vows but His wife will not. He will be righteously indignant, as any wronged husband would be. He will have the right to put His wife away (divorce her) and never have anything to do with her again. But the Lord loves her too much for that! As we move through the Old Testament we'll find His wife (some of His covenant people) being unfaithful to Him but we'll also find Him being too loving and too merciful to let her go. Though He is the wronged party, He will fight for the one He loves. He will do everything He can to win her back.

The Book Of Joshua. Day 62, The Covenant Renewed At Shechem, Part Three

Joshua is providing the congregation with instructions and encouragement in the faith before he passes on. When we closed our last study we found him saying, "If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." He's asking them to make a firm commitment, not because they don't already worship the Lord but because he knows prosperity is more of a threat to their steadfastness than adversity. Ever since they came out of Egypt they've had to depend on the Lord for everything, but now they're residing in the land of milk and honey, and in a land where wealth comes easy its possible for a person to begin drifting from the Lord. 

Agur, the man who composed Chapter 30 of the book of Proverbs, realized the threat prosperity posed to him and said to the Lord, "Give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown You and say, 'Who is the Lord?" (Proverbs 30:8b-9a) When a person lacks nothing where money and possessions are concerned, spiritual laziness can ensue if he does not carefully guard his heart. Prayer and the study of God's word may get pushed to the side or ignored altogether so that the person essentially "forgets" God in their daily lives. They may ask (as Agur feared), "Who is the Lord?" Or in other words, "Who needs the Lord? Look how much I have! Through my own hard work and ingenuity I've become wealthy beyond my wildest dreams. Yes, I suppose the Lord gave me my start by bringing me to this good land, but that was a long time ago and I've multiplied my flocks and herds and crops a thousandfold since then. The Lord can step aside now; I have all I need and more besides. I'll call for Him if something comes up." Joshua is afraid this will be the attitude of his people as time goes by and as their prosperity increases. He wants them to firmly make up their minds going forward that no matter what happens---good or bad---they will serve the Lord.

The congregation replies as he hoped they would. "Then the people answered, 'Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because He is our God.'" (Joshua 24:16-18) Their words are sincere. At this point in time they cannot fathom turning from the God who brought them out of Egypt, who sustained them in the wilderness, who drove out the nations before them, and who planted them in the land the Lord promised on oath to Abraham. The generation to whom Joshua is speaking is affirming and renewing their vows to the Lord and they mean the words they are saying. It isn't until later in the Old Testament, when several generations have lived in the prosperity of this bountiful land, that the hearts of many of the citizens will turn cool toward the Lord. Then a number of them will say, "Who is the Lord?" A number of them will begin to doubt whether God is the only god---indeed whether He is even the best God---and will answer the siren song of idolatry.

In tomorrow's study Joshua will warn the congregation about taking their commitment to the Lord lightly. They won't have spiritual success with casual religion. They'll give in to temptation if they don't love the Lord with all their hearts. They won't resist the lure of pagan practices if they don't remain in close fellowship with the Lord. They must lean on Him daily for strength, for if they rely on their own strength to stand firm, they will fall. 

This is good advice for us all because we can't trust ourselves. As the Apostle Paul warned, "If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" (1 Corinthians 10:12) If our faith in our ability to stand firm is in ourselves and is not resting wholly in the Lord, a sudden temptation or unexpected circumstance will knock us entirely off our feet. We could compare this to being at the ocean, standing about hip deep in the water with the waves splashing us at regular intervals and with each wave being about the same height. We might start looking up and down the beach, enjoying the beautiful scenery until we've turned our backs to the water. Then all of a sudden a pretty big wave hits us really hard in the back and knocks us down. It's no fun to be knocked under a wave and come up coughing and sputtering sea water out of our lungs and rubbing burning salt from our eyes. But it happened because we weren't on guard. We got used to the size of the smaller waves and stopped looking at the ocean and allowed our gaze and our mind to wander. We stood firm through the smaller waves and thought we'd stand firm through a bigger wave too, or perhaps we completely forgot that bigger waves happen now and then. That's what it's like when we begin trusting ourselves spiritually. We often manage to stand firm, by the sheer force of human determination, through minor temptations and minor troubles. We may even pat ourselves on the back and take pride in our steadfastness. But this is like turning our backs to the ocean. Sooner or later a big wave will come, and if we have been spiritually lazy it's going to catch us off guard and knock us down.