QT 31 Jan 17, Judg 6:28-31, If we believe in God, then we know that he knows best

Judges 6:28–31 (ESV) —

28 When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built. 29 And they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And after they had searched and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.” 30 Then the men of the town said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has broken down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it.” 31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down.”

NOTE: There is a downward descent in Israel, during the period of Judges, that this passage highlights. The Israelites are no longer just being pulled in by the culture around them, but now they are defending what is evil. Someone might argue that this is the destruction of personal property, although it is property that God made clear should not exist in the land. Later on in the story of Judges (near the end), they will defend rape and murder, showing the final end of the slide. This is what playing both sides does to a person--we start losing our ability to recognize right and wrong, all the while justifying it with some supposed "intellectual" argument, as if we were smarter than God. There is a reason the Creator established certain rules. As the creator, designer, and builder of our bodies, he knows what is best for us. We imperfectly guess what is best for us, but God knows what is best for us. When we claimed that something God has prohibited is really a good thing, we are saying that we know what is better for us than the person who created us. It is far better to stop playing games that we believe in God at that point, because it makes no sense to believe in God and to also believe we know what is better for our souls.

QT 30 Jan 17, Judg 6:11-14, Knowing God is different from knowing stories about God

Judges 6:11–14 (ESV) — 11 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” 13 And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”

NOTE: The story of Gideon contains many ironies, but most of them revolve around strength and trust. The angel of the Lord, commonly understood to be the second person of the trinity, Jesus, appears sitting under a tree, while Gideon, hiding in a winepress, is beating out wheat, and God addresses Gideon as "O might man of valor," which hardly seems true at that moment. From Gideon's perspective, a material perspective, things do not look good, and the stories of God's work in the past only taunt him. On the other hand, Gideon probably gets one thing right, the Lord has given Israel into the hand of the Midians, though God never forsakes his chosen or turns from his covenant. Gideon's problem is that his focus is on what he can see and touch, and not on what God promises. God commands Gideon to an action, but Gideon commands God to prove that it is really him and that he really will do the impossible. I suppose it might make sense. I am not sure what the angel of the Lord looked like. Everyone seems able to recognize him, and yet he appears as a man. So maybe Gideon has an argument, but somehow that does not make sense. Abraham did not ask for proof nor did others. So, I think there was enough evidence for Gideon to know who the person was. Consequently, Gideon is afraid. He does not trust God. If he moves out, how does he know God will not pull the rug out and abandon him? After all, it sure seems as if God has pulled the rug out on Israel in the land. Of course, there are multiple problems with that hypothesis. One, God has told them why he has given them into the hands of their enemies--they chose that course when they decided to mix with the culture. And secondly, they have not clung to God as Joshua warned them. Consequently, they don't know really know God, they just know stories about God. We can fall into the latter trap quite easily--knowing stories, but not knowing God. To maintain that relationship, we must be in the word of God regularly. How are we doing?

QT 27 Jan 17, Judg 6:7-10, Suffering is a good time for personal reflection

Judges 6:7–10 (ESV) — 7 When the people of Israel cried out to the Lord on account of the Midianites, 8 the Lord sent a prophet to the people of Israel. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery. 9 And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10 And I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not obeyed my voice.”

NOTE: The Lord does not always give reasons for our suffering, unlike this passage or the book of Judge. There is a general explanation in Genesis that tells us that we chose to rebel against God as our king and consequently are getting what we desired, ruler ship of our lives and the unintended consequences of that decision. For God's people, God does at time provide additional explanation, as in this case. God tells Israel that the reason they are starving (the Midianites were raiding their food supplies), was simple, "… but you have not obeyed my voice." In this case, as in many other cases, God is trying to get their attention. This is not how God designed life and this is not how God designed Israel's existence in the land. But the people chose their own rules to follow and disobeyed what God said. I certainly would not want to suggest that all suffering is disobedience, but suffering should cause reflection. Suffering may be just part of the evil which is in the world because of the original rebellion, but it could be specific to an issue in our life, and it is worth addressing directly with God. I like to use David's prayer:

Psalm 139:23–24 (ESV) — 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting! 

QT 25 Jan 17, Eph 1:3-14, Salvation requires God's choosing and our believing

Ephesians 1:3–14 (ESV) — 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

NOTE: This paragraph is one long sentence in the Greek which extends from verse 3 to verse 14. Constable identifies nine spiritual blessings, "election, predestination, adoption, grace, redemption, forgiveness, knowledge, sealing, and inheritance. Stott summarized them as three: past election, present adoption, and future unification." The passage starts with "God chose us" (vs 3-4) and ends (vs 13-14) with us "having believed," all in the one long sentence emphasizing that both, God's choosing and our believing are essential aspects of our salvation. Both are required. Salvation is not possible without God's choosing and our believing. So debating the point seems somewhat like a waste of time. I accept what scripture says. And I admit that I do not comprehend the mind of God, which is a little like saying that I am having a hard time grasping infinity or the size of the universe. The statements are "easy" to speak, but unbelievably weak in describing my limitation. I can live with that discrepancy as well. Why God did do what he did; how God did do what he did--well, I am just glad, no … humbled, no … the more I comprehend, the more speechless I become-- … why me? 

QT 24 Jan 17, Judg 4:17-22, God expects men to show courage in danger to protect their nation and family

Judges 4:17–22 (ESV) —

17 But Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 And Jael came out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord; turn aside to me; do not be afraid.” So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. 19 And he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. 20 And he said to her, “Stand at the opening of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, ‘Is anyone here?’ say, ‘No.’ ” 21 But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died. 22 And behold, as Barak was pursuing Sisera, Jael went out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” So he went in to her tent, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg in his temple.

NOTE: A strange story, but thematically it follows a thread. Not only does Barak fail to take the initiative to attack Sisera on the plain, he does not kill Sisera either. A woman, Deborah, gets him moving off of the mountain, and another woman, Jael, kills Sisera. The theme is pretty obvious, God is using women to do what the men are failing to do, take leadership and exercise courage. Jael took a huge chance. If Sisera had awakened as the tent peg brushed his temple, Jael would have been dead, since it almost assured that she did not have the strength of Sisera, an army commander (the very strongest women are equivalent to the lower 50 percent of men in strength--not bias, just well-established fact). Jael took a chance; she gambled with her life; Jael showed tremendous courage. In contrast is Barak, he wouldn't move off the mountain, nor would he consider attacking unless Deborah went with him. Men make lots of mistakes, and society is probably right to make fun of some of the stupid childish things that men do. But one thing a man ought to be able to do, is to protect his family and his nation, with his God given strength, courage, and aggressive nature. That is our role, and we must not shirk from it.

QT 23 Jan 17, Judg 4:14-16, The obstacles are not the problem, obedience is the issue

Judges 4:14–16 (ESV) —

14 And Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him. 15 And the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army before Barak by the edge of the sword. And Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot. 16 And Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left.

NOTE: So we find out that the problem was never chariots, just obedient men. The battles we face often seem impossible, like Israel facing Chariots with iron wheels on the plains. Deborah urges Barak off of the mountain into the plains, and … "the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots." Sometimes the problem is not the visible enemy or task at hand, but just getting up and being obedient to do the work God has called us to do. In this case, Barak would have failed by staying up on the mountain, but he seem to prefer that to potentially failing by engaging the enemy. He chose comfortable failure--"at least you are still alive." Barak was risk-adverse. But Barak was also obedient-adverse. If God has commanded us or called us to a task, we need to be strong and courageous and face the task before us. We cannot out wimp out on our role or responsibilities. What is my job? What am I supposed to do? What are the chariots with iron wheels that I face? What mountain am I hiding on?

QT 20 Jan 17, Judg 4:4-9, Men have the responsibility to lead spiritually, not because they are better (they are not), but because that is their role

Judges 4:4–9 (ESV) — 4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6 She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you, ‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun. 7 And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand’?” 8 Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” 9 And she said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

NOTE: I certainly have no problem with women in leadership and I find the passage above refreshing, but with hints that things may not be going so well. I do have a concern when women spiritually lead a nation or a body of believers, like a church. The problem is that men have a God-given role to spiritually lead their households, and when a man sees a woman leading spiritually in an approved setting such as a church, he concludes that the woman can lead the household spiritually as well and therefore he has no responsibility in the matter. There is no question that women can do the role, but is that what God desires? In this case, Deborah challenges Barak that God had "commanded" him to attack Sisera, but Barak has not gone. He refuses to go unless Deborah is with him. Deborah wants him to assume the leadership, but Barak timidly refuses unless Deborah accompanies him. Barak is making a lot of mistakes. For one, God commanded him to go. And secondly, he trusts in Deborah's presence more than God's presence. No wonder there are no men leading the nation spiritually--they are all spiritual cowards. What this suggests to me is that the family structure is starting to break down. Men are not taking the lead in the nation and probably not in the household as well. Surely God could find one men in Israel, but I think Barak represents the men of Israel in this region during this time.

QT 19 Jan 17, Judg 3:12-14, Cling to God!

Judges 3:12–14 (ESV) —

12 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 13 He gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amalekites, and went and defeated Israel. And they took possession of the city of palms. 14 And the people of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

NOTE: In another part of the nation, Moab attacks and actually takes a city from Israel. Last time, there was 8 years of oppression. In this region, there are 18 years of oppression. God raises up a left-handed man Ehud who would rescue the land. The pattern is similar. After times of peace, the people no longer cling to God. They are ensnared into sin. God allows them to fall into the hands of their enemies, who scourge them. But they forget, because they are blinded by their sin, and they will once again fall into the trap. Of note is that I do not think the whole land of Israel experienced every one of these stories. I believe they are somewhat regional in nature. That would also explain the problem with adding up the years, since the years refer to the specific region or area. Some were definitely repeated events, and the whole land probably knew of the individual judges, but the effect may have varied across the country. The application remains, do not forget God. Cling to God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. The consequences of forgetting God can remain with a person their entire life.

QT 18 Jan 17, Judg 3:7-11, The need for a quiet time daily

Judges 3:7–11 (ESV) —

7 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. 8 Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. 9 But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10 The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. 11 So the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

NOTE: And so begins the cycle. Forget God, sin (snares), pain and oppression (scourges), cry out (repentance), God provides a deliverer, victory, and peace. I would add to the "forget God" the parenthetical phrase "blind," because in verse 12 they do it all over again. Without a doubt, the place to break the chain is at the "forget God." And so how do we avoid the natural human reaction to enjoy pleasures and the world when everything is going good? How do we not forget God? First of all, we have to keep everything in perspective. Good comes from God and he should be regularly thanked. Second, a relationship with God must remain a priority in our life. There is no substitute in any relationship for time spent together. No marriage can last without regular and constant communication. Therefore, we must meet daily with God, not weekly (as some do). God speaks to us through his word and we speak to God through prayer. So that daily relationship should include some time in the word and some time in prayer. That is what I am doing now in this quiet time (QT). I am in a quiet place, free of distractions, and writing down thoughts from God's word. On the drive in to work, I spent time in prayer. I have to get up early to have a QT at work, otherwise there will be a lot of distractions. Right now, there is literally no one around me. Each of us need to find that quiet place to meet with God.

QT 17 Jan 17, Judg 2:20-23, The danger of compromise

Judges 2:20–23 (ESV) —

20 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said, “Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, 21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, 22 in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their fathers did, or not.” 23 So the Lord left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

NOTE: I like Constable's thoughts on this passage because it makes sense. From this point on, Israel does not conquer any more land, they just react to the oppression for a period of time. Essentially, they remain where Joshua's conquests left them. God did this in response to their failures to cling to him, and their adopting the culture of the land and the worship of its gods. So after, 400 years of slavery to Egypt, we enter 300 years of traps (the appeal of the culture), scourges (the scars left from disobedience), and thistles in the eyes (blinded to truth). They have opportunities where they repent and could begin to turn things around, but they fall back into a comfortable life living in the culture of the land. The interesting thing to consider is what God means by "test" since they have already failed. One possibility is that there remains an opportunity for a future generation to rise up and return the nation to God. The other option for the "test" is thinking of the word not in terms of an exam, but in terms of stress, that is to show Israel that its course of action is wrong and needs to be corrected. What is the application? Certainly, not all culture is bad, but when culture disagrees with God's word, we must take our stand against it. Of course, some things are not entirely clear. The culture has blurred many areas by moving toward the edge of decency and desensitizing us to the difference. I don't want to specify behavior, but each of us need to seek God and ask him to make us aware of how we are compromising truth with culture.

QT 16 Jan 17, Judg 2:18-19,We need to do what is right, not what is popular

Judges 2:18–19 (ESV) —

18 Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. 19 But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.

NOTE: This is the worst part of the summary section for Judges. God provided judges to save them, but each time the danger was past, Israel went back to their sin, AND "were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods." The problem is that they never realized their problem, which is not the most profound statement in the world, but is accurate. God knew that the day of kings was coming. Judges exposes a problem with man that is caused by the corruption of sin. Men look to other men for their standard (or example) of living. Or they will look to their neighbor and match that behavior (the keeping up with the Jones' syndrome). Men seem uncomfortable standing up for truth. We are fickle. Israel's overriding problem was that they really didn't know God. I imagined they passed on some of the knowledge of God, but each generation seems to care less and less for that knowledge, so that by the time the book ends, Samuel is on a teaching circuit re-introducing the word of God to the people of God. Israel lacked good spiritual leadership to be their example of godliness. It is sad that they could not do that on their own, but for whatever reason, we copy the lives and examples of others. Today, our non-Christian, often non-educated, mostly emotional, actors and actresses are our example of how to live life. Their opinions, usually not well thought through and just a mimic of those they think are smart, are our opinions. Why? Because they are famous (popular)! America's problem today is that too many have stopped thinking and have accepted the opinion of so-called experts. Why? Because everyone else (seems) to have accepted them and they are famous (popular). We have the same need, to know God personally and to stand up for what is right, even if it is not the popular opinion of the time.

QT 12 Jan 17, Judg 2:11-15, The start of our fall begins with compromising with the world around us

Judges 2:11–15 (ESV) — 11 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger. 13 They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. 14 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. 15 Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress.

NOTE: This is the start of a repeated pattern in Israel. The people do not cling to God but instead follow the gods and practices of the culture around them. They assimilate to the point where you probably could not tell their were believers in God anymore. God uses suffering (plundering, slavery, defeat, and terrible distress) to bring them to their senses. Sin has the same effect today. It plunders us, taking away our resources. It ties us to it so that we become slaves to our sin. It defeats us again and again. And the end result is terrible distress in our life. God wants us to wake up, to return to him, to cling to him, to love him with all of our being. It cannot be a lukewarm love but must be a sold-out, go-for-broke love--a deep and abiding love in our creator and our savior. He cares so much for us, that he disciplines us in this way for our good -- oh, how we need to listen!

QT 11 Jan 17, Judg 2:6-10, This year, make God's word a priority

Judges 2:6–10 (ESV) — 6 When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land. 7 And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel. 8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years. 9 And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. 10 And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.

NOTE: The first chapter appears to be a summary of the failures of Judges. Chapter 2 goes back to Joshua, repeating some of the verbiage and begins to make the case why Israel failed, as the rest of the book will then go into the details of the failure.

Israel fails because the second generation after Joshua did not know the Lord or the work he had done for Israel. While forgetfulness would certainly be contributory, I think lukewarm-ness is a better description. They do not know because they did not care to know. It is the same problem today in our churches. People don't know God because they don't care to know God. They want their appetites satisfied and they grab onto what they think will fulfill them and make them happy, not realizing that the creator has designed us in a special way that requires adherence to moral laws to enjoy our creation to the greatest extent. They fail because they ignore God. They fail because they no longer make him important. They fail because they do not spend time in the word of God. They fail because they disobey his commands. As the book of Judges reveals, the knowledge of God and his law progressively declines. In fact, I think that is why Samuel, near the end of the period of judges, starts a teaching circuit (because of how much of the knowledge of God that had been lost). The application to us is clear, we need to grow in our knowledge of God and make it a priority in our life.

QT 10 Jan 17, Judg 2:1-5, God remains faithful even when his children do not

Judges 2:1–5 (ESV) — 1 Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, 2 and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? 3 So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” 4 As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. 5 And they called the name of that place Bochim. And they sacrificed there to the Lord.

NOTE: This passage follows chapter 1 in an explanatory mode. God says that the reason for the Israelites failure to take the land is not chariots but disobedience. Even so, God makes it clear that he will never break his covenant with Israel. Discipline is not breaking a covenant. We discipline our children for their good (well, some do), and so God disciplines his people for their good. But he never stops loving them. In one sense, that is the message of Galatians. If you are a child of God by faith, God's love for you can never change. Nothing we do or fail to do will change that love for us. We can't earn God's love. God's love is his personal choice. Despite all of our failures, he remains faithful

QT 9 Jan 17, Judg 1:3-7, 34-35, Compromise is the first step of failure in a walk with God

Judges 1:3–7 (ESV) —

3 And Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, that we may fight against the Canaanites. And I likewise will go with you into the territory allotted to you.” So Simeon went with him. 4 Then Judah went up and the Lord gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they defeated 10,000 of them at Bezek. 5 They found Adoni-bezek at Bezek and fought against him and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 6 Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes. 7 And Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

Judges 1:34–35 (ESV) —

34 The Amorites pressed the people of Dan back into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the plain. 35 The Amorites persisted in dwelling in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, but the hand of the house of Joseph rested heavily on them, and they became subject to forced labor.

NOTE: The passages above are a selected portion from a selected section of Israel's successes and failures in continuing the work of driving out the inhabitants. In story after story of chapter 1, they compromised. In the very first story, they do to a king what he used to do to his enemies, why? And while he dies in Jerusalem, a town later captured and burnt down, why did he not die at Bezek, when they captured him? In the second section, why are the Amorites put into forced labor? One might argue that the Israelites were being merciful, but God had given the people of the land, the Canaanites, 400 plus years to repent and they did not. God intended to use Israel to execute judgment against a people who refused to listen and turn from their sin. By compromising God's commands, Israel begins to fail in accomplishing its goal. God had made his help conditional on their obedience (as seen in Joshua's last charge).

For our western minds, we have difficulty with extermination of people groups. It is called genocide. God commanded this destruction for judgment against a people who had completely perverted his laws. God also destroyed the entire earth during the days of Noah because of their wickedness. We don't know fully the sin of the Canaanites and we certainly don't understand the holiness of God. Of all beings, God as the creator is the only one with the right to exterminate a people group. God is the judge of the whole earth. There is no arguing about his right to exercise judgment. He would be absolutely just if he executed that judgment on the entire earth today. So, the issue for the Israelites is not the morality of the command, it is moral, but the compromising of what God had commanded them to do.

QT 6 Jan 17, Josh 23:14-16, God promises to bring good out of evil

Joshua 23:14–16 (ESV) — 14 “And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. 15 But just as all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the Lord will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the Lord your God has given you, 16 if you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.”

NOTE: The covenant that God made with Israel was both spiritual and physical. The Mosaic covenant, also called the Law, and the Old Covenant, is physical and conditional. It depended upon their actions. The majority of covenants in the bible are unconditional, which means that they don't depend on the two parties, only on one party, God. But Joshua's warning here is in reference to the Mosaic Law. It does not apply to Christians as we are under a different covenant. But there is still a lot to learn and there are corollaries' to the New Covenant. For one, when we are adopted into God's family upon belief in Christ (by definition, we are not children of God by physical birth--that is a false myth), God promises to act as our heavenly father, which may include discipline. The discipline is based on a Father's discipline and not necessarily the breaking of some NT law. As Hebrews says, a Father disciplines as he sees best. So, God disciplines us for our good, not for our disobedience. There is a huge difference because whatever we go through (when it is discipline) is a good thing. The problem is that sometimes we will interpret all bad events as discipline, but that ignores the fact that the world is not as God created or intended it. We wanted to be in control, so God allowed us to live in control (back in the garden of Eden), as a gracious reminder why it is not a good idea to rebel from God. So evil can happen, for no reason whatsoever except that Man at one time rebelled against God's rule. The one promise we have in the case of this suffering, is that while God doesn't say he will stop it, he does promise to bring good out of it. That is the essence of Romans 8:28 (ESV) — 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 

QT 5 Jan 17, Josh 23:11-13, God is always trying to teach and get our attention, but are we listening?

Joshua 23:11–13 (ESV) — 11 Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God. 12 For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, 13 know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the Lord your God has given you.

NOTE: Joshua acknowledges in the previous verses that there is still work to do. And he challenges the people to stay true to the task, but he also warns the people against failure to continue to drive out the nations from the land. This is the prelude to Judges, for that is exactly what happens over and over again. The people get comfortable; the people follow the example of neighbors and forget God; the people are enslaved or attacked by those nations; the people cry out to God in repentance; God sends a delivers; and God gives them peace. But Israel never learns, and approximately 12 times goes through this cycle in different parts of the land in one failure after another. The lesson to us is what failure continues to haunt us? Where do we get apathetic in our convictions? Are we too comfortable? Are we serving in ministry? God wants to use our lives as a blessing to Him and to others. But we have to get out of a focus on ourselves and begin living for others.

QT 3 Jan 17, Josh 22:7-34 (portions), Good motives do not justify bad choices

Joshua 22:7–34 portions (ESV) — 7 Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half Joshua had given a possession beside their brothers in the land west of the Jordan. And when Joshua sent them away to their homes and blessed them, . . . 9 So the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, parting from the people of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, their own land of which they had possessed themselves by command of the Lord through Moses.

10 And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size. . . . 12 And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them. . . .

15  . . . they said to them, 16 “Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, ‘What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the Lord by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the Lord? 17 Have we not had enough of the sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the Lord, 18 that you too must turn away this day from following the Lord? And if you too rebel against the Lord today then tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.

. . . 21 Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, 22 “The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the Lord, do not spare us today 23 for building an altar to turn away from following the Lord. Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the Lord himself take vengeance. 24 No, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? . . .

. . . 30 When Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh spoke, it was good in their eyes. . . .34 The people of Reuben and the people of Gad called the altar Witness, “For,” they said, “it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.”

NOTE: It is noteworthy that the people of Israel were concerned about the holiness of the nation  and reacted quite quickly to this apparent sin. It is also good that the parties took time to discuss the issue before charging into battle. Sometimes we are so quick to judge that we don't stop to hear the other person's side. Also, we find that, if anything, the motives of the people were good. But good motives do not make for good actions. I am not aware of any case of this altar being used in Israel's history, but it could have been. Many times, Israel took good things and then incorrectly used them in worship. Even the tabernacle itself was misused. Good motives change our opinion of a person and their actions, but good motives do not justify bad actions. The action to build an altar was wrong, the motive was fine, although the theology was suspect (and that by itself should have been a warning sign). The Levites were given cities across the nation. Their job was to protect the theological underpinning of Israel. In the next book, Judges, they stand out as failures to help the tribes continue in their walk with God. Motives are a good thing but they don't justify false actions.

QT 2 Jan 17, Josh 22:1-6, "Well done" seems rare in scripture, but oh it sounds so good

Joshua 22:1–6 (ESV) — 1 At that time Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you. 3 You have not forsaken your brothers these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the Lord your God. 4 And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as he promised them. Therefore turn and go to your tents in the land where your possession lies, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. 5 Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” 6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

NOTE: So many times in Israel's history, the story is one of pain, failure, and disobedience (not surprising either since Israel is just like us). For the most part, the book of Joshua defies the norm. It is characterized by obedience and fulfillment of God's will. There are failures, like Ai and Gibeon, but they do not define the story. The two and one half tribes agree to fight with Joshua and their brothers, even though they have already received their inheritance. They complete their commitment, seven years of helping the other tribes get their inheritance. Joshua's summary in verses 2-3 are humbling and kind. But, Joshua warns them to continue to walk in God's ways and serve God  with all their heart and soul. Their children will forsake that warning, but they obeyed (sounds like the "great generation"). What is the application? I can't control everything in which I have input, but I can make sure that I do the right thing. And at the end, the "well done" is worth it.