The Lord Was with Judah

The Lord Was with Judah

Date: Jan. 16, 2024

Passage

Judges 1:1-26 (ESV)

1 After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the LORD, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?” 2 The LORD said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.” 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.

8 And the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. 9 And afterward the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, in the Negeb, and in the lowland. 10 And Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba), and they defeated Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai.

11 From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir was formerly Kiriath-sepher. 12 And Caleb said, “He who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter as wife.” 13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. 14 When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?” 15 She said to him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have given me the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

16 And the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the Negeb near Arad, and they went and settled with the people. 17 And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they defeated the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and devoted it to destruction. So the name of the city was called Hormah. 18 Judah also captured Gaza with its territory, and Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory. 19 And the LORD was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had chariots of iron. 20 And Hebron was given to Caleb, as Moses had said. And he drove out from it the three sons of Anak. 21 But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites have lived with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

22 The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the LORD was with them. 23 And the house of Joseph scouted out Bethel. (Now the name of the city was formerly Luz.) 24 And the spies saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him, “Please show us the way into the city, and we will deal kindly with you.” 25 And he showed them the way into the city. And they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go. 26 And the man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city and called its name Luz. That is its name to this day.

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Daily Bread

Key Verse: 1:2

The LORD said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.”

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES
The book of Judges covers the time between Joshua and Samuel. Moses had given Israel God’s word regarding laws and worship. They had no succession plan for their leader. The national leaders that God raised up during this time were called Judges. Twelve judges are mentioned in the book: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson. The book of Judges records the demise of Israel, who fell further away from God. There is a recurring pattern that runs through the book: 1) Israel is unfaithful to God, 2) God sends an oppressor against them, 3) they cry out to God, 4) God raises up a judge who delivers them. And the cycle repeats. Their lawless lives are described by the repeated phrase: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” (17:6) Gideon voices the truth that God’s people should accept and live by: “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” (8:23)
The judges were not heroes in an ideal sense. They were full of weaknesses. But they did exercise moments of faith in God that brought them to conquer kingdoms and administer justice (Heb 11:32,33) God used them to save his people because of his own purpose and promises. One day God would send the perfect, righteous leader for his people—the Messiah, Jesus Christ. As we read Judges, let us remember that God is faithful and sovereign and the true Hero of his people.

The Israelites had entered the Promised Land and had begun to defeat the inhabitants of the land. The land on the west side of the Jordan River had been allotted to the 9 ½ tribes. (The others had received their inheritance on the east side of the river). But by the time Joshua had died, the land still had to be secured.

So, the Israelites sought the Lord in the matter and inquired as to who should go up first to fight the Canaanites. The Lord said Judah shall be first, and that he would be with them and give the land into their hands. The Lord gave them victory after victory, defeating the Canaanites and Perizzites. They exacted justice on Adoni-Bezek. They even took the town of Jerusalem. When they trusted in the Lord, they achieved victory over all their enemies.

But there were some the Israelites could not drive out. Some of the nations had chariots made of iron, which the men of Judah and Benjamin could not completely drive out. They would later cause trouble for Israel.

Prayer: Prayer: Father, you were with the people of Judah, and they saw victory after victory. Our own victories come from you. Sustain us and give us victory over our lives by listening to you.

One Word: One Word: It is the Lord who gives us victory

Countless Saved from God’s Wrath by the Blood of the Lamb

Revelation 7:1-17

Key Verse: 7:9-10

Today's Question

Are all sins equally evil?

See answer and references

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT