Judges 1 – Selective Obedience Denies Faithfulness

Reverend Leo H. McCrary II

Selected obedience must not be confused with being completely faithful. God’s desire is for you to live in obedience, rather than choosing to do things your own way.

Introduction

Over the years, the Book of Judges has been a book that’s been difficult for me to stay away from.  I have found this book to be incredibly important for those who desire to walk with the Lord in fellowship, as it reveals the rewards of faithfulness and the consequences of disobedience.  Along those same lines, the Book of Judges also highlights the great struggle we all face on this journey of faith.

So, I certainly hope you will spend the next few weeks with me as I go through the Book of Judges!  In this week’s study, I am going to take at Judges 1, as we will examine the obedience of the children of Israel in their conquest of the Promised Land.  The highlight of this chapter will be selective obedience and its failure.  

Israel’s Journey to the Promised Land

But first, let me touch on Israel’s journey to the Promised Land.  Israel’s journey to the Promised Land started with hope, but was marked by repeated failures of sin.

After they were freed from the bondage of Egypt, it didn’t take long for their joy to turn into dread and into sin.  At the Red Sea, they lacked faith in the God who had plagued Egypt and freed them from Pharaoh.  At Mount Sinai, rather than worshiping the same God that parted the Red Sea, they worshiped a calf of gold, breaking their covenant (Ex. 32:1-4).

Israel then showed a lack of faith in the Wilderness of Paran when they refused to enter the Promised Land because they feared the people in the land (Num. 14:1-4).  They seemingly forgot about how God delivered them from Egypt, and how the Lord gave them victory over Amalek (Ex. 17:8-13). 

The generation that refused to enter the Promised Land in Paran, and worshipped the calf of gold, was not permitted to enter the Promised Land. All of those twenty years and older were made to wander the wilderness for forty years, until they passed away (Num. 14:29, 33-34).  Even Moses, because of his error at Kadesh, was not permitted to enter the Promised Land (Num. 20:12).  

The younger generation, under the leadership of Joshua, entered the Promised Land and set forth to conquer the land as God had instructed.  God instructed them to drive the people out of the land, defeating them, and destroying all of their idols Num. 33:50-53).  

For his part, Joshua faithfully did as God had instructed, and at the end of his life, Israel had control over most of the land, yet there was still much work to do.  Joshua encouraged the people to fear the Lord and His judgment, to continue to move in faith, serving the Lord in obedience (Josh 24:14-15). 

Joshua and Caleb were the only two from the older generation who were permitted to enter the Promised Land (Num. 14:24,30,38).  God rewarded the faithfulness of Joshua and Caleb, who, from the beginning, believed that through God they could possess the land (Num. 14:6-8).

When I say that God rewards faithfulness, let us understand that means that God rewards total obedience.  I feel like the concept of obedience being rewarded is something all of us learn as children.  There was no reward for a child who ‘acted up’ when we were growing up, was there?    

Though we understand this concept, many continue in their disobedience of God, thinking that God will still reward them because they did a few good things.  That mindset is why I find the Book of Judges incredibly important for us to study.  That mindset was the cause of the roller coaster ride of up and down times the children of Israel experienced throughout this book.  

Judges 1:2-3 – Judah’s Selective Obedience

After the days of Joshua, some of the tribes set forth to complete the conquest of the land.  In Judges 1:2, we’ll see where God commanded Judah to ‘go up’ (to move), for He had given them their land (Josh 15:1-12). 

However, Judges 1:3 shows us that Judah turned to Simeon and asked Simeon to help them fight against the Canaanites.  Sprinkled within this scripture is where Caleb is given the land of Hebron and Debir as allotted to him by God (Josh. 15:13-19).  

Within this passage of scripture, we will see where Judah conquered and took some familiar places, like Jerusalem (v.8) and Gaza (v.18), for example.  However, while the Lord was with them, Judges 1:19 tells us that they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowlands (valleys separating the hills from the coast) because they had chariots of iron.  

For me, Judges 1:19 raises the question: Why couldn’t they drive out the inhabitants of the lowlands?  I know the scripture states that it was because they had chariots of iron, but am I supposed to believe that God, who was with Judah, couldn’t overcome chariots of iron?  

Well, obviously, God can overcome chariots of iron, so why couldn’t Judah overcome the inhabitants of the lowlands?  The simple answer:  God did not permit them to do so.  God did not permit Judah to have total victory in their conquest.

Now, that raises the question:  Why didn’t God permit Judah to have total victory?  Well, the answer points back to how Judah began their conquest and moved throughout it.  In Judges 1:3, Judah turned to Simeon for help, rather than moving in total obedience to God’s instructions.

Now, I believe many of us would look at Judah turning to Simeon for help as a good thing, right?  However, God instructed Judah to move to take their allotted land, not for Judah to move with Simeon.  Judah was supposed to move by itself with God, trusting that the Lord would give them the victory.  So, their turning to and asking Simeon to help them, was a sign of weakness, rather than a sign of faith.

In fact, Judah should have seen that they would have been just fine without Simeon’s help.  Judges 1:4-11  was Judah moving by itself with the Lord, and they were victorious.  We don’t see Judah move with Simeon until Judges 1:17, and while they had successes with Simeon, they eventually ran into trouble.  

Judah ran into trouble not just because God didn’t permit them total victory, but because they also blocked their victory.  They suffered from selective obedience as they were only obedient up to a point and stopped.  I believe they got tired of struggling against the inhabitants and gave up the fight.  This would actually lead to larger issues as the inhabitants of the lowlands were Judah’s great enemy – the Philistines.

The Great Difficulty of Faith

The great difficulty all of us face when it comes to dwelling in fellowship with God is that of ourselves – we struggle to get out of our own way.  We will fear and doubt ourselves, and then put that same fear and doubt into God, who has told us that all things are possible through Him.  God has told us that nothing is impossible for Him, yet we will fear and prevent our blessing.

To dwell in fellowship with the Lord, one’s heart must fully trust the Lord.  What I mean by this is that one must be willing for God to lead and to guide them.  On top of that willingness, one must not be reluctant to do as God instructs.  We cannot operate with a mindset that we are going to do things our way and think that we will inherit what God has promised to us.

Jesus instructed that we are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and God will add to us the things we need (Matt. 6:33).  Christ taught this, teaching the disciples not to worry or fear about things beyond their control.  When you move in obedience, you’re moving in a direction that God has paved.  Why should you fear moving in the path that God has paved for you?

Judges 1:21 – Benjamin’s Failure

Fear is what got to the tribe of Benjamin.  Judges 1:21 tells us that Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem, and Benjamin ended up dwelling with the Jebusites.  

What’s interesting is that we just read that Judah had fought against Jerusalem and took it.  So, what were the Jebusites still doing in Jerusalem? 

Well, Jerusalem, also known as Jebus, was the dwelling place of the Jebusites.  It is recorded in Joshua 15:63 that Judah couldn’t drive out the inhabitants of Jerusalem – the Jebusites.  Jerusalem, even in the days of David, was a great stronghold, and the Jebusites had a really good military.  It took the brilliant tactics of David for Jerusalem (or Jebus) to finally fall into the hands of Israel.

I believe what scripture describes is that Judah may have temporarily occupied Jerusalem in Judges 1:8.  However, they went southward into their allotted lands to fight those in the mountains and the lowlands, abandoning Jerusalem.  If the Jebusites left Jebus (Jerusalem) at that time, it was only temporary.

Now, was that a failure of Judah?  Absolutely not.  Jerusalem (Jebus) was part of the land allotment for Benjamin, not Judah, as shown in Joshua 18:11-28.  Judah showed that Jerusalem could be taken with God, but Benjamin didn’t move in the same manner, and that led to failure.  

When you dwell in fellowship with the Lord, stop thinking about what cannot be done.  Yes, stop thinking you’re incapable, because when you begin to think you’re incapable, then you will be incapable.  

Judges 1:22-29 – Failure of the House of Joseph

The house of Joseph speaks of his children – Manasseh and Ephraim.  Together, we’re told in Judges 1:22, Manasseh and Ephraim went against Bethel and were victorious.  However, Judges 1:23-26 shows their failure began when they let a man, along with his family, go because he had helped them by showing them the entrance to the city.

Letting a man and his family go because he helped them sounds fine, right?  Yet, this was a failure of more selective obedience, even though some of us may see it as an act of fairness.  Yet, in His instructions, God made it clear that the children of Israel weren’t supposed to show such mercy.  

Some of you may find this to be ruthless, yet their show of mercy was the continuation of what was disobedience.  Let’s be clear, selective obedience is not obedience; it’s moving according to one’s own will, rather than as God has instructed.  Any action that goes against God’s instructions, whether you think it is right or not, is an act of sin–disobedience.

In Judges 1:27, we’re told that Manasseh would go on to not drive out the inhabitants of their allotted, because the people were determined to dwell in the land.  As Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of their allotted land, Judges 1:29 tells us that the same happened with Ephraim in their allotted land.

Judges 1:30-36 – Failure on All Fronts

When we work our way through the remaining scripture of this chapter, we’re told that Zebulun, Asher, and Naphtali all failed to drive out the people in their allotted land.  

Dan is the last tribe spoken of in this scripture in Judges 1:34-35.  The allotted land of Dan was west of Ephraim and north of the allotted land of Judah.  Dan suffered an even greater failure as the Amorites forced Dan into the mountains.  Again, we’re told that the inhabitants, the Amorites, were determined not to be conquered, and Dan gave up.  

However, it is pointed out in Judges 1:35 that while the Amorites dwelt in the land, the combined house of Joseph prevailed against them.  I do want to say that there was power in the combined house of Joseph, yet as we’ve seen already, Mannasseh and Ephraim did suffer failure.

Frankly, it was a failure on all fronts for the children of Israel in possessing the land.  Not one of the tribes was able to take complete control over the land that had been allotted to them.  Most of the tribes, it seems, simply gave up because the inhabitants were being too stubborn (or determined).  Rather than completing the task God gave to them, they all felt they had done enough and settled for what they had.

Let’s also note that three of the tribes are absent from this report – Issachar, Reuben, and Gad.  Reuben and Gad are not listed in this report because they chose to dwell in the land on the other side of the Jordan (Num. 32:31-32).  If you think of the story of Jesus crossing the sea to the country of the Gadarenes, Jesus was going to the land of Gad.

In Numbers 32:6-8, Moses practically had to plead for Gad and Reuben not to defy God as their fathers had done.  Now, I should point out that they did agree to fight in the land with their brethren, but after the fighting was over, they went back to the east.  

By the time of Jesus, the land of Gad, or the country of the Gadarenes, was practically overrun with Gentiles.  The land of Reuben also ended up overrun with Gentiles.  1 Chronicles 5:25-26 tells us that the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh came into the captivity of Assyria.  This happened because the tribes had been unfaithful to the Lord and played the harlot after the gods of the Gentiles.

Failure was on all fronts for the tribes of Israel as they ended up dwelling with the inhabitants of the land.  The northern kingdom of Israel was also eventually conquered by the Assyrians, and their lands filled with Gentiles.  The southern kingdom, Judah, was conquered by the Babylonians, and eventually, fell under the control of Rome.

The Price of Selective Obedience

The selective obedience of the children of Israel is still felt to this day, as constant violence fills that land by people trying to occupy the land.  When you hear someone talking about ending war in the “Middle East”, understand they’re talking about ending a biblical battle that’s been ongoing since the days following Joshua’s death.

What do you think you can learn from the selective “obedience” of the children of Israel?  There is no full reward in being selective in our obedience.  Could you clean up your room halfway and get the Happy Meal?  Sometimes our parents would relent, but at other times, our parents would say no.

The children of Israel never had total control over the Promised Land.  With total obedience, the children of Israel would have had total control, but they got so little because of their lack of obedience, and that’s honestly the tragedy of it all.  Moreover, something I would point out is how their sin plagued Israel, and still plagues the land to this day.

You and I must work harder to be disciplined so that we may come into the fullness of the blessings that God has for us while we live.  We do not want sin to plague us because we’re choosing to be selective in our obedience.  No, we must learn as Paul did to bring our bodies into subjection by being more disciplined in our faith (1 Cor. 9:27).