14-Joshua 24 – Judges 17
Mark. 28, 2009
This week we will finish the Book of Joshua with Chapter 24, and look into the Book of Judges. Last week we studied Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land of Palestine. We saw how Joshua led Israel in battle, and how he divided up the land to God’s people. Joshua is now in the last day of his life, and is speaking his final words to Israel. Joshua told the people a review of their history as God had told him to. The words spoken were from God’s point of view. The Lord wanted Israel to remember all that He had done for them from the beginning. I believe God was disappointed that the people had been so unfaithful at times, and would not obey His commandments, even though He had done everything to bless them. Joshua then, as his final word to Israel, placed before them a decision. He told them that they each had to make a choice on who they would serve. Joshua’s words are recorded in Chapter 24:14-15 “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.“If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” I believe these words have the same importance today. We are all faced with a choice. First, the choice is that each of us chooses to accept or reject the free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. The next is that if we have chosen to accept Jesus, we need to also choose each day if we will follow the Lord’s ways, or reject them and act on our own. Even though Joshua told the people they would turn from the Lord, they decided as a people to follow the Lord. Joshua then died at the age of one hundred ten and was buried in the hill country of Ephraim on the north of Mt. Gaash. The text says the people of Israel followed the Lord through all the years of Joshua, and the Elders who survived him. Israel then buried the bones of Joseph that they had carried from Egypt in Shechem. Aaron’s son Eleazar also died and was buried in Gibeah. This ends the Book of Joshua. We will now begin the Book of Judges. This book covers a period of approximately three hundred thirty years of the history of Israel. This was a time that was after the death of Joshua, and before Israel was given a king. It was a time when the Lord would periodically raise up judges to bring His people out of oppression by the inhabitants of the land. This oppression was brought on by Israel’s unbelief. The overall theme of this time in Israel’s past is stated best by God through the last verse in the book, Chapter 21:25: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” We will open up the Book of Judges in Chapter 1. It is after the death of Joshua, and Israel had asked the Lord which of the tribes should go against the Canaanites in the land. The Lord replied to them that the tribe of Judah should go and fight. Men from Judah took some of the children of Simeon with them and defeated ten thousand men at Bezek. They found Adoni-bezek the king and removed his thumbs and big toes. The king acknowledged to them that God had repaid him in kind for what he had done himself to seventy other kings. This act by Israel was said to have made the enemy unable to use a weapon, and to walk in battle. The Israelites captured Jerusalem, and then went on to Hebron, then to Debir. Othniel captured the city and was given Achsah, Caleb’s daughter as his wife. Other tribes then went against the inhabitants of their territories, but were not always successful in removing them completely. In Chapter 2 the Angel of the Lord visited the people and rebuked them. They had not obeyed the Lord, and removed the people of the land and their altars. The people wept, and called the place where the Angel met them Bochim, or “Weepers”. The remaining inhabitants of the land Israel did not remove caused them to turn away from God and serve the Baals. God said He would use these idols and false gods to test Israel. The same way today God uses Baals to test His church. All of us are faced each day with the idols of money, television, and every other thing that could turn us away from the Lord. I pray that we can all use the example of Israel, and not make the same mistakes they made. The text says that God had left some of the people of Palestine untouched by war. He would use these people to test Israel as we spoke of in the previous paragraph. Israel failed these tests and turned away from the Lord and served the other gods of the land. It is written that God sold His people into slavery to the king of Mesopotamia, Cushan-rishathaim. Israel served him for eight years until they cried out to the Lord of their plight. The Lord heard His people and raised up a deliverer to bring them out of slavery. God filled Othniel, the man mentioned earlier, with His Spirit to deliver Israel. Othniel led Israel in revolt against Mesopotamia and won the battle. The land then had rest from war for forty years. Othniel, the first judge of Israel, then died. The people then again turned away from the Lord. God then strengthened Eglon, the king of Moab against His people. Eglon, along with the sons of Ammon, and Amalek defeated Israel and kept them in bondage eighteen years. Israel again cried out to the Lord for deliverance. God heard His people and raised up Ehud to deliver His people. Ehud prepared a sword with two edges and hid it on his right thigh when he went in to present tribute to king Eglon. Ehud told Eglon that he had a secret message for him. Eglon dismissed his servants, and when he and Ehud were alone, Ehud told the king that his message was from God. Ehud then removed the sword from his thigh and plunged it into Eglon’s fat belly. The text says the fat of Eglon’s belly covered up the handle of the sword, and when he died his bowels emptied on the floor. The foul stench caused his servants to believe Ehud, when he told them the king was relieving himself in the cool of the room. I believe the fact that the servants believed Ehud shows just what kind of behavior was accepted in those days. Ehud escaped and delivered Israel from the Moabites. The land then had rest for eighty years. The story of the third judge of Israel is contained in a single verse at the end of Chapter 3. Verse 31 says that Shamgar killed six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad, and also saved Israel. The Lord had to have been with Shamgar in this battle. An oxgoad is an eight foot long pole that was used to clean plows. This was an extremely difficult tool to use as a weapon, let alone to use it to kill six hundred men. After Ehud died Israel again turned away from the Lord God let them be controlled by Jabin of the Canaanites, and his army commander Sisera. Israel cried to the Lord because the Canaanites possessed nine hundred iron chariots. They oppressed Israel for twenty years. The person who was judge over Israel at that time was a woman. Her name was Deborah, and she was a prophetess. She enlisted the services of a man named Barak to lead an army of ten thousand men against Sisera. Barak agreed to do this only if Deborah would accompany him. Deborah then prophesied that the honor of the battle would not be on Barak, but the Lord would deliver up Sisera to a woman. The text says the Lord routed the nine hundred chariots and all the men of Sisera from before Barak and his ten thousand troops. Sisera fled the battle and went to the house of Heber the Kenite. Jael, Heber’s wife, met Sisera and had him hide in her tent. She then with a hammer drove a peg through Sisera’s temple into the earth. Jael was descended from the father-in-law of Moses. Israel then pressed Jabin and the Canaanites until they were defeated. Chapter 5 records the song of Deborah and Barak which recalls the events just described. The land then had rest for forty years. In Chapter 6 Israel again turns away from the Lord and was oppressed by the people of Midian. The Midianites were like locusts and stripped the land bare of food before Israel. The people then cried out to the Lord. God sent a prophet to Israel to remind them what He had done for them and that they had disobeyed. Meanwhile the Angel of the Lord visited a man named Gideon in Ophrah. The Angel of the Lord said to Gideon as he was beating grain in his father’s winepress “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” Gideon answered and asked “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” The Lord answered Gideon and said “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” This going back and forth reminds me of the time that the Lord spoke to Moses from the burning bush. Gideon still was unsure and asked the Lord for several signs to convince him. Gideon then angered the Midianites by following the Lord’s instruction in tearing down the altar of Baal with his father’s bull. When the Midianites gathered against Israel in the valley of Jezreel, the Spirit of the Lord entered Gideon and he blew his trumpet to gather Israel to him. Gideon again asked the Lord for a sign and used a fleece of wool to prove God’s desires. God wanted it to be known that it was He who would win the battle against Midian. The Lord reduced the army of Gideon from twenty two thousand to eleven thousand. He then reduced it further, by unusual means, down to three hundred men. The fear of the Lord was placed into the minds of Israel’s enemy by the use of dreams. The text says their armies were like locusts in number. God had Gideon arm his men with trumpets, clay pitchers, and torches. When Gideon gave his men the prearranged signal, they blew their trumpets, smashed the clay pitchers, and held the torches, while they shouted “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” The armies of Midian were confused by the Lord and turned their swords against each other. Gideon and his men chased them with their trumpets until Israel was delivered. Israel then had rest for forty years. Gideon then had seventy sons, and many wives. The text mentions one of his sons in particular, Abimelech from his concubine in Shechem. Gideon died and was buried with his fathers. Israel had begun to turn away from the Lord before Gideon died because of the Ephod he had made from the spoils of the war with Midian. After his death Israel completely turned and worshipped Baal-berith as their god. There was a power struggle in Israel within the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon). Gideon’s son Abimelech convinced the people that it would be better for him alone to rule over them then a group of seventy men. He conspired against his brothers and killed all seventy of them. He took over the rule of Israel. After Abimelech ruled Israel for three years God sent an evil spirit to come between Abimelech and the men of Shechem. They went against Abimelech and fought until he was finally killed by a woman by dropping a millstone on his head. Abimelech died and Israel was judged by a man named Tola for twenty three years. After Tola’s death Jair judged Israel for twenty two years. Israel then again turned away from the Lord after the death of Jair and served Baal. Israel was then oppressed by the Philistines and the Ammonites for eighteen years. They cried out to the Lord again and God raised up Jephthah to deliver His people. Jephthah made a vow to the Lord that he would give Him whoever came from his house to meet him. Jephthah delivered Israel, and then regretted his vow because his daughter came to meet him. He was distressed because his daughter would not ever be able to marry and have children. The people of Israel began a custom to mourn the virginity of Jephthah’s only child every year. Jephthah judged Israel for six years, and was followed by Ibzan, Elon, and then Abdon. These four judges cover a period of thirty one years. Israel again turned away from the Lord and did evil in His sight. God then sent the Philistines to oppress Israel for forty years. In Chapter 13 the book begins the life of Samson. The barren wife of Manoah, a man from the tribe of Dan, was visited by the Angel of the Lord, and told that she would bear a son that would deliver Israel. She was told not to take wine or strong drink, to refrain from eating anything unclean, and that her son would be a Nazirite to God from the womb. The woman went to her husband and told him what had happened. Manoah prayed that the man would return and explain what he was to do for the boy. When the man returned he told Manoah what he had said and that Manoah would ensure that his wife obeyed all she was told. Manoah wanted the man to stay and eat with them. They did not realize they had been visited by God in human form. He answered Manoah and had him prepare a burnt offering instead of a meal. Manoah asked the visitor his name so they could honor him when his words came to pass. The Lord answered in verse 18 “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?” Manoah prepared the burnt offering while the Lord performed wonders in their sight. They understood who their visitor was when He ascended towards heaven on the flame of the offering. Samson was born and grew and was blessed by God. The Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan. Samson went to Timnah and saw a woman of the Philistines ha wanted. His parents wanted him to take a bride from his own people. Samson replied to his father in Judges 14:3 “Get her for me, for she looks good to me.” This sounds like the attitude of Israel during the time of the judges, but it was actually from the Lord. God wanted to create an issue with the Philistines. Samson came to his parents in Timnah until he reached the vineyards. The text says that a young lion came roaring up to him. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he killed the lion as he would kill a goat. He went to his parents, but did not tell them what he had done. They talked with the woman and he decided he wanted her. When he went to get her he came to the carcass of the lion. The body of the lion was filled with a swarm of bees and honey. Samson scraped the honey from the lion and ate it on his way. He gave some to his parents but did not tell them where it was from. They then had a feast for the woman, and thirty men from the Philistines were there with his bride. Samson told the thirty a riddle for them to solve in seven days. He promised to give them all clothing and wraps for a correct answer. Samson wanted to brag to them about what had done to the lion. The men could not figure out an answer by the third day. The men threatened Samson’s new wife to find out the answer for them. She did and they answered Samson on the seventh day. The Spirit of the Lord came on Samson and he went to Ashkelon and killed thirty men. He gave the winning men the clothing even though they received the answer by his wife. Samson left angry, and his new wife was given to his companion who was his friend. In Chapter 15 Samson tried to visit his wife to give her a goat. Her father would not allow him to see her and offered him her younger sister. Samson was angry and went into the fields of the Philistines with three hundred captured foxes. He set fire to the fox’s tails and they burned up the crops of the Philistines. The Philistines found out who had caused this tragedy and burned up Samson’s wife and her father. Samson caused a great slaughter in the people and then lived in a cleft in the rock of Etam. Three thousand men of Judah came to Etam and bound Samson to take him to the Philistines. They were afraid he would again anger their rulers, the Philistines. When they reached Lehi and the Philistines, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson and he broke his bonds. He picked up the jawbone of a donkey and killed a thousand men. When he had finished God provided him water to drink. Samson judged Israel for twenty years. In Chapter 16 the weakness of Samson is discussed. The weakness was shown to be his hair. The life of Samson shows that his real weakness is the same as many of the weaknesses we observe in men today. Samson had a weakness for beautiful women, and a weakness of pride. He was born a Nazirite, but slept with prostitutes and ate unclean things. Samson went to Gaza and saw a prostitute there. The men of the city hid themselves to kill Samson in the morning. Samson awoke at midnight and left the city with a show of strength toward the people. He then fell in love with a woman from the valley of Sorek named Delilah. She was told by the leaders of the Philistines to find out Samson’s weakness. She was promised money to do this for them. She went to Samson, and he tested her three times with lies about his weakness. He did not fear her attempts and wanted her so he told her what she believed was the truth. Samson told her he was a Nazirite and that a razor had never come near his head. He said that his strength was in his hair. Delilah believed and had a man shave his hair while he slept that night. She collected her money and began to test Samson. Samson’s strength was no longer with him. The Lord had left him for what he had done. Delilah gave Samson over to the Philistines, and they gouged out his eyes, put him in bronze chains, and took him to prison. Samson’s hair began to grow after it was shaved. The people were happy and prepared a sacrifice to their god Dagon. Samson was brought out of the prison to amuse the people. Samson was placed between the pillars that held up the house he was in. There were three thousand in the house being amused by Samson. Samson repented from his ways and asked the Lord to return his strength one last time. He wished to die with the Philistines. The Lord granted his request and Samson pushed down the pillars of the house. The people Samson killed in death were more then he had killed during his life. His family then came for his body and buried him with his father. We will finish up this weeks study with Chapter 17. This chapter tells the account of a man of Ephraim named Micah, who took silver from his mother, then returned it to her. She said that her son was blessed by the Lord, and had a graven image made from some of the returned silver. The image was made and Micah constructed an ephod, or shirt, from the idols and consecrated one of his sons to be his priest. In the next part of the chapter a young man who was a Levite was staying at Bethlehem in Judah. He left the city and traveled to find another place to stay. He ended up in the hill country of Ephraim in the home of Micah. Micah asked him where he was from, and when he found out the young man was a real Levite, he offered him the job of being his personal priest. The man agreed and became the priest to the man Micah. Micah actually believed that the Lord would now prosper him because he had a Levite as his priest. The people had fallen so far from the Lords commandments that they were making up their own. The people did what was right in their own eyes. This ends our study for this week. Next week we will finish up the Book of Judges, cover the Book of Ruth, and begin the Book of 1 Samuel.