 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
More Judges commentaries
Judges 1:1-20
Partial Success in Southern Canaan
Judges 1:21-36
Failure in Northern Canaan
Judges 2:1-15
God’s Anger in Action
Judges 2:16-23
Devine Testing of Israel
Judges 3:1-11
The Sinful Failure of Israel
© Family Times | About Us | Donate | Contact Us
Search for sermons by: Commentaries | Scripture search | Topics
Partial Success in Southern Canaan
Judges 1:1–20
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
The strength for our conquering and our victory is drawn continually from Christ. The Bible teaches that whosoever is born of God does not practice sin. It is like the story of the little girl who said that when the devil came knocking with a temptation , she just sent Jesus to t … More
After Joshua’s death Israel presses forward to exterminate the Canaanites who are still holding on to their strongholds in the land. The tribes of Judah and Simeon merged their forces to carry out a series of attacks on the Canaanites in the hill country south of Jerusalem (vv. 1-5). They captured the town of Bezek (thought to be about seventeen miles north of Shechem) and punished the king by cutting off his thumbs and toes (vv 6-7). They attacked Jerusalem, captured it, killed everyone who lived there, burned it to the ground (v. 8) and then on to defeat the Canaanite (vv. 9-11).
The term Canaanites usually designates all the inhabitants of the land at the time of the Israelite invasion. Sometimes a distinction is made between the Canaanites and the Amorites. The Canaanites occupied the valleys and the Amorites dwelt in the mountains.
We find that both Caleb and Othniel rose to positions of prominence in this truly classless society (vv. 12-15). It is not for sure whether Othniel was the nephew or the younger brother of Caleb. Caleb who by now was an old man, had shown real bravery in the capture of Hebron and now it was Othniel’s turn. Othniel’s success was rewarded by his marriage to Ochsah and the city of Teebir appears to have been given to them as an inheritance. Judah had this series of victories for one reason only and that was the fact that the Lord delivered her enemies into her hand (vv. 16-20). We should always remember that our only help is in the Lord.
Application
Caleb showed real bravery as he marched out to conquer the land the Lord promised to give to the Israelites. When I am fearful it is usually because I am concerned about what man may think about me or do to me. What are some areas of life where I tend to be fearful when the Lord wants to give me victory. I need to pray and ask the Lord to help me to have victory in these areas.
Judges 1:1-20 (English Standard Version)
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?" The LORD said, "Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand." 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. 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. They found Adoni-bezek at Bezek and fought against him and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes. 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. 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. 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. 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. From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir was formerly Kiriath-sepher. And Caleb said, "He who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter for a wife." And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife. 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?" She said to him, "Give me a blessing. Since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water." And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. 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. 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. Judah also captured Gaza with its territory, and Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory. 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. And Hebron was given to Caleb, as Moses had said. And he drove out from it the three sons of Anak.
View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway) »
Post your comment or question below.