Failure in Northern Canaan
June 27, 2019
Commentary
Judah’s victories were by no means complete. She was unable to cope with her enemy’s chariots of iron. Benjamin was not able to drive out the Jebusites from their portion of the land. Manasseh was unable to overthrow the Canaanites in her own terrain (vv. 21-22). She kept them in servitude but was unable to eliminate them. Ephraim was victorious at Bethel but was powerless to drive out the Canaanites from her land. Zebulun, Asher, and Naphtali were unsuccessful too. Dan which was located on the seacoast in central Palestine was forced by the Amorites to take refuge in the mountains.
What began as a series of victories, led by the Lord, ended as a series of compromises on the part of the Israelites. All the tribes “settled down” with the heathen nations (vv. 25-36). Joshua had warned them against compromising with the enemy; but now they were falling into this very trap (vv. 23-24). The stage was now set for internal decay and an external attack and national enslavement.
Application
Compromise is one of the biggest reasons Christians are not effective for the Lord today. As I allow the world to press me into its model I become less and less effective for the Lord. Compromise means either I’m not doing something I should do or I’m doing something I shouldn’t do. Discuss as a family what areas it is very easy to compromise in. We really need to get to know Joshua 24:15 - “But as for me and my house we shall serve the Lord.”
Judges 1:21– 36 (NET)
21 The men of Benjamin, however, did not conquer the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites live with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this very day.
22 When the men of Joseph attacked Bethel, the Lord was with them. 23 When the men of Joseph spied out Bethel (it used to be called Luz), 24 the spies spotted a man leaving the city. They said to him, “If you show us a secret entrance into the city, we will reward you.” 25 He showed them a secret entrance into the city, and they put the city to the sword. But they let the man and his extended family leave safely. 26 He moved to Hittite country and built a city. He named it Luz, and it has kept that name to this very day.
27 The men of Manasseh did not conquer Beth Shean, Taanach, or their surrounding towns. Nor did they conquer the people living in Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo or their surrounding towns. The Canaanites managed to remain in those areas. 28 Whenever Israel was strong militarily, they forced the Canaanites to do hard labor, but they never totally conquered them.
29 The men of Ephraim did not conquer the Canaanites living in Gezer. The Canaanites lived among them in Gezer.
30 The men of Zebulun did not conquer the people living in Kitron and Nahalol. The Canaanites lived among them and were forced to do hard labor.
31 The men of Asher did not conquer the people living in Acco or Sidon, nor did they conquer Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob. 32 The people of Asher live among the Canaanites residing in the land because they did not conquer them.
33 The men of Naphtali did not conquer the people living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath. They live among the Canaanites residing in the land. The Canaanites living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were forced to do hard labor for them.
34 The Amorites forced the people of Dan to live in the hill country. They did not allow them to live in the coastal plain. 35 The Amorites managed to remain in Har Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim. Whenever the tribe of Joseph was strong militarily, the Amorites were forced to do hard labor. 36 The border of Amorite territory ran from the Scorpion Ascent to Sela and on up.
Illustration: What happens when the Gospel of Jesus Christ is surrendered
In the early 1900’s through the 1960’s Broadway Presbyterian Church was a powerful witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Upper Manhattan, but from the 1960’s to the 1990’s a subtle change began to take place. A change in emphasis stole in as massive feeding programs for the homeless were undertaken. Church membership slipped from over 1000 to 120. In the soup kitchens, prayers were not even offered over meals out of concern that the clients might resent it. And it was discovered that the same people were coming through the lines year after year. There was no change taking place in their lives. What happened? The decisive point of the battle, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, had been surrendered. Free food doesn’t transform lives, The resurrected Christ transforms lives. (World Magazine, 26 January 2002).