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In Judges 1, we pick up on the journey after Joshua’s death. Verse 1 states that the Israelites sought guidance from the Lord on who should lead the fight against the Canaanites. God designated Judah, who enlisted Simeon’s help. Together, they achieved victories, including capturing and punishing Adoni-bezek, who acknowledged divine justice for his past cruelty.
Judah continued conquering cities like Jerusalem, Hebron, and Debir, with Caleb offering his daughter Achsah as a reward to Othniel for capturing Kiriath-Sepher. Achsah later secured additional blessings of land and water from Caleb. The Kenites joined Judah in settling among the people, and Judah successfully captured other territories, though they struggled against iron-chariot-equipped forces in the valleys.
The tribe of Joseph also had success in Bethel, using a local’s help. However, many tribes failed to fully drive out the Canaanites, leading to coexistence, forced labor, and persistent opposition. The Amorites resisted fiercely, confining the Danites to the hills, though they were eventually subdued as forced labor by Joseph’s descendants.
This incomplete conquest in Judges 1 set the stage for the ongoing challenges in the land for the rest of the chapter. Thematically, Judges covers a broad range of merciful acts by God despite the people’s persistence in wandering away from Him. It is very much about God’s deliverance despite the circumstances. However, in this book, we will also see the extraordinary feats God can accomplish from some of the most ordinary of people.
Going into Judges, it is important to understand that the themes take center stage while the chronology does not. It is a collection of narratives that illustrate great truth, but it is difficult to read like it happened in order because the timing of the events is relatively unknown. Scholars are also undecided on who wrote the book, though many believe it could have been Samuel, Hezekiah, or Ezra.
In Judges, we will see the outcome of pursuing the flesh. We will witness the state of life when men do as they see fit in their own eyes. This will be a constant theme. Through this state, the glory and mercy of God is clearly seen, and we should continually be gracious for the Gospel which allows our life to be used for His glory.
“The Israelites quickly slipped away from God after Joshua’s death. Almost immediately, the Israelites began to compromise with their worldly neighbors, engaging in their carnal, fleshly ways. They became immoral, materialistic, greedy, lawless, and violent—a wicked people. And they became idolaters, false worshippers. In fact, many of the Israelites began to live just like the Canaanites, so much so that they became Canaanites. There was no distinction between the Israelites and the unholy, wicked Canaanites—not in lifestyle, not in their unholy, day-to-day living before God. The Israelites became a permissive society, a people who lived a compromising, inconsistent life before God.”
The Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible – Old Testament
The latter half of Judges 1 highlights a recurring issue among the tribes of Israel: their failure to fully drive out the inhabitants of the land as God commanded. This disobedience allowed the Canaanites and their idolatrous practices to persist, creating ongoing spiritual and cultural conflict.
Similarly, in our own lives, we often face struggles with areas we fail to fully surrender to God. The influences we allow to remain can battle for our attention and hinder our relationship with Him. Is there something in our lives that needs to be removed to live in peace and obedience with God?
“As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses around us. So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us.”
Hebrews 12:1 GNB
In verse 2, Judah was the first tribe the Lord chose to go. It would be their line out of which Jesus would come.
“Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the kill. He crouches; he lies down like a lion or a lioness—who dares to rouse him? [10] The scepter will not depart from Judah or the staff from between his feet until he whose right it is comes and the obedience of the peoples belongs to him.”
Genesis 49:9-10 CSB
Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, engaged the powers of darkness. Through His death and resurrection, we share in His victory. We also share in “the people’s obedience” in verse 10. We have been called to be those people. By grace, we have been led to victory and now have the identity (sons and daughters of God through Christ) to use the resources God has given us.
“It is not enough to be assured that “we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.” We must possess our possessions. By faith, and patience, and daily use, we must appropriate the resources which are stored up in Christ Jesus.”
F.B. Meyer
God has given us His Word. He has given us the Holy Spirit. He has removed sin and death from our eternity. We have everything we need in Jesus to live a godly life.
“His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. [4] By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.”
2 Peter 1:3-4 CSB