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Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD, and they did not do so. Judges 2:17 (ESV)

The children of Israel went from small compromises and a lack of faith to full blown apostasy, they abandon the Lord and served the Baals (idol of the surrounding people). This unfaithfulness is described as whoring because they were in a love based covenant relationship with God like a husband and wife in marriage.

What spurred this unfaithfulness and break of allegiance?

Baal was primarily a storm god, which led to his worship as a fertility god. Fertility cults had concerns with acquiring prosperity for the worshiper in terms of family, flocks, herds, and crops.

Today we face this same idol in the form of the prosperity “Health and Wealth” gospel which is spreading like wildfire across the globe, exalting materialism, greed and covetousness.

We must guard against the allure of this false teaching and hold steadfastly to our husband (Jesus), knowing the tempting call of material wealth is a false hope and trap for the unfaithful heart. See Luke 12:15, and Hebrews 13:5

But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. Judges 3:9 (ESV)

Boldness and faithfulness to God seem to run in Caleb’s family 🙂

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. Philippians 1:12–13 (ESV)

Because of Paul’s lifelong desire to see the gospel proclaimed, his mind and life was ordered so that every circumstance he found himself in would lead to the advance of the Gospel…. even prison.

If this is the central vocation of our lives no matter what happens to us in life it will revolve around the proclamation of the gospel.

The gospel should be the big object our lives revolve around that has the strong pull of gravity the sun exercises over the earth, in this context it should affect everything in our lives and be the centre of our lives, affecting everything and every situation.

The proclamation of the Gospel should be central and our consuming passion, in that way it’s message will affect everything in both word and action.

My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, Psalm 63:5 (ESV)

True satisfaction comes from the Lord alone, he provides living water to the thirsty. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him (not materialism). See Ephesians 5:5 and Colossians 3:5

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. Judges 1:17 (ESV)

The command of devotion was that all inhabitants of the land were destroyed, without compromise. In hebrew the word is Haram (Herem) and understanding it will help give context to today’s passage.

ḥāram: A verb meaning to destroy, to doom, to devote. This word is most commonly associated with the Israelites destroying the Canaanites upon their entry into the Promised Land (Deut. 7:2; Josh. 11:20)

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. Judges 1:19 (ESV)

After the death of Joshua we begin to see promise in the people’s devotion to the Lord as they seek him about who should go first. God tells the people Judah shall go first because God has given his territory into his hand. Judah means praise, this is where we get the idea of praise going up first and being like a weapon of war.

However Judah immediately starts to deviate from God’s plan by inviting his brother Simeon and now we see a lack of faith in the “God who was with them” and had promised them the land resulting in the inhabitants of the plain remaining. Iron chariots are no match for God.

This begins to give us an insight into Israel’s eroding faith in God and their failure to fulfill Gods command of devotion (Haram). Our lesson is to put our trust in Gods word and so fulfill Christ’s command for single hearted obedience to God (Luke 10:27) and the killing of sin, leaving no room for compromise (Luke 9:23).

When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely. Judges 1:28 (ESV)

Again we see more compromise in fulfilling the law of devotion. A compromise is made putting the enemy to forced Labour. God gave the law of devotion (Haram) for a reason, it was not because the culture of the people was necessarily evil but their religions and spiritual practice were evil and would cause Gods people to compromise their faith.

We need to be mindful of this today, we are in the world but not of the world. We still have the command of devotion on us, it is twofold, we should be devoted wholly to the Lord and we should devote sin to utter destruction in our lives.

Putting the enemy to forced labour speaks of both compromise and the subtle bondage of legalism, where sin is not eradicated by submission to the grace and power of God, but instead is kept in check with legalistic behavior which only serves to bottle up the sin, leading to further bodge and frustration when the temporary reforms of man give way to the power of sin. see Romans 6:14 and Galatians 3:3

So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” Judges 2:3 (ESV)

If we do not wholly follow and cleave to the Lord, being totally devoted to his service and devoting his enemies (sin) to destruction, then we will live lives marked by bondage and struggles with sin and compromise.

Sin brings bondage, God desires that we be free (John 8:36) so we should not hold back in our devotion to him. We should not be lukewarm (Revelation 3:16), we should love him with all our hearts, trusting him to drive out the enemy before us.

As Philippians 2:12-13 reminds us we should work out our salvation with fear and trembling because is is God who is at work in us and has energised us to fulfill his good pleasure.

And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel. Judges 2:10 (ESV)

It is crucial for every generation of God’s people to pass the baton on to the next generation

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

We do not have a faith dependant on good works like Islam, who do not know what Allah will do with them or “Jehovah Witnesses” who need to do works to make it to paradise.

We have confidence in the eternal security God promises us in his word, knowing as Paul reminds the church that he who began the good work of salvation in us will bring it to completion. We can take joy, comfort and hope in that sure promise. Thank God for the amazing promise of future grace.

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, Philippians 1:9 (ESV)

Love, knowledge and discernment are often pitched against each other as opposing forces, but Paul prays that all three will grow together. It is worth noting that love is mentioned first.

Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them. Psalm 62:10 (ESV)

God is our rock, not the riches of this world

No, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? For the LORD has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the LORD.’ So your children might make our children cease to worship the LORD. Joshua 22:24–25 (ESV)

The tribes living across the Jordan did not build the Altar in rebellion against God as the rest of Israel had feared. Israel expressed their fear of this based on their recent experience of corporate responsibility meaning all members of the community suffer when just one breaks faith. A concept we have forgotten in the west.

The tribes explain that they are innocent before God as the structure was built as a witness. However the reason they built it was out of fear, they feared being cut of in future generations and that as a result their children would not fear the Lord.

So fear has a large part to play… they acted out of fear in building the witness, Israel reacted in fear and went to do battle and both parties did this because they feared the Lord. The missing element in all this is faith, all the tribes should put their trust in God’s covenant keeping love and not be driven by fear.

Let us act out of faith and love not fear. See 2 Corinthians 5:7 and 1 John 4:18-21

but you shall cling to the LORD your God just as you have done to this day. Joshua 23:8 (ESV)

We too must cling to the Lord, looking at the word “Cling” in this context and in the original Hebrew will be help us meditate on what it means to cling to the Lord.

In Hebrew the word is dābaq. Cling is used in this sense, to cling to. It is a verb meaning to hold firmly or tenaciously, usually with one’s hands.

The word is defined in hebrew as the following: to stick to; cling, cleave to; cling to, stick to; hold to, overtake; cause to stick to; pursue closely; keep close; to adhere, to be glued; join; follow; hold onto; fasten; catch up with; follow hard; joined fast; be made to cleave; stay close; be united; be associated; to stay with.

If we do not cling to the Lord we will cling to something else. Luke 16:13

Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God. Joshua 23:11 (ESV)

This would almost seem strange with our modern concepts of love, we would not think to use careful and love in the same context but love is in fact a very thoughtful and deliberate thing involving our volition more than we often acknowledge. As we are reminded in 1 John 3:18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’ Joshua 24:13 (ESV)

This is a picture of Gods grace which should encourage us to serve the Lord with gladness. Jesus alludes to this in John 4:36–38

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15 (ESV)

In today’s society “choice” has been exalted as an idol and has become the rationale of the people for all manner of sin and abomination (abortion, same sex marriage etc).

God did not give us the ability to choose to abuse ourselves or dishonor him, choice should not be our God. Joshua turns the worship of choice around by saying he takes the power he has to choose to choose to serve the Lord.

The choices we are presented with are often false options, the fact is whoever we submit ourselves to we are servants / slaves to obey, so choose your master.

This is illustrated well in Romans 6:16 which states “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”

Lets choose to serve the Lord today!

Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11 (ESV)

The assurance, “And the God of love and peace will be with you,” is dependent on each of the five admonitions made earlier about joy, restoration, submission, unity, and peace.

We have this promise today too as we actively seek to do Gods will he will impart to us his love and peace. Let’s mediate on these five admonitions today.

Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes. Psalm 60:11–12 (ESV)

The salvation provided by man is vain, we need to trust in God as we fight the spiritual battles around us today.

And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass. Joshua 21:44–45 (ESV)

God gave his people rest and fulfilled every one of his promises. This should fill us with hope and joy. If God had the power, desire and ability to actively bring his word to pass for the children of Israel entering the promised land, then we can have confidence that God will bring his promises to pass for us and has a rest for us to enter into as well.

There was a correlation between all the enemies being defeated and entering rest. Although we can have rest and peace in this life through Jesus Christ (John 14:27), we will enter into true rest in the promised land of Heaven (Hebrews 4:1-11), when the final enemy death will be defeated (1 Corinthians 15:26).

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 2 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV)

Paul challenges the Corinthians to examine themselves to confirm whether they are continuing in the faith in terms of both belief and conduct. Paul has mentioned elsewhere that the Corinthians themselves are the proof of his ministry, so he tells the corinthians to look at themselves, knowing that they are true fruit is the ultimate approval of Paul’s ministry.

We can learn from this that we need to examine ourselves to, not with self loathing and doubt but to affirm and encourage ourselves as we grow in the Lord. We are called to this type of self examination every time we observe communion too.

We should not be afraid to measure our obedience and belief against Gods word, if we fail to meet the test then we need to seek restoration. In some cases this self examination will prove we were never saved and need to submit to God’s word (for example those in cults).

But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. Psalm 59:16 (ESV)

We can trust in our God of covenant keeping love, he will keep us and be a fortress and refuge in times of distress. We should sing of Gods love and protection for us

When the territory of the people of Dan was lost to them, the people of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and after capturing it and striking it with the sword they took possession of it and settled in it, calling Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor. Joshua 19:47 (ESV)

The full account of the tribe of Dan’s taking of the city of Leshem is found in Judges 18. Although it seems good that they did not settle for being run out of their allotted land and so moved to the far north and took the city they named Dan, the reality is that they should have stood their ground in their own allotted inheritance and should not have lost the ground to the enemy.

The problem is that the people of Dan did not hold onto their inheritance because it was not held in faith, they did not truly put their trust in God.

We can learn from this today that we should not lose our inheritance and end up setting ourselves up in some halfway house of compromise because we do not have the guts and faith to fight the enemy, No, we should stand and fight and having done all we can just stand in faith as mentioned in Ephesians 6:13-17

Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? 2 Corinthians 12:14–15 (ESV)

In a day where the perverted prosperity gospel is spreading across the world with it’s focus on paying for breakthroughs and millionaire preachers it is refreshing to read Paul appeal to the Corinthians he is not seeking their possessions but seeking them, their very souls and allegiance for the sake of Christ. Paul also says he is will to be spent in full for them, we should have this same attitude as we serve the body of Christ today to the glory of God.

I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. Psalm 57:2 (ESV)

We can boldly put our trust in God, he will see his purposes fulfilled in us Philippians 2:13