Holman Old Testament Commentary - Judges, Ruth

W. Gary Phillips, Max Anders

• Publisher: Holman Reference
• Year: 2004
• ISBN:
  9781433674365
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Commentary

One in a series of twenty Old Testament verse-by-verse commentary books edited by Max Anders. Includes discussion starters, teaching plan, and more. Great for lay teachers and pastors alike.

Judges 1

The Folly of Editing God

I. INTRODUCTION

A Walk with No Cause for Pause

II. COMMENTARY

A verse-by-verse explanation of the chapter.

III. CONCLUSION

When God's People Get “Canaanized”

An overview of the principles and applications from the chapter.

IV. LIFE APPLICATION

Running with the Bulls

Melding the chapter to life.

V. PRAYER

Tying the chapter to life with God.

VI. DEEPER DISCOVERIES

Historical, geographical, and grammatical enrichment of the commentary.

VII. TEACHING OUTLINE

Suggested step-by-step group study of the chapter.

VIII. ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION

Zeroing the chapter in on daily life.

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for
good men to do nothing.”

Edmund Burke

GEOGRAPHICAL PROFILE: JERUSALEM

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• Inhabited by the Jebusites
• Elevation: 2,500 feet (the phrase “go up to Jerusalem” is used 27 times in the Bible)
• Name means “foundation of peace”
• Mentioned more often than any other city in Scripture (752 times)
• Often called “Zion” (162 times; possibly means “stronghold”)
• The most significant city in the world, both literally and symbolically (Ps. 87:2–5 ).
• Neither Judah nor Benjamin was able to take and hold the city during the period of the judges
• From the time of David on, God's “dwelling” (1 Kgs. 8:13)
• Site of Messiah's resurrection, ascension, and second coming (Luke 24; Zech. 14:5)
• Final dwelling place of God's people will be the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:9–10)

GEOGRAPHICAL PROFILE: HEBRON

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• In the past, the home of Abraham (Gen. 13:18)
• About 19 miles south by southwest of Jerusalem
• Name means “confederacy”
• Elevation: 3,040 feet
• Mentioned 67 times in Scripture
• Originally named Kiriath Arba or city of Arba, which may refer to “four” (an ancient confederation of four towns or rulers?) or to an individual named Arba (Josh. 14:15)
• During the period prior to the judges, the home of the fierce Anakim, who frightened all the spies except Joshua and Caleb (Num. 13:22–33)
• In the near future, the centerpiece of Caleb's holdings (Josh. 14:13–14; Judg. 1:10)
• Served as a city of refuge owned by the Levites (Josh. 20:7; 21:11), surrounded and presumably protected by Caleb (Josh. 21:12), who owned all the surrounding towns, fields, suburbs.
• Became the city from which David ruled (2 Sam. 5:5) during the first seven years of his reign

GEOGRAPHICAL PROFILE: BETHEL

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• Name means “house of God” (by Jacob, Gen. 28:19; see 12:8)
• Mentioned 64 times in Scripture
• About 12 miles north of Jerusalem
• Situated on a key east-west trade route; strategically important
• Included within Ephraim's territory (Judg. 1:22)
• Called Luz by the Canaanites (Josh. 18:13; Judg. 1:23)
• During the divided kingdom (after 931 B.C.) became prominent as a spiritual center for the Northern Kingdom (1 Kgs. 12:26–33)

The Israelites made a wonderful beginning (seeking God's guidance, vv. 1–2) but soon lapsed into disobedience. The first part of the chapter chronicles the adventures and failures of Judah (vv. 3–20), punctuated with the courage of Caleb (vv. 11–15,20). Almost in a verse-by-verse march through the chapter, excuses increase as disobedience increases. The final segment of the chapter plunges us into a downward tribe-by-tribe spiral of defeat (vv. 27–36).

The Folly of Editing God

I. INTRODUCTION

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A Walk with No Cause for Pause

When we begin the Book of Judges, the first chapter can make us wonder if there is anything here worth pondering. It seems little more than a stark retelling of “just the facts,” with nothing of human interest or military excitement to raise our interest. However, when we dig deeply into the chapter, we face the fact that facts are not “just facts.” The statement “Jamestown was the first British settlement in North America, founded in May of 1607” is factually true. Yet it is almost misleading because of its brevity. Behind that statement there is an immense history of aspirations, faith, dreams, obstacles, death, and devastation.

In a sense, storytelling is the art of knowing what to exclude. A carefully framed story, however, can reveal by its context and repeated themes a much more powerful portrait than the brevity of the canvas on which those words are drawn. Likewise, digging into Judges 1 exposes us to the greater picture of what God was doing for his people. How do we translate their lessons (good and bad) to apply to us?

In most major airports there are long stretches of automated walkway that enable travelers to get from one terminal to the next either with more speed (as they walk “double-time”) or more comfort (as they rest while being mobilized). Imagine that you are walking the wrong way on an automated walkway. Its movement is slow enough that you can make progress in the direction you are headed. But if you stop, you don't progress, nor do you stand still; you regress. In some ways the Christian life is like that—it is often described as a “walk” in Scripture. It's not a climb up a hill, not a coast down a hill, but simply an ongoing walk. The bad news is that “the world, the flesh, and the devil” are all flowing against you, and there are times when you are tempted—not to turn away from your Lord—but to take a break and put your spiritual disciplines on pause.

Pretend you have a remote control device that governs your spiritual development. Like most remotes, this device has a pause button. What would happen if you said, “God, I want to take a break from you! I am planning a vacation from virtue, and I want to yield to my temptations. But don't worry, God—it will be just for a week, or at the most a couple of months. I'll catch up later”? But we cannot put God on pause. Further, we cannot fast forward to try to catch up for lost ground.

In Judges 1, God's people promised to walk with God, but instead they tried to ignore him, to put him on pause, and they regressed. There is no such thing as taking a vacation from our walk with God. The good news is this: “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

II. COMMENTARY

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The Folly of Editing God

MAIN IDEA: After Joshua's death God's people had a task to complete: finish the occupation of the land God had given them by means of God's guidance and God's power. Although they began well, the Israelites gradually moved from obedience to disobedience, “editing” God's command. Beginning with Judah, the narrative moves geographically from south to north and provides a litany of the successes and failures of each of the tribes.

Judges 1:1–3:6 comprise a unit. Chapter 1 chronicles the facts like a newspaper article. Chapters 2:1–3:6 are God's editorial page, offering the theological interpretation of those facts. Indeed, Judges 2:1–3:6 record the spiritual “cause” behind the “effect” both of the incomplete military conquest and the subsequent dark ages of the judges.

Total Obedience: Straight and Narrow (1:1–2)

SUPPORTING IDEA: In a vacuum of leadership, the Israelites acknowledged that God was their leader and sought his guidance. God not only guided but also promised his enabling power for their task.

1:1. Guidance Requested. If the brevity and detail of chapter 1 are more like a newspaper narration, the first half of verse 1 (after Joshua's death) is the newspaper obituary, which will be expanded in 2:6–10. Unlike Moses, Joshua had no successor, or “right-hand man,” who would assume leadership. Joshua had apportioned the conquered land among the tribes and had overseen the negotiations and agreements over boundaries (Josh. 13–19).

The Israelites began well. Joshua's last exhortation to them was to obey God's word and serve him (Josh. 24). Now with a unified voice they came to the LORD for guidance. They asked (probably of the priest who used the Urim and Thummim; see “Deeper Discoveries”) which tribe should take the lead and be the first to go up and fight against the Canaanites. It is both tragic and ironic that the book that began with unity (1:1) ended with civil war (chs. 19–21).

1:2. Guidance Received. Judah was chosen by God to begin what should have been the end of the military operations, and half of the chapter is devoted to Judah's military exploits (vv. 2–20). Long before, Judah had been prophesied to lead the nation (Gen. 49:10) and had taken the “point” position as the nation marched in the wilderness (Num. 2:9). Judah again would take the lead later in Judges (Othniel in 3:7–11; see also 20:18).

Not only did God answer, but the response contained an affirmation that God had already given (not “will give”) Judah the victory. There could be no more promising beginning to this book and to this era. The expectation of continued victory heightened the contrast when the dream degenerated into a nightmare.

Partial Obedience: Curve in the Road (1:3–15)

SUPPORTING IDEA: In the midst of victory (vv. 4–5,8–10), the spiritual resolve of Judah was twice com...

Table of contents

• Front cover
• Halftitle
• Fulltitle
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Editorial Preface
• Acknowledgement
• Holman Old Testament Commentary Contributors
• Holman New Testament Commentary Contributors
• Holman Old Testament Commentary
• Introduction
• Judges 1
• Judges 2
• Judges 3
• Judges 4-5
• Judges 6
• Judges 7
• Judges 8
• Judges 9
• Judges 10
• Judges 11
• Judges 12
• Judges 13
• Judges 14
• Judges 15
• Judges 16
• Judges 17-18
• Judges 19-21
• Ruth 1
• Ruth 2
• Ruth 3
• Ruth 4
• Glossary
• Bibliography