Judges 1
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Heroic Leader
Heroic Leader
The for Judges in Hebrew is Shephat- which literally translated means heroic leader. It’s where we get our term shepherd from. In this day and age there is greater media presence centered around heroes than ever before. From highlighting firemen and policemen to special power weilding TV shows, clips, magazines, books, movies and the list goes on. People, at their core, are made too look up to someone-Or to idolize something.
For me my wife is one of my heroes although I don’t tell her often enough. She wrestles through pain everyday some due to the car accident and some due to physical limitations she was born with, but she wrestles through this pain to ensure that her family is taken care of. Most of you will never know the amount of pain she is because she doesn’t show it, but it truly speaks volumes to me.
For me a hero isn’t someone who starts well, because in a race everyone is dead even off the starting line, but rather someone who ends well. The people I look up to are very limited, not because I think I am high and mighty, but because I hold such a high standard when calling someone a hero. Also, in my mind, there is a huge difference between a hero and a Savior. Although my list is small when it comes to heroes there is only one who sit on the list as Lord and Savior—that is Jesus Christ. Not only did he start well, he ended well, and than— like only a true God can made his end be the beginning.
As we stated before the book of Judges is the end of Joshua. He has died and left Israel to fend for themselves and Israel starts well.
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?”
Joshua made great strides to obtaining the Promised Land, but Israel still had a long journey ahead of them to obtain the full promise. This started with ridding themselves of the Canaanites.
Before we start though there has been some questions that go something like: Why would a just and fair God render these Israel to kill men, women and children—especially the innocent Children.
We find his our answer in
They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”
Much like a mother bear would go to any length to protect her cubs God will go to any length to protect His children.
God isn’t in the business of just killing people
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.
God’s ultimate idea was peace and we know from the Garden that God wanted to followship with his creation, but God is fair and just so he does render decisions and executes judgement.
Between the pronouncement of their judgement and the execution of that Judgement was well over 400 years. Plenty of time for the Canaanites to repent and turn from their ways.
Many of us who don’t like to make rash decisions spend weeks, months, or even a few years before decide on somethings. God in his ultimate patience gave them 400 years.
Now God gives us a lifetime to make a decision between him or the world. The only issue is that we don’t know how long a life time is.
But I digress. Israel Started off well-Went to God received their orders and then went to war-Capturing their promises.
Many of us start off this way. We get saved. The fire burns deep and bright within us. We do everything to capture every promise and blessing of obedience that we can, but someone along the way our focus shifts.
Israel spent 18 verses fighting battle after battle and winning.
Then we get to
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.
Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages, for the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land.
In It states that Judah
COULD NOT
COULD NOT
Drive out the inhabitants because the had Iron chariots.
You know how many times I have read this verse and thought: Sounds legit. Iron chariots were tanks in today’s warfare and Judah only had foot soldiers. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to take on a tank in my minivan. It isn’t a battle I could win. I know I have read this verse more than 10 times and agreed with it every time because it makes sense.
It doesn’t state that Judah didn’t want to.
Infact we drop down to VV27 and Manassah didn’t removed the Canaanites because and I quote “they didn’t want to leave.” That seems pretty legit. I have a 4 year old and when she doesn’t want to do something it is almost impossible to make her do it. It reminds me of when I was younger and played king of the mountain. Typically when a big kid got the mountain all the little kids gave up. Why? The big kid didn’t want to leave and the little kids couldn’t move him so they would leave him there often times starting their own game around the big kid.
This is what Israel did. In one case they were better armed and in another they were more persistent.
The more I thought upon this verse or collection of events the more I began to see the link between the physical and Spiritual.
Our sins can be likened to 3 stages of growth.
Men Women Children
Men Women Children
The fact that the Canaanites were persistent means that there were multiple attempts at between Manessah and the Canaanites. There were multiple battles. Typically in a war you send your best out first. There is a reason the United States doesn’t arm 5 year old. If you break into my house the first person coming to greet you isn’t going to be Ali by 4 year old.
Jesus states
And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.
But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.
The reason I believe many of us can’t overcome certain sins in our life—even the little ones or the children of sins is because we first refuse to bind the strong man—the iron chariots.
Could Not
Could Not
Israel first sought God-they got their marching order-go get them- you will overcome them. Send Judah first. Judah was Israel’s strong man. Their best fighters. Somewhere, and I am not sure where but somewhere in the first 18 verses Judah stopped working with God’s strength and began to do things themselves and for a time they were victorious.
You can get to a point Spiritually where you can handle many battles on your own. It’s called growth. Maturity.When Satan attacks me I have learned enough to defend myself against most things. However, there are times when I simply cannot defend myself. It’s not a want to issue. It’s not a wish I could issue because I want to overcome all sin. I wish I could defeat every enemy. But every so often in my Journey with Christ it’s almost like he reminds me: Remember you aren’t meant to do this alone. You CANNOT do this alone and I have to call upon the name of the Lord to bind the strong man so I can plunder the house.
Every once in a while I pull out the big guns and I begin to rebuke things, people, and situations in the name of the Lord. I realize I cannot do this by myself. I cannot overcome this enemy. So I must get to a point in my spirit where I don’t let my pride take over so I step back and say get em God. Then and only then in the power of God can I overcome the strong man, but this is a decision of faith and action.
When you’re looking at the Iron chariots it takes faith to walk in the spirit when you’re facing a physical world because even though you may not see the victory you have to walk as if you are victorious. You must be able to look past the situation and into faith. This is where Judah got caught up. Some where they believed they were fighting the battle themselves. The convinced themselves that God’s strength was their own strength and when you obtain that type of mentality your strength never increases God’s, in your mind, will decrease. You will begin to limit God to the world of possibilities when we serve a God outside of time and space. Not bound by the limits of this world.