Why
could they not drive out these wicked nations?Judges Part 1
When they crossed over the Jordon River Israel was a relative young nation. Very few if any were over 60 years old except Joshua and Caleb.
Joshua 14:7,10; 24:29
· Joshua was 40 years old when he and Caleb were sent with the other 10 out from Kadeshbarnea to spy the land. He would have been around 37 when the people were brought out of Egypt.
· He was 85 years old when he began to allot unto the tribes their inheritance. When he died Joshua was 110 years old. The LORD blessed Joshua by allowing him to live in peace from the enemies of Israel for the last 25 years of his life and He allowed Joshua to see the nation serving the LORD for those 25 years.
They served the LORD until all those who crossed the Red Sea and the Jordon died. This included Caleb who outlived Joshua and also Eleazar the son of Aaron [Joshua 24:33]
· Jg 2:7 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.
· The generation addressed in the book of Deuteronomy.
Jg 2:10 and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
· They did not see the plagues of Egypt,, the parting of the Red Sea, the mamma, the quails, the water from the Rock. They did not see the fire and the cloud go before the people; they did not see the glory of the LORD fill the tabernacle; they did not see the Jordon River stopped or the walls of Jericho fall flat.
· All of these works were by the hand of the LORD only.
Why didn’t this generation know the LORD or about these works
· Josh 4:6-7, 22-24 What mean ye by these stones? . . . . these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
Ø They failed to teach their children.
Ø Micah 2:8-9 . . . from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever
Could it be that the generation spoken of in V2:7 had become
so used to living in peace and prosperity that they took blessings from the LORD for granted ?
Could passing on prosperity become more important than passing on the knowledge of what the LORD had done for Israel?
Why
could they not drive out these wicked nations?
· Josh 24:14, 23 they continued to hold on to idols.
· Deu 27:26 they despised The word of the LORD
· Judg 2:20-21 The LORD did not drive them out.
After Joshua died there more battles to be fought. The LORD gave the tribe of Judah the task of going up first to fight against the Canaanites. The tribe of Simeon, whose inheritance was within the land given to the tribe of Judah went with Judah to battle.
· Why Judah: Numbers 13:16 Caleb was the head of Judah.
Jg 1:19-34; 3:1-3 the nations they did not drive out
· V2:22; 3:1,4 That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not. [De 8:2,16; 13:3]
· Did the LORD have to prove the failure of Israel to serve himself? NO
· He proved to Israel that He knew they would choose to serve the gods of the land of Canaan instead of serving Him.
· He proved Duet 9:4-7 applied to this generation as well.
· De 10:15 Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.
· He proved He did not choose Abraham’s seed because of who they were, but in spite of what He knew they would become.
God’s grace: V16 Nevertheless he raised up judges to deliver his people [Romans 5:20]
The time of the Judges in a nut shell: Ch 2:11-23
The Judges in Judges
1. Othniel 3:5-11 [40 years peace] [“Younger brother” of Caleb 1:13]
2. Ehud 3:15-30 [80 years peace]
3. Shagmar 3:31
4. Deborah 4:1-5:31 [40 years peace]
5. Gideon 6:1-8:32 [40 years peace]
· The Book Of Ruth
6. Tola 10:1-2 [23 years peace]
7. Jair 10:3-5 [22 yearspeace]
8. Jephthah 10:6-12:7 [6 years peace]
9. Ibzan 12:8-10 [7 years peace]
10.Elon 12:11-12 [10 years peace]
11.Abdon 12:13-15 [8 years peace]
12.Samson 13:1- 16:31 [20 years peace]