Judges 1:1 "Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying "Who shall go up for us against the Canannites first, to fight against them?"
Before this opening chapter, we must understand what happened before in the book of Joshua. Below is an extract which summarised
what God told Joshua to do when he was supposed to conquer the land which was given to him after Moses' passing.
Many people find it confusing to know that God was not just a God of love but also one that allowed the killings to take place in those old days.
A short section from Norman Geisler’s book, A Popular Survey of the Old Testament, that directly addresses this issue which might help here.
Israel was commanded by God to completely exterminate the Canaanite inhabitants of the land including men, women, and children. This has been called a primitive and barbaric act of murder perpetrated on innocent lives.A Moral Problem—the slaughter of the Canaanites (Josh 6, 8, 10).
Several factors must be kept in mind in viewing this situation. (1) There is a difference between murder and justifiable killing. Murder involves intentional and malicious hatred which leads to life-taking. On the other hand, the Bible speaks of permissible life-taking in capital punishment (Gen. 9:), in self defense (Exod. 22:2), and in a justifiable war (Gen. 14). (2) The Canaanites were by no means innocent. They were a people cursed of God from their very beginning (Gen. 9:25). They were a vile people who practiced the basest forms of immorality. God described their sin vividly in these words, “I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants” (Lev. 18:25). (3) Further, the innocent people of the land were not slaughtered. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah clearly demonstrates that God would save a whole city for ten righteous people (Gen. 18:22f.). In that incident, when God could not find ten righteous people, He took the four or five righteous ones out of the place so as not to destroy them with the wicked (Gen. 19:15). On another occasion God saved some thirty-two thousand people who were morally pure (Num. 31:35). Another notable example is Rahab, whom God saved because she believed (cf. Heb. 11:31). (4) God waited patiently for hundreds of years, giving the wicked inhabitants of Canaan time to repent (cf. 2 Peter 3:9) before He finally decided to destroy them (Gen. 15:16). When their iniquity was “full,” divine judgment fell. God’s judgment was akin to surgery for cancer or amputation of a leg as the only way to save the rest of a sick body. Just as cancer or gangrene contaminates the physical body, those elements in a society—if their evil is left to fester—will completely contaminate the rest of society. (5) Finally, the battle confronting Israel was not simply a religious war; it was a theocratic war. Israel was directly ruled by God and the extermination was God’s direct command (cf. Exod. 23:27-30; Deut. 7:3-6; Josh. 8:24-26). No other nation either before or after Israel has been a theocracy. Thus, those commands were unique. Israel as a theocracy was an instrument of judgment in the hands of God. (Norman L. Geisler, A Popular Survey of the Old Testament, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1977, pp. 99-100.)
Having understood about theocracy in the days for Israel, the opening chapter of Judges illustrated a very important concept. Many of the tribes from Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, Manneseh, Zebulun, Asher and Nephtali failed to obey God fully. They "did not drive out the inhabitants..."
What is this concept to learn?
1. We must obey God, not on human understanding to get rid of all the parasites completely.
2. We must be aggressive and not passive not allow them to continue to be thorns in our sides
3. We must not allow their gods to be a snare unto us.
As I ponder over this, and looking back at the recent events happening to our nation - the subtle decay of moral governance, the compromise of the church and the general corruption of the society, the onslaught of the devil is real and festering and making headways like never before. We cannot be putting the finger at the devil all the time, can we? We reap what we sow. Decisions of the past become a reality of the present.
The issue of Identity
I believe there is a rationale for God's instructions to ensure that the inhabitants of that land conquered be driven out. It is a preservation of the identity of the people who had just been delivered out of the land of slavery. God wanted for Himself a nation of people who knew Him and be set apart. Unfortunately, history showed that indeed such contamination indeed was not good at all. Hard truths. Hard lessons.
S'pore : A nation of 47 years in building
Our people seemed to have lost our heritage and national identity. God has given to us a small 700sqkm of land and people of over only 2mio back then - the country of S'pore was birthed. We prospered and had a good many good years. But today, we have officially opened the gateway legally to vices, casinos, drug trafficking and many foreign people to raid our land. They have become our thorns in our land.
We have forgotten how our forefathers, parents or grandparents had come thus far to build this place whom we call Home. We did not drive out the parasites that invade us but on the contrary, we are bring them in. What a mess! We seemed to have fill up our cup of iniquities. The wrath of God is invoked. It is like judgement metted out in Judges 2:3 " Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be as thorns in our sides and their gods shall be snare unto us"..Simply because we have not obeyed HIs voice.
Reflections
Judges 2 -4,5 " And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice and wept. And they called the name of that place Bo-Chim (Bo-kim) and they sacrificed there unto the LORD
"Bo'Kim" sounds like no gold. It means "weepers"
Indeed, it seems right for us to weep over this nation as she turns 47 this year.
Let our soul cries out. Let justice and praise become our embrace as we turned from inside out. Beautiful song - a reminder of mercy , grace and hope.
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