Judges 1:27-36

Failure to Complete the Conquest

²⁷ 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. ²⁸ When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely.

²⁹ And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.

³⁰ Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them, but became subject to forced labor.

³¹ Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon or of Ahlab or of Achzib or of Helbah or of Aphik or of Rehob, ³² so the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out.

³³ Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, so they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to forced labor for them.

³⁴ The Amorites pressed the people of Dan back into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the plain. ³⁵ The Amorites persisted in dwelling in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, but the hand of the house of Joseph rested heavily on them, and they became subject to forced labor. ³⁶ And the border of the Amorites ran from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward.

Origen of Alexandria ( c. 185 – c. 253) was born and spent the first half of his life in Alexandria, Egypt. He was a Christian scholar, theologian, and prolific writer on Biblical exegesis. He is most known for his allegorical style of hermeneutics. For example. Origen was well known for equating the Israelites’ journey from Egypt to the Promise Land to the Christian’s spiritual journey from salvation to eternal life with Christ. Reformed liturgy, on the other hand, places its emphasis on reading the Word, explaining the Word in context, and then drawing application to our lives. As we study the Book of Judges, I want to caution readers to not get caught up in an allegorical interpretation of the Bible. We, as reformed Christians, read the Word, study the Word, and draw applications from the Word. Concerning the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ said in John 16:13-14, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” As we study our passage today, we pray and rely on the Holy Spirit in us to teach, lead, and guide us to become more like Christ.

We begin our study in Judges 1:27-36 by examing the context first. We will examine God’s call and promise to Abram. We will see God’s command to the Israelites as written by Moses in the Pentateuch. Then, in our passage today, we will study the Israelite’s response to God’s call, promise, and command to them.

Genesis 12:1-2 gives us the call of Abram when God said, “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ² And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” God makes a covenant with Abraham and promises to give his descendent the land of Canaan as an inheritance. Genesis 15:18-21 says, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, ¹⁹ the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, ²⁰ the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, ²¹ the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.” This same promise to Abraham was also given to Isaac and Jacob. Then the sons of Jacob went down to Egypt to avoid a famine. By the providence of God, God sent Jacob’s son, Joseph, to Egypt so he could save lives. Joseph became Pharaoh’s right-hand-man and saved many lives. However, when a ruler rose up who did not know Joseph, he made the Israelites slaves. They remained in Egypt for 400 years and became a great multitude of people. Then, according to God’s design, God raised Moses to lead them out of slavery and to go to the land that God promised to them. God speaks to the Israelites as they were in the wilderness in Exodus 23:23-24 and says,

²³When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, ²⁴ you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces.”

In Deuteronomy 9:3-5, God tells Israel that they must go in and take the land from the inhabitants. It is not because of their righteousness, but because of the other nations’ wickedness, that they taking the land from them. Deuteronomy 12:2-4 tells the Israelites to destroy the other nations. They are not to let them live or they will become a snare to them. Again, for those who think this is unjust, remember what we say in Deuteronomy 9:3-5: it is not because of Israel’s righteousness, but because of their wickedness that they must die.

Our passage today set the stage for what will progress throughout the remainder of the Book of Judges. Verses 1:27-36 show how the tribes of Israel did not do what God commanded. They did not drive out the nations. They allowed them to live among them. Manassa did not drive out the Canaanites from their land in verses 1:27-28. Ephraim did not drive the inhabitants from their city. Neither did Zebulun, Asher, and Naphtali. The tribe of Dan was so weak that the Amorites dictated to them that they will not come down from the mountains. Fortunately, Ephraim was able to interfere and cause the Amorites into forced labor. However, we must note what Moses’ wrote in Deuteronomy 1:2-4, the Israelites were to annihilate them. They were not to just tolerate them and put them into forced labor. As a result, they rebelled against God’s command. Therefore, instead of heroic stories of strength and valor that would make great legends of their conquests, the Israelites failed horribly. This set the stage for the remainder of the historical record beginning in chapter 2.

In application, we see how God commands the tribes of Israel to be separate and holy. Instead, they did disobey God’s commands and did not drive out the enemies of God. They lived and dwelt among them. God warned them not to do this because the other nations and their false gods will become a snare to them. In the same way, we too must never be unequally yoked with non-believers, whether it be in marriage or in fellowship between close friendships. Yes, we are to create friendships with lost people so we can witness to them and lead them to Christ. We are not to allow others to become a snare to us in our walk with Christ as well. Second Corinaithns 6:14-18 says,

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”
Therefore “Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
“I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the LORD Almighty.”

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My Lord Jesus, You are the foundation of my faith and in You, I have come to rest and trust. I thank You for Your truths revealed in Scripture. I praise You for the Holy Spirit who teaches me and changes me to become like You. I confess that I am so often caught up in sin and its temptations. I pray that you give me a steadfast heart that seeks and desires You alone, to be my Rock, my Fortress, and my Savior. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen!

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On Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand, by Samuel Stennett in 1787