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- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Judg. 1
I get the feeling the writer of Judges did not tell us everything he knew. Judges 1:19 says, “The LORD was with Judah and enabled them to take possession of the hill country, but they could not drive out the people who were living in the plain because those people had iron chariots.” As if iron chariots could stop God! That “because” statement sounds a lot like an excuse to me!
If I pare down that verse to the important parts, I am left with, “The LORD was with Judah…but they could not…”. What is stated after the “could not” is a symptom, or result, rather than the cause or problem. I think it should say, “but they could not completely trust Him.” Or perhaps, “but they could not overcome their fear.” Something to that effect. What a contrast Caleb was, who, in the very next verse, drove out the giants who occupied his promised portion.
In case you think I’m sitting here pointing fingers at Judah, I’m not. I’m thinking about the iron chariots in my own life. What are the things I fear so much that I forget God’s victories and promises in my life? And why should I let those things prevent me from receiving the good things God desires to give me? How much better to have the faith of Caleb!
Judg. 2-3
After His resurrection, Jesus told Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (Jn. 20:29). I see that concept at work in the book of Judges. Those who were young when God delivered Israel from Egypt and survived their rebellious parents in the wilderness to enter into the Promised Land knew firsthand the reality of God. They had seen what He could do, both in grace and in judgment. They had a direct knowledge of the consequences of submitting to God as well as to opposing Him. Thus, though it was less than perfect, their obedience to God held relatively steadfast as long as they lived. However, their children, who had no firsthand knowledge, lacked commitment.
I see in that the secret to faithfulness, that is, a faith that endures. The secret lies in seeing God. It lies in firsthand knowledge of who He is. For us, that isn’t about touching the wounds of our once crucified, now risen Savior or crossing large bodies of water on dry land while our enemies drown behind us. As awesome as it would be to actually see something so magnificent, we know that remembering only gets us so far. Thankfully, we can see God in far more enduring ways.
First of all, we have the Bible. That gives us a much bigger picture of God and His plan than was available to those who lived the story, allowing us to learn from their experiences in a more complete way. The more we know God’s Word, the more we see God. If we pay attention, we will see Him working in and around us every single day. More importantly, though, is something else we have that the Israelites didn’t. Though they had God’s presence living among them, we have Him living in us. That means God is not hidden from us; all we have to do to see His reality is look.