03/09/08: Judges 1-4
When the Israelites take over a region, sometimes it says they didn't drive out the previous inhabitants--usually forcing them to do manual labor. Is it the previous inhabitants' choice to stay? What I mean is, do they fight and hold their ground, refusing to leave, and then allow themselves to be forced into labor? Or do the Israelites keep them? (I see in chapter 2 that God was angry with them for allowing the Canaanites to stay--I assume He specifically named them previously as a people that HAD to be driven out--but my question applies to any group that was permitted to stay, like we saw in some previous reading)
Ted: I am not certain of the answer for this, and I cannot see a clear answer in the text. My speculation is that the people in certain areas either resisted the Israelites (by fighting them), or pleaded with the Israelites to spare them, or negotiated with the Israelites to allow them to remain, under Israelite rule and control.
The Canaanites were an example of those who were firmly resolved to live in the land, even though eventually they had to submit to forced labor (Judges 1:27,28). The Amorites were another people who were determined to remain in their land, even though they also had to surrender to forced labor (1:35).
In general, I believe that the Israelites attempted to drive out everybody, as God had commanded. However, since the Israelites were not fully obedient to God--mainly in failing to break down the other people's altars to their gods (Judges 2:2)--God allowed those people to remain so that they would be an annoyance to the Israelites (2:3) and so that they could test the Israelites' allegiance to God (2:22).
Chapter 2:
Why would the new generation not have been told of God's works bringing them out of Egypt and what not?
Ted: That generation of people had been told about all the things God had done in bringing their predecessors out of Egypt. They "knew of" God and of His miraculous provisions. But they did not know God personally, as the previous generation had, nor had they seen firsthand examples of the amazing things God had done for His people.
If we do not have personal, visual proof of something, then we cannot be absolutely certain that it occurred. Compound this with their stiff-necked natures and their rebellious hearts, and it was very easy for them to do evil in God's eyes and to serve other gods (Judges 2:11).
Why are the judges called judges? (I'm assuming they're the named men like Othniel and Ehud)
Ted: Indeed, Othniel and Ehud were judges of Israel. For all intents and purposes, the judges were leaders of Israel. Although he was not called one, Moses was Israel's first judge (Exodus 18:13,14). Moses also appointed others to serve as judges under him (18:21-26, 21:6,8,9). Pertaining to religious matters, even the priests were considered to be judges (Leviticus 27:11-14).
Later, speaking to the Israelites, Moses gave an account of how he had chosen the leading men of the tribes to have authority over the tribes and to judge them (Deuteronomy 1:13-16). These officials, in each tribe, were not to pervert justice or show partiality (16:18,19). Moses, in many ways, was a type of Jesus, the ultimate Judge who will come at the end of the age (Revelation 11:15,18, 19:11).
The leaders of the Israelites, after Joshua died, were referred to as "judges" because they, as their predecessors, both led and judged the people. They also decided disputes among the people (Judges 4:4,5) and had sole authority over the people. Of course, the ultimate Judge is the Lord God (11:27).
Are we to take it for granted that whenever someone says God has commanded this or that, they are telling the truth?
Ted: God Himself raised up the judges (Judges 2:16,18). Unless we have reason to believe, for some reason, that a judge was corrupt or disobedient to God in some way, then we have to assume that the judge was a spokesperson for God. God would verbalize commandments through a judge, just as He had through Moses (Exodus 7:1,2).
What was Jael's motivation for killing Sisera?
Ted: When Deborah, Israel's judge at that time, sent for Barak and told him that God wanted him to lead the charge to Mount Tabor to seize Sisera, Barak said that he would go only if Deborah accompanied him (Judges 4:6-8). Deborah agreed but then stated that, if this was done, God would deliver Sisera over to a woman rather than to Barak (4:9).
Many assume that what this meant was that Deborah herself, the woman judge of Israel, would receive the glory for the capture of Sisera. However, Deborah delivered this prophecy not about herself but about another woman: Jael. Presumably, being the wife of Balak (to whom Deborah's words were spoken), Jael would have been privy to what Deborah had said, from her own husband's mouth.
It probably was an act of God that Sisera fled directly to the tent of Jael (Judges 4:17). As such, I have to assume that Jael remembered Deborah's prophecy, which Barak (probably) had conveyed to her. If so, then she would have taken it upon herself to kill Sisera (4:21), for which she later was greatly commended (5:24). I see this as another example of God's being in control and fulfilling a prophecy that He had given to His judge, Deborah.
Ted: I am not certain of the answer for this, and I cannot see a clear answer in the text. My speculation is that the people in certain areas either resisted the Israelites (by fighting them), or pleaded with the Israelites to spare them, or negotiated with the Israelites to allow them to remain, under Israelite rule and control.
The Canaanites were an example of those who were firmly resolved to live in the land, even though eventually they had to submit to forced labor (Judges 1:27,28). The Amorites were another people who were determined to remain in their land, even though they also had to surrender to forced labor (1:35).
In general, I believe that the Israelites attempted to drive out everybody, as God had commanded. However, since the Israelites were not fully obedient to God--mainly in failing to break down the other people's altars to their gods (Judges 2:2)--God allowed those people to remain so that they would be an annoyance to the Israelites (2:3) and so that they could test the Israelites' allegiance to God (2:22).
Chapter 2:
Why would the new generation not have been told of God's works bringing them out of Egypt and what not?
Ted: That generation of people had been told about all the things God had done in bringing their predecessors out of Egypt. They "knew of" God and of His miraculous provisions. But they did not know God personally, as the previous generation had, nor had they seen firsthand examples of the amazing things God had done for His people.
If we do not have personal, visual proof of something, then we cannot be absolutely certain that it occurred. Compound this with their stiff-necked natures and their rebellious hearts, and it was very easy for them to do evil in God's eyes and to serve other gods (Judges 2:11).
Why are the judges called judges? (I'm assuming they're the named men like Othniel and Ehud)
Ted: Indeed, Othniel and Ehud were judges of Israel. For all intents and purposes, the judges were leaders of Israel. Although he was not called one, Moses was Israel's first judge (Exodus 18:13,14). Moses also appointed others to serve as judges under him (18:21-26, 21:6,8,9). Pertaining to religious matters, even the priests were considered to be judges (Leviticus 27:11-14).
Later, speaking to the Israelites, Moses gave an account of how he had chosen the leading men of the tribes to have authority over the tribes and to judge them (Deuteronomy 1:13-16). These officials, in each tribe, were not to pervert justice or show partiality (16:18,19). Moses, in many ways, was a type of Jesus, the ultimate Judge who will come at the end of the age (Revelation 11:15,18, 19:11).
The leaders of the Israelites, after Joshua died, were referred to as "judges" because they, as their predecessors, both led and judged the people. They also decided disputes among the people (Judges 4:4,5) and had sole authority over the people. Of course, the ultimate Judge is the Lord God (11:27).
Are we to take it for granted that whenever someone says God has commanded this or that, they are telling the truth?
Ted: God Himself raised up the judges (Judges 2:16,18). Unless we have reason to believe, for some reason, that a judge was corrupt or disobedient to God in some way, then we have to assume that the judge was a spokesperson for God. God would verbalize commandments through a judge, just as He had through Moses (Exodus 7:1,2).
What was Jael's motivation for killing Sisera?
Ted: When Deborah, Israel's judge at that time, sent for Barak and told him that God wanted him to lead the charge to Mount Tabor to seize Sisera, Barak said that he would go only if Deborah accompanied him (Judges 4:6-8). Deborah agreed but then stated that, if this was done, God would deliver Sisera over to a woman rather than to Barak (4:9).
Many assume that what this meant was that Deborah herself, the woman judge of Israel, would receive the glory for the capture of Sisera. However, Deborah delivered this prophecy not about herself but about another woman: Jael. Presumably, being the wife of Balak (to whom Deborah's words were spoken), Jael would have been privy to what Deborah had said, from her own husband's mouth.
It probably was an act of God that Sisera fled directly to the tent of Jael (Judges 4:17). As such, I have to assume that Jael remembered Deborah's prophecy, which Barak (probably) had conveyed to her. If so, then she would have taken it upon herself to kill Sisera (4:21), for which she later was greatly commended (5:24). I see this as another example of God's being in control and fulfilling a prophecy that He had given to His judge, Deborah.
