Judges 1:5-7
5 They found Adoni-bezek in Bezek and fought against him, and they defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
6 But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.
7 And Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to gather up scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me.” So they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
The Battle at Bezek
Cooperative relationship
Today’s passage provides a detailed account of the victory at Bezek, which was mentioned in the previous entry. The tribe of Judah was the strongest tribe, while the tribe of Simeon was the smallest. However, they joined forces and engaged in battle against the Canaanites. The result was a great victory for the Israelites. (1) The king of Bezek, Adoni-Bezek, was captured. Adoni-Bezek is not a personal name, rather a title of the king of Bezek. (2) The Israelites cut off Adoni-Bezek’s thumbs and big toes (likely by the guidance of the Lord). This was done to render him unable to fight or flee. (3) At that time, Adoni-Bezek understood that he was receiving the punishment he deserved and made the following confession: “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather up scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me.” The balance between the sin committed and the punishment received is evident. (4) Adoni-Bezek was taken to Jerusalem and there he died a natural death.
Lessons for us
From today’s passage, let us learn two lessons. (1) The first lesson comes from the cooperative relationship between the tribes of Judah and Simeon. As mentioned before, Judah was the strongest tribe, yet they sought the assistance of the smaller tribe of Simeon. When both tribes worked together, the Lord brought about victory for them. This serves as a lesson for us as Christians as well. When we unite and cooperate, there is a greater measure of God’s grace than when we fight alone. What lessons will you learn from this today? (2) The second lesson is found in the words of Adoni-Bezek. The magnitude of sin corresponds to the magnitude of punishment. He had cut off the thumbs and big toes of seventy kings and humiliated them (placed them in a state of gathered breadcrumbs). Now he himself was experiencing the same fate. Jesus said, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you” (Matt. 7:1-2). Let us recall these words and demonstrate a tolerant attitude towards our neighbors.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, I ask for your encouragement, so that I can interact with my neighbors with a tolerant heart. I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.