Judges 1:22-36
22 Likewise the house of Joseph went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them.
23 The house of Joseph had men spy out Bethel (the name of the city previously was Luz).
24 And the spies saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him, “Please show us the entrance to the city, and we will treat you kindly.”
25 So he showed them the entrance to the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go free.
26 Then the man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city, and named it Luz, which is its name to this day.
27 But Manasseh did not take possession 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; so the Canaanites persisted in living in this land.
28 And it came about, when Israel became strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor; but they did not drive them out completely.
29 And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who were living 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 and 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, Helbah, 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, but lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; and the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath became forced labor for them.
34 Then the Amorites forced the sons of Dan into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the valley;
35 yet the Amorites persisted in living on Mount Heres, in Aijalon and Shaalbim; but when the power of the house of Joseph grew strong, they became forced labor.
36 The border of the Amorites ran from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward.
The Conquests of the Northern Tribes
Incomplete battle
In today’s passage, the conquests by the northern tribes are explained, highlighting once again the incomplete nature of Israel’s battles. (1) The tribe of Joseph (likely referring to the tribe of Ephraim) conquered Bethel, which belonged to the territory of Benjamin. They accomplished what the tribe of Benjamin couldn’t. It is similar to how the tribe of Judah conquered Jerusalem in place of the tribe of Benjamin. (2) The tribes of Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher, and Naphtali gradually stopped driving out the Canaanites in their respective territories. (3) In the case of the tribe of Dan, they were instead oppressed by the Canaanites. Later on, the tribe of Dan abandoned their original territory and migrated northward. The failure to completely drive out the Canaanites caused numbers of issues for the future. A recurring theme throughout the Book of Judges is how the Israelites suffered the consequences of these lingering issues.
God’s perspective
Let us examine the Israelites’ incomplete battles from God’s perspective. (1) The Israelites were unable to completely drive out the Canaanites. (2) Due to the scattered presence of the Canaanites, the Israelites were unable to freely move between tribes. (3) Canaanite idolatry remained, and the Israelites, influenced by it, became apostate. (4) The Israelites began to form alliances with the Canaanites, gradually losing their distinctive identity as covenant people. The Israelites’ compromised warfare was contrary to God’s will. However, God used the presence of the Canaanites as a means to test the faith of the Israelites. When the Israelites fell into unbelief, God employed the Canaanites as instruments of judgment and punished His people. Yet, when the Israelites repented, God delivered them from the hands of the Canaanites. There may be situations even in our lives that do not go according to our plans. Let’s view them from God’s perspective and accept them as an “opportunity to test our own faith.” In trials, is the opportunity for faith to prosper.
Today's prayer
O God of Israel, You are the One who knows how to handle every situation. Help me see every aspect of my life from Your perspective. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.