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Results of Compromise

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And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. Gal 6:9

 

Feb 10, 2006                                Results of Compromise

 

Jdg 1:1 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them?

Jdg 1:2 And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.

 

The leader of Israel had died, while they were still entering in to their promised inheritance. Instead of turning to man for guidance, they rightly turn to the Lord. They seek the Lord's direction. The Lord delivers the land and its peoples into their hands. When you look at these scriptures, and you remember they are a type of the Christian now who is seeking to enter in, and you realize the Old Testament is ripe with spiritual applications, this chapter gets really interesting.

Judah means the praise of the Lord, confession. Simeon means "that hears or obeys and is heard". You hear the word of the Lord, you obey it, you praise the Lord, when you are in a battle, and the Lord is going to hear. They were going to fight against Canaan, which means 'merchant, trader, or that which humbles and subdues.' That makes me think of sin. Sin humbles one, with trouble, shame, and pain. It subdues any light they might have and causes them to dwell in darkness. It subdues truth, if sin is indulged too often. And here, God's people is going to fight against this people. They were descendants of Noah's son Ham, who was the father of Canaan. They were an idolatrous, fierce, people who worshipped a sun-god, whom they generally called "Baal."

Judah and Simeon go up and the Lord delivers into their hands ten thousand of their enemy. They slew them in Bezek which means "lightning, in the chains." They found the leader, Adoni-bezek, 'Lord of the lightning'. He illustrates briefly the law of reaping and sowing. He is being pursued and they catch him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes, and he reveals he had done the same to 70 other kings. He recognized the judgment of God had fallen on him before he dies. Interesting that they should bring him to Jerusalem "vision of peace, Jeru meaning "foundation", salem meaning "of peace." For some reason that brings to mind the dying thief on the cross that asked the Lord to remember him.

Here the children of Judah go against Jerusalem and conquer it. They make it their own. What is that scripture in Matthew 11:12? "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force." Who is the Foundation? The Prince of Peace? Jesus Christ the Lord. Our Lord. My Lord. You really can see him on just about every page in this precious book if you look carefully. Judah goes up into the mountain, down in the valley, to fight and conquer these people. They go against the Canaanites in Hebron, which at the time was not so named. The city was Kirjath-arba, meaning city of four. Hebron means 'society, friendship'. And here, there are three people named specifically that they killed. Out of all the inhabitants, these three are recorded in the history of these wars.

Sheshaisix; mercy; flax (noble). Whitish.

Ahiman

Brother of a gift, liberal; brother of the right hand.

Talmai

my furrow; that suspends the waters; heap of waters; "furrows"). Abounding in furrows.

As I was meditating on these, a little confused, I sensed there was something there I wasn't seeing. It's not very obvious right off the bat. And the Lord opened my understanding and whispered three things to my heart, oh Precious Holy Ghost, I thank GOD for you.......the lust of the eyes, the lust of the world, the pride of life.

Sheshai, (pride of life) noble, of reputation, perhaps famous in the world at the time, sort of a celebrity. He was descended from the sons of Anak, the race of giants that filled the earth. Ahiman,(lust of the eyes) brother of a gift, liberal, brother of fortune. Always seeking what he wants, with a covetous spirit, always wanting more. And Talmai, the third of these brothers, all giants, and he is representative of the lust of the world. His name means abounding in furrows, heap of waters, and bold. What is a furrow? A long narrow trench or channel in wood or metal, a groove. A hollow made by wrinkles in the face. To cut or plow grooves or channels in something-remember the precious back of our Lord? And how they plowed long the furrows upon his back? The world will cut you down if you let them get to you and forget who you are in the Lord. These three were brothers, they were giants, of the sons of Anak.

Remember Anakim? the giants? In Num 13:33 when the children of Israel were first going to go into the promised land and sent spies in first, they came back with a report there is giants in there, and we are like grasshoppers in their sight. And they were afraid, and didn't go in. Deu_9:2 Moses is warning the people not to be afraid of them, and in Deu_9:3, a beautiful word, he says "Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face; so shalt thou destroy them quickly, as the Lord hath said unto thee." These 3 men, Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai are first mentioned in Num_13:22; In Jos_15:14 Caleb drives these three out of his inheritance. Out of his place. Then he, like the children of Judah are now, goes up against Debir, in verse 11, in Jos_15:15. This story in Judges 1 is written previously in Jos 15. But for some reason, this is coming alive as I study it and the Lord is helping me see how it applies to my life spiritually.

Debir is the next target they go after. Previously, this city had been named Kirjath-sepher, "city of letters, or of the book." Debir means "oracle town, sanctuary, an orator, a word," it was one of the towns of the Anakim, in the highlands of Judah, west of Hebron. This people of this town were very educated. Scripture well instructs us on what God thinks of the wisdom of this world, does it not?

But then, and I loved this when I read it. Caleb is prepared to offer his daughter as bride to the one who takes down this place of worldly wisdom. And look here, folks, Othniel, ("lion of God") who is Caleb's younger brother, son of Kenaz (hunter, lamentation) takes the city down and is given the bride. And she comes to her father, Caleb, (which means a dog,) and his daughter asks for a field. Then for a blessing, on top of the field. She asks for springs of water. And he gives her the upper and nether springs. Her name, Achsah, means adorned, bursting the veil, (hallelujah, did not our Father rip the veil from top to bottom to give us access to his throne........!!!!) And he gives her springs of water, that are near the land he gives her. All Moses had to do was speak to the rock, and water would have come forth. Who is the Rock but our Lord? She asked and he gave. Without hesitation. Would my Father in Heaven do any less? No, he would do better. Isa_41:17-18; Isa_43:16; he can indeed make a path through the mighty waters. He can go before his people and clear them a path-a straight path to cross over. He is well able to lead his people through this confusing, chaotic world to the other side. Isa_44:3

I am thirsty. And he said he would pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. What promises. Not only for us but for our children. In Jdg 1:17, they are still fighting, and conquering. In v 16, they go into the wilderness of Judah south of Arad (a dragon, a wild ass). They went into the enemy's camp and slew the people, they destroyed their cities. Zephath, means "watchtower," and they renamed it Hormah, which means "devoted or consecrated to God; utter destruction, a place laid waste." It was placed under a ban, marked for destruction, and consecrated to God.

They go on to Gaza "Fortified, strong," It was one of the five main towns of Philistia, thought to be the oldest of them all. As they go on conquering, they start running into problems, because they didn't fully follow the direction of the Lord. The city of Luz, (separation, departure, an almond, after the nut bearing tree,) was conquered. They let the man who showed them the entrance to the city live, and spared his family, and he went out and built a city, and named it Luz. But God said to utterly destroy all, not leave any left for it would come back to haunt them, become a snare to them if they did. They were not to make any league with the inhabitants, but to conquer them. Manasseh didn't drive out all like he was to do, either. His name means "forgetfulness, he that is forgotten." Hmmmm. He didn't remember the word of the Lord. Beth-shean (house of rest; security) and her towns (verse 27) Taanach (sandy place, who humbles thee, answers thee) were spared. Dor (dwelling, habitation, ) Ibleam (people waster, devouring the people) Megiddo (place of crowns,) were left for the Canaanites to dwell in. A place of crowns-to rule over? Crowns signifies exaltation. Did the people get tired of the constant warfare? Did they get weary and stop pressing in? Israel became strong and taxed the people they allowed to remain. But they stopped fighting and conquering and made peace with their enemies. They taxed them, but they allowed them to remain when they were told not to do so. Ephraim (fruitful, increasing) left those in Gezer (a precipice, or edge). Zebulun (habitation) left those in Kitron (making sweet; binding together). Asher (happiness) left Accho (close; pressed together) Zidon (venison, fishing, hunting) Ahlab (fertile, brother of the heart) Achzib (liar, false, on that runs) Aphik (strength, a rapid torrent) and so on..........

Consider the effects of the world and sin on the life and heart and mind of a Believer who allows them entrance. And if you go on to Jdgs 2 after all this God sends an Angel of the Lord, which from the reading of the scriptures it sounds like this is the Lord Jesus himself, before his incarnation in the flesh. He warns them of the consequences of their disobedience.

Jdg 2:1 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I swore unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

Jdg 2:2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?

Jdg 2:3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.

Jdg 2:4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spoke these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

Imagine how they must have felt, they were tired, weary. They'd traveled far, and long. The journey had been hard. They had been battled by almost every nation they encountered along the way. Time and again the Lord had to deliver this people. There had been strife among them. Envy. Rebellion. Murmuring, complaining. Idolatry. Yet God had forgiven, led, and delivered them. They were having great victories before the death of Joshua, but were already falling into disobedience. They were surely persuaded in their minds by a lying devil, "it's okay, you deserve a break from all this fighting. Those people over there, they are scared of you, they know who you are, let them alone. Enjoy a rest. Make them pay, but you don't have to wipe them out. You're tired. Rest. God will understand." Can't you just imagine his sickly sweet voice of persuasion deceiving this people into giving into their flesh and giving up the fight? They were so close. They were conquering and winning great victories handed to them by the Lord. If in their weakness, they had sought his strength, they could have continued on. No wonder God had such a big Bible written. He knew how much time the devil would spend trying to lie to our minds and soothe our flesh, into disobeying God. He makes it sound so reasonable. But when they gave into their flesh on this count, the inhabitants of the land that were allowed to remain, soon grew strong and rose up against them, and often conquered them. Many times brought them into bondage and abused them. Robbed them of what was theirs. They had no peace, no security, no authority or power. Because they allowed things to remain, unchallenged, and not dealt with and destroyed. God help me to let your word challenge and examine me and my heart and cast out any and all that remains of this world. That I can truly bow before your holiness and be in full agreement with you, Lord, that this world has nothing in me. It was after all this that the people fell into the sin-confess cycle. They would fall under oppression, because of their own sin, and disobedience, and in their misery cry out to God who so patiently, time after time, sent them deliverance. But oh, how soon they would forget the Lord when the pain eased and the troubles went away. How cruel to use the Lord that way. To be so unkind to the One who loves them so much. Oh, how it pains my heart to see myself in these scriptures. When things get easy, it's tempting to slack up on your prayer life and Bible Reading. Oh, God give me a heart that prays simply because it is hungry for more of you. Hungry for your presence. One that truly adores and longs to be with you. If we pray because we love him and miss him, then our prayer life won't be inconsistent and unfruitful.

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