March 4, 2014 - Sunday

Start Time:  4:55 A.M.

End Time: 5:38 A.M.

Title: Israel Fights the Remaining Canaanites

Scripture: Judges 1:1 – 36

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Canaanites?” The Lord answered, “Judah shall go up; I have given the land into their hands.” The men of Judah then said to the Simeonites their fellow Israelites, “Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours.” So the Simeonites went with them. When Judah attacked, the Lord gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites. Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes. Then Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them.” They brought him to Jerusalem,and he died there. The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem also and took it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.

NOTES:

Ø God stays with His people in the absence of the appointed leader!  God does not abandon us and He does not speak to one person only.  He appoints leaders among us that we must submit to but in the absence of the human leader, God continues to lead His people.  Our ultimate leader is the Lord and there may be appointed leaders who walk in His path and obey His will, still the ultimate commander in Chief is God and in the absence of that leader, God continues to take hold of that leadership position in our lives and bring us victories upon victories.  At this point, the Israelites has no leader yet God continued to speak to them, only showing that our full trust should only be dependent to God and God alone and not to any man or any appointed leader.  For in the end, God is still the main source of everything!

→After that, Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev and the western foothills. They advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath Arba) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. From there they advanced against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher).  And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage. One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him^[a] to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?” She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs. The descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up from the City of Palms^[b] with the people of Judah to live among the inhabitants of the Desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad.  Then the men of Judah went with the Simeonites their fellow Israelites and attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they totally destroyed^[c] the city. Therefore it was called Hormah.^[d] Judah also took^[e] Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron—each city with its territory. The Lord was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had chariots fitted with iron. As Moses had promised, Hebron was given to Caleb, who drove from it the three sons of Anak. The Benjamites, however, did not drive out the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the Benjamites.

NOTES:

Ø God does not require an appointed (human) leader to become the Lord of His people!  God finds way to lead His people even without an appointed leader (human).  It is important to understand that God works in ways that does not require help or support from any human.  When God appoints a leader, it is not because He is incapable of leading His people, or because He doesn’t want to directly speak to His people, or He wants to establish superiority from His people, the truth is, the appointed leader (human) is for us, His people.  Because our physical eyes requires a physical vision of a leader that can represent the word of the Lord.  But God is not limited with this.  His works, His love, His Grace, and Favor continues to operate even in the absence of human leadership.

→ Now the tribes of Joseph attacked Bethel, and the Lord was with them.  When they sent men to spy out Bethel (formerly called Luz), the spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, “Show us how to get into the city and we will see that you are treated well.” So he showed them, and they put the city to the sword but spared the man and his whole family.  He then went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a city and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.  But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddoand their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land. When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely.  Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them.  Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, so these Canaanites lived among them, but Zebulun did subject them to forced labor. Nor did Asherdrive out those living in Akko or Sidon or Ahlab or Akzib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob. The Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land because they did not drive them out.  Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath; but the Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and those living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced laborers for them. The Amorites confined the Danites to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain.  And the Amorites were determined also to hold out in Mount Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim, but when the power of the tribes of Joseph increased, they too were pressed into forced labor. The boundary of the Amorites was from Scorpion Pass to Sela and beyond.

NOTES:

Ø God shows mercy to those who helped and support His people however He makes sure that there’s a distinction between His people and them!  God allowed foreigners to live and stay with His people in some parts of the land they conquered, especially those who helped His people take possession of their lands.  But He made sure that there’s distinction among them and so the foreigners became the slaves of His people.  In our lives, God also look after those who willingly help and recognize the power of God in our lives but in the end, they will become servants of us – this should not deceive us into thinking that we are better than them for we are not.  All these are made possible because of God’s grace and love upon us, never because we deserve it!  Always keep that in mind!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, Praise Your Holy Name!  Great and mighty is the Lord!  You are worthy of all praise and honor and worship and glory all thru out the earth.  Thank You because You are an awesome and marvelous Lord and I am truly 100% grateful that You are my King.  Lord thank You because Your Lordship does not end in the absence of Your appointed leader.  Thank You because You are not limited to any human capabilities to perform Your works in our lives.  Thank You because Your love extends to those who support and help me and those who recognize Your power in me.  Lord remind me always that everything You do is because of Your love and grace and that nothing I did or can do will make me deserving of Your goodness and everlasting love.  Remind me of this always that I may be humble and never consider myself better than anyone else.  Thank You Lord for Your love daily and show me Your grace and favor every day.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!