DAY 1 often these are combined in their attack.

So have you been like Judah, seriously wanting

The Heart of the Problem
Judges 1:1 After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the LORD, Who will be the
first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?
to gain victory, but finding the enemy iron willed? Or do you, like good old Dan, give
in straight away allowing the enemy to live in the areas the Lord had planned for you?
Do you feel like you have taken your inheritance in the plains where you are meant to be
or are you scratching out a Christian life in the unproductive hill country?

Before we start on the specific acts of compromise that led to Israels fall, it is important
to understand the symbolic message that Judges presents to us. Judges is about taking
our full inheritance. Each of the twelve tribes of Israel was allotted a portion of the land
as their inheritance, and under Joshua, many of the enemies that lived in the land were
defeated and victory was achieved. Yet it was still necessary for each tribe to move into
its appointed area and to dwell there. Hence, we read in the very first verse of Judges CONSIDER THIS...
that Israel inquired of the Lord as to who should move into the territory allotted to them
first. 1)
Now all of this is very symbolic, for as Christians we may not have a specific land that
has been given to us, but we do have an inheritance in Christ that is to be grasped and
possessed by faith. That is what makes the book of Judges so sad for it shows not only
the failure of Gods people to press into the inheritance that God has for them, but, and
even worse, it shows the failure to retain even that which has already been conquered!
So Judges is a warning to us all. A warning of what can happen if we fail to go on, or
through compromise allow the enemy to rob us of the benefits of our inheritance in
Christ. So how did it start going wrong?
Now the first chapter of Judges does start with some promising sounding victories, but
we soon come to this very strange text in verse 19. We read that the Lord was with the
men of Judah BUT they were unable to drive the people from the plains Now,
doesnt one man and God make a majority? Isnt that what the entire Bible yells out? So
why do we read here that even though the Lord was with them, they still couldnt win? I
believe the answer is given to us in the first verse of this book and it shows, though in a
small way, the start of the decay. In the first verse we read that the Lord said Judah is to
go; I have given the land into their hands. Now even though God himself had said that
He had given the land to them, they still wanted the Simeonites, their brothers to help
them take the land. It shows that the heart of the men of Judah was not totally reliant and
resting in the promises and strength of the Lord their God, but through a lack of faith,
they still looked to their own strength and numbers to gain victory. Now I wont go into
this anymore now, as this theme will be spelled out in the study From Gilgal to Bochim:
The legacy of Joshua. But it does give us an early warning sign that all was not right
within the heart of Israel.
Now it wasnt all defeat however especially early on in their endeavours anyway. And
to their credit, it should be noted that Judah did have a number of victories over the
Canaanites and Perizzites. They captured their leader Adoni-Bezek, as well as taking a
number of Canaanite cities. (Judges 1:1-11) And nor was Judah the worst tribe at taking
their inheritance! A quick survey of this entire chapter shows contrasting degrees of
compromise. Though given an inheritance like all the other tribes, Dan didnt seem to
even have the desire to fight the enemy for we read and instead tried for a while to
compromise and live in the rugged hill country. Wow! Way to go Dan! Now in Judah
and Dan we see two different responses to the enemy. As Christians we face a three-fold
enemy that works to compromise our entry into our inheritance which is the life,
strength and peace of the Lord. We face Satan, the World and our own sinful nature and
 DAY 2
Gilgal to Bochim
Judges 2:1-4 The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, I
brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your
forefathers. I said, I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall not make a
covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars. Yet you
have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? Now therefore I tell you that I will not
drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a
snare to you. When the angel of the LORD had spoken these things to all the
Israelites, the people wept aloud, and they called that place Bochim.
Gilgal or, like Israel in the book of Judges, have you moved to Bochim the place of
weeping. Bochim is the place that you end up when you have forgotten to take God into
account! It is the place where your eyes are focused on yourself and your situation from
an earthly point of view. And that will always be the place of weeping! But when you
dwell at Gilgal the peace of God will fill your heart and mind because you consider
yourself alive to God, His very own possession, and little else matters! The creator and
sustainer of the universe is also your Father, and He will do what is right! You dont
need to know all the details or constantly question what He is doing, for you know that
He his good, and that in love He will work all things for your good. This is Gilgal, the
legacy of Joshua, and it is a place of rest.

In the first verse of chapter two, we read about the angel of the Lord. Now it should be
noted first of all that it doesnt say an angel of the Lord for this is no ordinary angel! A
quick analysis of this term in the Old Testament clearly shows this angel to be the pre-
incarnate Son of God. In other words, Jesus! So we read that the Lord went up from
Gilgal to Bochim. Do you think there is anything important in that? Gilgal means the
rolling away and presents us with the key thought from the book of Joshua, while
Bochim means the place of weeping and unfortunately shows the state of affairs in
Judges.
The first thing we read about Gilgal is that twelve stones were set up as a memorial to all
generations. The stones stood as a sign of what the Lord did in drying up the Jordan
River and allowing the nation of Israel to cross over on dry ground. Like the Red Sea
experience before them when they left Egypt, so Israel was again faced with a baptism
type experience upon entering the Promised Land. This speaks to us today of our
baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ. It is what Israel had to learn again
before they could enter into the Promised Land, and it is also what the majority of
Christians overlook and need to re-learn if they are to enter into their inheritance in
Christ. A memorial was set up within Gilgal so that even future generations would
know what happened at the Jordan!
The second characteristic of Gilgal is related to the first, in that it is the place of
circumcision. It is the place where the pride and strength of the flesh (all that man is
without God) is cut away by the knife of God. Have you come to this place? The Jordan
speaks of a memorial something we are all to know and count upon just as it says in
Romans 6:11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ
Jesus. But circumcision speaks of this reality in experience and that it costs us! Just as
circumcision hurt back then, so it will cost us now. It cost us our pride, our
independence, our very right to govern and control our own lives. We lose something of
ourselves, but we gain something of God! Often it takes trials & hardship before we are
ready to once again count ourselves dead & let God be God
The next important point to see is that throughout the book of Joshua, Gilgal is not
simply the place where they first camped, but it is the place that they constantly returned
to and used as the base for all their operations. Thus, we read that after the great victory
against the Amorite coalition, Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal (Josh
10). What a great picture this is for us! We have seen that Gilgal speaks to us of our
death and resurrection with Jesus, and as such, it should be the place that we not only
start from, but the place that we return to! Each victory should start from that place of
dependence. Have you learned to have Gilgal as the basis of your life?
So what is your current situation? Do you currently have the benefit of dwelling at
 DAY 3
The Enemy Within the Land
Judges 3:1-6 These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had
not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the
descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience).
So far, we have looked at the failure of Israel to fully take her inheritance and have
witnessed some of the results from allowing the enemy to live on within the land. Now
this isnt good. Not at all! No hoorays or pats on the back for this one. And nor is God
pleased for that matter, for He knows the added temptations and lures that occur once
compromise has been made with the enemy. But with the God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob, all is not ever lost and He can even use a bad situation for good. So in this little
section, I want to look at the nature and character of the enemy that is left within the
land, and how even this can be turned around by God for our good.
God said that He would use those nations to test Israel, and to teach warfare to Israel. So
firstly, there is a test What exactly was the test? Well, we read at the end of chapter
two that the nations remained in order to test Israel by them, whether they will keep the
way of the LORD to walk in it as their fathers did, or not. (Judges 2:22) In other words,
the nations remained in the land and God used them to see whether Israel truly had a
heart for Him, or whether they would give in to the temptations of the other nations and
follow their gods. So let me ask you what enemies remain in your life? Are you given
to Hittite fear, Philistine self-wallowing, Canaanite worldliness or Amorite hypocrisy?
We are all different and as such, we all have different areas of weakness. But like Israel
of old, the Lord will test us to see if our hearts are truly for Him.
The testing of the Lord through the various trials and enemies we face, has another,
often unseen, benefit. That is, like Israel of old, the Lord uses it to teach us warfare. The
battleground may have shifted from the Megiddo plains to within our mind, but the fight
itself is just as real. The Lord needs to teach us warfare. It is something we all have to
learn as we live and grow as Christians. Notice also that the Lord was kind enough with
Israel to even use the terrible situation they had got themselves in, for their own good.
He didnt give up on them and He doesnt give up on us even if we have blown it. But
He will see another situation that He can use to teach us, and test us.
The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and
Jebusites. They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their
sons, and served their gods.
Finally we read in this passage that Israel disobeyed the true God - through
intermarriage with their enemys daughters (something they were not allowed to do, Ex
34:15-16) and through the worship of false gods. Hence, the cycle of sin began. If you
want to know where the cycle begins, it is here with compromise to the commands of
God that He has declared for our own good. How about you? Have you made
compromises with the enemy that draw you away from the living God? If so, then do
you know that even now the Lord will use that situation to test your commitment to
Him? Turn again to the living God. There is no situation too hopeless for the Lord and
victory, on His terms, can always be counted upon.
DAY 4
Othniel and the Power of God
Judges 3:9-10 But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer,
Othniel son of Kenaz, Calebs younger brother, who saved them. The Spirit of the
LORD came upon him, so that he became Israels judge and went to war. The LORD
gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him.
The first judge was Othniel. He came from good stock this man for he was Calebs
nephew. The name Othniel means the power of God but we will get back to this later.
If you have been reading the book of Judges for yourself you would, Im sure, remember
Othniel from chapter one. He was the one who fought valiantly in capturing Kiriath-
sepher at the request of Caleb (1:11-12)
From the passage above we see that Othniel judged Israel first and then went to war
against Cushan-Rishathaim. This is very instructive and very necessary for us! It
reminds us of our constant need to judge ourselves. The Bible says thatif we would
judge ourselves, we would not be judged. (1 Cor 11:31) This is talking about the
discipline of the Lord that our Heavenly Father applies to all of His children. If Israel,
when they were in the process of forgetting the Lord, judged the condition of their
heart and cried out for the Lord to be take His rightful place again, you could be sure
that Cushan-Rishathaim wouldnt have even come into the picture. But Israel didnt do
this but allowed their dependence upon God to wane and, worse still, followed the gods
of their enemies. Be careful to judge yourself. When you are exalted by others, just
watch yourself. When you are wronged or let down and a range of emotions are running
keep an eye on that nature of yours. When you feel bitter towards someone, be harder
on yourself than you are on others. As honestly as possible, make sure you judge your
own heart first.
So lets get back to Othniel himself. We read that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Him
and he went out and defeated that doubly-wicked black Cushan! When Israel had
forgotten their need of God, the Lord does two things; First, He allows them to be
defeated by that which their own hearts were being drawn to prideful independence.
Second, God raised up a deliver who will remind them again of the power of God and
their constant need to looking and relying upon God for His power in their life. In
Othniel we see this in the meaning of his name, which means the power of God, and
also in his life in that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Him.
Now, none of this should be new to us. The writers of the New Testament (especially
Paul) were constantly trying to focus our attention on the fact that knowing Gods life
and power is critical if we are to be effective in our Christian life. Listen to some of their
pleas
Eph 1.18-19 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you
may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in
the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
So in getting back to the story, we see that God raised up Othniel, a visible sign of His
own power, and the enemy was defeated. And in doing so, we read that the land had rest
for 40 years. (Judges 3:11). Is this not a good picture of what happens in our own heart
once we come to know and trust in the power of God? We rest. The Israelites in the
wilderness didnt find rest because they did not remember His power. But those that do
remember find rest, for they know that nothing is outside of Gods control and power.
May we learn from the lessons presented to us here in the book of Judges. Be careful of
him who was the first enemy to completely conquer Israel the prideful and exalted
king of Aram! We should judge the pride and independence in our own heart first, and
then rely upon the power of God for our deliverance. Thus, Othniel did, and the land had
rest for 40 years. The cycle of sin that repeats itself so consistently during this time was
stopped for 40 years! So it can be in our life!
DAY 5
Attention All Weaklings -- God May Choose You!
Judges 6:14-16 The LORD turned to him and said, Go in the strength you have and
save Israel out of Midians hand. Am I not sending you? But Lord, Gideon asked,
how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my
family. The LORD answered,I will be with you, & you will strike down all the
Midianites together.
The first thing to notice is that the Lord doesnt answer Gideons question about why
these things have happened. Maybe because it was obvious in Israels case as God had
already pointed out through the prophet He sent. But for us, if it is not our own desires
and sinful tendencies that have lead us into strife, then the question of where the
trouble comes from is often unanswered as it was with Job. In these cases, we should
learn to leave these things with God and by faith, look for the good that will be worked
out of it.
Now Gideon doesnt exactly feel like the valiant warrior that the Lord calls him. And
as for him delivering Israel by himself crazy talk! In fact Gideon feels more like a
weakling than a warrior or someone valiant. You know the entire Manasseh tribe? he
says to God Well my family is bottom of the barrel. Dead last! And in the most
insignificant family in Manasseh, yep, Im the youngest and weakest! You may have bet
on the wrong horse Im afraid! Ever felt like that?
One God plus one weakling is always a majority in any fight. I will be with you God
tells Gideon, and that is all that we should ever need to know. (And it is what we should
remind ourselves with!) Thankfully, this was enough for Gideon to know and his focus
on his own inadequacies was not so deep rooted that it stopped him being obedient. But
he certainly wanted this one thing confirmed (quite a few times actually!)
Gideon asked for a sign that it really was God that was sending him. Probably fair
enough too if you put yourself in his shoes he was being asked to fight against and
defeat the entire Midian army! You certainly would want to be sure wouldnt you?
Gideon will ask again for a sign before the chapter is out, and again God will graciously
respond. We always need to remember that Gideon is not some extraordinary man. He
was an ordinary man from an ordinary family in an ordinary tribe. Quite like you and me
actually. He was weak enough to cause God to chose him, and obedient enough to
follow Gods call even amidst doubt and uncertainty. With the divine fire of acceptance
falling upon Gideons offering, it suddenly dawns upon Gideon that he is speaking, face
to face, with God! The appearing of the angel of the Lord is not just any old angel but is
the pre-incarnate goings forth of the Lord Jesus Himself! The angel however tells
Gideon that he can be at peace and should not fear. And God would say the same thing
to you today if you have faith in Jesus and take the time to ask!
Before saving the entire nation from the clutches of the enemy (its starting to sound like
a superhero comic!) God has one small priority for young weak Gideon put your
familys house in order! Give that Baal the chop and establish the Lord God of Israel as
Lord over this home! It will prove to be the very first step in some extremely quick
lessons in obedience. Now, again we see the weak and fearful side of our hero in that
being afraid of what might happen, he secretly cuts down the Baal altar at night, under
the cover of darkness! Does God scold Gideon for his fear and lack of faith? Not at all!
God knows Gideon and you for that matter, better than you know yourself. He knows we
are weak and fearful creatures at times and doesnt expect perfection. The lesson and
challenge for us however from this passage (especially if you are quite a fearful person)
is to not allow your fear to prevent you from being obedient. Easily said I know. But
God takes us and teaches us step by step if we will trust Him. Gideon, being weak like
us, was fearful, but he still obeyed Gods command. You would do well to ask God
about this.
The only real thing I want to add is that it again highlights Gideons uncertainty and
Gods gracious response in confirming what was being asked of Gideon. God is again
kind and will meet us to in our weakness if it is for the purpose of being obedient.
DAY 6
The Strange Weapons of our Warfare!
Judges 7:19-21 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at
the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew
their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. The three companies blew the
trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in
their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, A sword for the LORD
and for Gideon! While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites
ran, crying out as they fled.
So Gideon divides his 300 men into three companies and gives them their weapons. Put
yourself into their position for a sec You know youre massively outnumbered. I guess
you would be hoping for some new flash sword utilising the latest technology? So you
take your place in the line and Gideon hands out the weapons an empty clay jar, a
torch, and a trumpet! Oh thanks a lot Gideon! What are we trying to do? Burst their ear
drums? Drive em crazy by playing off key? Well, well get back to these strange
weapons that we have been given shortly, but for now it is simply worth noting that with
God natural circumstances dont come into it! When you are weak, then He will prove
Himself strong!
Finally, Midian starts to receive their just deserts. As the jars are smashed exposing the
light of the torches, and the trumpets are frantically blown on every side of the camp,
confusion reigns amongst the Midian forces! God is bringing victory over Midian! From
all angles a cry goes out saying a sword for the Lord and for Gideon. Now, thats all
very well and lovely Im sure you will agree, but what does it have to do with us right
here and right now? You may remember from the first study that Midian means strife.
They stand as a picture of the trouble, trials and well, strife that occurs while living on
this planet. Does God still use Midian today?And if so, what clay jars, torches and
trumpets do we use to gain victory today? Good questions and Im glad you asked them.
This passage in Judges has its New Testament fulfilment in 2 Corinthians chapter 4. You
are the fragile clay jar; Jesus is the light within that jar; and your testimony to His
greatness is the trumpet call you are asked to sound! Please read the following passage
and think about it
2 Cor 4:5-10 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves
as your servants for Jesus sake. For God, who said, Let light shine out of darkness,
made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of
God in the face of Christ.But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-
surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but
not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down,
but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the
life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
God has made His light shine in our hearts. It is the light of the presence of the Lord
Jesus within our lives. But this all-surpassing power God has placed within jars of
clay us! Fragile human beings an earthenware vessel which contains the life of God!
But how does this light shine forth? Gods light and power is seen in us as cracks appear
in the outer jar. Just as Gideon and his army broke their jars to expose the light, so there
must be times of weakness which cause a cracking of our normal strength. Paul says it
was times when he washard pressed, perplexed, and persecuted. These times
when through the power of weakness, the life of Jesus may be revealed in our body. So
Gideon, with his limited followers, armed simply with a jar, a torch, and a trumpet,
stormed the Midian camp from every side. 300 Israelites versus 135,000 Midianites!
Would the light of God and the trumpet call bring victory? (Yep, the questions just keep
getting tougher dont they?)
The jars had been smashed, the light of the torches had been exposed, but it was when
the trumpet sounded that the Lord brought victory over the Midianite enemy. Blow the
trumpet! Not your own trumpet however. A lot of people blow their own trumpet and
while they like the sound it gives, it is definitely way off key for the rest of us! Blow the
trumpet of God. Look at how the Apostle Paul wrote it in the passage from 2 Corinthians
that we have been looking at For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as
Lord. The testimony and trumpet call that we sound is about Him, not us. In the midst
of difficulty, the real and honest testimony about God is an awesome thing. God will
speak through it to draw Christians and non-Christians alike.