Consequences of Compromise. Judges 1:16-34 The men of the tribe of Judah and Simeon were fulfilling their commitment and took three of the five cities of the Philistines. The failure to obey God's command happened when they lost focus on Him and His faithfulness. They saw the iron chariots; they made treaties with the Canaanites instead; they began to worship the idols of the Canaanites; they failed the test of obedience to God.
Less than wholehearted commitment leads to decline. A declining spiritual life results in the compromising of truth and a loss of faith. The decay that follows compromise causes apostasy and defeat. Oppression from enemies of God comes after defeat. God gave them the chance to see how He could use His army, the Israelites, to defeat their enemies, who they believed were stronger than they were. God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. We will fail when we trust in ourselves and our abilities to do the work God has clearly set out. “Vain is a man who trusts in man” and makes flesh his weapons of spiritual warfare. The flesh can never defeat the world and the devil.
Repentance and turning away from sin bring freedom. An important lesson from Judges is that the allure of ungodly people and unholy practices that tempt us, when we give in, will lead us astray. We are grateful there is "A way back to God from the dark paths of sin. And there's a door that is open that all may go in." We will stumble when we do not take God’s commands and promises seriously. Our service to the Lord must be a work of faith. Victories only come through faith in our Lord.
Fortunately for us, God was willing to document the failures of Israel "for our sakes" so that we can be reminded that He expects us to act in accordance with His will, trusting Him to know what is best both now and in the future. After Joshua died, Israel lost its grip on God's promises and its faith in Him, both in small matters and in major battles. Even though they had confidently entered the Promised Land under Joshua's leadership, after his death, a lack of discipline, weariness, fear, and self-interest caused them to stray from obedience to God. The pagan enemies of Israel were not good neighbors. Their tactics of subtlety and compromise seemed humane and nice compared to eliminating all evil and its influence. Before long, temptations overcame faith, and those who knew better participated in the idolatry and wickedness that appeared so attractive and acceptable.
To force a slave force to do their work so they could enjoy an easy life was the downfall of Israel. The cost of making slaves of the Canaanites was that they soon became slaves to sin themselves. The Canaanites blended into the Israelite way of life, and the unstoppable slide into idolatry continued. The only way to deal with sin is through death. That's why the Gospel message is so vital to those chained by sin. “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and He was buried, and He rose again according to the scriptures.”
God intends for us to keep and obey His commands and trust Him to guide us because He knows what is ahead of us. We are safe when we focus our minds and hearts on Him and His sovereign purposes. But if we allow some charismatic leader with human wisdom to claim our attention and allegiance, we are putting ourselves in danger. Our greatest threats are not war but moral decay, materialism, false religion, and the attitude that "anything is alright as long as I get what I want." It is possible to make a strong start and then soon fail because we "trust in man and make flesh" our arm.
The book is divided into three parts...