But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land. (Judges 1:27)
The book of Judges is for Mature Audiences Only. It's pages are marked by murder, lust, betrayal, genocide, fear and and depravity. Commentator Michael Wilcox summarizes the message of Judges thus, '(Judges) shows man's darkest sin, but we see it by light of God's most luminous grace.' Judges presents a continuous cycle of Israel's rebellion, God's judgement, punishment and restoring grace. The story of the judges confronts and challenge us, forcing us to ask tough and uncomfortable questions.
The context of Judges is conquest. Joshua has led the people of Israel into the Promised Land. It is now for them to drive out the Canaanite inhabitants in order to take full possession of God's promise. And so straight away the uncomfortable questions begin. God's promise to Israel is fulfilled through bloody conquest. Tens of thousands die in order for Israel to receive it's covenant inheritance. The fate of the Canaanite tribes is one of the most troubling and perplexing in all of the scriptures. For now I will simply name the question/issue.
Two years ago I had the privilege of traveling to Israel. In our pilgrimage we visited the arhcaeological site of Megiddo. It was fascinating seeing and experiencing layer upon layer of ancient civilizations that have occupied this small, strategic piece of land - dating right back to the Canaanites of the 15th century before Christ. You can read more about Tel Megiddo here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tel_Megiddo At Megiddo you can literally see the story of one nation/tribe cconquering another, cconquering another, conquering another and so on. All over Israel are sites of war and conquest, from the Valley of Elah where David stared down Goliath to the fallen stones of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Judges is bloody and awful. And yet in the unvarnished, uncensored history of Judges we still discover the luminous grace of God. May the journey of discovery begin.
Doesn't take long for disunity and infighting to commence once strong leadership is gone.
Posted by: Richard Paterson | February 02, 2012 at 10:46 PM