Judges 1:22-36
Households That Stayed
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22The house of Joseph also attacked Bethel, and the LORD was with them.
23They sent spies to Bethel (formerly known as Luz),
24and when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, “Please show us how to get into the city, and we will treat you kindly.”
25So the man showed them the entrance to the city, and they put the city to the sword but released that man and all his family.
26And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.
27At that time Manasseh failed to drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and their villages; for the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land.
28When Israel became stronger, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor, but they never drove them out completely.
29Ephraim also failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer; so the Canaanites continued to dwell among them in Gezer.
30Zebulun failed to drive out the inhabitants of Kitron and Nahalol; so the Canaanites lived among them and served as forced laborers.
31Asher failed to drive out the inhabitants of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob.
32So the Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, because they did not drive them out.
33Naphtali failed to drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath. So the Naphtalites also lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, but the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath served them as forced laborers.
34The Amorites forced the Danites into the hill country and did not allow them to come down into the plain.
35And the Amorites were determined to dwell in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim. But when the house of Joseph grew in strength, they pressed the Amorites into forced labor.
36And the border of the Amorites extended from the Ascent of Akrabbim to Sela and beyond.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
The house of Joseph goes against Bethel, and the LORD is with them. Their scouts meet a man leaving the city and ask him to show them an entrance. He does, and when they capture Bethel, they spare him and his family. He later builds another city called Luz in the land of the Hittites, using Bethel's former name.
What follows is a troubling list of places where Israel does not drive out the inhabitants. Manasseh leaves several towns in Canaanite hands. Ephraim leaves Canaanites in Gezer. Zebulun allows people to remain and subjects them to forced labor. Asher and Naphtali live among the Canaanites, while the Amorites force Dan into the hills and keep Dan out of the plains.
These are different situations, but together they show how incomplete Israel's possession of the land remains. In some places the Israelites later become strong enough to impose forced labor, yet still do not drive the people out. Growing stronger does not necessarily lead to doing what God commanded. A situation that once seemed beyond their control can become one they find profitable to maintain.
Questions
1 How does the house of Joseph enter Bethel?
AnswerA man leaving the city shows the scouts an entrance. They spare him and his family when they capture the city.
2 What happens to Dan in the plains?
AnswerThe Amorites keep Dan out of the plains and force the tribe into the hill country. This is more than a few remaining enemy towns.
3 What do some tribes do when they become stronger?
AnswerThey impose forced labor on the inhabitants instead of driving them out. Increased power does not bring full obedience.
4 How might convenience keep us from correcting a wrong?
AnswerWe might keep taking credit for another person’s work because it benefits us. Admitting the truth would cost us something, but that cost does not make dishonesty right.
What This Means for Us
A benefit can make a wrong arrangement harder to challenge. Before defending a habit because it works well for us, ask whether it is honest and fair. The people around us are neighbors to love, not enemies to drive away. The question for our own lives is whether comfort or advantage has become an excuse to disregard God's commands.
Prayer
Lord, expose the excuses we make when a wrong choice benefits us. Give us courage to give up an advantage rather than keep doing what dishonors You. Amen.