Today, I am reading and commenting on Judges 1-3.

I struggled with writing this today, but for a different reason than any of those I usually have.  I knew from the second read through what I wanted to write about, but I struggled with how to start.  The writer gives the theme for this book in the latter portion of the second chapter.  As the Israelites continued to conquer the land after the death of Joshua they made deals with the people living in the land, contrary to what God had commanded them.  The writer seems to make a distinction between those peoples living in the land that the Israelites were unable to drive out at that time and those whom they chose to live alongside.  He brings up the failure of the initial generation to break down the altars of the people of the land.  He implies that they did not destroy their altars because they were leaving open the possibility of worshiping those gods, and indeed they did worship the gods of the people whose land they were conquering.  Rather than call the people who remained in the land to turn to God and worship Him, the Israelites joined with them in worshiping their false gods.  The Israelites were unable to drive all of those living in the land out, but instead of having limited dealings with those that did not worship God, they saw economic benefit in taking part in their worship practices.  As the dominant people, the Israelites forced the peoples they did not drive out of the land to serve them as labor for jobs the Israelites did not wish to do.

The situation reminds me of one aspect of the way many in the U.S. deal with illegal immigration.  The Israelites joined the people of the land in the practices which had resulted in God handing the land over the the Israelites.  In the same way, rather than call immigrants to adopt the practices of the U.S., including worship of Christ, all too often we encourage them to continue the practices of their homelands.  Practices which led to the conditions which led these immigrants to leave those lands.  Of course we often make the same mistake with those born and raised in this country who have become immersed in an idolatry that is American in origin.  This failure to call people from the practice of idolatry has led to progressively worse consequences for our society, just as it did for the Israelites.  And just as He did for the Israelites, God will send people to call us back to Him.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.