Before we get into this study there are a few remarks the old teacher would like to make.

In our previous studies of the Old Testament we have noted a cycle of blessing from God and failure on the part of the Israelites to trust in and follow God faithfully. In the next few books this pattern will continue. There is at least a twofold application of the Old Testament history of Israel that can be made. The first of these applications applies to the history of other nations (all), including the United States of America. This nation, which is considered a Christian nation, continually fails to learn from the example of Israel. We have experienced God's blessing in our national birth and throughout our history, but, like Israel, we continually turn our back on God until we find ourselves in deep trouble. So far the Church has interceded and led this nation back into the grace of God and his forgiveness. We have no right to presume that he will continue to overlook our national sins.

(chpt:  1 Vs: 001)  Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them? 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 002)  And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand. 

Verse 3 tells us that Judah went to Simeon for assistance in this task. This shows a lack of faith on the part of the tribe of Judah.

(chpt:  1 Vs: 003)  And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 004)  And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 005)  And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 006)  But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 007)  And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 008)  Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 009)  And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 010)  And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba:) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 011)  And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher: 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 012)  And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 013)  And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 014)  And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wilt thou? 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 015)  And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 016)  And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 017)  And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 018)  Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 019)  And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 020)  And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 021)  And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day. 

Verses 22 through the end of the chapter tell us of the failure of the other tribes to follow the instructions of God to cleanse the land of all heathen nations.

(chpt:  1 Vs: 022)  And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD was with them. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 023)  And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.) 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 024)  And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Show us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will show thee mercy. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 025)  And when he showed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 026)  And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called the name thereof Luz: which is the name thereof unto this day. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 027)  Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 028)  And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 029)  Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 030)  Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 031)  Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob: 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 032)  But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 033)  Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, nor the inhabitants of Bethanath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath became tributaries unto them. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 034)  And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley: 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 035)  But the Amorites would dwell in mount Heres in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim: yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became tributaries. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 036)  And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward. 

Verses 1 through 3 tell us that the angel of the Lord speaks to the people of Israel and enumerates their failures. The Israelites are told that the people of the lands will be thorns and their sides.

(chpt:  2 Vs: 001)  And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 002)  And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 003)  Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 004)  And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 005)  And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD. 

Verse 6 through 10 speaks of the death of Joshua and a new generation appearing on the scene and not knowing of the power of God firsthand.

(chpt:  2 Vs: 006)  And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 007)  And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 008)  And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 009)  And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 010)  And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. 

Verse 11 through 15 records the nation's turning away from God and the judgment that came upon them at that time.

(chpt:  2 Vs: 011)  And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 012)  And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 013)  And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 014)  And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. 

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