Judges Chapter 1

A Devotional Journey through Judges 1

“After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, ‘Who of us is to go up first to fight…?’” —Judges 1:1 (New International Version)


Opening Thought

The first page of Judges feels like dawn at camp the morning after a great leader has died. The fire is still warm, the stories of God’s power linger in the air, but everyone senses that a new day calls for fresh courage. Judges 1 invites us to watch Israel take its first steps without Joshua’s strong hand. Their story quickly becomes a mirror held up to our own lives: How will we walk with God when yesterday’s heroes are gone and the next chapter is not yet written?


Section 1 – Asking the Right Question (Judges 1:1–2)

Israel begins well: they ask. The Hebrew verb שָׁאַל (shaʾal) does not mean a casual “Would You mind?”; it means to seek an answer with intent to obey. They long to know who should lead, not whether they should enter the battle.

Cross-references
• Judges 20:18 – the same verb appears when Israel asks again decades later.
• James 1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God.”

Reflection
We often pray, “Lord, should I do something?” Israel teaches us to pray, “Lord, which step comes first?” Mature faith trusts the mission already given (Matthew 28:19-20) and seeks the order of obedience.


Section 2 – Courage Shared, Courage Split (Judges 1:3–21)

Judah calls on Simeon for help. Cooperation is wise, yet we notice faint cracks:

  1. Adoni-Bezek is judged by having his thumbs and big toes cut off (v. 6-7). Ancient kings did this to prisoners so they could neither wield a sword nor run in battle. Israel copies a Canaanite custom instead of seeking God’s own way of justice (see Deuteronomy 12:30-31).

  2. Verse 19 says Judah “could not” (לֹא יָכְלוּ, lo yakhelu) drive out the valley people because of iron chariots. Later in Judges 4, Deborah’s God topples a whole army with 900 iron chariots. The problem here is not iron but faith.

Historical Note
Archaeology at Gezer, Megiddo, and Beth-Shean shows Canaanite cities with thick, casemate walls and evidence of iron-working. To ancient eyes these were modern fortresses. The text lets us feel Israel’s human weakness—but also hints that weakness became an excuse.

Reflection
Partial obedience feels harmless, but it breeds “pockets” of resistance in the soul. John Calvin wrote, “When we grant a truce with our sins, they grow stronger than at first.”


Section 3 – The Long Shadow of Half-Measures (Judges 1:22–36)

The rest of the chapter repeats a sad refrain:
“Manasseh did not drive out… Ephraim did not drive out… Naphtali did not drive out…” (vv. 27-33).

The tribes choose forced labor over full obedience. It looks practical—why destroy what can earn a tax? Yet the book will later show that the enslaved will enslave Israel’s heart with idolatry.

Cross-references
• Joshua 17:12-13 – the pattern had begun earlier.
• Romans 8:13 – put to death the deeds of the body “or they will put you to death” (Augustine’s paraphrase).


Key Theological Themes

  1. Seeking Guidance – God is willing to speak; the question is, will we seek Him?
  2. The Peril of Compromise – Small areas of disobedience today become altars to false gods tomorrow.
  3. The Need for a True Deliverer – Judges 1 hints that no tribe, even Judah, can finish the task. The stage is set for a king who will obey perfectly (ultimately Christ; see Revelation 5:5).

Culturally Hidden Details for Western Readers

City Gates and Fires – Verse 8 describes Jerusalem set on fire. Excavations in the City of David have uncovered burn layers dated to the Late Bronze–Early Iron transition—physical ashes that remind us these words are rooted in real soil.

Clan Loyalty – When Judah invites Simeon, it reflects family ties (they share a mother, Leah). Ancient readers saw covenant cooperation; modern readers may see mere strategy.

Iron Chariots – In a day before the stirrup, chariots were shock weapons. Israel on foot would feel like farmers facing tanks. Yet God had already drowned Egypt’s chariots (Exodus 14); fear forgets history.


Word & Grammar Glimpse

Verse 19 contrasts two verbs:
• “The Lord was with Judah” – וַיְהִי (vayehi), simple, steady companionship.
• “But they could not drive out” – לֹא יָכְלוּ (lo yakhelu). Hebrew allows a shade of meaning: would not can sometimes hide inside could not. The heart draws a line and then blames the obstacle.


Echoes from Church History

Origen saw the remaining Canaanites as images of inner passions: “Drive them out, lest they build altars in your heart.”
Augustine warned of “little foxes” (Song 2:15) tolerated in the vineyard.
John Wesley turned the text evangelistic: partial surrender to Christ keeps us in endless defeat; entire consecration opens the way for Spirit-filled victory.


A Hymn for the Journey

“Take My Life and Let It Be” by Frances Ridley Havergal (1874).
The repeated plea, “Take my will… take my heart…,” answers Judges 1 by offering no corner untouched.


Living It Today

  1. Identify an “iron chariot” you have labeled unbeatable. Pray the story of Deborah in advance, trusting God will overturn it.
  2. Review your spiritual map. Where have you settled for coexistence with sin? List one concrete act of obedience this week.
  3. Seek counsel. Israel asked together; find trusted believers to pray with you about the next step.

Suggested Further Reading

• Deuteronomy 7 for God’s original command.
• Psalm 20:7 – “Some trust in chariots…”
• Hebrews 4:8-11 – Joshua did not give the full rest; only Jesus can.


Closing Prayer

Lord of Hosts,
You stood with Judah, yet they stopped short.
Stand with us again, and press us forward.
Search our hearts; expose every hidden Canaanite desire.
Teach us to ask, then to rise, and finally to finish.
Until the land of our lives is wholly Yours,
we trust Your power over every iron chariot.
In the name of Jesus, the Lion of Judah,
Amen.

Narrated version of this devotional on Judges Chapter 1