Faithful But Flawed (Judges 1:1-2:5)

"Judges For You" by Tim Keller is a small, short (217 pages), succinct and well written Bible study guide. I have blogged briefly on Gideon, Samson and the six key themes of Judges. This is an overview of chapter 1 of the book: Half-Hearted Discipleship (Judg 1:1-2:5). It shows how the people were faithful yet flawed; they were committed (to God), yet given to compromise, convenience, and common sense.

Radical risk-taking discipleship requires faith and obedience. Judges begins after the death of Joshua (Judg 1:1)--Moses' God-chosen successor to lead the people of Israel (Num 27:12-23). As recorded in the book of Joshua, God kept his promises to them, brought them into the promised land, defeated their enemies and began to give them blessing and rest. The gist of the book of Joshua is that since God always keeps his promise, God's people can bravely obey and worship him. Briefly, God's people are to 1) believe God's promise (Josh 1:3-4) and obey God's word (Josh 1:7-8; 23:5-6), which they should continue to do. God's call to his people (then and now) is to combine spirituality with bravery. True discipleship is radical and risk-taking. Judges records how they fared.

Questions:

1. When God directs Judah to fight (Judg 1:2), do they (Judg 1:3)? Why? How does the defeated king interpret his defeat (Judg 1:4-7)? How was Caleb, Othniel, Acsah and the Kenites different (Judg 1:12-16)?
2. Though the Lord was with the men of Judah why were they unable to drive the people out (Judg 1:19)? Is this failure a lack of strength, or a lack of faith in God's strength? Why is this halfway discipleship?
3. God's command to his people was clear (Josh 27:7 [6-13]). Though they were "succeeded" how did they fail to completely conquer their enemies (Judg 1:21, 25, 27-36)? How was this compromise, common sense and convenience?
4. What happened at Gilgal (Judg 2:1; Josh 5:9)? Though Judg 1:1-36 record their "success," what was God's scathing assessment (Judg 2:2)? Where/when do you say to God, "I can't," when the truth is "I won't"?
   
5. What was the result of their disobedience (Judg 2:3; Josh 23:13)? How is idolatry a snare that binds and enslaves us? They "repented" with weeping and sacrifice (Judg 2:4-5), but how did their half-obedience affect their children and their descendants (Ex 20:5; Dt 5:9)?
   
6. The tension between God's "I said" (Judg 2:1), and his "I tell you" (Judg 2:3) is that God swore to bless his people as his beloved people, and swore not to bless them as disobedient people (Ex 34:6-7). How is this impossible dilemma solved (2 Cor 5:21; Rom 3:26)?