Context No. 4302 of 4322 · Judges

Judges 1:27-36: in context

27Manasseh didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its towns, nor Taanach and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land. 28When Israel had grown strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and didn’t utterly drive them out. 29Ephraim didn’t drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, but the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them. 30Zebulun didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites lived among them, and became subject to forced labor. 31Asher didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Acco, nor the inhabitants of Sidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob; 32but the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they didn’t drive them out. 33Naphtali didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but he lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and of Beth Anath became subject to forced labor. 34The Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill country, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley; 35but 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 subject to forced labor. 36The border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.

This passage records a repeated, sobering refrain about the tribes of Israel entering the promised land: Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants; Ephraim did not drive them out; Zebulun did not; Asher did not; Naphtali did not. Tribe after tribe settled for coexistence with the Canaanites they had been commanded to remove, often putting them to forced labor when strong enough, but failing to complete what God had told them to do.

What stands out is this pattern of incomplete obedience, settling for partial victory. It was easier to coexist with the Canaanites, to make them useful, than to finish the harder work God had commanded. But this half-obedience, as the rest of Judges shows, proved costly: the peoples left in the land became a continual snare, drawing Israel into idolatry. What they tolerated instead of dealing with came back to entangle them.

We too can settle for partial victory over the sins and compromises we were meant to deal with decisively, tolerating and even making peace with what we should have removed, because full obedience is harder. But what we tolerate rather than deal with tends, like the Canaanites left in the land, to become a snare that entangles us later. The call is to finish the work, to deal thoroughly with what God would have us remove.

Am I settling for partial victory over sins and compromises I was meant to deal with decisively, tolerating and making peace with what I should remove because full obedience is harder, and will I finish the work rather than leaving what tends, like the Canaanites in the land, to become a snare later?

Sources

Judges 1:27: "Manasseh didn't drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its towns... but the Canaanites would dwell in that land."
Judges 1:28: "When Israel had grown strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and didn't utterly drive them out."
Hebrews 12:1: "Let's also lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let's run with perseverance."