Lesson 2

background notes

doctrinal / teaching points

1. Partial obedience results in plenty of bad fall-out.

2. Partial obedience results in pockets of enemy resistance.

practical application

1. Don't let the enemy come back to hurt you.

questions

1. Who were the "ites" listed here? Refer to Genesis 10:15-18.

2. God had commanded Israel to completely drive out all the Canaanites from the land. Did they obey God's command?

3. Why did God command Israel to utterly destroy the inhabitants of the land?

4. Refer to Judges 1:19. Was God's power limited because of the iron chariots? What was the problem here?

5. Why was Israel only partially successful in taking over the land? Is this same principle true today?

6. What do the following represent in the Christians' spiritual warfare?
a) the land of Canaan, b) the land of battles, c) the inhabitants of Canaan

answers

1. They were the table of nations that descended from Noah. In particular, the Canaanites were descended from Canaan, Noah's grandson.

2. No, and they reaped some bitter consequences as a result.

3. The Canaanites were wicked people, and God did not want His people contaminated and polluted with their gross immorality and idolatry.

4. Of course not. What is iron compared to omnipotence? The problem was that Judah did not fully trust and obey the Lord.

5. They were only partially successful because they were only partially obedient to the Lord. This is still true today, and there will be bad fall-out when there is only partial obedience to Him.

6. a) spiritual blessings that God has promised us, b) spiritual battles, and c) the enemies in our land of spiritual blessing

discuss / consider

1. The key to Israel's partial success was that they were only partially obedient. In their failure to fully drive out the enemy, they became enmeshed in the idolatry and immorality of the Canaanites. God did not fail; the people failed. What a sad story. Is the same is true today? If you only partially obey with your body, heart and mind, will there be bad fall-out? How?

2. Partial obedience results in pockets of enemy resistance. Does Satan have any pockets of resistance in your life? If so, identify them. What is the key to victory? Are you enjoying the blessings God has promised to you? Do you have victory over the enemy? Read Ephesians 6:10-17.

challenge

Don't let the enemy come back to hurt you. Read Judges 1:23-26 (concerning the two pagan cities of Luz). Unjudged sin comes back to hurt you. David ruthlessly dealt with the sins of the flesh. Are you dealing ruthlessly with the sins of your flesh?

memorize

• "...the Lord was with Judah. They drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowland, because they had chariots of iron." Judges 1:19

• "...they gave Hebron to Caleb...then he expelled from there the three sons of Anak." Judges 1:20

• "...when Israel was strong...they did not completely drive out the Canaanites...so they continued to dwell among them." Judges 1:28-29