Judges 11-12

1. Jephthah
In this passage, the elders of Gilead summon Jephthah to assist them in repelling the Ammonites, who have come to attack Israel.  Jephthah succeeds in persuading the elders to make him their head and commander.  Now the king of the Ammonites wants to defeat the Israelites and reclaim land that allegedly belonged to the Ammonites.  Jephthah, though, tells the Ammonite king the story of Israel's conquest of that territory - in particular, God gave it into their hands.  The Ammonite king, though, refuses to listen to Jephthah's story and the battle is joined; Jephthah leads Israel to a great victory - by the strength of the Lord.  Unfortunately he makes a rash vow to guarantee his success and eventually honors it by sacrificing his daughter.

The account that Jephthah provided regarding Israel's conquest of the disputed territory is rather interesting, as Jephthah implied that God - due to His greatness compared to that of Chemosh, the god of the Ammonites - was able to give them that land.  Perhaps Israel at that time was so spiritually confused that they did not deny the existence of foreign gods such as Chemosh; they simply believed that God was stronger than the foreign gods.  One must wonder how God reacted to Jephthah's account...

2. Jephthah and Ephraim
In this passage, the Ephraimites expresses their displeasure with Jephthah for failing to solicit their assistance in his battle with the Ammonites.  Jephthah, though, notes that they had actually refused to help him; nevertheless, civil war ensues and Jephthah leads the Gileadites in crushing the Ephraimites.  While the Ephraimites are in full retreat, the Gileadites impose a test for everyone who attempts to cross the Jordan: those who can say "Shibboleth" are allowed to cross; unfortunately the Ephraimites can only say "Sibboleth" and so they are killed by the Gileadites.  It is then noted that Jephthah leads Israel for six years before his death.

As expected, Wikipedia has an interesting article on the concept of shibboleth.  One must wonder if God directed the Gileadites to impose this test on the Ephraimites.  Also, did any of the retreating Ephraimites see their fellow tribesmen fail the Gileadites' test, realize their inability to cross the Jordan at that point, and attempt to cross the river at another point?  A larger point that should be made is that this sad story highlights the internal divisions that racked Israel at that time; every tribe had to fend for itself.

3. Ibzan, Elon and Abdon
In this passage, Ibzan of Bethlehem leads Israel for seven years before his death.  He is succeeded by Elon the Zebulunite, who leads Israel for ten years before his death.  He is then succeeded by Abdon son of Hillel, who leads Israel for eight years before his death.

The reigns of these three judges seem to have been rather uneventful, which is noteworthy in Judges.  Now one must wonder why none of them led Israel for more than ten years.  Did they die of natural causes?

Joshua 16-18

1. Allotment for Ephraim and Manasseh
In this passage, the Lord allots land for the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh - here, land is provided for that subset of Manasseh not on the east side of the Jordan. It is noted that Zelophehad, a descendant of Makir son of Manasseh, only had daughters - and no sons; yet his daughters are given an inheritance, fulfilling the promises of the Lord through Moses in Numbers 27 and 36. It is also noted that Ephraim and Manasseh feared the Perizzites and Rephaites, as they possessed iron chariots.

Reviewing the history of warfare - in particular, the evolution of weaponry - provides a sound basis for Israel's fear of the iron chariots that belonged to the inhabitants of the Promised Land. Iron chariots assuredly belong to the class of transformational weapons that includes the longbow, the Gatling gun and the cruise missile. While the Israelites were woefully inadequate in terms of technological nous, the Lord used this shortcoming to compel them to depend on Him for their military successes.

2. Division of the Rest of the Land
In this passage, Joshua chastises the remaining seven tribes for not dividing up the rest of the Promised Land and taking possession of their inheritance. He has each of these tribes select three men to survey the land; based on the results of these surveys, the land will be divided into seven parts, and lots will be cast for each part. The lots are to be cast at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord, as Shiloh is the site of the Tent of Meeting.

Again, it is (depressingly) simple to understand why the remaining seven tribes failed to obey the Lord and claim their inheritance. Going forth and slaying all of the inhabitants of the Promised Land must have been a frightening, stomach-churning proposition for the Israelites. Someday I hope to ask God why the Canaanites were beyond redemption and obtain an answer of some sort from Him...

3. Allotment for Benjamin
In this passage, the first lot is cast at Shiloh, and it comes up for Benjamin. They receive land between Judah and Ephraim; their inheritance happens to include important cities such as Jerusalem, Jericho and Bethel.

Clearly the Lord had designed to bless the tribe of Benjamin in abundance, which reminds me of the favor that Jacob showed Benjamin - as one of the sons of his beloved wife Rachel. The territory that Benjamin inherited was rather compact, yet - according to Deuteronomy 33:12 - one could say that it was closest to God's heart. It should be noted that Benjamin plays a rather significant role in the New Testament, as the apostle Paul was a Benjamite.