What can we learn about God's justice from Judges 1:26? Setting the Scene • Judges 1 recounts Israel’s early campaigns after Joshua’s death. • Verses 22-25 tell how spies from the house of Joseph entered Bethel. A local man showed them the secret entrance; the Israelites destroyed the city but spared him and his family. • Verse 26: “And the man went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a city and called it Luz, and it is called Luz to this day.” Observations in Judges 1:26 • The spared man relocates to “the land of the Hittites,” beyond Israel’s borders. • He builds a new city and preserves its old pagan name, “Luz.” • Israel keeps its oath to spare him (cf. v. 25), even though he returns to idolatrous culture. Lessons on God’s Justice • Justice includes judgment on sin – The original city of Bethel is destroyed because its people practiced the Canaanite idolatry God had condemned (Deuteronomy 7:1-5). • Justice upholds covenant faithfulness – Israel honors its promise to the informer; breaking an oath would itself be unjust (Numbers 30:2; Psalm 15:4). • Justice allows individual mercy within corporate judgment – Like Rahab in Joshua 2, this man receives life when he aligns, however imperfectly, with God’s purposes. Mercy does not cancel judgment; it operates inside it (Exodus 34:6-7). • Justice is patient but thorough – The man’s rebuilt Luz shows that immediate escape from judgment is possible, but ultimate accountability remains (Galatians 6:7; 2 Peter 3:9). • Justice exposes the cost of partial obedience – Israel’s failure to remove every pagan influence lets old idolatry spring up in a new place. Judges later records how such compromises ensnared the nation (Judges 2:1-3). Supporting Scripture Highlights • Deuteronomy 32:4 — “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are justice.” • Psalm 9:7-8 — God “executes judgment” with equity. • Romans 2:4 — His kindness is meant to lead to repentance, not presumption. Takeaway Truths • God’s justice is firm toward sin yet ready to show mercy where faith responds. • He expects His people to mirror that justice by keeping their word. • Delayed consequences are not denial of justice; they are space for repentance. • Compromise with evil never thwarts God’s justice—eventually it boomerangs on those who tolerate it. |
    |