The first short paragraph of Judges chapter 1 is a portend of things to come. Who will lead them?
When we open the book of Judges, Joshua has died. When Moses died, Joshua took over. With Joshua gone, Israel asks the Lord, “Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?” (Jdg 1:1). It’s hard to believe now, but when I was a boy my grandparents, if leaving home for an extended time, would lock the front door—then put the key under the mat! Everybody knew to look for it there. And often in Bible study, you’ll find the key right at the front door. The book of Judges will be a diagnosis of failed leadership in the nation, and men and women, flawed though they were, willing to stand for God in a day of spiritual disarray. In fact, a recurring theme is encapsulated in the words, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (17:6; see 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). But on this occasion, the Lord’s answer was, “Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand” (v 2). Do you see the latent lesson? It wasn’t really Judah leading; it was the Lord! Going into battle, they would find that the Lord had beaten them to the punch. “I have delivered”—blessed past tense! If Israel, and we, would only discover this principle, what rest it would bring. “The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you” (Deut 1:30). Before we call, He answers. Before we gird on our swords, He’s already defeated the foe. His daily mercies, fresh every morning, are waiting by our bedsides when we awaken. God works the nightshift so everything is ready for the coming day. The Good Shepherd says, “When he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice” (Jn 10:4). Now there’s a good plan for today!