Because this nation has violated the covenant I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me

 Judges 2:6-3:6

Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten.

After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals.

In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.

Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands.

Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.”  The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.

The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

2:3-9 brings us back to the point at which the book of Joshua concluded. V11-23 set out the repented pattern of events which began once the conquest generation had died out. As a result of disobedience, of abandoning God in favor of the local gods, the surrounding nations are not driven out. They remain as a thorn in Israel's side, to test the nation and keep Israel's fighting men well trained in the skills of war.

Why?

God's word is real and true, when the generation of Josua is living, Israelite obey God's word and they knew the grace of the Lord to them. But when the next generation comes they did not know the Lord, so they affected by their environment, the custom of Canaanite, Israelite turn away from the Lord.

This is the sins of the man in the world, but God loves us, there are some judges and God's people on the world to preach God's word and his love. We are the messengers of the Lord.

How?

Preach the love and word of the Lord and let more people join us to honor the holy name of the Lord.

Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this?

 Judges 1:22-2:5

Now the tribes of Joseph attacked Bethel, and the Lord was with them.

But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land. When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely.

Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them.

Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, so these Canaanites lived among them, but Zebulun did subject them to forced labor

Nor did Asher drive out those living in Akko or Sidon or Ahlab or Akzib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob.

Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath.

The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you,  and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this?  And I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; they will become traps for you, and their gods will become snares to you.

The capture of Bethel by the 'men of Jesoph' -  Ephraim and Manasseh is followed by a catalog of failures, relieved only by a further success of the Joseph tribes in verse 35.

These verses serve as a comment on the failures recounted in chapter 1. Gigal was where the people first camped and built an altar after crossing the Jordan.

Why?

When the tribe of Joseph attack Bethel, God is with them. so they got the city. But other tribes did not attack their territories, they negotiate with the people in Canaanites and living with them. They did not listen to the word of the Lord. So God sent an angel to warn them. They will be their traps and their god will become snares to them.

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約瑟家如何攻打伯特利。他們先派人去窺探，和約書亞。

沒有趕出去出現五次。神沒有允許以色列人與迦南人同住，要趕他們出去或是滅絕他們。迦南人執意要住下來，怎麼以色列人不執意趕走他們。其實他們聽神的話只聽一半，他們因為自己想要住在那裏，他們需要這個產業，有住的地方了，有放牛半的地方，可以種地，這些人留下來可以成為以色列人的奴僕，做事。以色列人不關心神的吩咐，與我的想法相合的我聽，與我的利益不合的不聽。神要我們除去神不喜悅的，人卻會妥協，就是人圖自己的利益，便宜行事。

神決定不將迦南人除去，以色列人以為很好，以後卻成為以色列人的網羅。人不可能與罪惡和平共處。罪惡存在人的心中，一定會侵蝕人。以色列人不可能在敗壞的迦南地與他們同在和平共處。罪惡伏在門口，它必戀慕你！我們聽神的話不能選擇性的聽，要全然的聽。

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How?

Most of us might tire to fight evil, but we need to struggle and continue to fight and God is with us. It is we join with the Lord to fight. 

Judges 1:1-21 Judah shall go up; I have given the land into their hands.

 Judges 1:1-21士 師 記

After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Canaanites?” The Lord answered, “Judah shall go up; I have given the land into their hands.”

 The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem also and took it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.

They advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath Arba) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai.

And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.

The Lord was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had chariots fitted with iron. As Moses had promised, Hebron was given to Caleb, who drove from it the three sons of Anak.

The Benjamites, however, did not drive out the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the Benjamites.

Judge covers the period on Israel's history between Joshua's death and the rise of Samuel - roughly 1200BC to 1050BC. It was a difficult, unsettled time, when the scattered tribes were without central leadership, held together only by their common faith.

After Joshua's death, Judah, the tribe from which David and his line of kings would come, is first to continue the conquest after Joshua's dead, with notable success. The Benjamite failure to drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem qualifies the victory of verse 8.

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講第一批攻打各支派神所賞賜之地。得著應許要自己去打，神已經為我們先打了。猶大與西緬合力攻打。神要人一起參與神的工作，分享得勝的榮耀與喜悅，所以神沒有直接將土地交給以色列人。讓人也珍惜恩典，卻不是免費的，要付上代價。學習信心，雖然眼前有高大的城牆，好的武器，看人是否願意順服下來? 人是否願意聽神的話，不是行自己的想法，同時學習同工。西緬先成為配搭的人，以後成為主導的人。我們也是要能主導，也能配搭他人。西緬有先經歷神的機會。通常我們成功後，不願再回來幫助人，這裏因為神要猶大先出去打仗，所以西緬願意順服神所定的次序，也相信猶大日後會再來幫他。

征服許多地方，卻無法趕出平原有鐵車的居民。好像還沒有打就決定勝敗，看見困難就忘記神的應許。猶大戰無不勝，容易忘了自己是誰?人容易有兩個極端1)看見困難就退縮，2)有成果揚揚得意就忘記倚靠神。

神按照人所行的懲罰人，如亞多尼比色所遭受的，曾經如此待人，以色列人也同樣待他。

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Why?

Some tribe has faith like Judah so they conquered the land of Canaanite territory. But Benjamites could not do it. Judah were fail to drive the people from the plains, because they had chariots fitted with iron, but they forget defect enemy rely on the Lord.

How?

To be success and defeat the trouble and enemies is rely on the Lord Almighty.

A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord

 Leviticus 27:26-34

No one, however, may dedicate the firstborn of an animal, since the firstborn already belongs to the Lord; whether an ox or a sheep, it is the Lord’s. 

But nothing that a person owns and devotes to the Lord—whether a human being or an animal or family land—may be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the Lord.

A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. Whoever would redeem any of their tithe must add a fifth of the value to it.

Devoted to the Lord: Deliberately dedicated and set apart for God and therefore no longer available to the worshipper.

Brings us back to the source of authority for these and all the laws in Leviticus. The commands are God's, given through Moses, at Sinai.

Why?

Everything are belong to the Lord, we are share most of the blessing from the Lord, 9/10 is ours and 1/10 is belong to the Lord. This cooperation winner are those who obey the command of the Lord.

First fruit or first born belong to the Lord for we know it is our thanksgiving to the Lord.

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兩種本來就是歸於神的，要贖回要加1/5價值。

頭生本來就屬於神的。潔淨的可以，如果不潔淨的驢頭生，可以用羔羊來代替，如果驢值一萬元，就要以一萬兩千的羊或是以代替。

一切永獻之物不可贖回，人所獻上的。永獻之物就是當滅之物。

地上所有的出產十分之一是歸耶和華為聖的。這就是永獻之物，要還給神，不能拿來奉獻。這是當納的十一。牛羊算到第十隻無論好壞都是神的不可換。可以加碼不可以換。假設一千元屬於神的，如果不奉獻出去給神，損失是一千二百元。

十一在神手中，高於在人手中。十一是當納的，不能算奉獻。利未記在這裏講十一結束，開始講燔祭，將自己獻上，如何做?從當納的十一開始做起。我們可以試試看，神是否如此應許我們。

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How?

Always keep the heart of thanksgiving to my Lord.

Redeeming What Is the Lord’s

 Leviticus 27:1-25

Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If anyone makes a special vow to dedicate a person to the Lord by giving the equivalent value, set the value of a male between the ages of twenty and sixty at fifty shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel...

If what they vowed is an animal that is acceptable as an offering to the Lord, such an animal given to the Lord becomes holy. They must not exchange it or substitute a good one for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one; if they should substitute one animal for another, both it and the substitute become holy. 

If anyone dedicates their house as something holy to the Lord, the priest will judge its quality as good or bad. Whatever value the priest then sets, so it will remain.  If the one who dedicates their house wishes to redeem it, they must add a fifth to its value, and the house will again become theirs.

If anyone dedicates to the Lord part of their family land, its value is to be set according to the amount of seed required for it—fifty shekels of silver to a homer of barley seed.

If the one who dedicates the field wishes to redeem it, they must add a fifth to its value, and the field will again become theirs.

Firstborn sons, the firstlings of flocks and herds, and first fruits of the field are God's by right.

Why?

Make a special vow to dedicate anything are belong to the Lord, if redeem it have to add a fifth to its value. Or pay the equivalent value.

God is trust worthy, so do not random make a vow before the Lord. We do what should do and the Lord will justify and blessing us with his love and mercy.

If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God with your own mouth. (Deuteronomy 23:21-23)

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蒙福的道路： 遵行主的話，照主的話去行

1.許願要還願： 我要紀念我與雅各所立的約，與他們所立的約，也就是神是守約的神，所以我們也必須守約。

這個願不是神要我們許的，人為感恩的前提來在未實現前因此許下願在主面前，免得自己忘記要感謝神。

把自己或是某人獻給耶和華，要付出的價值，主要依其勞動力來估算。對於窮人付不起這些金額，可以由祭司按其能力來奉獻。不是想獻多少就是多少。比喻敬拜要按照神規定來敬拜，不是按自己喜好，隨隨便便的敬拜。用動物許願，還願時，只有一些不潔淨的動物，只要再加上1/5金額，就可以。用地來許願，還願時，如果有變動就要加入1/5的價值。這裏提醒人要守約。我們領受神的恩典後，是否也守約，感恩。許願在於是否會感恩。是否是個會感恩的人? 

2.十一奉獻（後面提到）

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How?

For God is the Holy one, so we have to honor God's holy name and be holy before the Lord.

Obedience is better than disobedience to God's word

 Leviticus 26:21-46

If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve.

If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me,  then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over.  Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths.  All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it.

As for those of you who are left, I will make their hearts so fearful in the lands of their enemies that the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. They will run as though fleeing from the sword, and they will fall, even though no one is pursuing them.

But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors—their unfaithfulness and their hostility toward me, which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin,  I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them. They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees. 

The cursing s are more detailed than the blessings: human nature being what it is, fear brings a readier response than love. Yet even after all the disobedience, God still promises to respond to the call of genuine repentance.

Why?

God knew that the man will disobedience to his command, so the curses were happened in Israelite's history. And God's promise is come truth when they turn to the Lord and repent their sins, God blessed them return to the promised land. Restore their country. God is faithful to his people.

How?

Israelite are playing on the stage of human to show God's love and God's faithfulness, they got the blessing from the Lord and received the punishment either. God's covenant is never failed. God's kingdom remain forever.

 

Blessings and punishments

 Leviticus 26:1-20

If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.

I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you.

I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new. 

But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant,  then I will do this to you: I will bring on you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and sap your strength. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it.  I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you.

I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. Your strength will be spent in vain, because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of your land yield their fruit.

The reward if obedience is pictured as an idyll of peace and plenty. Best of all, God will walk amongst his people, as he walked in the garden with the first man and woman, This is Eden restored.

Disobedience, on the other hand, will bring calamity on the nation: fatal disease, famine, wild beasts ravaging the land and war leading to exile.

Why?

Blessing and received the achievement is the blessing of the Lord. People put effort or struggle to do something if there is not blessing of the Lord it is in vain.

This is the selection and decision by a man, blessing and punishment is clear and everyone knows it. next is the man chose himself or listen to the word of the Lord. So the consequence is the result of the people.

Obey God's decrees and careful to obey God's commands, careful means we have to follow with our heart, for the Lord know what our heart is.

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蒙福的道路：我們是君尊的祭司，聖潔的國度，有屬天的盼望

v1-2: 除了耶和華以外不可有別的神。做法： 守安息日，即使失去賺錢的機會，不去做別的事。我們知道親近神是更重要的。這是最具體的做法。

v3-13 如果我們遵守神的律法，我們當然會蒙福，豐收。在世界上也有地位，活的有尊嚴。

v14-39 如果我們不遵行就有.... 敗在自己以為可靠的事物上。

v40-46 如果承認自己的罪，神紀念與雅各所立的約。連續三次紀念與我們立的約。神是守約施慈愛的神。如果不聽，再不聽，還是不聽。神降災是要人悔改、歸回。神降災是有好的意念，好像動手術，雖然痛苦，卻是將瘤除掉。

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How?

Careful obey the word of the Lord is blessing, otherwise there is disaster in front.