Week 11 Judges 1-2
Let’s say a publisher asked me to revise & edit the book of Judges. My Opener would look like this:
After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to their own inheritance. The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel. (Then) Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten.
At that point I’d go to my Follow-up:
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 writer of Judges didn’t do that. He started with Joshua dying and the tribes asking the Lord what-to-do? (which was my Follow-up). Then forty verses later Joshua cuts the tribes loose to develop their allotments (my Opener).
My revision makes pretty good logical sequential sense to me:
…Joshua dismisses the people
…the tribes spread out
…the tribes serve the Lord
…Joshua dies
…Joshua is buried
…the tribes ask the Lord what-to-do?
But that’s really all beside-the-point. I don’t get to rewrite the bible. I’ve got what I’ve got. The bible wasn’t designed to intentionally trip me up. But even so I’ve got to watch my step.
Note: quotes from Judges 2:6-8 1:1-2 (NIV)