We have read about Israel’s ringing victories over one territory after another in the book of Joshua, so now it comes as something of a shock to read of their struggles and failures in the book of Judges. “Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages” (Judges 1:27). “Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon or Ahlab … ” (1:31). Indeed, “the Amorites pressed the Danites back into the hill country; they did not allow them to come down to the plain” (1:34).

Interestingly, the text reports conflicting information regarding Jerusalem. “But the Benjaminites did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem; so the Jebusites have lived in Jerusalem among the Benjaminites to this day” (1:21). And yet we had read just a few lines earlier, “The people of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it. They put it to the sword and set the city on fire” (1:8).

Later on we will read that David was credited with capturing Jerusalem (II Samuel 5:6-10). Perhaps the best way of resolving this confusion is to recognize that the book of Judges covers a period of about three centuries: which is to say the narrative as we now have it compiles memories and snippets from an extensive variety of authors. The report that “even now the Jebusites are still living in Jerusalem” would come from the hand of a scribe in perhaps the 12th or 11th century BC, while the description of the sons of Judah conquering Jerusalem, would be the comment of an editor working on the book after David captured the city in the 10th century BC.

In any case, the book tells us that although the children of Israel were now established in the Promised Land, they were not alone there. The Canaanites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites were still present, and the conflict between these peoples and the Israelites, and between loyalty to Yahweh alone versus worship of a variety of gods, would continue.

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We want to tell a story of how we achieved a great victory, O Lord: we want to say how we are more than conquerors because you are leading us. But in truth we get bogged down, and our enemies – out in the world, and within our own hearts – do not yield so easily. Help us, O God. Transform us to be your people.