This is a simplified version of the Bible story found in Judges 1-2, written for children to understand. For the original version, please refer to the Bible passage.
When Joshua passed away, the people of Israel asked the Lord who should go fight against the Canaanites. The Lord answered that Judah should go and fight. So Judah asked his brother Simeon to go with him, and they went to fight in the land that was given to them. The Lord helped Judah and Simeon win the battle against the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
One of the kings they captured was Adoni-bezek. They cut off his thumbs and big toes. Adoni-bezek said that he had done the same thing to seventy kings, and now God had repaid him. The people of Judah then went to Jerusalem and fought against it, capturing the city and burning it down.
Afterward, the people of Judah went to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, in the Negeb, and in the lowland. They defeated many of them and took control of the land. Caleb promised to give his daughter Achsah to whoever could capture Kiriath-sepher, and his brother Othniel succeeded in doing so. Achsah asked for springs of water as a blessing, and Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.
The people of Judah continued to fight against the Canaanites in many different cities, and the Lord helped them win many battles. However, some of the tribes of Israel failed to completely drive out the Canaanites in their land, even though the Lord had told them to. This led to problems for the Israelites later on.
The angel of the Lord spoke to the people of Israel and warned them about the consequences of not obeying the Lord’s commands. Joshua, who had been leading the people, died at the age of 110. After his death, the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and started worshiping other gods. This made God angry, and he allowed them to be taken over by their enemies.
But God also raised up judges to help the Israelites when they were being oppressed. The judges saved the Israelites, but the people did not always listen to them. They kept going back to worshiping other gods, and this made God angry. He decided to stop driving out the nations that the Israelites were supposed to conquer, in order to test the Israelites and see if they would obey him.
Biblical Lessons
- The Lord helps those who trust and obey Him.
- It is important to obey the Lord’s commands and not worship other gods.
- Disobeying the Lord has consequences.
- Failing to follow God’s commands can lead to problems and difficult situations.
Related Stories
Must-Read Christian Books
Mere Christianity
Lewis lays out the core beliefs of the Christian faith with clarity, logic, and imagination, rooted in Scripture.
View on Amazon
Holiness
A rich, pastoral treatment of sin, sanctification, and the fight for holiness in the Christian life, deeply rooted in Scripture.
View on Amazon
The Pilgrim's Progress
A classic allegory of the Christian journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City, saturated with Scripture.
View on Amazon
Pilgrim Theology
An accessible summary of Reformed theology that connects doctrine to the Christian life.
View on Amazon
The Reason for God
Thoughtful, biblical responses to common objections to Christianity, aimed at skeptics and believers alike.
View on Amazon
A Call to Spiritual Reformation
Walks through Paul's prayers to teach believers how to pray biblically and God-centeredly.
View on Amazon
The God Who Is There
Shows how the God of the Bible speaks into modern philosophical and cultural confusion.
View on Amazon
Respectable Sins
Exposes the "ordinary" sins Christians often tolerate and calls us to gospel-driven holiness.
View on Amazon
The Sovereignty of God
A strong, Scripture-based defense of God's absolute rule over all things.
View on Amazon
All of Grace
A simple, powerful explanation of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone.
View on Amazon
The Gospel According to Jesus
Defends a biblical understanding of faith and repentance against easy-believism.
View on Amazon
The Bondage of the Will
Luther's classic defense of the Bible's teaching on human sin and God's sovereign grace.
View on Amazon
The Universe Next Door
Surveys competing worldviews and contrasts them with the Christian view of reality.
View on Amazon
God's Glory in Salvation through Judgment
Argues that God's glory in salvation through judgment is the central theme of Scripture.
View on Amazon
Delighting in the Trinity
A joyful, readable introduction to the triune God and why His tri-unity is good news.
View on Amazon
The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
A Puritan classic on learning contentment in God in every circumstance.
View on Amazon
The Hiding Place
The story of Corrie ten Boom's faith and forgiveness in the midst of Nazi persecution.
View on Amazon