Introduction:  Joshua has passed on and the children of Israel are prepared for battle.  They experienced some great victories, yet they ultimately experienced great defeat as recorded in Judges 1:28And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.
See All... and Judges 2:10-10 [10] And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
See All....  In the midst of this story of warfare we find an interesting story about a man.  He is unnamed and most certainly on purpose.  For in this man we will see many of the same characteristics of our own lives.

1. THE WARFARE IN THE LAND OF CANAAN (Judges 1:22-23 [22] And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD was with them. [23] And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.)
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1. The Appeal to the Lord (Judges 1:1-2 [1] Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them? [2] And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.
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2. The Feats of Judah and Simeon (Judges 1:3-15 [3] And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him. [4] And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men. [5] And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites. [6] But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes. [7] And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died. [8] Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire. [9] And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley. [10] And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba:) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai. [11] And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher: [12] And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife. [13] And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. [14] And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wilt thou? [15] And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.
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3. The Failure of Benjamin (Judges 1:21And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.
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4. The Battle Plans of Joseph (Judges 1:22-23 [22] And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD was with them. [23] And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.)
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1. The house of Joseph planned to go up against Bethel (Judges 1:22And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD was with them.
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1. The name Bethel means house of God .
2. The name of the city had been Luz (Judges 1:23And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.)
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3. This was changed at least in part by Jacob (Genesis 28:16-19 [16] And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. [17] And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. [18] And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. [19] And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.
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2. The house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel (Judges 1:23And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.)
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1. Many if not all of the modern versions change this to spy out.
2. This however, is something different.  The word descry means to see something from without.  This is further evidenced as their intention because:
1. They did not see the man until he came out of the city (Judges 1:24And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy.
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2. They asked the man where the entrance to the city was (Judges 1:24And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy.
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3. They did not go into the city to spy they merely wanted to do research from without and then they would attack (Judges 1:25And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family.
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3. The Lord was with them (Judges 1:22And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD was with them.
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2. THE EXTENSION OF MERCY (Judges 1:24-25 [24] And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy. [25] And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family.
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1. The Offer of Mercy (Judges 1:24And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy.
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2. The Destruction of the City (Judges 1:25And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family.
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3. The Freedom of the Man and His Family (Judges 1:25And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family.
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3. THE NEW LIFE FOR THE MAN FROM LUZ (Judges 1:26And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called the name thereof Luz: which is the name thereof unto this day.
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1. Settling in the Land of the Hittites
1. The Hittites were to be driven out as well (Joshua 3:10And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
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2. The Hittites fought against Israel (Joshua 24:11And you went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand.
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3. The Hittites as a stumblingblock to righteousness (Judges 3:5-7 [5] And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: [6] And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. [7] And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.
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4. A picture of the flesh
1. Solomon conquered (1 Kings 9:20-21 [20] And all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Israel, [21] Their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy, upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bondservice unto this day.
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2. Solomon fell to (1 Kings 11:1-4 [1] But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: [2] Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. [3] And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. [4] For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
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2. The Building of a City
1. He built a city and named it after the city that had been destroyed.
2. He named the city in a way as to remove the presence of God.

Conclusion:  Have you had mercy extended to you so that you could escape the judgment and wrath of Almighty God?  What have you done as a result of that mercy?  Where have you fled?  To what city have you made your citizenship?  Have you fled the wrath only to build again the things that God spared you from?  If so, get up and flee the place where you are and find shelter in the Lord’s will for your life.