Judah Goes First: Victory and Measure-for-Measure Justice

After Joshua dies, Israel asks the LORD who should lead the next phase of fighting. Judah is sent first and gains an early victory, while Adoni-bezek recognizes a grim measure-for-measure justice in the treatment he receives. The opening scene establishes both the LORD’s continuing authority after Joshua and the human violence of the period; later connections should be read from that immediate setting rather than turning every battle detail into a symbol.