Judges 2:10–19
Summary:
The wickedness of the new generation after Joshua
God’s anger and pity towards them
2:10. When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.
2:11. Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals;
2:12. and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger.
2:13. They forsook the Lord and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
2:14. And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel. So He delivered them into the hands of plunderers who despoiled them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies.
2:15. Wherever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for calamity, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were greatly distressed.
2:16. Then the Lord raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them.
2:17. Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, and bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do so.
2:18. And when the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed them and harassed them.
2:19. And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they reverted and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, by following other gods, to serve them and bow down to them. They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.
Comments:
The generation of Joshua had been diing off. The upcoming generation hadn’t experienced God on the same personal level. Their morality was definitely of a lower standard. They worshiped the idols of the world and not God. God began to get angry.
Remember God’s promise? He wants his people to draw close to him, to know him and obey him. To live a law abiding, moral life is to be granted prosperity and abundance. Whether the generations of people during the time of the Judges never had the words of God taught to them, at home, or when they were in, or walking on the road, or had them written on the house, or door posts, and so on. Or maybe they did, but chose to ignore those words.
The people had broken their promise. Their quality of lifestyle slipped, and God took away their prosperity. He lifted the protection that he had granted to them and let other nations oppress the people. God’s promises is a garantee, but it is based on a two way commitment. Follow his ways, live right by him and with our fellow human beings, and we have full benefit of his promises. Choose to live against those ways that have been clearly layed down, and lose those Godly promises.
Still, when God moves, and raises up a leader, his will and purpose gets done. When God is part of life, things go well. Though these judges that were used by God at this time had success while they were in charge, there was still no clear leadership. People still had desire to follow the convenient little gods of this world. They stubbornly clung to the things that they knew and could see. Much the same as society today doesn’t want to believe in things that can’t be scientifically proven. People can be forced to go through the motions of religion, but if the heart isn’t in it, it is in vain.
Though this kind of behavior makes God mad, he still extends his offer of protection. Not because we deserve it, but to preserve even a spark of desire for him, until a time where people will once again flock to him and have a desire for honoring him.
This passage ends on a downward note. God’s own people had left him behind and were stubbornly pursuing life outside his laws. It might seem right, like the logical choice, but it isn’t in line with the laws, commands and rules that were given straight from the hand of God.