THE CYCLE OF THE FALLEN

Judges 2:11-23 / Keywords 2:17

Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the LORD’S commands.

2:11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14 In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. 15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.

16 Then the Lord raised up judges,[c] who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands. 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

20 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, 21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. 22 I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.” 23 The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.

Footnotes

c. Judges 2:16 Or leaders; similarly in verses 17-19

1. These verses provide a fitting introduction to the rest of the book of Judges. These verses point out the cycle godless people go through. First, they sin, then they get into trouble because of that sin, then they cry out for help. But once their trouble is over, they turn right back around and do those same things over again. This is what the people of Israel did. They did not know the Lord (1:10). So, they did evil in the sight of the Lord. They chased after the gods of the people around them, forsaking the Lord God. Because of this, the Lord gave Israel into the hands of their enemies. The hand of the Lord was continually against them. 

2. What happens when the hand of the Lord is against you? You can do nothing. When the Israelites went to war, they were struck down. They were in great distress. So, the Lord raised up judges who saved them out of their enemy’s hands. As long as the judge lived, they would follow the Lord, but as soon as he died, they would again turn away from the Lord and invoke his wrath. Because of this, the Lord disciplined them. The Lord did this to teach them obedience to him. He wanted to teach them to listen to him and obey his words. 

Prayer Father, we are stubborn and rebellious people who so easily are turned from you. Forgive us and help us to listen to you. Bless us with godly leaders. 

One Word Repent our stubborn hearts and listen to the Lord