Godly Generation Dies Series

Chapter 9

Godly Generation Dies [Judges 2.6-10]

Scripture

6 And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.

7 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.

8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.

9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.

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.

Commentary

The older generation failed to teach the younger generation God’s truth as Moses had commanded them ([1]Deut. 6:1–9 ). It is bad enough that they forgot Joshua, their second greatest leader, but how could they forget the Lord? You will find the explanation in Deuteronomy 8 (suggest you read this passage.).

6 And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.

Under Joshua, the initial phase of the conquest was totally successful. However, after the land was divided among the tribes, it was necessary for them to occupy the territory assigned to them in order to maintain it. The text now goes back and refers to the transition from the time of Joshua until the period of the judges. There is a very clear correlation between the end of the book of Joshua and the beginning of the book of Judges; this is typical of inspired narrative.

Verses 6–10 review the close of Joshua’s life and the generation that outlived him. In Deuteronomy 6 (suggest you read this passage.), the Lord gave some specific commands to His people. Failure to obey them led to the sad state of affairs described in verse 10, where a lack of spiritual leadership is seen to result in a corresponding lack of obedience on the part of God’s people. The previous generation had not taught their children to fear the LORD and to keep His commandments. The neglect of the fathers led to the apostasy of their sons.

The beginning of this chapter is only a repetition of the account we had before of the people’s good character during the government of Joshua, and of his death and burial ([2]Jos. 24:29, 30 ), which is repeated only to make way for the following account, which this chapter gives, of their degeneracy and apostasy. The angel had foretold that the Canaanites and their idols would be a snare to Israel; now the historian undertakes to show that that is what happened, and, so that this is made clearer, he looks back a little, and takes notice of their happy settlement in the land of Canaan. Joshua, having distributed this land among them, released them to what should have been the quiet and comfortable possession of it (v. 6): He sent them away, not only every tribe, but every man to his inheritance, no doubt giving them his blessing.

When Joshua had let the people go. Joshua’s dismissing of Israel ([3]Jos. 24.28 ) apparently followed the covenant renewal ceremony at Shechem, described in Joshua 24.1-27. From Shechem each tribe was to return to its own inheritance to complete the occupation of the land, to eliminate the local inhabitants, and to destroy the pagan alters.

The author of this book is giving here a history of the people, from the division of the land by Joshua to the time in which the angel speaks. Joshua divided the land between them by lot; recommended obedience to God, which they solemnly promised: and they continued faithful during his life, and during the lives of those who had been his contemporaries, but who had outlived him. When all that generation who had seen the wondrous works of God in their behalf had died, then the succeeding generation, who knew not the Lord—who had not seen his wondrous works—forsook his worship, and worshipped Balaam and Ashtoreth, the gods of the nations among whom they lived, and thus the Lord was provoked to anger; and this was the reason why they were delivered into the hands of their enemies. This is the sum of their history to the time in which the angel delivers his message.

7 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.