Text: Judges 2,
Theme: Cycles of Loss and Victory
Introduction:
This chapter gives, of their degeneracy and apostasy. Israel failed, tribe by tribe, to drive the Canaanites from the land as God had commanded them. Judges 2:6 re-introduces the storyline of this book. He provides a key to understanding what will follow in the later chapters: the pattern repeated time and again between God and the people of Israel.
Falling Away:
The new generation of Israelites abandoned Yahweh. As God warned in Deuteronomy 20:16–18, the people began to worship false gods such as Baal and Ashtaroth, Canaanite fertility gods and practiced temple prostitution and even human sacrifice (Judges 2:11–13). Acting corruptly means the choice of their will. Literally, Israel becoming morally corrupt, depraved, and ruined! This was the condition of their heart and the progressive declension was the rotten fruit of an impure heart - following idols, serving idols, worshipping idols.
Nevertheless (Judges 2: 16-18):
Nevertheless, the LORD raised up judges who delivered them. God raised up judges, and heroic leaders to rescue Israel from their calamity because of His love. (David Guzik). Nevertheless, though their trouble was the punishment of their sin and the accomplishment of God's word, they were in the process of time saved from their trouble. It came purely from God's pity and tender compassion; the reason was fetched from within himself. (Matthew Henry). Nevertheless! Despite Israel’s utter unfaithfulness, despite her direct disobedience, despite the ridiculous pagan practices and beliefs they had adopted – God sent salvation to them (Explaining the Book of Judges). In every generation, God raises up people who are true to Him and to His Word. The measure of their lives and of ours is not the absence of failure but the presence of God’s gracious forgiveness and the faith to obey His call (Our Daily Bread).
Every Cycle:
In fact, with every cycle, their sin became even worse than before. Once again, God's anger would burn. Once again, Israel's enemies would conquer her. The people would suffer. Another new judge would come and save the people, a peace lasting only until the judge's death (Bible ref). There is a connection between sin, punishment, and deliverance really forms the keynote to the historical movement recorded in the whole of the Book (G Campbell Morgan). The pattern of bondage, deliverance, and blessing, again and again, is a discouraging fact in many Christian lives today. Some 700 years later God has a similar description of Judah declaring "‘You too have done evil, even more than your forefathers; for behold, you are each one walking according to the stubbornness of his own evil heart, without listening to Me." (Jeremiah 16:12). The psalmist has a similar description that they were "A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not prepare its heart and whose spirit was not faithful to God." (Psalm 78:8)
Conclusion:
Deal decisively with sin to experience the fullness of the Spirit and Christ's victory over sin. There must be no compromise and no coexistence with sin. A partly committed life to the Lord Jesus will never find fullness but bound up in a spiral that inexorably takes to downhill spirituality. The cycle of disobedience, discipline, despair, and deliverance is seen today whenever God’s people turn away from His Word and go their own way (Austin Precept).
Discussion: Share your experiences of spiritual Loss and gain related to temporal loss and gain.
