2:1-3 This event marks a significant change in Israel’s relationship with God. At Mount Sinai, God made a sacred and binding agreement with the Israelites called a covenant (Exodus 19:5-8). God’s part was to make Israel a special nation (see the note on Genesis 12:1-3), to protect them, and to give them unique blessings for following him. Israel’s part was to love God and obey his laws. But because they rejected and disobeyed God, the agreement to protect them was no longer in effect. But God wasn’t going to abandon his people. They would receive wonderful blessings if they asked God to forgive them and sincerely followed him again.
Although God’s agreement to help Israel conquer the land was no longer in effect, his covenant to make Israel a nation through whom the whole world would be blessed (fulfilled in the Messiah’s coming) remained valid. God still wanted the Israelites to be a holy people (just as he wants us to be holy), and he often used oppression to bring them back to him, just as he warned he would (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). The book of Judges records a number of instances where God allowed his people to be oppressed so that they would repent of their sins and return to him.
Too often people want God to fulfill his promises while excusing themselves from their responsibilities. Before you claim God’s promises, ask, Have I done my part?
2:1 The angel of the Lord was either (1) a divine messenger sent by God or (2) God appearing in a human form. In either case, the message was so important that God used a special visitation to communicate the seriousness of breaking the agreement with him.
Did this angel speak to all two million Israelites at once? One possible answer is that the angel spoke only to the tribal leaders as representatives of the entire nation. (We say, “The president addressed the nation,” even though he doesn’t speak to each individual.) Possibly, by miraculous means, every Israelite actually heard the speech. One way or the other, it is certain that God wanted all the people to know the consequences of their sins.
2:3 No one can escape the consequences of disobeying God. The Israelites not only disobeyed, but often rejected him. Numbers 33:55 is one of several verses predicting what would happen if Israel disobeyed God. Israel could not say it hadn’t been warned. We also have been warned. We can learn to obey God’s clear warnings in the Bible, or we can experience the devastating consequences of our wrong actions. If we choose to disobey God’s commands, we can be certain that the consequences will be regrettable.
2:4 The people of Israel knew they had sinned, and they wept loudly, responding with deep sorrow. Because we have a tendency to sin, only repentance is the true measure of spiritual sensitivity. Repentance means not only confessing sins and asking God to forgive us, but also abandoning our sinful ways. But we cannot do this sincerely unless we are truly sorry for our sinful actions. Tears alone are not enough. When we are aware that we have done wrong, we should admit it plainly to God rather than try to cover it up or hope we can get away with it.
2:10ff One generation died, and the next did not follow God. Judges 2:10–3:7 is a brief preview of the cycle of sin, judgment, and repentance that Israel experienced again and again. Each generation failed to teach the next generation to love and follow God. Yet this was at the very center of God’s law (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). It is tempting to leave the job of teaching the Christian faith to the church or Christian school. Yet God says that the responsibility for this task belongs primarily to the family. Because children learn so much by our example, the home offers the most effective place to pass on the faith to the next generation.
2:11-15 Baal was the god of storms and rains; therefore, he was thought to control vegetation and agriculture. Ashtaroth was the mother goddess of love, war, and fertility (she was also called Astarte or Ishtar). Temple prostitution and child sacrifice were a part of the worship of these Canaanite idols. This generation of Israelites abandoned the faith of their parents and began worshiping the gods of their neighbors. Many things can tempt us to abandon what we know is right. The desire to be accepted by our neighbors can lead us into behavior that is unacceptable to God. Don’t be lulled into compromise or pressured into disobedience.
2:12-15 God often saved his harshest criticism and punishment for those who worshiped idols. Why were idols so bad in God’s sight? To worship an idol violated the first two of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-6). The Canaanites had gods for almost every season, activity, or place. To them, the Lord was just another god to add to their collection of gods. Israel, by contrast, was to worship only the Lord. They could not possibly believe that God was the one true God and at the same time bow to an idol. Idol worshipers could not see their god as their creator because they created it. These idols represent sensual, carnal, and immoral aspects of human nature. God’s nature is spiritual and moral. Adding the worship of idols to the worship of God could not be tolerated.
2:12-14 God was angry with Israel, and he allowed them to be punished by their enemies. Anger, in itself, is not a sin. God’s anger was the reaction of his holy nature to sin. One side of God’s nature is his anger against sin; the other side is his love and mercy toward sinners. We cannot fully appreciate God’s mercy without understanding his fierce wrath.
2:15, 16 Despite Israel’s disobedience, God showed his great mercy by raising up judges to save the people from their oppressors. Mercy has been defined as “not giving a person what he or she deserves.” This is exactly what God did for Israel and what he does for us. Our disobedience demands judgment! But God shows mercy toward us by providing an escape from sin’s penalty through Jesus Christ, who alone saves us from sin. When we pray for forgiveness, we are asking for what we do not deserve. Yet when we take this step and trust in Christ’s saving work on our behalf, we can experience God’s forgiveness.
2:16-19 Throughout this period of history Israel went through seven cycles of (1) rebelling against God, (2) being overrun by enemy nations, (3) being delivered by a God-fearing judge, (4) remaining loyal to God under that judge, and (5) again forgetting God when the judge died. We tend to follow the same cycle—remaining loyal to God as long as we are near those who are devoted to him. But when we are on our own, the pressure to be drawn away from God increases. Determine to be faithful to God despite the difficult situations you encounter. Recognize the importance of maintaining contact with other believers.
2:17 Why would the people of Israel turn away so quickly from their faith in God? Simply put, the Canaanite religion appeared more attractive to the sensual nature and offered more short-range benefits (sexual permissiveness and increased fertility in childbearing and farming). One of its most attractive features was that people could remain selfish and yet fulfill their religious requirements. They could do almost anything they wished and still be obeying at least one of the many Canaanite gods. Male and female prostitution was not only allowed but was encouraged as a form of worship.
Faith in the one true God, however, does not offer short-range benefits that appeal to our sinful human nature. The essence of sin is selfishness; the essence of God’s way of life is selflessness. We must seek Christ’s help to live God’s way.