March 18

March 18

Judges 1–2

Scripture Text: Judges 1:1–2:23

Series: Read the Bible in a Year

Well, it did not take long. The people of Israel have already turned from the Lord their God. Though they had promised Joshua, and before him Moses, to keep the covenant, the people have turned away from the one God to worship and serve many other gods, gods who have no existence except in people’s imaginations. These are the idols of Canaan that Moses insisted would lead them astray if they did not drive out the Canaanites from the promised land (Deuteronomy 12:30). So, why did the people fail to do what was commanded? Judges 17:6; 21:25 makes it very clear: “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” 

The result of Israel’s disobedience was God’s punishment of them by agency of another nation. When they were dominated by these foreigners, the people consistently cried out to the real God for help. God’s answer to their pleas was a group of people called judges, who ruled over the people in the sense of making decisions for them — or more often, between them. Often, these judges acted also as deliverers, military advisors and warriors who vanquished the foreign foe. 

Judges 1:27–36 makes it clear that Israel failed at their task of driving out the Canaanites. If Israel had done what God commanded, driving out the Canaanites and keeping the Ten Commandments, there would have been no need of a single judge. As it turns out, Israel was so apostate that it required twelve judges. 

After the death of their first Judge, Joshua, the Israel began to serve the Baals and Ashtaroth, the gods and goddesses of the Canaanites. The people abandoned the God who had delivered them from Egypt and who had given them a home. So, God refused to help them and even worked against them. They could not withstand their enemies and were even enslaved by them. “The hand of the Lord was against them” (Judges 2:15) except in one detail.

The Lord raised up judges who would deliver them from the hand of their enemies and lead them back to the God who loved them. God pities his people and appointed judges who saved the people from their oppressors. As soon as that judge died, the people would turn from the Lord, just as they had when Joshua died. Each generation became more corrupt than their fathers. Israel did not take care to walk in the way of the Lord (Judges 2:22) but continued to whore after the Baals (Judges 2:17).  

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