June 12, 2010 (Judges 1-5)

Judges begins where Joshua ended, and actually overlaps. Chapter 2 says the same thing as Chapter 24 of Joshua - 2:⁷ And the Israelites served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the leaders who outlived him—those who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.

But it continues with more detail:

¹⁰ After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel.

¹¹ The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight and served the images of Baal. ¹² They abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the Lord. ¹³ They abandoned the Lord to serve Baal and the images of Ashtoreth. ¹⁴ This made the Lord burn with anger against Israel, so he handed them over to raiders who stole their possessions. He turned them over to their enemies all around, and they were no longer able to resist them. ¹⁵ Every time Israel went out to battle, the Lord fought against them, causing them to be defeated, just as he had warned. And the people were in great distress.

This kind of reminds me of America - God blessed our country because of it's founders and their belief in Him. But now, another generation has grown up, who does not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things He has done.

Judges is a book that repeats itself over and over. Here is what happens:

¹⁶ Then the Lord raised up judges to rescue the Israelites from their attackers. ¹⁷ Yet Israel did not listen to the judges but prostituted themselves by worshiping other gods. How quickly they turned away from the path of their ancestors, who had walked in obedience to the Lord’s commands.

¹⁸ Whenever the Lord raised up a judge over Israel, he was with that judge and rescued the people from their enemies throughout the judge’s lifetime. For the Lord took pity on his people, who were burdened by oppression and suffering. ¹⁹ But when the judge died, the people returned to their corrupt ways, behaving worse than those who had lived before them. They went after other gods, serving and worshiping them. And they refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

So, over and over, the people intermarry with the people around them (they failed to follow God's commands to totally drive them out) and worship their gods. Then God allows them to be defeated by their enemies, they repent and cry out to God, He raises up a judge to deliver them, during that judge's lifetime they serve God, but after his death then they forget about God and go on their merry way, worshipping other gods and the cycle repeats itself.