The Judges Teaser Trailer
- This chapter (especially 2:14-19) is a sneak peek of the pattern followed throughout Judges, so pay careful attention—basically every other chapter in the book just fills in the juicy details (and trust us—we mean really juicy):
- God says, "Israel, you done me wrong."
- An angel scolds Israel for "making league" with the inhabitants of Canaan—i.e., not running 'em straight outta town (2:2).
- Because of that, God promises, "I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare [trap] unto you" (KJV 2:3).
- As we'll see, that idol threat is no idle threat.
- The older people feel bad and cry about it for a bit (2:4), but the rising generation not so much. Their Canaanite neighbors' shiny new gods start looking pretty good…
- Sure enough, Israel "forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashteroth" (KJV 2:13).
- Needless to say, God wasn't pleased.
- But you know he can't stay mad at Israel forever, so "the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them" (KJV 2:16).
- Israel just can't resist worshiping other gods, though: "And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring [whoa, whoa, settle down everyone] after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them" (KJV 2:17). Burn…
- This cycle repeats itself seven times in Judges: Israel worships other gods; God is upset and lets Israel's enemies beat up on them for a while; God sends a judge to deliver them; Israel worships God; Israel forgets God; and so it goes around and around and around.
- In Judges, Israel is officially stuck on a spiritual rollercoaster.