Jg. 2: Jewsaster Strikes

Judges 2:10 "After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel."

God keeps his word. God keeping his word can be a blessing or a curse, but that's not always up to Him.

Judges 2 is an amazing view into Israel's freefall into idolatry and turning away from God to the Baals. It actually only took one generation. Which surprised me at first, but then I figured this is Israel doing what they do. Screwing up. But from one generation to the next, mom and dad knowing God, and then their children not knowing God? And then that spread all across Israel? Wow.

All the things happened to Israel that God said would happen if they turned away...defeat in battle, they were plundered by raiders, etc.

So God Himself, reached into Israel, and raised up leaders...judges if you will, who were intended to be the go-betweens and spiritual standards for the nation of Israel. These judges are described as saving Israel from the hands of the raiders, so maybe they had Israel on the right track for at least a brief period, but then it's back into idolatry...quickly. God still had compassion...love...for the people of Israel as they groaned and wept as they were being robbed and defeated, but apparently they did not repent, and turn away from their rebellion, which was a contingent of the covenant for God to return His blessings. Israel made the choice to break the covenant, God offered relief if the Israelites wanted. Apparently they did not.

So why wouldn't God just reach in and make things all better? That's probably, actually, not what God was all about. Could he? Sure. But in breaking His own covenant to provide temporary relief, would he continue to still be God? He bonded His word.