Judges 2:18-23

Judges 2:18

And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.

Here we see the real father heart of God concerning these rebellious people.  The Lord had raised up Judges to deliver the people and the Lord himself was with the Judge by empowering Him to deliver the people out of the hands of their enemies.  He felt sorry and had pity on them when they cried out to the Lord for deliverance.  The groanings were a sign that they were being oppressed or afflicted.  It was like when God heard the groaning of Israel when they were in bondage in Egypt.  Exodus 2:24 (KJV)   And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.  The groanings were probably prayers and petitions of the people for deliverance in both cases.

Judges 2:19

And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

Then right after the Judge was dead, they wasted no time in getting back into the ways of the heathen nations.  Here they are stated to have corrupted themselves more than their fathers.  God states that when Israel came out of Egypt and crossed the Red Sea, then Moses went up to Mt. Sinai to get the Commandments of God, the people were busy corrupting themselves by building a golden calf.  Exodus 32:7 (KJV)   And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:  As bad as that was when Aaron made the golden calf which was an image of Apis the bull god which was one of the major deities of Egypt and was as old as the first dynasty about 2925 B.C. which predates Israel in the land by about 1000 years, God states that the whoring of this people were worse than their fathers.  However, these things did not surprise God because He had told the people through Moses that this is exactly what they were going to do.  Deuteronomy 31:16 (KJV)   And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.  They did not cease from doing things their own way which got them into trouble consistently and they were stubborn which God gives details in the Psalms.  Psalm 78:8 (KJV)   And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God. 

Judges 2:20

And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;

The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel because they had broken the covenant they made with God.  It was the covenant at Sinai which included the Ten Commandments that contained the first commandment as not to have any other gods before Him and here they were running pell-mell back into idolatry as soon as they were freed from bondage of their enemies.  The Lord indicts them by stating that they have not hearkened unto His voice, that is, His message and His warnings to them concerning their idolatrous ways.  They paid no attention to the covenant that God made with the previous generation at Mt. Sinai and therefore because they intentionally  

forsook and neglected the covenant, God had to go against them because a broken covenant requires legal action.

Judges 2:21

I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:

Joshua 13:1 (KJV)   Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.  Joshua was old when he stopped his military campaigns.  According to Joshua 13:1, there was much land to be possessed and many heathen people groups needed to be driven out which of course Joshua could not do anymore because of his age.  Here God tells the people that He will not drive out any of the inhabitants which Joshua left behind at his death.  God warned the people that these heathen nations will become thorns in their eyes and that prophecy has come to pass already and will be a continual part of their lives for many years to come.

Judges 2:22

That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.

Now those people groups which were left behind will now become a testing program for Israel to see if they will compromise themselves with these heathen nations or if they will remain strong against them and reject their false gods.  The word “prove” means to “test or try.”  Even in the New Testament we are told that God tries the hearts of His people, the chosen of God, to see if they will remain faithful or if they will compromise with the ways of the world.  1 Thessalonians 2:4 (KJV)   But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.  So the trying of the hearts is not only for the Old Testament people but for all the Lord’s people.

Judges 2:23

Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.