Judges 2: Three Purposes For This Second Introduction To This Book

The Book of Judges has an interesting structure. One way this is seen in that there are two introductions to this book. The first is Judges 1:1-2:5 and the second is Judges 2:6-3:6. The first began with these words, “After the death of Joshua…” (1:1) and the second begins with, “When, Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land.” Judges 1:1 begins with the death of Joshua but Judges 2:6 begins with an event that happened prior to his death. There are probably a few reasons for this and I’d like to explore these today.

The first reason: Clearly Judges 2:6 points us backwards to an important event in Joshua 23&24. But these words also thrusts us forward into this book. As we read through Judges 2:6-3:6 it will be easy to see that it gives us a summary of all of the things that we will see in the book of Judges and we will get preview of a cycle that is seen throughout this book. In this cycle we will see…

• God’s people rebel,

• God becomes angry,

• God brings an enemy against His people,

• the misery causes the people to cry out to the LORD,

• then God raises up a judge to deliver them and that generation serves the LORD throughout the life of that judge,

• that next generation begins the cycle over again.

Let’s consider these things as we read Judges 2:6-3:6.

• In Judges 2:7 we will see that God will bless His people as they walk faithfully before Him, “And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the LORD had done for Israel.”

• However, in Judges 2:1-13 we see that after that faithful generation passes away the next generation will fall away from the LORD, “And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel. And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. And they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the people’s who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the LORD to anger. They abandoned the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth.”)

• Because God’s people sin we will see in Judges 2:14-15a that the LORD brings an enemy against his people, “So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He gave them over to pluderers, who plundered them, And He gave them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. Whenever they marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them for harm, as the LORD had warned, and as the LORD had sworn to them.”

• The enemy causes great misery and in Judges 2:15b, “And they were in terrible distress.”

• This misery makes the people cry out for help and He raises up judges who deliver them. Judges 2:16 says, “Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.”)

• That generation serves the LORD until the death of that judge and then the cycle will begin all over again. We see this in Judges 2:17-18, “Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD, and they did not do so. Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them.”)

• Judges 2:19 forewarns us that as this happens God’s people become more sinful, “But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.”

• We see in Judges 2:20-23 the consequences of Israel’s disobedience after Joshua died, “So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He said, ‘Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the LORD as their fathers did, or not. So the LORD left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and He did not give them into the hand of Joshua.’”

The second reason for this double introduction: This emphasizes the covenant between God and His people which the people break but God will remain faithful. The words in Judges 2:6, ‘When, Joshua dismissed the people’, points us back to Joshua 23&24 where Israel renews their covenant. Now in Judges 1&2 we are seeing that Israel has already broken the covenant as Joshua predicted. (24:19)

We saw evidence of this is in Judges 1 when Israel’s military had some successes but most of their efforts ended in failure. This led to Israel becoming like the Canaanites. This should make us ask, What is the reason that they failed to fully receive their inheritance? How did it happen that early successes turned to consistent defeats? Did God fail to deliver His promise or did the people fail to be obedient? “What does this mean for the future of Israel and what will life be like for them in the Promise Land?

With the covenant in mind we see that Judges 1 is more than a description of Israel’s military failure. We are given evidence that Israel has not obeyed God. Therefore, in Judges 2:1-5 we saw that the LORD Himself came to confront Israel. The LORD had been faithful (1), but Israel had not been faithful. The LORD says, “You have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done?” (2:2) Because of this there will be consequences. The LORD says, “I will not drive them out before you, but they shall be thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” Upon hearing this the people lifted up their voices and wept and offered sacrifices. (4-5)

Question: Is Israel’s response a sign of true repentance? Opinions vary, but right after this that we, “When Joshua dismissed the people…” (6). It seems that the author of Judges would like to direct the hearts of all who are reading the book of Judges to react and respond in an appropriate way. Israel weeps, cries out, and sacrifices because they know the seriousness of breaking this covenant. This second introduction is here to show us the seriousness of this moment. After the LORD reproves His people we are pointed back to the covenant renewal in Joshua 23&24 to show us the seriousness of this situation. Israel has committed adultery and has not been faithful to the LORD. Let’s take a moment to consider the covenant in Joshua 23&24.

Summary of Joshua 23: That chapter speaks to Israel’s leaders and it repeats itself twice. It begins by telling us that Joshua was ‘old and well advanced in years’ (23:1) Joshua begins by reminding them of how God has proven to be faithful. (3-5) Then Joshua tells these leaders about how to response to God’s faithfulness (6-13).

The second half of Joshua 23 repeats what Joshua just said.

• In verse 14 Joshua’s age is spoken of again when he says, “And now I am about to go the way of all the earth…”.

• After this Joshua speaks about the faithfulness of God, saying, “…and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you: not one of them has failed.” (23:14)

• In v.15 Joshua speaks about how the people are to respond with a warning, “...the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things, until He has destroyed you from off the good land that the LORD your God has given you, if you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that He has given to you.” (15-16) (Note: God is faithful, we should respond well to this, and there can be gospel commands that come with a warning.)

Summary of Joshua 24: In Joshua 24 all of the people gather together for a covenant renewal. (24:1) Notice: in this moment the LORD speaks to His people as He does in Judges 2:1-5. (2) The LORD speaks of His faithfulness. Then Joshua calls upon the people of Israel to make a decision as to whom they will serve. The people commit to serve the LORD faithfully.

Why does the author of Judges want to remind us of this covenant renewal in Judges 2? Perhaps this was done to show the reader the importance of this covenant and the sorrow and sadness that it has already been broken in Judges 1&2.

Illustration/Application: Recently I heard someone say that they were going to go out and celebrate because they were getting their divorce. This person was not going to weep over the destruction of a covenant; no, they were ready to celebrate it with others. This is the opposite of what should be done. They should be moved to respond as Israel does in Judges 2:1-5.

The placement of Judges 2:6-3:6 reminds us that something significant is going on here.

1. Everything before and after this is evidence of a broken covenant. In Judges 2:10 we discover that Israel no longer knew God or His works; therefore, they did evil in the sight of the LORD (11), They served other gods and abandoned the LORD. (11-13)

2. The significance of this moment is seen when the LORD, who spoke in Joshua 24, speaks again when He confronts Israel for breaking this covenant. These events are closely linked.

3. Israel understood the significance of this moment (2:1-5) but the author wants to make sure that we understand this by connecting these things together.

Application: We also need to understand that God is holy and jealous and we are not able to keep the covenant of Moses- the covenant of works. Until we understand this we will not look to the same one who shows up in Judges 2. He is the same one who came to save sinners.

The third reason for this introduction: There are two introductions because the author is seeking to emphasize a particular point. If we go back and read Judges 2:6-9 with Joshua 24:29-32 we see that Judges contains one more piece of information that Joshua the passage left out. In Judges we learn that after Joshua dismisses the people and they return to take possession of the land.

The people renew the covenant with Joshua and then they have a task to accomplish based upon the principles laid out in Joshua 23 and 24. They are to do this by trusting the LORD and obeying His word carefully. Joshua’s generation was faithful to do this (2:7-9) but the next generation was not. They did not even know the LORD or the works that He had done.

Question: Whose fault was it that this next generation did not know the LORD or His works? The parents were to obey Deuteronomy 6:4-7 and the kids were to honor their parents and the teaching they instructed them in. How seriously we ought to take our responsibility as parents to teach our children and instruct them in the Scriptures. (Dt. 6:4-7) And may our children not neglect to hear and apply their parents faithful teaching of the Word of God. (Proverbs 2:1-5, 3:1, 4:1-27)

Both the parents and the children bear some responsibility. We see in our own day that the faith is not being passed down from one generation to the next. Most parents do not even have a biblical worldview to pass down to their kids. Most parents and kids today are conforming to the ways of the world rather than being transformed by the Scriptures. (Romans 12:1-2)

In the book of Judges we see that after every judge the next generation falls away from the LORD. Question: Is this the children’s fault or the parents? Both...

• In Judges 2:16-17a, “Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. Yet they did not listen to their judges….”.

• In Judges 3:5-6 we read, “So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amoritees, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods.”

By doing this they disobeyed the word in Joshua 23:11-13, “Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God. For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the LORD your God has given to you.”

What a contrast Israel was to the Christ, the True Israel. Joshua was right, Israel could not keep the covenant. (24:19-20) Instead they ended up looking just like their pagan neighbors. Yet, God was faithful to bring through Israel the Messiah. (John 1, 3:16)

• Israel not careful to obey the LORD, but Jesus carefully obeyed His Father in everything. (John 14:15)

• Israel was not careful to love the LORD, but Jesus loved the Father. (John 14:31)

• Israel turned away from the LORD and served others, but Jesus set his face towards God’s will to win salvation for the nations. (Isaiah 50:7; Luke 4:5-8)

• Israel suffered because of their sins, but Jesus suffered for our sins though He was sinless. He took our lashes and the crown of thorns was put on His head to bring us into the Promised Land. (John 19:1; Matthew 27:29; Hebrews 3&4) We can have no confidence in ourselves apart from Christ. Having been united to Christ we have great assurance because of His righteousness and the free gift of salvation.

Every believer has been saved out of this wicked, godless, and faithless world. When we lived in this world, like Israel, we were ensnared, entrapped, burdened, wounded, and perishing. Yet, by God’s mercy and grace we have been saved by Christ. Therefore, having considered these things let us remember Jesus Christ and all He has done for us as we celebrate communion together.