Bible Reading Blog
“They Turned Back”
Categories: Congregational Bible ReadingBIBLE READING: Judges 2
Judges 2.10-23 summarizes the sad cycle of the book of Judges: The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD (2.10-11) … so he gave them over to plunderers (2.14) … Then the LORD raised up judges who saved them… whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers (2.17, 19). This generation did not know life in slavery, and many of them did not know war (Judges 3.1). They were recipients of this good land but were not equipped with a knowledge of God to make them grateful (Judges 2.10-11). Instead, they were entitled and enticed by everything but God (Judges 2.12-13). The kernels of disobedience from the conquest generation (Judges 2.1-2) quickly blossomed into betrayal which led to overt rebellion against God.
In this context, we learn much about the faithfulness of God, who kept reaching out through discipline and salvation. But I want to focus on their habitual response: “they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers” (2.19)
Human rationale can be ridiculous, even stupid at times. How bull-headed do you have to be to spurn the one who saved you?God’s activity is completely undeserved and demonstrates unparalleled love and desire for relationship. And yet people so easily take that for granted. Perhaps we have fallen victim to this before. Have you ever pled with the Lord to change your circumstances, even making promises to be different and more faithful, only to slide back into your routines afterward? This is a natural response that is not just rude; it is wicked.
This generation did not see the hand of God in their circumstances because they had not been trained to do so. They knew what they wanted and even what others were doing; but they had no knowledge of God’s operation through his servants or his ability to save. And so, as the prophet would later say, “My people are destroyed by lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4.6). He’s not referring simply to book smarts but awareness of God’s nature and work. When God’s people don’t know and trust him, they will credit other sources and turn back to what is comfortable or attractive.
We are inundated with information like never before and it motivates us to the same place it did these people. We are drawn by emotions and attractions. This can lead to superficial practices, and worse, a heart that desires its own pleasure. God’s people turn back from God when relationship with him is not clearly in view. We must be diligent to establish our lives in the knowledge of God and his efforts towards us. He does not give us good things so that we can go about life without him. Instead, we are his workmanship created in Christ so that we might be a people for his own possession (Ephesians 2.10; 1 Peter 2.9-10). Let’s not be foolish and let comfort, pleasure or good things draw us from the one who gives those good things. Instead, “in everything give thanks for this is the will of God” (1 Thessalonians 5.18) and “let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name” (Hebrews 13.15)
