# Judges 02 đ: A Cycle of Unfaithfulness
[[đ Explore the Bible Books]]
[[-Judges Overview]] | [[Judges 01]] | [[Judges 03]]
> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đ Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đ Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#đ¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#đ§ Chapter Summary]]
> [[#âď¸ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#đ Key Principles / đ Life Application]]
> [[#đŹ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#âď¸ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đ Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#đ Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đ Internal Notes]]
## đ Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### Confrontation and Repentance at Bokim
[[#Verse 01.]] The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim. He said, âI brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land I had solemnly promised to give to your ancestors. I said, âI will never break my covenant with you,
[[#Verse 02.]] but you must not make an agreement with the people who live in this land. You should tear down the altars where they worship.â But you have disobeyed me. Why would you do such a thing?
[[#Verse 03.]] At that time I also warned you, âIf you disobey, I will not drive out the Canaanites before you. They will ensnare you and their gods will lure you away.ââ
[[#Verse 04.]] When the angel of the Lord finished speaking these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly.Â
[[#Verse 05.]] They named that place Bokim and offered sacrifices to the Lord there.
### The End of an Era
[[#Verse 06.]] When Joshua dismissed the people, the Israelites went to their allotted portions of territory, intending to take possession of the land.
[[#Verse 07.]] The people worshiped the Lord throughout Joshuaâs lifetime and as long as the elderly men who outlived him remained alive. These men had witnessed all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.Â
[[#Verse 08.]] Joshua son of Nun, the Lordâs servant, died at the age of 110.
[[#Verse 09.]] The people buried him in his allotted land in Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.Â
[[#Verse 10.]] That entire generation passed away; a new generation grew up that had not personally experienced the Lordâs presence or seen what he had done for Israel.
### A Monotonous Cycle
[[#Verse 11.]] The Israelites did evil before the Lord by worshiping the Baals.Â
[[#Verse 12.]] They abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other godsâthe gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped them and made the Lord angry.Â
[[#Verse 13.]] They abandoned the Lord and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths.
[[#Verse 14.]] The Lord was furious with Israel and handed them over to robbers who plundered them. He turned them over to their enemies who lived around them. They could no longer withstand their enemiesâ attacks.Â
[[#Verse 15.]] Whenever they went out to fight, the Lord did them harm, just as he had warned and solemnly vowed he would do. They suffered greatly.
[[#Verse 16.]] The Lord raised up leaders who delivered them from these robbers.Â
[[#Verse 17.]] But they did not obey their leaders. Instead they prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned aside from the path their ancestors had walked. Their ancestors had obeyed the Lordâs commands, but they did not.Â
[[#Verse 18.]] When the Lord raised up leaders for them, the Lord was with each leader and delivered the people from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The Lord felt sorry for them when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them.Â
[[#Verse 19.]] When a leader died, the next generation would again act more wickedly than the previous one. They would follow after other gods, worshiping them and bowing down to them. They did not give up their practices or their stubborn ways.
### A Divine Decision
[[#Verse 20.]] The Lord was furious with Israel. He said, âThis nation has violated the terms of the covenant I made with their ancestors by disobeying me.Â
[[#Verse 21.]]Â So I will no longer remove before them any of the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died,Â
[[#Verse 22.]] in order to test Israel. I want to see whether or not the people will carefully walk in the path marked out by the Lord, as their ancestors were careful to do.âÂ
[[#Verse 23.]] This is why the Lord permitted these nations to remain and did not conquer them immediately; he did not hand them over to Joshua.
## đ Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
###### Verse 03.
###### Verse 04.
###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
###### Verse 12.
###### Verse 13.
###### Verse 14.
###### Verse 15.
###### Verse 16.
###### Verse 17.
###### Verse 18.
###### Verse 19.
###### Verse 20.
###### Verse 21.
###### Verse 22.
###### Verse 23.
## đ¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. The angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bokim (2:1). Gilgal was Israel's first camp in the promised land (Joshua 4:19).
2. Bokim means "weepers," named for Israel's tears at the Lord's rebuke (2:4-5).
3. Verses 6-9 repeat the account of Joshua's death from Joshua 24:28-31.
4. Joshua died at 110 years old (2:8), the same age as Joseph at his death (Genesis 50:26).
5. Baal was the Canaanite storm and fertility god, believed to send the rain and the harvest.
6. The Ashtoreths (2:13) were images of the goddess Astarte, a goddess of fertility and war.
7. The Hebrew word for judges (*shophetim*) describes leaders who delivered and governed, not mainly courtroom officials.
8. Chapter 2 lays out the pattern for the whole book: sin, oppression, crying out, deliverance, and rest.
9. The text says each generation acted more corruptly than the one before (2:19), a downward spiral that reaches bottom in chapters 17-21.
10. Joshua's burial place, Timnath Heres (2:9), is called Timnath Serah in Joshua 24:30.
## đ§ Chapter Summary
> [!note] đą Still growing. This section is on its way.
## âď¸ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the Judge and Deliverer every judge only pointed toward. The Lord raised up judges out of compassion (2:16-18), but Jesus saves completely and forever (Hebrews 7:25).
## đ Key Principles / đ Life Application
> [!note] đą Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đŹ Discussion Questions
1. A generation grew up that did not know the Lord or what He had done (2:10). How can we make sure the next generation knows God's works?
2. The cycle of sin, oppression, crying out, and deliverance repeats (2:11-19). Where do you see that cycle in your own life?
3. God left the nations in the land to test Israel (2:22). How has God used difficulty to reveal what is in your heart?
## âď¸ Key Verses to Remember
- đ verse 10: A new generation grows up that does not know the Lord.
- đ verse 16: The Lord raises up judges to deliver His people.
- đ verses 18-19: The Lord has compassion, but after each judge dies the people return to worse ways.
## đ Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đ [[Joshua 24#Verse 28.|Joshua 24:28-31]] - Israel served the Lord in Joshua's days.
- đ [[Psalm 78#Verse 04.|Psalm 78:4-7]] - Tell the next generation the Lord's deeds.
- đ [[Deuteronomy 06#Verse 06.|Deuteronomy 6:6-9]] - Teach God's words to your children.
- đ [[Nehemiah 09#Verse 26.|Nehemiah 9:26-28]] - God's repeated mercy despite Israel's rebellion.
- đ [[Hebrews 07#Verse 25.|Hebrews 7:25]] - Jesus saves completely.
## đ Devotional Reflection
đ SOAP: [[Judges 02 - SOAP|The Lord Tests Us]]
## đ Internal Notes