Joshua’s generation couldn’t pass its spiritual wealth to the next generation which knew about God, but didn’t “know” Him personally by faith (Judg 2:7, 10). Like the false teachers of Second Peter, Israel forgot the One who bought them (2 Pet 2:1). They forsook the God of their fathers (Judg 2:12). Faith in God is a gift from Him, and each generation and person must do something personally with God. He has no grandchildren; no one can live off the spiritual history of another. You must be born again.
Forgetting God creates a cold, dead religion of works (Jer 2:4-8). Canaanite religion was the choice of the younger generation, and the Lord’s anger boiled against them. His anger, however, wasn’t enough to turn them back (Judg 2:12). Bad times won’t bring you to salvation in Christ; only God’s gift of faith accomplishes that.

I. God’s Jealousy (Judg 2:12-13, 17). God is just (Acts 3:14), holy (1 Pet 1:16), faithful (Deut 7:9), and a judge (Ps 94:2). For Israel’s disobedience, God set His face against them (Ex 20:4-6; Lev 26:14-17; Deut 28:25; Ezek 16:42). God’s name is Jealous (Ex 34:14), and He acts with jealousy toward those whom He loves, just as a man who loves his wife will be jealous for her (1 Cor 10:19-22; 2 Cor 11:2).
In His jealousy, God rejects all which comes between Him and His beloved. Israel played the harlot spiritually, being unfaithful to God for Baal, but Baal didn’t love anyone (Judg 2:17; Ps 115:3—8; Jer 10:3, 14). In His righteous anger, correcting discipline, and jealous love, God turned Israel over to calamity and slavery, making them weak and beggarly (Jud 2:14-15; Heb 12:5-11).



II. God’s Anger (Judg 2:14-17). God’s anger is unlike ours (Ex 34:6-7; Nah 1:2; Ps 7:6, 11). We are emotional, fearful, hateful, and react with partial knowledge; God knows every thought, motive, fact, and intention of humanity and is immutable. This is why God commands us to avoid revenge (Rom 12:19-21) but abandon anger and wrath and trust Him (Eph 4:31-32).
In His jealous anger, God raised up judges to deliver (rescue, save) His people, revealing His love, compassion, and faithfulness (Hos 1:2-9; 3:1-3). The God who cast Israel down also stooped to pick them up because He is merciful, loving, compassionate, gracious, and slow to anger. He took sin so seriously because He has a covenant with Israel, and yet Israel would return again to idolatry (Judg 2:17, 19).
His wrath - His violent righteous anger against sin - was propitiated (paid in full) upon Jesus at the cross. Now through faith in Christ Jesus, the sinner is forever reconciled to the Father and saved from His wrath (Is 53:4-6, 10-11; Rom 5:1, 9-11).
Israel was oppressed (squeezed by pressure, Num 22:25), afflicted (like a crowd jostling for limited space, Joel 2:8). The Lord heard Israel’s groaning (Jud 2:18), a deep physical pain, like the moans of a man whose arms are broken (Ezek 30:24). It’s a groan only He hears and answers (Ex 2:24; 6:5). The God in Exodus was no different than in the days of the Judges. Israel groaned under the burden of their own sin yet refused to turn to God, the only One who could save them (Rom 8:18-39).

III. God’s Grace (Judg 2:17-18). The Father promised before time began to give His Son a bride (Tit 1:2). It’s not that we cried because of our sin and God responded, but that God would be faithful to His promise before humanity even fell in sin (6.34-John.6.44" class="scriptRef">Jn 6:34-44; 17:2, 6, 9-12; Eph 1:3-6; 2 Thess 2:13-14). His grace reaches the undeserving (Judg 2:13). It flows from His mercy (Judg 2:18; Rom 5:1-11; Tit 3:5-7), and endures both time and our sin (Judg 2:16).
Israel’s problem wasn’t God, the Canaanites, or Baal. The problem was their sinful hearts (Rom 3:10ff). We like to blame God for our problems, but we are the issue, not Him. God loved Israel despite her faithlessness and wickedness because He keeps His covenants (Deut 7:6-9).
If God remains faithful to an errant nation like Israel, He will be even more faithful to those for whom Christ Jesus gave His life (Heb 2:14 - 3:2).