The first chapter of Genesis provides us with an overview of God’s creation of the universe. Some suggest chapter 2 is a second creation; it’s not. Genesis 2 is the same creation story, but the focus is on man’s place in God’s creation.
The first and second chapters of Joshua are similar; one story from two perspectives. The first chapter tells about the difficulty of settling the land of Canaan from Israel’s point of view. Chapter 2 explains the same history, but from God’s perspective.

I. Responsibility (Judg 2:6-9). Who you are and what you possess is because of the past, what we call history. Separate yourself from history by destroying it, ignoring it, or changing it, and you have no foundation on which to build for tomorrow.
Before dying, Joshua called Israel to be faithful to God (Josh 23 & 24). The new generation heard the stories about the God of their fathers, but didn’t know Him personally (Josh 1:8-11). Israel was to be a light in the world, but couldn’t even illuminate the next generation in their own homes.
Education is only as good as it shapes behavior (Ps 1:1-6; 25:4; 86:11; 2 Tim 3:7, 14-17). Israel’s failure rested squarely on the two pillars of stable society: family and religion. Teaching history was the responsibility of parents (Ex 12:26-27; Deut 6:1-9; Ps 78:5-7), and then of the priests (Lev 10:11; Deut 31:9-13). History is more than dates, places, and people, it’s understanding God and how He works within the human family. Parents and priests were to use the common things and events of life as a classroom to instruct each new generation (Deut 4:9-15; 6:6-12; 11:18-21; Josh 4:1-7; Ps 78:3-8).

II. Evil (Judg 2:10-13). The generation after Joshua and Caleb did evil and abandoned the Lord (Judg 2:11-12). Apostasy is the act of leaving something you once claimed to believe and accept. It is always a choice. While Israel claimed devotion to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, God knew what was in their hearts.
People worship many gods (polytheism) because they’re unsure who rules the universe, or that the god they serve listens or cares. Without an assurance about Jehovah, the young generation of Jews adopted the Canaanite gods. God commanded Israel destroy the Canaanites and their culture to prevent spiritual adultery (Ex 23:20-33; 34:11-16; Deut 7:1-5, 16-26; 20:1-20; Josh 2:11; 6:21; Judg 2:1-3). He alone is God of the universe (Is 45:5).

III. Paganism. Most pagan religions believe their gods are sexually involved with other gods or the creatures they’ve made. The chief god of Canaan, Baal, was the god of fertility, responsible for human reproduction and agriculture, which depended on keeping Baal and the other gods happy.
Fertility resulted when Baal was sexually active with his wife Ashtoreth (Mother Earth). Baal could be enticed into sexual activity by watching his worshipers engage in sexual activity. Worshipers manipulated the gods into action by rituals, repeated prayers, dance, and gifts and sacrifices. The pagan gods never acted sovereignly from love or mercy through grace like Jehovah (Deut 7:1-11; Eph 1:3-14; Phil 1:28-29; 1 Pet 1:2-5). Man acted, gods responded; otherwise the gods were utterly disinterested and helpless, yet dependent upon mankind.
Unlike the Biblical God of the universe (Deut 10:14; 1 Chron 29:11; Ps 24:1; 89:11; Is 54:5; 1 Cor 10:26), pagan gods were territorial, their power extending only a certain distance; a god in Egypt had no power over Canaan. The Canaanites convinced young Israelites that because they were in Canaan, Baal was the only god in the promised land.
Israel chose Baal (Ps 106:34-40). They were influenced by the ungodly in their midst instead of their own history. A new land demanded a new history and religion for a new generation.