Leaders matter. As long as a judge ruled over Israel, the people did right before the Lord; once the judge died, the nation wandered from Him. Rather than witnessing to the heathen around them, Israel participated in their sins, lacking an inward motivation to obey God. His Word wasn’t in their hearts and minds and they required an outward compulsion (Deut 11:18).
Outward compliance to God’s law forces obedience so long as fear of punishment exists; but the new heart created by God in regeneration results in an inward change of heart-desire to obey because it loves God (Ezek 36:25-27). That God-given love for Him which begins in the new birth causes the sinner to walk in My statues and keep My judgments and do them (Jer 31:33; Phil 2:13).

I. A Ruined Image (9" class="scriptRef">Judg 2:18-19). God graciously raised up judges (shophet) to deliver His people who then turned from God once the deliverer died. The implication is that if the deliverer had never died, the people would have remained faithful to God (Heb 7:25; Rom 7:24; 2 Cor 1:10; Gal 5:1; 1 Thess 1:10; 2 Thess 3:2; 2 Tim 4:18; 2 Pet 2:7, 9). But each downward spiral into sin became worse and worse. Each generation was more corrupt than the previous. Rather than evolving to be better and better as is commonly taught today, the sinful plunge of Israel became deeper and deeper. Sin was stronger than Israel’s will power.
Likewise, every human is enslaved to sin from the moment of conception (Ps 51:5; 58:3; Rom 5:12; Eph 2:3). Adam and Eve were created in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27), but we are bound to the fallen, sinful image of Adam (Gen 5:1-3). In salvation, God creates in us the image of Jesus, breaking the power, paying the penalty, and ending the practice of sin as a lifestyle - but not sin’s presence - a truth embodied in Charles Wesley’s hymn, O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing.

II. A Broken Covenant (Judg 2:20). In sinning, Israel transgressed God’s covenant with them. The word nation is curious. It’s the Hebrew word goyim and means a Gentile or heathen nation. God’s indictment is that Israel acted as a pagan, godless people, no longer My people but this nation symbolizing a staggering, unfathomable distance between God and Israel.
Sin is that which offends God. Since He is our Creator, we are responsible and accountable to Him. Any offense, then, is against Him, and He is both warranted and right to punish the offender (Ezek 18:20). Israel violated the Mosaic Covenant (Deut 28-29), which required Israel’s national (not individual) obedience in order to receive His national blessing (Deut 31:29; Josh 23:16).
Unlike the Mosaic Covenant which couldn’t save from sin, God’s covenant with the Church is through the mediation of Jesus not Moses, and by the blood of Jesus rather than bulls and goats. The New Covenant is eternal and not temporary until a greater One comes (Jn 1:17; Heb 8:6-13; 9:12-10:4; 1 Pet 1:19).

III. A Failed Test (Judg 2:21 - 3:4). God left Israel’s enemies in the land of promise for 4 major reasons:
(1) to punish Israel’s apostasy (Judg 2:2, 20-21; Heb 12:5-11).
(2) to test Israel (Judg 2:22; 3:4). The all-knowing God never tests so He can learn something about us, but so we can learn about ourselves. His goal is that we search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord (Lam 3:40; Ps 139:23-24). Thus God became Israel’s judge rather than her Saviour, proving to both them and to us that they were wholly unfaithful.
(3) to train in warfare, a generation had no experience with fighting enemies or faith in God (Judg 3:4). Israel enjoyed all His blessing but rejected Him. They’d lived easy lives off the battles and backs of their parents. Now they’d have to learn the hard way: by personal experience. Such is the danger of prosperity (Deut 8:1-20). The greatest battle in Judges wasn’t Israel’s battle for the land, but God’s battle for their devotion.
(4) to keep the land from desolation (Deut 7:20-24).



As the Canaanites watched, Israel failed to act like God’s covenant people, His special treasure … a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex 19:5-6).