After the exodus from Egypt, the Israelites witnessed incredible works of God, from the parting of the Red Sea to the miraculous provision in the wilderness. Judges 2:7 tells us, “And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel.”
However, a troubling shift occurs in Judges 2:10: “And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.”
This new generation did not experience God’s miracles firsthand and, as a result, did not fully commit to Him.
During Joshua’s leadership, God fought for Israel, and the men did not need to learn the ways of war. But in Judges 3:4, we see that God left many nations in the land “to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord.” This proving was not for God to learn about Israel but for Israel to learn about themselves and their faithfulness.
Throughout the Bible, God always gives us the option to choose or reject Him. Starting with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, to Cain and Abel with their sacrifices, to Noah and the people choosing whether to get on the ark. Today, he gives us the choice through accepting or rejecting His Son for salvation, Jesus Christ.
God does not force us to follow Him. Sadly, the children of Israel often chose poorly throughout the book of Judges. This book reveals a repeated cycle of sinning, which leads to suffering, which leads to Israel calling out in supplication, which leads to God showing up for their salvation. This cycle continued for over 300 years!
This pattern is something we all go through. But we should aim to learn and grow, not taking God’s forgiveness for granted. God proves us to help us understand our faith and dependence on Him. Let us strive to be a generation that sees God work in our lives and remains faithful to His commandments so we can rely on Him to fight our battles rather than learning the art of war.
