Sunday, October 11 — God Stays Faithful Anyway
There is a particular ache in watching something your elders built get neglected by people who were never told why it mattered.
Judges 2:1-15 — KJV
1 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. 2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? 3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. 4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept. 5 And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD. 6 And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land. 7 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. 8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old. 9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash. 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. 11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: 12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. 13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. 14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. 15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
Judges 2:1-15 — WEB
1 Yahweh’s angel came up from Gilgal to Bochim. He said, “I brought you out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore to give your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you. 2 You shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land. You shall break down their altars.’ But you have not listened to my voice. Why have you done this? 3 Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’ ” 4 When Yahweh’s angel spoke these words to all the children of Israel, the people lifted up their voice and wept. 5 They called the name of that place Bochim, and they sacrificed there to Yahweh. 6 Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the children of Israel each went to his inheritance to possess the land. 7 The people served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of Yahweh that he had worked for Israel. 8 Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died, being one hundred ten years old. 9 They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash. 10 After all that generation were gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who didn’t know Yahweh, nor the work which he had done for Israel. 11 The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and served the Baals. 12 They abandoned Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; and they provoked Yahweh to anger. 13 They abandoned Yahweh, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. 14 Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies. 15 Wherever they went out, Yahweh’s hand was against them for evil, as Yahweh had spoken, and as Yahweh had sworn to them; and they were very distressed.
Explanation
The book of Judges opens after Joshua's death, and the picture is not pretty. Israel has not finished the work of driving out the peoples of the land. In chapter 2 an angel of the Lord comes up from Gilgal to a place called Bochim and confronts them. The message begins with what God has done: I brought you out of Egypt, I brought you to the land I swore to your fathers, and I said, "I will never break my covenant with you." Then comes the charge. I told you to make no league with the people of this land and to tear down their altars, but you did not listen. "Why have ye done this?" God says He will not drive those nations out, and their gods will be a snare. The people lift up their voices and weep, and they name the place Bochim, "weepers."
Then the narrator steps back and tells us how we got here. Joshua dismissed the people, each to their inheritance. They served the Lord all the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him, those who had seen God's great works with their own eyes. Joshua died at 110. And then verse 10, one of the saddest sentences in the Bible: another generation arose "which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel." Just like that. They did evil, served the Baals, abandoned the God of their fathers, and followed the gods of the people around them. The Lord's anger burned, and wherever they went the hand of the Lord was against them, and they were greatly distressed.
This is the lesson our unit has been building toward: "Lacking Leadership and a Moral Compass," and a topic that does not flinch, "Choosing Badly." The passage is honest. Evil has consequences, memory matters, and a faith that is not told will not be passed on. And yet the lesson title is "God Works Despite Evil," and you can see why. Verse 1 still stands in the middle of the wreckage: "I will never break my covenant with you." The Lord's faithfulness is not canceled by Israel's failure. Keep reading past today's verses and this same chapter says He raised up judges to deliver them. But the lesson starts here, with a God who stays faithful when His people do not.
Two things to carry out today. If you are a parent, a grandparent, a teacher, or a leader, remember that the faith is one generation away from being forgotten. Tell the stories. Say out loud what God has done for your family, your church, and your people. And if you are the one who has chosen badly, hear that Bochim is a place of weeping and also a place of worship; they sacrificed there to the Lord. Consequences are real. So is the covenant. Come back. The seat is still yours.
Thought for the Day
Our failure is real. So is God's faithfulness.
Reflection Question
What story of God's faithfulness do you need to tell the next generation, and who needs to hear it first?
Prayer
Faithful God, You keep Your promises even when we do not keep ours. Forgive us for the times we forgot You and the works You have done. Give us leaders with a moral compass and families who tell Your story. Bring us back, and keep us near. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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