Consequences • Judges 2:11-23
By Roland L. McMillan
The lesson last Sunday in Joshua 24 was about commitment to God during a transitional time. The era of conquest was ending, and the time of the judges was about to begin. Judges 2:6–10 depicts the same transition from the other side. The general outline of Judges often is described as a downward spiral. The beginning of the spiral starts to become clear in this passage. The text shows a definite contrast between Joshua’s generation and the next generation. As the generations changed, Israel became more like the Canaanites around them. The challenge of passing the faith from one generation to the next always exists. For Israel during the period of the judges, the result was disastrous.
As the lesson passage begins, Judges 2:11 describes the basic problem. The people did evil. This is not a vague, general sense of evil. The evil here is concrete. The people were breaking their covenant with God. Verses 11–19 describe a cycle that summarizes many years of Israel’s story. The people would submit themselves to other “gods.” Moral rot would weaken the nation. The Lord’s anger would burn. They would be oppressed by others. They suffered, and God acted in compassion. God would raise judges who would have limited success. The judges could save Israel from her enemies. They could not save Israel from their own wandering hearts. When the judge passed from the scene, moral rot would lead to oppression again and the cycle continued.
The groaning mentioned in verse 18 should not be confused with repentance. They groaned in their suffering, but there is no sign in the text that they turned away from their sin. They submitted themselves to other gods and suffered the consequences. God graciously called and empowered judges to deliver them. The lack of repentance makes God’s grace shine even more brightly. God’s anger burned against sin, but the picture of God in this passage is not a picture of a god who is spiteful and petty. The picture of God here is the same picture of God that the Old Testament has developed to this point. God is gracious and compassionate, but there are consequences for disobedience. He is full of love, but He is no pushover. He is righteous. He is holy and He is exclusive. He does not share the loyalties of His people with any would-be competitors.
One of those competitors was Baal, the god of the storm, of the rains, of fertility. He appeared in different forms in the Ancient Near East, which is why verse 11 says “the Baals.” Baal’s female consort was Astarte, another competitor. She was the goddess of fertility and war. She also appeared in different manifestations in the ancient world. The plural of “Astarte” is “Ashtoreth,” or “Ashtaroth,” as in verse 13. The continued pagan presence in the land (2:20–23) meant that the new generation had to face the same kinds of challenges that Joshua’s generation had faced.
Baal and Astarte are more familiar than we may think. Fertility means sexuality, which was part of pagan worship then and an obsession in our world today. Rains and fertility meant that crops grew and the headcounts of herds increased. Crops and livestock were the keys to survival, but also, they were the keys to wealth. When we prize things over people or think that mere money means success, we are reflecting the same kinds of values as ancient fertility religions. The so-called “prosperity gospel” is no gospel at all because it substitutes temporary things for Jesus’ cross and resurrection. At heart, placing “prosperity” in front of Jesus is the same as worshiping Baal and Astarte. In one form or another, fertility religions have been seducing people down through the ages.
The challenges in this passage are timeless. Human hearts wander. The temptations from illicit sex and money always are present. Faithfully passing the faith to the next generations is a continual challenge. Sin always has consequences. If we look at this passage through a New Testament lens, we see new developments as the story of God’s people has progressed. We see Jesus’ sacrifice for the sin of the world. We see him defeating death in his resurrection. Today the Holy Spirit empowers us for faithfulness, working in a different way than he worked in the Old Testament. The challenges are timeless, but so is God’s grace.
McMillan is senior pastor of Roseland Park Baptist Church, Picayune.
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