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2 Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” As soon as the angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. And they called the name of that place Bochim. And they sacrificed there to the LORD.
When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land. And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the LORD had done for Israel. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110 years. And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel.
And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. And they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the LORD to anger. They abandoned the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. Whenever they marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them for harm, as the LORD had warned, and as the LORD had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress.
Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD, and they did not do so. Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he said, “Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the LORD as their fathers did, or not.” So the LORD left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.
(ESV)
Judges 2 describes God’s response to Israel’s repeated cycle of sin. The angel of the Lord reminded Israel of God’s covenant to bring them into the Promised Land and instructed them to destroy the altars of the land’s inhabitants. However, they disobeyed, leading to God’s declaration that He would no longer drive out these nations. While the generation of Joshua and the leaders who witnessed God’s deeds remained faithful, the subsequent generation abandoned the Lord, turning to the worship of Canaanite gods.
In response, God allowed raiders to oppress them, fulfilling His warnings. Although God raised up judges to deliver them, Israel repeatedly returned to sin after each leader’s death, behaving worse than before. God left the remaining nations in the land to test Israel’s faithfulness, highlighting their persistent disobedience and the consequences of breaking His covenant.
The “angel of the LORD” in Judges 2:1–5 is often understood by commentators as God Himself (Jesus) making a special appearance to confront Israel’s sin. The angel traveled from Gilgal (where the Tabernacle symbolized God’s presence) to Bokim to expose Israel’s disobedience and charge them with breaking their covenant with God.
Despite God’s faithfulness in delivering them from Egypt and granting them the Promised Land, the Israelites compromised by adopting the sinful practices and false worship of the Canaanites, violating God’s clear commandments to drive them out. God warned that their disobedience would lead to severe consequences: the Canaanites would become thorns and snares, causing oppression, trials, and temptations. Though the people confessed and repented with weeping and sacrifices, their repentance was short-lived, reflecting the recurring cycle of sin, repentance, and rebellion seen throughout Judges.
Going against God’s ways is dangerous, and Scripture strongly warns against its consequences. The Bible is consistent in calling believers to separate from the world, and this is what Israel failed to do in Canaan. Why did this happen?
Abandoning God’s ways begins with abandoning God’s Word.
“That whole generation was also gathered to their ancestors. After them another generation rose up who did not know the LORD or the works he had done for Israel. [11] The Israelites did what was evil in the LORD’s sight. They worshiped the Baals [12] and abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed other gods from the surrounding peoples and bowed down to them. They angered the LORD, [13] for they abandoned him and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths.”
Judges 2:10-13 CSB
They did not know the Lord or the works He had done for Israel. The parents and priests failed to pass down the Word of God in memory and application. The rich traditions and teachings of their faith were quickly forgotten, and their religion became nothing more than an empty ritual. There was no power, no intentionality, and no true godliness. This new generation neither knew nor acknowledged the Lord. They practiced religion, but it was only a hollow form of godliness that denied the very power of God. Does this still happen today?
“But know this: Hard times will come in the last days. [2] For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, [3] unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, [4] traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, [5] holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people.”
2 Timothy 3:1-5 CSB
The path to what is described in 2 Timothy 3 begins with abandoning the truth of God’s Word. During the time of Judges 2, God’s Word was literally their history. It was the story of their lives. Israel forgot where they had come from, and more importantly, they forgot who delivered them. When we forget God’s grace and put His Word aside, compromise will always follow.
The process of falling away from God happened quickly for Israel. It reminds me of texting and driving today. It starts with a quick glance – a seemingly harmless compromise. You look down for just a moment, thinking it’s no big deal. Then you do it again, for a little bit longer. Then again, and again, and again. Before you know it, a habit develops. Eventually, you find yourself drifting off course, and sooner or later, disaster strikes.
For Israel, that glance was compromising with the Canaanites, allowing their influences to creep in. They did it again and again. What seemed small and insignificant at first quickly spiraled into a devastating crash. It turned into a life far from God, filled with chaos and consequences. Just as a moment of distraction can lead to a wreck, a moment of spiritual compromise can lead to a life far from God.
Even through all of this, God showed Israel grace. The words I type on this page cannot describe the immense nature of God’s grace. The idea that He would chase us, pursue us, discipline us, and become relentless in His never-ending radical plan to mend what was broken by us is nothing short of amazing. It’s more than amazing. It’s incomprehensible. The only logical conclusion is to praise and worship Him! The only response is falling to our knees and giving every ounce of ourselves to His will for this life.
I am tired of people saying that the God of the Old Testament was not a God of grace. His grace is seen everywhere and it’s constant. God has pursued you for your entire life, even in your most shameful choices. What is your response? Ask yourself. What is a reasonable response to the grace of God?