The
children of Israel passed over river Jordan and fought the nations and
took the land which God had promised to Abraham 400-years earlier.
Joshua grew old and died after he had divided the land and had given that land to the 12 tribes of the children of Israel.
The people began living on their inheritance.
But
when they failed to drive out the nations around them, they began to
take on the gods of those nations and sinned against God.
God sent HIS angel to them to deliver the following message.
Judges 2
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.
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Judges 2
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.
10 and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which HE had done for Israel.
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.
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God raises up judges to set the children of Israel in the right way:
Judges 2
16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.
20 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and HE said, Because that this people hath transgressed MY covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto MY voice;
21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:
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The children of Israel brought upon themselves curses by
their disobedience to the Lord God. And they could no longer stand
against their enemies and the nations of worldly men ruled over them and
put them back into various bondages and the children of Israel served
the gods of the nations of men.
From
time to time God would raise up a judge, such as Samson, to avenge the
children of Israel against the Philistines, but the real answer would
come decades later through Jesus and HIS sacrifice and HIS Holy Spirit
which God would give to all who belonged to God and believed in the Word
of God.
The promise was this: God would give them "a new heart" and God would give HIS people "a new Spirit."
Ezekiel 36
17 Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before ME as the uncleanness of a removed woman.
18 Wherefore I poured MY fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it:
19 And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.
20 And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned MY holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of HIS land.
21 But I had pity for Mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.
22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for Mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.
23 And I will sanctify MY great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put MY spirit within you, and cause you to walk in MY statutes, and ye shall keep MY judgments, and do them.
28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be MY people, and I will be your God.
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Therefore
God gave HIS people a new covenant and a new Spirit, HIS Own Spirit, so
when we follow that Spirit, that Holy Spirit, there is no condemnation
for us.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;
Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,
heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of
the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that
they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:
As
long as we follow that which the Holy Spirit of God shows us to do, we
walk in the Spirit, and we produce the fruits of the Spirit of God doing
that which is righteous in the sight of God.
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