Judges 2:11-15

¹¹ And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. ¹² 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. ¹³ They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. ¹⁴ 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.¹⁵ 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.

A new generation on nonbelievers arose after Joshua and his friend died. They forgot the goodness and power of God to save them and change them. Instead, they chose to serve the Baals who was believed to control fertility and the weather. It was an act of abandonment saying that we have no need of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We don’t care what he did to take us out of slavery. The result of the abandonment was that God’s anger was kindled on them so God gave them over to their enemies.

The gods of the nations that introduced them to idols have now become the nations who have plundered them. In an amazing twist, the gods that promised fertility and success has now become the trap that has brought them into captivity. This caused the Israelites to be in distress and cry out to the Lord.

Keypoint #1: The enemies of Israel are the very people whose gods Israel has chosen to serve

Keypoint #2: God’s anger can be kindled when we choose to disobey and abandon Him. 

Keypoint #3: When we realize our sin, we should cry out in distress to the Lord who is able to rescue us.

Talk it over:

1. Have you ever abandoned God? Share your story
2. Have you felt like God abandoned you because you choose to forget him?
3. How can you build a stronger relationship with the Lord?