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Believers can be assured that God’s faithfulness to act on behalf of His people is rooted in His character, not in ours.
16 The Lord raised up judges,
who saved them from the power of their marauders,
17 but they did not listen to their judges.
Instead, they prostituted themselves with other gods,
bowing down to them. They quickly turned from the way of their ancestors,
who had walked in obedience to the Lord’s commands.
They did not do as their ancestors did.
18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for the Israelites,
the Lord was with him and saved the people
from the power of their enemies while the judge was still alive.
The Lord was moved to pity whenever they groaned
because of those who were oppressing and afflicting them.
19 Whenever the judge died,
the Israelites would act even more corruptly than their ancestors,
following other gods to serve them and bow in worship to them.
They did not turn from their evil practices
or their obstinate ways.
The Cycle of Judges.
Highlight the key points.
rescue is thrilling.
Spiritually, they did not listen to their judges.
Rather than obeying God, the Israelites prostituted themselves
by following false gods.
The Hebrew wording can refer to literal adultery
or, as here, to spiritual adultery against God through idolatry.
Rejecting Him and turning to other gods was tantamount to adultery.
Also, the people turned from the way of their ancestors.
As the older generation faded, the new generation drifted.
This is a reminder of the importance of solid leadership.
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The judges functioned as military deliverers
who saved their people from their enemies.
With that said, the true Savior of Israel was the Lord Himself
who raised up and empowered these leaders
to deliver their people.
The emphasis is on God’s compassion for His people
as they suffered from His discipline and on His power to
raise up deliverers who saved them from
those who attacked and plundered them. .The Lord repeatedly raised up judges to
deliver His people from their adversaries.
The Lord was with the judge, and He enabled
the judge to deliver and protect the people from their enemies.
The people groaned because of those who were oppressing
and afflicting them, and they “cried out to the Lord” (see Judg. 3:9).
However, there is no indication the Israelites ever repented of their sins against God. (PSG, pp. 77-78)