Judges 1-2

After Joshua facilitates the covenant between Israel and YAHWEH at Shechem the Israelites are sent out to inhabit the land of Canaan according to their land allotments and Joshua dies and is buried in his inherited land on the side of Mount Gaash. The covenant at Shechem is so important as the entire assembly of Israelites with the leaders, elders, rulers and judges all commit to serve YAHWEH worshipping Him only and then depart to their inheritance. The book of Judges opens with continued conquest and faithful obedience to fight against, destroy and push out the Canaanites, Perizzites and Jebusites in the land. Unfortunately the conquest proved incomplete and Israel allowed the Canaanites to live among them and instead of driving them out, as YAHWEH commanded through Joshua. 

Joshua 23:11-13 (NKJV) "Take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the LORD your God. Or else, if indeed you do go back, and cling to the remnant of these nations - these that remain among you - and make marriages with them, and go into them and they to you, know for certain that the LROD your God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. But they shall be snares and traps to you, and scourges on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the LORD your God has given you."

What we immediately in Judges 1:27-36 is the incomplete conquest of the land and instead of driving out the Canaanites and Amorites the tribes of Joseph (Manasseh & Ephraim), Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali and Dan only put them under tribute. This is presumptuous disobedience and rebellion against what God spoke to the Israelites through both Moses and Joshua (also, Numbers 33:55), to which the angel of the LORD came and confronted the disobedience reiterating the covenant YAHWEH made and questioned why Israel had not driven out the Canaanites or torn down their altars. The response to this was not obedience, rather the Israelites made sacrifices and wept loudly, no quick obedience or action followed such that after Joshua died only the first generation of Israelites who entered the promised land served and worshipped YAHWEH, the immediate next generation did evil and worshipped the gods of the Amorites and Canaanites. True to His word in the covenant the LORD was poised against Israel.

Judges 2:14-15 (NKJV) "He [YAHWEH] delivered them into the hands of plunderers who despoiled them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies. Wherever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for calamity, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn to them."

YAHWEH is gracious and compassionate, full of mercy and love for His chosen people that He raised up judges to deliver His people out of the hands of their enemies - just like He did through Moses and Aaron from the hand of oppression by Pharoah in Egypt. A dangerous misperception giving a false sense of security is the false doctrine of 'once saved always saved' which preaches that those who merely profess allegiance to God through repentance receive only mercy regardless of behavior. The truth is that man can only hope in God's amazing grace and unearned mercy. 

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