Rules for blessings, death of Joshua, apostasy during times of later judges
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| .1 ¶ And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. | Angel
of the Lord The Hebrew word for angel is also translated "messenger."
It can refer to a prophet ha0103
or to the Lord Himself ex2320,
ex3302.
From the authoritative nature and the sending out of Egypt ex0302
we conclude that He was the Lord or Messiah. He was also the messenger
of the covenant in mala0301.
Gilgal It had served as the head of the government jos0419, jos1006. The Lord had spoken to Joshua there jos0513ff.. Bochim Literally "weepers." No place is known by that name and the name does not appear elsewhere outside of this context. See v5. Land which I sware ge1207, ge1518, ge2813, and more. My covenant ex3410ff. |
| .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. .5 And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD. |
2 -
Make no league This command ex3412
was apparently not obeyed. Without trust in God, people tend to try to
solve the problems that are His. We have the same temptation ja0404.
2 - Throw down their altars These would have been pillars for heathen worship ex3413. 3 - Not drive them out He had warned them nu3355, js2313. They would be a snare because they wanted it that way. ex2333, ex3412, de0716. 5 - Bochim See on v1 above. Better than representing their repentance in the name would have been to fully return to the Lord. |
| 6 ¶ And when Joshua had
let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance
to possess the land.
.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. 8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old. .9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash. |
7 -
Joshua He had a powerful influence on the people but was now dead.
How different it was to be under the leadership of kings and dynasties.
8 - Timnath-heres The spelling is a little different in other passages. It is modern Khirbet Tibneh and is less than 10 mi (16 km) NW of Bethel in the central highlands. See map. Or pink area of detailed map. NW of Bethel. |
| 10 And also all that
generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation
after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done
for Israel.
.11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: 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. |
11
- ...Israel did evil "This chapter, together with the first eight
verses of the next [Jg 2:11-3:8],
contains
a brief but comprehensive summary of the principles developed in the following
history. An attentive consideration of them, therefore, is of the greatest
importance to a right understanding of the strange and varying phases of
Israelitish history, from the death of Joshua till the establishment of
the monarchy."
13 - Served Baalim Gods or Lords (plural). See 1sa0703. 14 - Ashtaroth Female gods in the land. They seemed to have specialized in immorality. 14 - Spoilers Bands of robbers from nearby nations. The people had rejected the true God and thus His protection. They were not acting like His people. 15 - Went out In battle. They had turned away from the Lord. |
| 16 Nevertheless the
LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that
spoiled them.
.17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so. 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. |
16
- Lord ... judges To save them when they got into trouble.
17 - Would not hearken They were poor learners. 18 - It repented the Lord He was touched with their suffering. he0415. 19 - Corrupted ... more than their fathers |
| 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: .22 That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not. 23 Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua. |
21
- Not henceforth drive out To bless us distinctly when we are living
in sin would teach us and others that God is unreliable.
23 - Left ... nations ... Joshua The Israelites needed to remain holy in a corrupt environment. They could have developed spiritual and military strength if they had had faith in God. Falling short of this, they remained in trouble. Had the people learned faith and obedience they would have better conquered. Under David and Solomon the nation was at its peak of strength although the people remained far from spiritual faithfulness. Are you ready, pure, kind, and true? Jesus is coming soon. |
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