The Greatest Generation Or A Holy God?

"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. 

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. "- Judges 2:14-15

We know that Israel served God all the days of Joshua and in the years after his death and the death of the elders who served alongside him. Were they sinless? No, but they kept God first and worshiped Him alone. So what happened? Is this proof for the naysayers that God is really unjust and not loving? It is in fact proof of the opposite.


What exactly happened here? If they weren't living perfect or sinless yet they were still pleasing to God why did He suddenly choose to greatly distress them? Since the time God brought Israel out from Egypt He commanded them to worship Him alone, and also to not fellowship with those who worshiped false gods because it would lead them to do so. (Isn't that the initial sin from the garden, man believing a lie that anything could be equal or higher than God.) And as a testimony to the faithfulness of Joshua and his generation it is forever recorded that they served the Lord (Judges 2:7).

"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." - Judges 2:10

The faithful generation had passed on to glory, and their children did not follow in their footsteps. It would seem that Joshua's generation took care to place great importance on worshiping God, reading his Word and trusting Him, so much so that they built an altar and set a stone of remembrance for their children to remember the great works of God (Joshua 22:10, 25-29; Joshua 24:26,27) Yet they did not know God.

How did this happen? When did it start? It is important to remember that though this generation is recorded as serving the Lord, they were not without sin. God explicitly commanded them to drive out the pagan inhabitants in the land of Canaan yet we read that the majority of the tribes of Israel did not do this. As a result of their disobedience in this God said, "they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you." (Judges 2:3) And because they let these pagan nations live among them their children grew among the influence of idol worshipers. They made leagues with the enemies of God.

"And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim:

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.

And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth." -Judges 2:11-13

There is no unrighteousness with God. He showed great mercy even to the generation of Joshua in not removing them from the earth for their disobedience. He displayed great long suffering in not destroying their children as they turned from serving Him in the span of a generation. He executed justice in confirming His Words in Judges 2:3 by raising against them the very nations they refused to drive out. God is Holy and wise in all that He does, and even in the midst of justice He shows grace to a rebellious people.

"Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them." - Judges 2:16

What a wonderful God. He set aside a certain people for His glory and even when they rebelled He supplied mercy. He is a perfect God who demands justice and so the children of Israel were greatly distressed. But He is also a gracious God who raised up judges to deliver His people when they repented and turned from worshiping false gods.

But this isn't the end of the chapter, nor the book, nor even the history of Israel. We know that they repeatedly ran back to idolatry in times of peace and God would continue to provide deliverance when they repented. So is there any fault to God? No, and we are very grateful, because we know this was only but a shadow pointing to the true deliverance provided in Jesus Christ.

For all of the crying out to God and repenting that the children of Israel did, even the generation of Joshua, they could not, nor can we, attain the favor of God on their own. When a judge was stirred up to deliver Israel it was done by God, not of their own will. Such it is for us as well. Being dead in sin only God can give us life.

Thus God has shown mercy to an incapable lot. Justice is satisfied because Jesus Christ, being both fully God and fully man, graciously laid down His life so that all who look to Him are sparred from the wrath of God. And not only did He die in our position but He also rose from death to secure that standing for His believers forever. Jesus is that perfect deliverance that we may stand in the Holy presence of God.

 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." - 2 Corinthians 5:21