I’ve always wanted to preach from Judges, and this Sunday I’ll get the chance! (If you haven’t studied this OT book before, you’re missing out.) The book has two introductions essentially—one that gives the reader a sense of Israel’s geopolitical status and another that looks at Israel’s spiritual state. We’ll be looking at the latter this week in a standalone sermon on Judges 2:6–15.
Even when the best of leaders move on, it’s not uncommon to see wholesale shifts in the culture of an organization, team, nation, etc. Here in Judges, we glimpse Israel’s rapid descent into chaos following the death of Joshua, Moses’ successor. Verse 10 tells us, “There arose another generation [after Joshua’s] who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel.” Can you imagine?
The Israelites entered the Promised Land only a generation ago after the Lord led them through the wilderness, protected them from their enemies, provided food and water for them—all while they complained and questioned his faithfulness. But now: “The Lord? Never heard of him. What’s he done?” It’s a tragic set-up for everything that follows in what becomes a freefall into chaos.
Maybe that doesn’t sound uplifting (Judges is coincidentally not featured on many Christian coffee mugs.), but there is a lot here for us to consider as God’s people. How can we see to it that we as a church continue to “know the LORD” and fan into flame an abiding awareness of all he has done for us?
I’m looking forward to unpacking this with you on Sunday. Come prepared. Read our text a few times, pray, maybe invite a friend or two. We’ll conclude our time together by gathering around the Lord’s Table and proclaiming Christ’s death and resurrection.
See you Sunday!
Robert