3rd.: Successive Waves of Pain
Judg. 2:7 reads, “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.”
Yet, “There arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord.” (Judg. 2:10b).
Instead of destroying the inhabitants, the Israelites made agreements with them.
The agreement was, ‘If you pay us, we won’t destroy you.’
Unfortunately, the alluring religious rituals of the original inhabitants seduced the Israelites born in Palestine,
“And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.” (Judg. 2:13).
God proceeded to send successive waves of enemies to oppress the Israelites.
When oppressed, the children of Israel beseeched God to save them.
God would feel their pain, and then appoint a judge, or deliverer, to militarily defeat the enemy.
The first recorded foe was the king of Mesopotamia (Judg. 3:8).
Then “the children of Israel, cried unto the Lord. The Lord raised up a deliverer. … even Othniel, Caleb’s younger brother.” (Judg. 3:9b).
Then when Othniel died, “the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord.” (Judg. 3:11b, 12). To deal with this second evil wandering, God sent the nation of Moab to subdue Israel.
When the children of Israel cried again unto the Lord, God sent Ehud to deliver Israel (Judg. 3:12).
Sometimes, the Lord sends us successive waves of pain to get us praying to Him again.
“Before I was afflicted, I went astray.” (Ps. 119:67a)