JESUS and Consequences (Judges 1-5)

Joshua has given the Israelites instructions from God, which Moses had also passed along to the people before this....  very specific instructions for success.  Knowing the LORD's past AWESOME "track record" - why would they not have trusted in what He instructed?  So Jesus of the Old Testament appeared to them...

     (Judges 2:1-7)  Now the angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And He said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you, 2 and as for you, you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed Me; what is this you have done?  3 Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they will become as thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.’” 4 When the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. 5 So they named that place Bochim; and there they sacrificed to the Lord.  6 When Joshua had dismissed the people, the sons of Israel went each to his inheritance to possess the land. 7 The people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the Lord which He had done for Israel.

When Joshua died, the Israelites drifted away from God, and forgot everything He had done for them.   They forgot that the angel of the LORD (Jesus of the Old Testament) came and spoke to them with stern warning.  It's easy to forget in our own lives what we already know.  As a parent, I needed to make a conscious effort to continually teach my children the love of God, and hopefully when and if they ever have children, they will do the same.  But if you get lazy and take God for granted, you stop "spending time with Him, stop thinking about what He has done, then stop talking about God, stop living for Him... Why would your children do anything differently unless they somehow meet Jesus face to face (unless they experienced Jesus for themselves)?

     (Judges 2:11-15)  Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals, 12 and they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; thus they provoked the Lord to anger. 13 So they forsook the Lord and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. 14 The anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He gave them into the hands of plunderers who plundered them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies around them, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies. 15 Wherever they went, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had spoken and as the Lord had sworn to them, so that they were severely distressed.

Notice that the consequences were not considered "punishment", but these were consequences..

     (Judges 2:22)  ..."in order to test Israel by them, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk in it as their fathers did, or not..."

For us today, what should that mean?

(Hebrews 12:1-11)  Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him;
6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives.”

7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

And as a further encouragement, because we sometimes suffer for other reason  (due to the consequences of other people's actions, because we live in a fallen world, because we fight a spiritual battle)...

(James 1:2-4)  Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,  3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Now the lesson isn't quite over, because as we continue reading Judges, we continually see that Israel drift away from God, then they suffer, then ...

(Judges 3:9)  When the sons of Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to deliver them...

On and on they went like that.

(Judges 10:10-16)  Then the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against You, for indeed, we have forsaken our God and served the Baals.” 11 The Lord said to the sons of Israel, “Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines?  12 Also when the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hands. 13 Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer deliver you. 14 Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress.” 15 The sons of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned, do to us whatever seems good to You; only please deliver us this day.” 16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord; and He could bear the misery of Israel no longer.

When we have sinned, it is beneficial to confess our sins and turn back to the LORD!!!  But my question is - WHY NOT just try to "stay the course" with God???

(Galatians 6:9)  Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.