Pastor Rusty Milton
Judges 2:1-5 ESV
"God's Assignment"

Living in rebellion to God's covenant takes us from a joyful heart to a weeping heart. In Judges 2, the angel of the Lord confronts Israel for not completely obeying the Lord's commands to drive out the wicked inhabitants of the land, and to completely dismantle their idolatrous religions. By not doing so, the nation was foretold to inevitably struggle with entangling sin and national problems (vv 1-3). God created mankind to worship, and we become like what we worship. Bringing us out of idolatry is therefore one of the most loving things God can do. Giving us over to idolatrous worship is, conversely, a severe judgment for disobedience. 

Many avoid the commitment of religion, and so create an amalgamation of beliefs based on their desires for an experience. At best, this will only lead to idolizing personal experiences, emotions, or whatever subjective things we value. This will inevitably lead to bondage and deception, and separate us from knowing and enjoying God. Thanks be to God that he does not leave us in this state! God, in his infinite love, sent his own son to die for our sins and to open the way to true worship and relationship with the Creator.

Judges 2:1-5 ESV

2 Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, 2 and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? 3 So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” 4 As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. 5 And they called the name of that place Bochim.[a] And they sacrificed there to the Lord.