Judges chapter 2 describes a condition that occurred after the death of Joshua when “another generation arose that did not know the Lord nor the work He had done for Israel”. The next generation squandered the spiritual inheritance won by the first all of which the long ago comic strip of “Pogo” rightly said “We have met the enemy—and he is us.”
Judges 2:1-2 is not in chronological sequence as the events that are recorded here happened before Joshua died and the events of Judges chapter 1 happened after Joshua died. So why does the author go backwards and share the events of these 10 verses? Well it is to emphasis the fact that the nations rebellion was not based upon ignorance it was based upon will full disobedience.
Notice that the Lord comes from Gilgal a place that had no population a place of historic and spiritual significance. It was here as Joshua led the nation across the Jordan that the nation first camped placing the stones taken from amidst the river making an altar. It was here that the Lord had them renew their covenant admitting their failure by “cutting away” the flesh and having communion. And it was here that the Lord had them launch out on their first military campaign where the Lord appeared to Joshua assuring him that He was the Commander of the armies of the Lord and not Joshua. Oh dear ones the Lord always comes to us from “Gilgal”:
•The place where He reminds us of His faithful love towards us
•The place where He reminds us that there needs to be some trimming done to our flesh
•The place where He reminds us that the battle belongs to the Lord
Spiritual defeat is always completely unnecessary and when it does happen because of our failure it need not continue! Our God is a “promise keeping God” and we can rest that He will keep 100% of all the promises, there are no “if’s or maybe’s”. In 2 Cor. 1:20 we are told that “all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” And this reveals not only the answer but our problem!