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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 And the angel of Jehovah came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you: |
Never break my covenant – The centuries since have shown the persistency of God's mercy. R5598:6
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| 2 and ye shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall break down their altars. But ye have not hearkened unto my voice: why have ye done this? |
No league – The Lord's people should make no truce with their fleshly weaknesses. R5598:2
Truces with the flesh mean that love for the Lord has gradually cooled. R5646:1
The Inhabitants – Corresponds to the perverted appetites of the flesh, earthly hopes and ambitions, oppositions to the Lord and righteousness. R5598:2
Altars – Passion, avarice. R5598:2
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| 3 wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.
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| 4 And it came to pass, when the angel of Jehovah spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice and wept. |
And wept – The New Creature cries to the Lord for deliverance. R5598:2
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| 5 And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto Jehovah. |
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| 6 Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land. |
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| 7 And the people served Jehovah all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of Jehovah that he had wrought for Israel. |
Served the LORD – Things went well with the Israelites because their leaders realized the importance of being on the Lord's side. R5598:4
The days of – Covering a break between the division of the land and the first recorded period of eight years. (Jud. 3:8) HG45:4
The elders – The elders who had witnessed God's miraculous interposition were the judges of Israel. R5645:2, R3102:2, R4192:3
So spiritual Israelites of every congregation are to select fit men for services needed. R5645:5
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| 8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Jehovah, died, being a hundred ten years old. |
Joshua – The first judge. R3102:2; PD38/48
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| 9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill-country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash. |
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| 10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, that knew not Jehovah, nor yet the work which he had wrought for Israel. |
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| 11 And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and served the Baalim; |
Children of Israel – Many of them, not all. R5646:2, R3102:6
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| 12 and they forsook Jehovah, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples that were round about them, and bowed themselves down unto them: and
they provoked Jehovah to anger. |
Other gods – Represented by idols. R5598:4
Christians have made idols, not of stone, wood or bronze; but more hideous misrepresentations of the divine character--our printed creeds. R5598:5
Gods of the people – Typifying forms of godliness taking the place of true heart-worship, reverence. R5598:5
Bowed themselves – The idols would appear to be an excellent way of keeping religion before the mind, but it was not God's way. R5598:4
False religions appealed to the baser passions, combining a form of godliness with gratification of the flesh, dancings, etc. R5598:5
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| 13 And they forsook Jehovah, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. |
Baal – Signifying overseer, caretaker. R5627:2
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| 14 And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that despoiled them; and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. |
Anger of the LORD – Not that the period of the judges was basically idolatrous, the record passes by the happy periods of Israel's prosperity. So, reading today's newspapers would give only a bleak picture of our day. R5645:6
The Lord's displeasure does not delay until one goes fully into idolatry, but reproves early to correct. R5646:2
He delivered them – Chastisements are evidences of special care, protection and relationship. R5646:2
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| 15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of Jehovah was against them for evil, as Jehovah had spoken, and as Jehovah had sworn unto them: and they were sore distressed. |
Hand of the LORD – His divine power. SM623:1
Evil – Ra, signifying calamity, not sin. R1350:2
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| 16 And Jehovah raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those that despoiled them. |
Raised up – Divinely appointed. R5645:2
To deliver and bless the people, not to condemn and punish them. R1869:3
Picturing God's dealing with spiritual Israel during this Gospel age, raising up special counselors, deliverers, ministers. R5645:3, R3102:2
Judges – Deliverers. R5598:6
Israel's government was a republic under divine autocracy and law supervision. R4192:3
Not a republic in the present day understanding of that term. R3216:3
Covering a period of 450 years. (Acts 13:20) B49
Israel's spiritual interests were more advanced under judges than kings. Centralization does not always mean greater blessings, but less individuality and personal progress. R4201:4 God's representatives. R4192:6
Pre-figured resurrected Ancient Worthies. R4201:4
"I will restore thy judges as at the first." (Isa. 1:26) R5645:6
Typical of the world's eventual rule--heavenly wisdom directing incorruptible earthly judges communicating and enforcing divine law. R5646:5
The office in which Jesus comes to judge the world in righteousness. R1869:3
Which delivered them – Spiritual leaders of divine appointment will always be marked by spiritual victories. R5645:3
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| 17 And yet they hearkened not unto their judges; for they played the harlot after other gods, and bowed themselves down unto them: they turned aside quickly out of the way wherein their fathers walked, obeying the commandments of Jehovah; but they did not so. |
Their judges – This verse and its connections seem to indicate that verses 1-19 cover a long period of time of Israel's experiences, under many judges. R5598:5
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| 18 And when Jehovah raised them up judges, then Jehovah was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented Jehovah because of their groaning by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. |
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| 19 But it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their doings, nor from their stubborn way. |
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| 20 And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel; and he said, Because this nation have transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice; |
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| 21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations that Joshua left when he died; |
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| 22 that by them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of Jehovah to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not. |
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| 23 So Jehovah left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua. |
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