So last week we talked about the cycle of the book of judges. Today we’re going to look at how this cycle worked out in the book of judges.

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves. (8) Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.
Judges 3:7-11

“And the children…and forgat the Lord their God…”
This speaks of the first part of the cycle. The nation of Israel did wrong. They chose not to consider what God wanted. Whenever we sin this is exactly the problem!

“and served Baalim and groves.”
Baalim was a male “god” that ISrael continually worshipped instead of God throughout the book of Judges. The “groves” were places that Ashteroth, the female “goddess”,that many of the Caananites (the people in the land that they were supposed to drive out when they first got there) was worshipped. The worship dishonored God in many ways.

“Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel…”
This kind of language about God is kind of scary isn’t it? God was angry at his own people

because of what they had done. And rightly so! Think about all God had done to get them to the promised land, and then right when they got to what He wanted to give them they began to worship and serve gods that didn’t even exist!

Life Step: Think about it…
What do you think about the statement“the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel”?
Does this mean that God didn’t love them?
What does this say about anger as an emotion?
Do you think we make God angry when we do wrong?
The children of Israel served Baalim and Ashteroth. Most of us don’t worship false statue idols in our house. Does this mean we don’t have idols? How do idols make us forget God?