A. Hostilities between the Israelites and the Canaanites following Joshua's death 1:1-2:5

". . . archaeology shows that the superpowers (Babylonia, Assyria, the Hittites, and Egypt) were relatively weak during the days of the judges and the monarchy. Internal affairs kept them busy at home. This, humanly speaking, made possible the survival of the nation of Israel. The smaller, local enemies were trouble enough for her armies."²⁰

 1. Initial successes and failures ch. 1

The attitude of the Israelites toward the Canaanites changed in the years following Joshua's death.

 2. The announcement of God's discipline 2:1-5

The events of this pericope tie in directly with those of the previous one. Israel's failure recorded there led to the discipline announced here.

"The narrator moves from chap. 1 to chap. 2 like a modern preacher moves from text to exposition. The differences here are that the text of the author's sermon derives from events of history, not a printed page, and the interpretation comes from God himself or from his messengers, be they the envoy of Yahweh or the author of the book."³⁷

The writer seems to have included the statement that the Angel of the Lord "came up from Gilgal"(v. 1) to connect the Angel's appearance here with His last recorded appearance at Gilgal (Josh. 5:13-15). On that occasion the Angel appeared after the people had consecrated themselves to God. He promised to lead them in victory against their enemies. On this occasion the Angel promised that He would not drive out the remaining Canaanites because Israel had been disobedient to God. God had stated clearly and repeatedly that His people were to destroy or drive out all the former inhabitants of the land (Exod. 23:33; 34:11-16; Num. 33:51-56; Deut. 7:1-5).

"The deplorable spiritual condition of the Israelites, not their lack of chariots, lay behind their failure to dispossess the Canaanites. To expose Israel's sinfulness, the angel of the Lord' appeared to them (v. 1)."³⁸

The Angel's announcement caused great sorrow in Israel that led to weeping and the offering of sacrifices to Yahweh (vv. 4-5; cf. Exod. 23:28-31; 34:11). The people could not change God's sentence even by repenting (cf. Josh. 24:19). Her disobedience resulted in God's discipline (cf. God's judgment at Kadesh-barnea, Num. 14:1-10). Nevertheless this warning constituted a manifestation of God's grace to Israel, and evidences of God's grace are numerous in Judges.³⁹