Chapter 2:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Joshua Ruth
Judges 2
Concise Complete
The angel of the Lord rebukes the people. (1-5) The
wickedness of the new generation after Joshua. (6-23)
Verses 1-5 It was
the great Angel of the covenant, the Word, the Son of God, who spake with Divine
authority as Jehovah, and now called them to account for their disobedience. God
sets forth what he had done for Israel, and what he had promised. Those who
throw off communion with God, and have fellowship with the unfruitful works of
darkness, know not what they do now, and will have nothing to say for themselves
in the day of account shortly. They must expect to suffer for this their folly.
Those deceive themselves who expect advantages from friendship with God's
enemies. God often makes men's sin their punishment; and thorns and snares are
in the way of the froward, who will walk contrary to God. The people wept,
crying out against their own folly and ingratitude. They trembled at the word,
and not without cause. It is a wonder sinners can ever read the Bible with dry
eyes. Had they kept close to God and their duty, no voice but that of singing
had been heard in their congregation; but by their sin and folly they made other
work for themselves, and nothing is to be heard but the voice of weeping. The
worship of God, in its own nature, is joy, praise, and thanksgiving; our sins
alone render weeping needful. It is pleasing to see men weep for their sins; but
our tears, prayers, and even amendment, cannot atone for sin.
Verses 6-23 We
have a general idea of the course of things in Israel, during the time of the
Judges. The nation made themselves as mean and miserable by forsaking God, as
they would have been great and happy if they had continued faithful to him.
Their punishment answered to the evil they had done. They served the gods of the
nations round about them, even the meanest, and God made them serve the princes
of the nations round about them, even the meanest. Those who have found God true
to his promises, may be sure that he will be as true to his threatenings. He
might in justice have abandoned them, but he could not for pity do it. The Lord
was with the judges when he raised them up, and so they became saviours. In the
days of the greatest distress of the church, there shall be some whom God will
find or make fit to help it. The Israelites were not thoroughly reformed; so mad
were they upon their idols, and so obstinately bent to backslide. Thus those who
have forsaken the good ways of God, which they have once known and professed,
commonly grow most daring and desperate in sin, and have their hearts hardened.
Their punishment was, that the Canaanites were spared, and so they were beaten
with their own rod. Men cherish and indulge their corrupt appetites and
passions; therefore God justly leaves them to themselves, under the power of
their sins, which will be their ruin. God has told us how deceitful and
desperately wicked our hearts are, but we are not willing to believe it, until
by making bold with temptation we find it true by sad experience. We need to
examine how matters stand with ourselves, and to pray without ceasing, that we
may be rooted and grounded in love, and that Christ may dwell in our hearts by
faith. Let us declare war against every sin, and follow after holiness all our
days.
Chapter 2:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Joshua Ruth
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
