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Juĝistoj 2

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1 Kaj venis angxelo de la Eternulo el Gilgal al Bohxim, kaj diris:Mi elkondukis vin el Egiptujo, kaj venigis vin en la landon, pri kiu Mi jxuris al viaj patroj, kaj Mi diris:Mi neniam rompos Mian interligon kun vi;

2 sed vi ne faru interligon kun la logxantoj de cxi tiu lando, iliajn altarojn detruu. Sed vi ne obeis Mian vocxon; kial vi tion faris?

3 Tial Mi diras:Mi ne forpelos ilin de vi, kaj ili estos por vi kaptilo, kaj iliaj dioj estos por vi falilo.

4 Kaj kiam la angxelo de la Eternulo parolis tiujn vortojn al cxiuj Izraelidoj, la popolo levis sian vocxon kaj ploris.

5 Kaj ili donis al tiu loko la nomon Bohxim. Kaj ili tie bucxis oferojn al la Eternulo.

6 Kaj Josuo forliberigis la popolon, kaj la Izraelidoj iris cxiu al sia hereda parto, por ekposedi la landon.

7 Kaj la popolo servis al la Eternulo dum la tuta vivo de Josuo, kaj dum la tuta vivo de la plejagxuloj, kiuj vivis longe post Josuo, kaj kiuj vidis cxiujn grandajn farojn de la Eternulo, kiujn Li faris al Izrael.

8 Kaj mortis Josuo, filo de Nun, servanto de la Eternulo, en la agxo de cent dek jaroj.

9 Kaj oni enterigis lin inter la limoj de lia posedajxo en Timnat-HXeres, sur la monto de Efraim, norde de la monto Gaasx.

10 Kaj ankaux tiu tuta generacio alkolektigxis al siaj patroj; kaj aperis post ili generacio alia, kiu ne konis la Eternulon, nek la farojn, kiujn Li faris al Izrael.

11 Kaj la Izraelidoj faris malbonon antaux la okuloj de la Eternulo, kaj servis al Baaloj.

12 Kaj ili forlasis la Eternulon, Dion de iliaj patroj, kiu elkondukis ilin el la lando Egipta, kaj ili sekvis aliajn diojn, el la dioj de la popoloj, kiuj estis cxirkaux ili, kaj ili adoris ilin, kaj kolerigis la Eternulon.

13 Kaj ili forlasis la Eternulon, kaj servis al Baal kaj al Asxtar.

14 Kaj ekflamis la kolero de la Eternulo kontraux Izrael, kaj Li transdonis ilin en la manojn de rabistoj, kiuj prirabis ilin, kaj Li vendis ilin en la manojn de iliaj malamikoj cxirkauxe; kaj ili ne povis plu sin teni antaux siaj malamikoj.

15 Kien ajn ili iris, la mano de la Eternulo estis kontraux ili por malbono, kiel la Eternulo diris kaj kiel la Eternulo jxuris al ili; kaj ili estis tre premataj.

16 Kaj la Eternulo starigis jugxistojn, kiuj savis ilin el la manoj de iliaj rabintoj;

17 tamen ankaux la jugxistojn ili ne obeis, sed ili malcxastis kun aliaj dioj kaj adoris ilin, rapide deklinigxis de la vojo, kiun iris iliaj patroj, obeante la ordonojn de la Eternulo; ili tiel ne agis.

18 Kaj kiam la Eternulo starigis por ili jugxistojn, kaj la Eternulo estis kun la jugxisto, kaj savadis ilin el la manoj de iliaj malamikoj dum la tuta vivo de la jugxisto, cxar la Eternulo kompatis ilin, kiam ili gxemis pro siaj turmentantoj kaj premantoj:

19 tiam, apenaux la jugxisto mortis, ili denove farigxis pli malbonaj ol iliaj patroj, sekvante aliajn diojn, servante al ili, kaj adorante ilin. Ili ne deklinigxis de siaj faroj kaj de sia malbona vojo.

20 Kaj ekflamis la kolero de la Eternulo kontraux Izrael, kaj Li diris:CXar cxi tiu popolo malobeis Mian interligon, kiun Mi donis al iliaj patroj, kaj ne auxskultis Mian vocxon,

21 tial Mi ankaux forpelos de ili neniun el la popoloj, kiujn restigis Josuo, kiam li mortis;

22 por elprovi per ili Izraelon, cxu ili observos la vojon de la Eternulo kaj iros gxin, kiel observis iliaj patroj, aux ne.

23 Kaj la Eternulo restigis tiujn popolojn, kaj ne rapidis elpeli ilin, kaj ne transdonis ilin en la manojn de Josuo.

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Judges 2

Napsal(a) New Christian Bible Study Staff, Julian Duckworth

Judges 2: Israel’s disobedience and Joshua’s death.

This chapter opens with a reprimand from the Angel of the Lord. The Israelites had been commanded not to make any treaties with the people of Canaan, and to tear down their altars. The Angel warned that Israel had broken their covenant to the Lord, so the Lord would not drive out the other inhabitants of the land; they would be thorns in Israel’s side, and their gods would be a snare. Israel wept, and sacrificed to the Lord.

After the Israelites had gone to their assigned territories, it mentions Joshua’s death and burial (yet Joshua had died at the end of the book of Joshua!). All Israel had followed the Lord during Joshua’s time, and understood what the Lord had done for Israel. But the older generation died away, and a new generation arose who did not know the Lord, nor what He had done for Israel.

The chapter then spells out the terrible plight in which the people of Israel had entangled themselves. They had begun to worship Baal and Ashtaroth, the gods of the Canaanites, and they turned away from the Lord who had done so much for them. So, the Lord allowed their enemies to attack them, and Israel could not stand against them. This theme of straying from the Lord, and in turn being punished, will return through the next few chapters.

In the midst of this, the text says that the Lord raised up judges who delivered Israel. However, when each judge died, the people reverted to worshipping other gods. This seems to anticipate the events ahead in Judges.

*****

This chapter really marks the first of many transgressions committed by the Israelites in the book of Judges. The first three verses of this chapter feature the Angel of the Lord, who appears many times throughout the Word, and for many reasons: sometimes to bless, but in this case, to admonish the children of Israel for their disobedience. The Angel of the Lord stands firm and resolute, and represents truths from the Lord revealed in our hearts and minds (see Swedenborg’s work, Divine Providence 96[6]).

The spiritual meaning of ‘weeping’ can mean various things, depending on the context. Here, the people wept because of the Angel’s warning, in momentary recognition of their wrongdoing. This is not real repentance (a ‘change of heart’), but fear along with a sense of our own self-love, which may lead us into more disobedience (see Swedenborg’s work, Heaven and Hell 153).

The death of the older generation and rise of a new one represents a change of state in us. The older generation - Joshua and the elders - served as a connection between the people and the Lord, since they had seen the Lord’s blessings on Israel in their own time. However, when we lose that connection, both our love of obedience and understanding of why we must obey the Lord fall away.

Our changes of state usually happen quickly; we suddenly get angry, feel fear, become selfish. When we turn to the Lord for help during these times, we quickly enter a state of humility in which the Lord can reach us (see Swedenborg’s Doctrine of Life 21).

After Joshua’s death, the children of Israel began to worship other gods, and the Lord punished them. In our lives, this would be like turning back on our devotion to the Lord to instead focus on worldly things, and do just as we please. There is no punishment from the Lord, only the consequences of our actions. We become weak, easy prey for doubts and anxieties, completely at the mercy of the hells (see Arcana Caelestia 7373).

Although the Lord raised judges to lead the people, the Israelites would would return to their old ways once the judge had passed away. This gives us a valuable spiritual truth that even in our sorry state of self-interest, we are still, at times, able to see the mess we are in. We may feel alarmed for a while, but this subsides and we grow complacent once again. The Lord raises up judges so that we can hold ourselves accountable.

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Judges 2

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1 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and 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.

2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?

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.

4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

5 And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD.

6 And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.

7 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.

8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.

9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.

10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.

11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:

12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.

13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.

15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.

17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.

18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.

19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

20 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;

21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:

22 That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.

23 Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.