Judges 2:11-13 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim. And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger. And the forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashteroth.
The response of the people to the God who delivered them and brought them out of Egypt (the world) was horrific: they did evil by leaving the Lord to connect to Baal and the gods of the inhabitants in the land. This belief and activity was evil in the eyes of the Lord, breaking the First Commandment. This leads to the breaking of all the Commandments. The Law is given as a gift to please God and make life pleasant for humans. Sin produces two problems: a diminished enjoyment of life and the just anger of the Lord. The specific result was that various enemies would come against Israel. When they turned back to the Lord He raised up judges to deliver them from their enemies.
The Lord reveals for us in the book of Judges what is the real cause and effect of our troubles and peaceful times. The true spiritual cause of life’s issues is Sin or Repentance, forsaking God or forsaking the world, doing evil or crying out to the Lord. This cycle repeats itself every day as we sin, suffer, repent, and are forgiven, delivered, and restored. We turn away from the Lord and we turn back to Him over and over, and the pattern never ends until we die and go to heaven.
Do not neglect your daily response!