A pattern emerges

**Judges 2: 6 - 3:6**

After Israel's disobedience to God in entering into a covenant with the people of Canaan, one where the people where subdued to forced labor the Israelites began a cycle which continues throughout the book of judges for 400 years.
1. That is Israel turns from God and idol worships
2. God gives them over to their enemies
3. Israel turns back to God
4. God raises up a judge who delivers them from their enemies, Israel has peace for a time..
5. Return to 1.

There are some other small things that pop out in this passage however that i would like to highlight.

A generation (ch 2 vs 10)
It seems that it took a whole generation to pass followed by a new generation who neither knew the Lord or what he had done before bad stuff happens. There is a clear  turning from the Lord as a result of generations losing their previous generations knowledge. A lesson to take from in regards to our own lives and our children's lives. Passing on knowledge not purely scientific but ethical and moral knowledge, knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and what he has done. This is where longevitiy of a healthy society comes from.
On a political note, people forget how bad state can be settle in with democracy and other forms of 'soft' government and so forget the danger, violence and coercion state inevitably brings about.

The Judges
God's response is to raise up judges who deliver them from their issues. It's important to note that the judge is raised up by God! Not by man. There is no voting here. The judge would have also provided much needed wisdom for addressing many contractual and community conflicts. The people of Israel had to trust God for their safety. It was God who raised the judges.

Whenever the judges died it seems the people turned back to idol worship. Because God was angry at their idol worship he then says something very interesting,
"Because this nation has violated the covenant that i laid down for their forefathers and has not listened to me, i will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their forefathers did."

God leaves the remaining nations as a litmus test for the people of Israel. To see if they will turn to the idol worship and wrong ways of those nations and thereby disobey God. As seen in 1 Samuel 8, to see whether they will call out to be like those nations in having a king! something God disapproved of. Essentially also a form of idol worship. Looking to the king for safety vs looking to God.