Everyone hates cancer. It seems as though just as soon as it is removed it recovers and threatens again. The diagnoses often leads to repeated painful treatments just to keep hope alive.
In Genesis 15:5-7 God promised a land for Abraham, which his descendants would possess. After the children of Abraham had wandered in the land, been enslaved by a foreign power 400 years, and had wandered in the wilderness for 40 years they were ready to possess the land God promised long ago to Abraham. However, the people acted on a lack of faith and would not completely drive out the inhabitants of the land (Judges 2:27-33). Instead of driving them out according to covenant the covenant they made with God, they made covenants with the people contrary to the will of God. Because of their lack of total obedience, God said, “I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you” (Judges 2:3). When Joshua and the elders of that generation died, “then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of The Lord” (Judges 2:11). A cycle of sin, servitude, supplication, and salvation had begun. This is a cycle that God’s people find themselves continuing today. The miserable lifestyle that we often choose to live is only redeemed by the amazing graciousness of our loving Savior. My Lord said, it is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are ill. I am so thankful that he receives sinful men. Let us study the things which were written before so that we may be encouraged to live a more holy life before God.

I. God’s people sin–Judges 2:11-13.
A. Judges 2:11-13 shows us that God’s people sin by “doing evil”; “serving Baals”; “forsaking The Lord”; and by “following the gods of the people who are around”.
B. God’s people continue to sin in the same way whenever we fail to “seek first the kingdom
of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).
C. Just as we see so many accidents caused by distracted drivers, we see so many loose their soul because of distracted living.

II. God punishes sin–Judges 2:14-15.
A. The anger of The Lord was hotly kindled against those who did evil. Notice that this
cycle of sin and punishment continued in the book of Judges: with some 15 judges, God
delivered the people from the Mesopotamians by Othniel (3:7-11); from the Moabites by
Ehud (3:12-30); from the Philistines by Shamgar (3:31); from the Canaanites by Deborah
and Barak (4-5); from the Midianites by Gideon (6-8); from the Amonites by Abimelech
(10:6-11:40); from the Philistines by Jepthah; Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Eli, and finally Samuel (15-16).
B. We should apply this knowledge of God’s hatred toward sin to our lives today. We
should not want to anger God. “Whatsoever a man sows that will he also reap” (Gal. 6:7).
C. This principle of sowing and reaping is seen demonstrated by the Rich man and
Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31.

III. God saves sinners–Judges 2:16-19
A. The people of Israel are not the main characters in the book of Judges. The God of
Heaven who forgives sinful people takes center stage as the main character of the entire
Bible.
1. The word “Nevertheless” (NKJV) offers so much hope for mercy.
2. The fact that God was willing to raise up deliverers for them gives us confidence
in the One who delivers us.
B. God has raised Jesus to deliver us from our sin: 1 Corinthians 15:17-24.
C. Romans 5:20 tells us that “where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more.” This
beautiful principle is illustrated so well in the lives of Samson and Saul of Tarsus.
Hopefully, it is seen in our lives as well.

Sometimes we go to the doctor and we are told that the problem has returned. There will be more treatments, more surgeries, more suffering, and more hope. Today, I want you to know that there is hope because of the Great Physician who never lost a case. He has a prescription for you.