ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Tu‘apulelulu ‘Okatopa 21, 2021

I will never break my covenant with you

‘E ‘ikai te u vete ‘eku kovinānite mo kimoutolu ‘o ta‘engata

Fakamaau 2 (Judges 2)

(v. 1-2) PEA hā‘ele hake ‘a e ‘Āngelo ‘a Sihova mei Kilikali ki Pōkimi. Pea ne folofola mai, Na‘a ku ‘ohake kimoutolu mei ‘Isipite, pea u fakahū kimoutolu ki he fonua ‘a ia na‘a ku fuakava ai ki ho‘omou ngaahi kui; pea u pehē, ‘E ‘ikai te u vete ‘eku kovinānite mo kimoutolu ‘o ta‘engata. Pea ko kimoutolu ‘e ‘ikai te mou fai talite mo e kakai ‘o e fonua ni: te mou holoki honau ngaahi ‘ōlita: ka kuo ‘ikai te mou tokanga ki he‘eku lea. Ko e hā ‘eni kuo mou fai? Ko ia kuo u pehē foki, ‘E ‘ikai te u kapusi kinautolu mei homou ‘ao; ka te nau nofo ko e ngaahi me‘a kinisi ki homou vakavaka pea ‘e hoko honau ngaahi ‘otua ko e tauhele kiate kimoutolu.

(v. 1-3) Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

The fact of Israel's failure is still further revealed in this chapter. In the first five verses we have the account of the coming of a messenger from Gilgal. This messenger, referred to as "the angel of the Lord," may have been a prophet, for the word rendered "angel" may with equal accuracy be rendered messenger. On the other hand it may have been a special divine and angelic personality.

There was an assembly of the people at Bochim. For what purpose we are not told, but the message brought to them called them back to loyalty to God.

Immediately following this, the historian gives a brief retrospect of the condition of affairs under Joshua, emphasizing that during his life and the life of the elders associated with him the people served the Lord; but that after the passing of these a generation sprang up which did not know the Lord. This of course means not that they were ignorant of the fact of the divine government, but that they were careless about it and disobedient.

This statement is followed by a synopsis of the history which is yet to be set out in greater detail. Here the facts are set forth in the light of the relation the people bore to God. Three movements, the details of which will be found in subsequent sections, are indicated. The first had to do with the sin of the people (verses Jdg 2:11-13 ), the second with the punishment which followed (verses Jdg 2:14-15 ), the third with deliverances (verse Jdg 2:16 ). Continuing, we find a record of sin repeated (verses Jdg 2:20-23 ).

This connection of sin, punishment, and deliverance really forms the keynote to the historical movement recorded in the whole of the Book.

David Guzik :: Study Guide for Judges 2

The Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal: It is likely that this was God Himself, appearing in a human form. There are frequent Old Testament appearances of the Angel of the Lord that indicate that it is God Himself.

There is a legitimate question as to if every mention of the Angel of the Lord is a divine appearance. As G. Campbell Morgan wrote, “This messenger, referred to as ‘the angel of the Lord,’ may have been a prophet, for the word rendered ‘angel’ may with equal accuracy be rendered messenger. On the other hand it may have been a special divine and angelic personality.”

Assuming this to be a divine appearance (as the author believes it does indicate), we surmise that this was Jesus Christ appearing to the people of Israel before His incarnated appearance in Bethlehem. We know this is Jesus for two reasons.

· First because the Angel of the Lord here claimed divinity by saying that He was the one who led Israel up from Egypt, who made a covenant with Israel (Judges 2:1), and who personally called Israel to obedience (Judges 2:2).

· Second because this person, appearing in human form before Israel, cannot be God the Father, because the Father is described as invisible (1 Timothy 1:17) and whom no man has seen or can see (1 Timothy 6:16).

The idea of Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, appearing as a man before Bethlehem is provocative, but logical. We know that He existed before Bethlehem (Micah 5:2); why should He not, on isolated but important occasions, appear in bodily form? We see other places where this happened, such as Genesis 18:16-33, Genesis 32:24-30, and Judges 13:1-23.

“Not in such a body as God had prepared for him when he took upon himself the form of a servant, but in such a form and fashion as seemed most congruous to his divine majesty, and to the circumstances of those he visited, this angel of the divine covenant whom we delight in came and spoke unto this people.” (Spurgeon)