With Joshua’s leadership the Hebrews soon conquered the Promised Land. Everyone settled down and for a while there was peace. Moses previously warned them saying:
Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today; otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them, and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery…Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you would not listen to the voice of the LORD your God.*
Unfortunately with time the Hebrews did begin to forget God and His commandments. They even began to worship idols. So the Hebrews did not live in peace but instead they suffered under attacks by the enemy.
…the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge and delivered them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed and afflicted them. But it came about when the judge died, that they would turn back and act more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and bow down to them; they did not abandon their practices or their stubborn ways.*
The Hebrews had no king, instead God raised spiritual leaders called Judges who did their best to direct the people to serve God. The people then just like people today can be tempted by the pleasures of the world and tend to forget God. The good news is that God loves us and reaches out to save us from our stubborn ways.
Special Note: The Old Testament will refer to the descendents of Jacob who were slaves in Egypt as: My people, Hebrews, Sons of Israel, Children of Israel, Israel, Israelites and Jews.
Deuteronomy 8:11-14,20, Judges 2:18-19 (NASB)
Lesson Questions for the Full Story:
Content: Yo!, Youth Outreach, Youth
Outreach, Children's Devotionals,
Children's Bible Devotionals, Children's Daily
Devotionals, Children's Bible Lessons, Children's
Bible Stories, Children's Missionary Stories,
Children's Bible Verses, Children's Scripture Memory,
Devotionals for Youth, Bible Devotionals for Youth,
Daily Devotionals for Youth, Bible Lessons for Youth,
Bible Stories for Youth, Missionary Stories for Youth,
Bible Verses for Youth, Scripture Memory for Youth,
The Gospel, The Good News, The Gospel of Lord Jesus
Christ, New Testament Stories, Old Testament Stories,
Jesus, God's only begotten Son, Stories of Jesus,
Jesus Parables, Born Again, The way the truth and the
life, God's love, Everlasting life, The Father the Son
and the Holy Spirit, The Holy Ghost, The Everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace, The bright and morning
star, God so loved the world, yoroom
