Under Joshua, Israel had established herself in the Canaanite region. The Promised Land was theirs, and now it only needed to be cleansed of Canaanite paganism and culture, and occupied by the 12 Tribes of Israel (the 12 sons of Jacob, Gen. 29-30, a.k.a. Israel, Gen. 32:28). The region of Canaan consisted of several city-states ruled by minor kings.

The battles in Judges chapter 1 are chaotic and poorly planned, much different than the organized campaigns led by Joshua. The failure of the tribes to drive out all of the Canaanites from the land as God demanded, means that pagan religious and cultural influences remain. Combined with the Israelites utter neglect in teaching their children about God and all that God had done for them, these religious and cultural influences quickly infect the Israelites.

God is angry about this. In 2:16 however, we read that God will raise up judges to “save” Israel from its raiders. Critics of the OT argue that God’s redeeming grace, so evident in the NT, is lacking in the OT. Not so, as we see in 2:16. Israel had done nothing to warrant God’s redemptive actions on their behalf. Yet God’s redemptive love was extended to them. They had not earned it, and had in fact earned the opposite. God’s love, nevertheless, remained with them.

In these two introductory chapters, we see the cycle of faith abandonment, oppression, cries of pain, and God’s redemptive deliverance – a cycle that will repeat throughout the book of Judges.

God wanted Israel to remain pure and devoted to him.  He did not want them to wander off his path.  But the failure to drive out the Canaanites caused a thorn in Israel's side because it created mixed marriages, Pagan worship,political in fighting amongst the tribes, and corruption and materialism.

In today's time with the continued omission of the name God in our schools (Pledge of Alligence) the removal of the "Ten Commandments" in a court room, the promotion for Gay marriages, and especially the corruption, the greed, materialism that exists today, the failure to teach our children about God has put us on the same path as Judges.

from Beth:  The Israelites failed to drive out the Canaanites, so God accused them of breaking their covenant with him because they did not tear down the pagan altars.  God knew that those altars would be a temptation, a snare, and a "thorn in their side."  We need to worship God instead of the culture surrounding us. Otherwise we are tempted to make gods of ourselves (and no one else matters). Our American "royalty" are the beautiful people and the athletes - doesn't that sound like ancient Greece?  Our TV culture is base and almost debased. What can we do to drive out rude & crude manners besides standing up for our Judeo-Christian morals? When I watch mad people on TV, it makes me mad. I recommend turning off the TV.

from Beth:  It has taken me a LONG time to figure out an answer to the "thorn in your side" question.  So my answer for the moment is "me-ness", which sometimes translates into meanness.