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I. THE WORK TO BE DONE.

1. Chastisement as well as trial.

2. A special mark is put on the reason for this course of dealing (chap. Judges 2:20-23).

II. GOD'S CHOICE OF INSTRUMENTS.

1. God designates His own agency to do His work.

2. God selects His instruments from the camp of His enemies equally with His friends.

3. A sinning people often supply the means of their own correction.

4. God can turn the most unlikely persons into fit instruments for doing His work.

III. THE TENDENCY OF THE COVENANT PEOPLE TO APOSTATISE FROM THEIR GOD.

1. It is what might have been least expected.

2. The root-cause lies in the depravity of the human heart.

3. Remissness of parental training one of the immediate causes.

IV. EACH NEW GENERATION REQUIRES IN SOME DEGREE TO BE TAUGHT BY AN EXPERIENCE OF ITS OWN.

1. The strange incapacity of the human heart for receiving Divine lessons.

2. Personal experience is the most effective method of teaching.

(1)  A more vivid impression is made.

(2)  Personal interests are more deeply touched.

3. Each generation must have a character of its own, and answer for itself.

(J. P. Millar.)

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KJV: Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;

WEB: Now these are the nations which Yahweh left, to prove Israel by them, even as many [of Israel] as had not known all the wars of Canaan;