Then they cried out to the LORD: Sometimes suffering is what turns people’s hearts toward God. During the time of the judges, Israel often went through cycles of sin, oppression, repentance, and rescue.
Baals and Ashtoreths: When people turn away from God, they often turn to idols (see 1 Samuel 7:3; Judges 2:13; 10:6).
Thinking that God must rescue us if we worship him turns worship into a cheap deal, where God must act to please someone. God deserves obedience and worship because he is God, not for the favors he can do.