WARNING: If you thought parts of Genesis were risqué, if you felt queasy at the detailed descriptions of some of the animal sacrifices in Leviticus, be warned: Judges is much worse. In this book, we will see idolatry, murder, human sacrifice, suicide, genocide, gruesome deaths, sexual promiscuity and rape. If you are especially squeamish, you may skip Judges 19 entirely.
The book of Judges has a theme, repeated twice: In those days there was no king in Israel, and everyone did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6 and 21:25).
This sad statement does not mean that there aren’t some moments of faith and greatness in the time of the Judges. It just means that such moments were short-lived.
Judges 1 highlights the incompleteness of their conquest of the Promised Land.
Judges 2 admits to Israel’s forgetfulness and unfaithfulness after the death of Joshua (They didn’t keep those promises they made in Joshua 24!) This chapter also introduces the cycle:
- The people abandon the Lord and worship idols.
- The Lord allows their enemies to plunder them.
- The people groan in their affliction.
- The Lord hears them and raises up a judge to deliver them
And the whole thing begins again.
Judges 3 introduces the first judges: Othniel, Ehud (the left-handed judge; read to see why that’s important!) and Shamgar.
Judges 4 & 5 introduce us to two of the great women in the history of Israel: Deborah, the only God-sanctioned female head-of-state the ancient Israelites ever had, and Jael, the spunky spike-driver who killed Sisera, the Canaanite king. Deborah’s song is a victory taunt, intended, it seems, for an international readership, as if to say: Beware, kings and princes of the earth, the women of Israel are mighty!
Until Monday, when we meet Gideon!
Pastor Gary
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