Judges

Reading Scripture Together

The book of Judges follows the pattern of repeated unfaithfulness of Israel and their deliverance from the Lord. It demonstrates the consequences of religious apostasy and the consistent, faithful, and everlasting character of God. The continued downward spiral of Israel as a nation has devastating consequences on a national and spiritual level. Yet, these accounts and stories are not merely for modern readers to recognize the foolishness of the Israelites but rather to pave the way for a godly king who will lead the nation of Israel back to God.

The narrative of Judges follows a particular format. Israel does evil in the eyes of the Lord. The Lord’s anger is provoked against the people. He allows an enemy to oppress Israel. Israel cries out to the Lord. The Lord hears their cry and provides a savior in the form of a judge. The Lord chooses and empowers the savior by the Spirit. The oppressor submits, followed by a period of peace under the judge. The judge dies. All of these elements are included in the narratives of Othniel, Gideon, and Jephthah but the same basic structure exists throughout the book.¹

Apostasy and Servitude

This is seen in the repetition of the text starting in Judges 2:11, “And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord…” and is repeated throughout the text (3:7, 3:12, 4:1, 6:1, 8:33, and 13:1 to name a few). The repetition of this phrase throughout the book is intentional; it conveys the continued downward spiral of Israel. Despite continual deliverance and punishment for their mistakes they continue to rebel. Each of the narratives in the book become increasingly heinous—culminating in the graphic final act of the book.

What was the reason for Israel’s continued apostasy? Why did they not learn from their mistakes? How could they be so foolish in rebelling against God? These questions may come organically as we read the text, perhaps even positing that we would have made better choices if provided similar circumstances. The continued apostasy shows off our corrupted human nature. In many ways our wandering hearts operate like Israel does by turning away from God. While the degree of moral corruption in Judges is shocking compared with modern readers, the central point also applies to us. Humanity’s natural reaction is rebellion against God.

God punishes the Israelites for their rebellion. He subjects them to servitude under their enemies. Does this make God cruel and unkind to let his people suffer? No! On the contrary, it portrays the holiness of God. He must punish sin even if it is from His chosen people. The punishment isn’t intended to be cruel, but rather to point their minds and hearts to dependence on his laws and characters. They are consistently driven to the point of utter brokenness and dependency on God, which is intended to turn them back to Him time and time again.

This point is not exclusive to those in the era of the Old Testament under the rule of the Judges. Unfortunately, the problem of sin and succumbing to its distractions is a theme resonant in the New Testament—particularly in the book of Romans.

“Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness” (Romans 6:16–18).

The Israelites are slaves to their sin in the same way we are slaves to our own sin. However, under the New Covenant, we are under Christ who gives us an eternal hope of salvation to make us slaves no more to sin. We are subject to Christ, who supplies and rescues us from our depravity. Those in the Old Testament era had this expectation of Christ set forth, which can be continued to be seen in Judges as the Israelites repent and cry out to God for rescue.

Supplication and Salvation

Driven to the point of desperation, the Israelites cry out to God for deliverance. In these instances the judges emerge as God’s appointed people to bring Israel out of their stupor and to turn back to Him. The Israelites frequently find themselves in dire circumstances due to their disobedience and the oppression from surrounding nations. In these moments, they cry out to God for help, reflecting their own need for divine intervention. God consistently and graciously grants their requests for deliverance, conveying the everlasting and enduring love and care that flows from the Father.

God allows the Israelites to face the consequences of their sin, but He is also quick to respond to their cries for help. This duality is a complex understanding of God’s justice. He allows oppression as a consequence of apostasy and disobedience, yet mercifully provides a path to redemption. The judges, including Othniel, Deborah, Gideon, and Samson serve as instruments of God’s salvation. They receive a “rush of the Spirit” and deliver God’s justice on the oppressors to restore order in the land.

However, the flawed nature of the judges serve as a reminder that human efforts are inadequate to achieve true justice. The judges cast a bleak picture of leadership among the Israelites. While they are chosen and led by God, the judges often possess deep personal flaws, commit moral failures, and lack an inward steadfastness in faith. Consider Gideon, who initially shows faith, granting him victory over the Midianites, yet he inevitably falls to idolatry and leads the nation of Israel astray. Or Jepthah, who leads the Israelites in a battle against Ammon to victory, yet forgets the moral law of God in believing it would be pleasing to fulfill his rash vow and sacrifice his daughter. Or Samson, who was given extraordinary strength and yet his lustful heart becomes his undoing.

The judges serve as instruments of salvation but their effectiveness is limited by their own inward disobedience, underscoring the need for repentance and restoration through God’s grace. The failure of these leaders reflect disunity in Israel and a lack of moral clarity. The narrative of Judges suggests that complete justice and restoration can only be found in a righteous king who will bring an abiding peace to the land.

Establishing Expectations

The main pattern of disobedience, oppression, supplication, and salvation leads the Israelites to a dark and desperate place. The final chapters of Judges emphasize the lack of a central authority that has led them to moral perversity. They need a leader to unify the people and guide them towards a restored covenantal relationship with their God.

From the opening chapters of the Book of Judges, the repetition of phrases establishes expectations of the audience to remind them of the sinful nature of humanity but also God’s covenantal faithfulness and sovereign plans. As mentioned earlier, there is the repetition of the phrase, “And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord…” (3:7, 3:12, 4:1, 6:1, 8:33, and 13:1 to name a few). It portrays the pattern of human sinfulness, that the people cannot handle things on their own or deliver themselves from their wickedness.

There is also the repetition of the phrase “the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon…” Othniel (3:10), Gideon (6:34), Jephthah (11:29), and Samson (14:6, 19, 15:14). The Spirit of the Lord provides supernatural strength, wisdom, and guidance to each of the Judges. The repetition of the phrase highlights the work of God in the events of the book of Judges. Despite Israel’s descent into chaos and apostasy, God is still at work. He does not abandon his people, He is faithful to uphold his covenantal promises and use His Spirit to enact his justice. The Spirit of the Lord doesn’t make the judges moral and upright people, but rather it empowers the judges to enact the Lord’s salvation of his covenant people.

Another notable case of repetition occurs towards the end of the book of Judges where moral corruption and depravity are rampant in the nation of Israel. The phrase “In those days there was no king in Israel" (17:6, 18:1, 19:1, and the last verse of the book 21:25). This phrase has multiple implications. One is that it reflects the nation of Israel as one without centralized leadership descending into spiritual lawlessness and ignoring God by doing whatever they wanted. Yet the phrase also implies the expectation and need for a king to unify Israel and lead them back to the God they had forgotten. The expectation of a king looms large at the end of Judges, and its final verse ends on this mysterious expectation that seemingly has no resolution.

But a king is coming that will bring a new covenant for the people of Israel. That will be David as illustrated in 1–2 Samuel. However, the need for a true king is also set up here. At the height of the apostasy, only the Lord’s sovereign hand lead them out. Jesus Christ will permanently lead them out of their vicious cycle. There will be no more disobedience, no more subjugation, no more need for supplication and salvation because Jesus Christ will have paid it all through his blood. The judges conveyed a vacuum of leadership and Jesus Christ will fulfill a kingly leadership that breaks the pattern of sin and leads to everlasting righteousness.