Judges

The original readers of Judges would have been the Israelites' under King Saul’s reign or the beginning of David’s reign. Chapter 21:25 says: “In those days Israel had no king;…” This reveals that the original reader would have had a king and shows that Numbers would have been history to the original readers.

I think the author is Samuel, and Jewish tradition also accredits Judges to Samuel.  Samuel would have had a unique understanding “..between the period of the judges and the period of the kings.”(Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts)

I think the main theme of this book is that the people of Israel “…failed…”(Judges 1:19,21,29,30,31,33) to obey God, but he continued to deliverer them in His faithfulness and grace. The Israelites repeat a cycle of sin throughout Judges. It started when the Israelites did “…evil in the Lord’s sight and served the image of Baal;”(Numbers 2:11) and “…abandoned the Lord…”(Numbers 2:13) to worship other gods. So in the Lords anger “He turned them over to their enemies…”(Numbers 2:14) and “…fought against them...”, causing them to “…be defeated.”(Numbers 2:15) Then the Lord hears Israel’s cries of distress and takes pity on his people.(Numbers 2:16,18) He raises up judges to “…rescue the Israelites from their attackers.”(Numbers 2:16) So God delivered Israel, but it was always short lived. Once the judge would die the Israelites “…returned to their corrupt ways, behaving worse than those who had lived before them.”(Numbers 2:19) Throughout Judges God stays true to His covenant and faithfully shows Israel grace.

I think the primary reason Judges was written was to document the 350 years the Israelite lived without a king, a fulfillment of Gods intention to be the sole ruler of the Israelites. This history would have been valuable to future generations. Another idea on why Samuel may have written Judges would have been to convince Israel of their need for a king, particularly David. In this book we see David’s tribe, the tribe of Judah, spoken about in a mostly positive light. “The Lord was with people of Judah…they took possession of the hill country.”(Judges 1:19) But we see Sauls tribe, the tribe Benjamin, spoken about in a negative light. First, they “failed to drive out the Jebusites…”(Judges 1:21) and then troublemakers from the Benjamin’s tribe rape and kill a girl(Judges 19:23-28) and are purged of their evil by the other twelve tribes.(Numbers 20:8-13) On a joyful note, Judges also is full of God using unique, seemingly “unqualified” people to act as judges (hero’s) for Israel. This would have been an encouraging message to future Israelites of hope and the redemption of God.

The faithfulness of God is shown throughout Judges. He is so quick to forgive and minister grace to Israel. Even when they were doing detestable things and completely hurting the Lords heart He “…took pity on his people, who were burdened by oppression and suffering.”(Judges 2:18) A specific illustration of Gods grace is powerfully witnessed in the Lords interactions with Samson. After the Lord allowed Samsun to kill 1,000 Philistines with a donkey’s jawbone, Samson starts boasting, as if it was in his own strength.(Judges 15:17) “You have accomplished this great victory by the strength of your servant…”(Judges 15:18) After he did this instead of rebuking Him, God gave him water to drink by causing “…water to gush out of a hollow in the ground…”(Numbers 15:19) God remains faithful and full of grace, even in our pride.

I do not see much of God’s redemptive plan but Jesus is foreshadowed in Judges. Jephthah made a vow with the Lord to sacrifice as a burnt offering whatever comes out of his house to greet him if the Lord gives him victory in battle. His “…one and only child…”(Judges 11:34) came out to greet him. She was a virgin(Judges 11:37) and would be a pure sacrifice. Jesus was God’s one and only son and a pure sacrifice without any sin. In chapter 13:3 the angel of the Lord appeared to Manoahs’s wife and told her she will “…become pregnant and give birth to a son.”(Judges 13:3) The angel of Lord also said “He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.”(Judges 13:5) An angel of the Lord will also appears to Mary and Jesus will rescue Israel from the Romans.

In Judges God has been deeply speaking the theme of grace over my heart. He is so full of loving grace and it can be seen repeatedly in this book. It gives me such hope that what I try to accomplish for the Lord cannot be done in my own strength. Rather, in my weakness God delights even more to use me so that His power can be revealed. I love how God speaks so patiently and tenderly with Gideon. Gideon repeatedly tells God he isn’t qualified to be used in mighty ways and the Lord encourages Him. Unlike God’s directedness and harshness with Moses, God knows Gideon personally and speaks and has a different approach. The Lord calls him a “Mighty hero…”(Numbers 6:12) and says “I am sending you!”(Judges 6:14) He also tells him “I will be with you.”(Numbers 6:16) In Gideons fears God had done a mighty work of trust in His heart. A work so great the Gideon recognized God as “…the Lord is peace.”(Numbers 6:24) I want God to grow a confidence in me so great that my faith in the Lord’s strength will produce peace in my life.

A weird but amusing story that oppressed women could glean from would be the story of Jael. God uses her femininity and hospitality to lure in, and eventually kill Sisera, the commander of a bad army. Jael did not have a lot to offer the Lord when He wanted to us her. She had a hammer, and a tent peg and an obedient heart and we see the latter is all that really matters to God!(Judges 4:21) Jael is counted as “Most blessed among women.”(Judges 5:24) for her obedience to God. Just like Jael we may be lacking in gifts or weapons we think are valuable for God to use us; but that is simply not what God is after. He’s after our willingness and obedient hearts!