Book: Judges
Judges 1
- Devotional Judges 1:1-21: Trusting in Divine Leadership
The Book of Judges chronicles the leadership of Israel after Joshua’s death, showing how when they sought to rule themselves, they descended into immorality, chaos, and judgement. True leadership comes…
- Devotional Judges 1:22-36 – Tolerance for Sin
While in the south of Israel the military campaigns were largely successful, because they followed God’s leadership, the north of Israel was not as successful. The ultimate failures in the…
Judges 2
- Devotional Judges 2:1-5: Repentance, Not Weeping
In the first chapter of Judges, we have seen sin and disobedience in Israel’s life. Despite God’s command to drive out the pagan nations of Canaan, the Israelites tolerated their…
- Devotional Judges 2:6-13: Forgetfulness to Failure
children will. After Joshua died, that is what happened to Israel. They forgot God. They did not follow him. They failed. This passage emphasises the importance of not forgetting God…
- Devotional Judges 2:14-3:6: Judgement And Deliverance
Jesus’ death and resurrection is the hinge of history. It is the point all of history builds towards, and it is the point of all history we look back towards…
Judges 3
- Devotional Judges 3:7-11: God Dramatically Saves Through Boring
In Judges there are exciting salvation stories, and boring ones. The first example, that of God’s saving Israel through Othniel, falls into the boring category. But boring is often good.…
- Devotional Judges 3:12-30: Comical Relief
Judges 3 contains a story which holds plenty of comical relief, along with an element of personal gorishness which surprises and shocks our sensibilities. But along with the comical relief,…
- Devotional Judges 3:31 The Curious Case of Shamgar
, what he did, and what effect it had on Israel. He only rates a one verse mention. But he is still important, because the Bible points him out.
Judges 4
- Devotional Judges 4: Unlikely Vessels of Victory
Judges in Chapter 4 God further demonstrates his use of unusual means to save his people; two women. Where the men are weak, fearful, and cowardly, two women are brave…
Judges 5
- Devotional Judges 5: Praising God’s Deliverance
Singing praises to God was important throughout history, and in Judges 5 we see another song which sings praises to God for who he is and what he had done…
Judges 6
- Devotional Judges 6:1-10: Locusts and Learnings
You would think that after God’s mighty act of salvation, we would stay on the straight and narrow. Sadly, this is not what happens. We often forget God’s goodness expressed…
- Devotional Judges 6:11-24: God Calls Gideon
Gideon in his weakness, commissions Gideon with a promise, and assures Gideon with a sign. Gideon realises the heights of God’s holiness and the terror of his inadequacy, but experiences…
- Devotional Judges 6:25-32: Cutting Down Idols
groups. Whether they are an ideology, a practice, or a physical object, idols are very precious to us. When they are shown to be the impotent things they are compared…
- Devotional Judges 6:33-40 – Strength and Weakness
The Christian walk can feel like a constant conflict between strength and weakness. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we step out in faith and trust God’s promises, turning away from…
Judges 7
- Devotional Judges 7:1-15: Strength Through Weakness
or invading other countries who have something you would like. Weakness is not a virtue, or a place from which victory is expected. Those that win through strength of body,…
- Devotional Judges 7:16-25: Strength Becomes Weakness
There is truth to the saying that your greatest strength can also be your greatest weakness. In the areas you are most confident, pride and negligence often take hold. Pride,…
Judges 8
- Devotional Judges 8:1-21: Weakness Through Status And Security
Why do people seek status and security? Usually, because it places you in a position of strength. With status, you can influence others for your own benefit or to avoid…
- Devotional Judges 8:22-32: From Strength to Weakness
It is hard to stay strong. Harder still when you were never particularly strong to begin with, and when those around you are weak. For all the strength of Gideon’s…
- Devotional Judges 8:33-9:21 – The Wrong Kind of King
Our National Anthem asks God (somewhat ironically perhaps, due to our pagan nature) to defend New Zealand. It includes a request to guard our country from the “shafts of strife…
Judges 9
- Devotional Judges 9:22-57: Downfall of the Wrong Leader
God does not always strike with lightning or fire and brimstone. Sometimes, God judges through decline and self-destruction. Sometimes, God uses evil to destroy itself. Sometimes, judgement comes from within,…
Judges 10
- Devotional Judges 10:1-5: Majoring On Two Minors
Book of Judges is not like your standard history book. While it covers the high and low points of the Judges period of Israel’s time in the Promised Land, it…
- Devotional Judges 10:6-16: Apostasy and Compassion
In Judges 10, we are exposed to the further decline of Israel’s attitude to God, and their increased apostasy. In the face of stricter punishment, Israel once again made gestures…
- Devotional Judges 10:17-11:11: Rejected Saviour
How often in life do we reject the help or advice of someone until it is past time that we need it? As a father, it seems like my children…
Judges 11
- Devotional Judges 11:12-28: Knowing Your History
In our second look at Jephthah’s role as a Judge over Israel, we see the importance of history in the conflict between Israel and Ammon. Ammon promotes a revisionist history…
- Devotional Judges 11:29-40: Jephthah’s Tragic Vow
e all say or do foolish things, or make stupid promises. Sometimes we wish we had stopped rebelling against God earlier, or paid more attention to God’s commands. Most of…
Judges 12
- Devotional Judges 12:1-7: Pride and Prejudice
statement is. Likewise, prejudice against those different to us is an ever present truth in this fallen world. In this passage, we see the tragic consequences of pride and prejudice…
- Devotional Judges 12:8-15: Power, Wealth, and Passing Mention
People like to gather power and wealth because it makes them notable, but in the end most will just become a passing mention at best. Like three of the judges…
Judges 13
- Devotional Judges 13: A Saviour From Birth
Samson, the final judge in the Book of Judges, grew up knowing he had a special destiny. In Judges 13, God’s dramatic power to provide a saviour for Israel from…
Judges 14
- Devotional Judges 14: Secrets and Agendas
In Judges 14, we are introduced to three people or groups with secrets and agendas. Samson has an agenda and secrets. The Philistines have an agenda, and want to know…
Judges 15
- Devotional Judges 15: Foxes, Fire, and Jawbones
Judges 15 continues the story of conflict between Samson and the Philistines. However, this conflict is driven not by ideology or devotion to God, but by his own passion, pride,…
Judges 16
- Devotional Judges 16:1-22: Samson’s Downfall
Sometimes in life, a person and the events that occur to them ends up being a picture of a group they belong to. In Jesus’ parables, figures like the older…
- Devotional Judges 16:23-31: The Vindication of Samson
The Church is often closest to victory in God when it appears closest to defeat. The Gospel advanced like wildfire in the Roman Empire, even as persecutions swept the land.…
Judges 17
- Devotional Judges 17-18: Right in Their Own Eyes
There is a Golden Age Fallacy; the idea that there was a time in our past better than now. Partly it is driven by memory (you tend to forget bad…
Judges 19
- Devotional Judges 19: Depravity Amongst God’s People
We live in a terrible, sinful world. Sad and terrible things happen to people because of the sinful, callous, and selfish desires of other people. It fills the news, social…
Judges 20
- Devotional Judges 20: Judgement Among God’s People
Judges 20 shows the response of Israel to the appalling events of the previous chapter in Gibeah. The nation largely united to judge and expunge the evil in their midst,…
Judges 21
- Devotional Judges 21: Nobody Righteous
The final chapter of Judges shows a situation where nobody in Israel comes out smelling like roses. After nearly destroying one tribe of Israel because of the appalling sinfulness of…