Category: Judges

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. And the lack of excitement in Othniel’s judging allows us to see the cycle of salvation: sin and wrath, oppression and crying, and deliverance and…

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 as we progress to history’s end – when Jesus returns and is given all glory. It demonstrates at once the judgement of God on sin…

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 in our lives, and teaching and encouraging the next generation to trust in Jesus, their saviour too.

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 idolatry and immorality in their midst. In the first five verses of chapter 2, God announces judgement on Israel and warns them what will happen…

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 North laid the seeds for much of the later oppression experienced by Israel recorded in Judges, because of a tolerance for sin and disobedience. The…

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 from trusting in God’s Divine Leadership, and following those whom God appoints to shepherd his people.