Introducing Judges for You

We live and work among a great variety of gods—not only those of other formal religions, but also the gods of wealth, celebrity, pleasure, ideology, achievement. Our era can be characterized by the phrase which sums up the book of Judges: “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25, ESV).

So despite the gap of over three millennia, there are many parallels between our situation and the time of the book of Judges, which recounts the history of God’s people, Israel, between the time of Moses and Joshua, and that of the first kings—around 1200BC. This was a time of spiritual pluralism. The society of Canaan—the land God had promised to give his people, and where they were now living intermingled with other nations—was a mixture of believing and pagan people. It was a time when God’s people daily faced the choice between looking to God as their Lord, or following the spirit and preferences of their age. It is mainly the story of how they failed in this task—of how they constantly turned from knowing, loving and obeying God to do “what was right in [their] own eyes.”

And so Judges can be described as “despicable people doing deplorable things” and as “trashy tales about dysfunctional characters.” As the history unfolds even the “heroes,” the judges, become increasingly flawed and failing. They do many appalling things, and their efforts have less and less redemptive effect. It is a dismal story—and it is all history. So the reader will be led to ask, again and again: What in the world is this doing in the Bible?

The answer is an important one—it is the gospel! The book of Judges shows us that the Bible is not a “Book of Virtues;” it is not full of inspirational stories. Why? Because the Bible (unlike the books on which other religions are based) is not about following moral examples. It is about a God of mercy and long-suffering, who continually works in and through us despite our constant resistance to his purposes. Ultimately, there is only one hero in this book, and he’s divine. When we read this part of Scripture as a historical recounting of how God works to rescue his undeserving people through, and out of, the mess their sin brings them into, then it comes alive to us in our heads and hearts, and speaks into our own lives and situations today. Judges is not an easy read. But living in the times we do, it is an essential one.

You may not have ever studied Judges in depth before—it is one of those Old Testament books between Exodus and Psalms that often get forgotten or skimmed over. If you’ve never really looked at Judges, let Judges For You take you to the heart of this amazing, challenging, thrilling book—and let it show you the heart of the God who rescues his people. Prepare to be shocked, challenged and excited.

Judges For You is available TODAY. Click here to order.