Judges
Judges 7:23–8:32
Godliness involves abandonment of self-glorifying vendettas and of power.
After Jdg 7:22, with Israel’s victory over the Midianites accomplished, one would have expected the narrative to conclude with the notice of the Midianites being subdued and the land obtaining rest, followed by an announcement of Gideon’s death and its aftermath. But no, there is an “interpolation” before the end that adds some more unsavory dimensions to Gideon’s life.
The summoning of troops
Judges 6:1–7:22
Faithful trust in God, without pridefully taking credit for divine action, leads to blessing.
After the lofty praises sung to Yahweh in Judges 5, we are brought down to terra firma with an unmistakable thud: the Israelites returned to their evil ways (6:1).
Usually, at this juncture Yahweh would be raising up a deliverer. Instead we have a detour—a round of deserved divine excoriation of the nation’s behavior (6:8–10). Israel had chosen to fear and obey not Yahweh,
Judges 5:1–31
Participation in the endeavors of God, as he fights for his people and empowers them, keeps one blessed.
The prose account of Barak’s victory in Judges 4 is completed only by the addition of 5:31b: the statement of the land’s rest. In that sense, the Song of Deborah in 5:1–31a is an interpolation of sorts, with a theological thrust of its own.
Right from the get-go, Yahweh is praised for Israel’s “leaders” and “people” enrolling to fight (5:2). Soon that
Judges 4:1–24
Fearless faith in God results in blessing.
The Israelites have not learnt a whole lot—they are “continuing” to do evil in Yahweh’s sight (Jdg 4:1). And so Yahweh sells them into the hand of Jabin, the Canaanite king (4:2), and the Israelites cry in desperation (4:3). Same old story.
But the next few elements of the standard paradigm are missing in the Barak narrative. Instead, we have a relentless echo of feminine nouns and suffixes: “Deborah [a feminine
Judges 3:12–31
Integrity, driven by reverence for God and reliance upon him, receives divine approbation.
We are told twice that Israel “did evil in the sight of Yahweh” (Jdg 3:12). So, what’s new? And Yahweh, therefore, empowered Eglon, the king of Moab, against Israel (3:12). Yet God has mercy and he raises up an Israelite deliverer, Ehud (3:15). But quite surprisingly, for the rest of the passage, Yahweh does not seem at all involved with the goings on. And the final victory
Judges 2:6–3:11
Personal experience of God produces unwavering commitment to him and gives him glory.
Judges 2:6–10 is almost identical to Josh 24:28–31, but it weaves the story in its own way for a different theological purpose. Unfortunately, as was seen in Jdg 1:1–2:5, the post-Joshua generation went but did not possess the land for, as 2:10 declares, they did not “know Yahweh, or the deeds which he had done.” And what they did in their abysmal ignorance—and
Judges 1:1–2:5
Faithfulness to God manifest in uncompromising godliness and reliance on God brings blessing.
Joshua, the one who had begun to lead the Israelites so successfully against the Canaanites, and who was God’s agent for assigning land to the various tribes, was now gone. An era had concluded with the death of Joshua. A new beginning was at hand, and with it the challenge of finding godly leaders. Who would be the next godly servant to lead Israel? The Israelites do not ask
Abe Kuruvilla is the Carl E. Bates Professor of Christian Preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY), and a dermatologist in private practice. His passion is to explore, explain, and exemplify preaching.