Once again, the people of Israel do what is evil in the sight of the Lord. Already, we’ve seen the same story twice. Remember the pattern that was laid out for us in chapter 2: God’s people do what is evil, they are oppressed, they repent, God sends a judge to deliver them, and then there is a time of peace. And this week is no different. There’s evil (4:1), the Israelites cry out to God for rescue (4:3), God sends Deborah (4:4-24), and there’s a time of peace (chapter 5). There is one way that this week’s text differs from what we’ve explored so far in the book of Judges: we get a glimpse into the mind of the judge through a song (chapter 5). Here we see Deborah recount the events of chapter 4 in song, giving glory to God and reminding the Israelites of God’s goodness.
The Mother of All Judges
Judges 4:1-5:31
September 26, 2021 • Andrew Murch
Life and Death in the Kingdom of Men
November 28, 2021 • Andrew Murch
The saying goes, “two wrongs do not make a right.” We see this reality playing out every day. After forgetting to do the dishes, lying about it won’t make them suddenly clean. When one sibling steals from another, stealing a toy of theirs won’t ‘right’ anything. This week’s passage not only horrifically confirms this idea, it also shines a brutal light on all of Israel in one of the darkest nights for the people of God. The end of Judges displays wrong after wrong after wrong as the people of Israel move further and further from the holy ways of the LORD that they were taught. And without warning, the book of Judges ends. “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
Following Your Heart Off a Cliff
November 21, 2021 • Andrew Murch
After the death of Samson, the book of Judges takes a weird turn. The vicious cycle of chapters 3-16 has culminated in Samson, and the narrator seeks to bring home the central thesis of the book by means of a double conclusion. The conclusion of the book takes the form of two longer narratives (chapters 17-18 and chapters 19-21, respectively) that repeat the author’s thesis statement throughout. These two narratives mirror the opening of the book (we will examine more on this next week). By zooming in on the odd saga of “a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah” (Judges 17:1), the author of Judges will drive home the point, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25). These are days of subjective religion. Among the Israelites, a people called by God to worship and serve him as a light to the nations, darkness covers the land. After being saved by God again and again, chapters 17-21 give an intimate picture of just how far they have degenerated. They didn’t drive out the Canaanites, instead they have become like them. They did what was right in their own eyes. Relativism, counterfeit religion, and godlessness abound.
The Final Judge
November 14, 2021 • Andrew Murch
Welcome to part three of the Samson saga. Our first week was filled with angels and animal sacrifice. Week two contained ripping lions apart with bare hands and foxes tied together to be used as weapons. It’s been quite the journey, and the story isn’t over yet. Part three contains sin, seduction, and even more amazing feats of strength. But behind all the theatrics that could fill a Marvel trilogy is the story of a people falling deeper and deeper away from their God, modeled in the character of our book’s last main judge, Samson.