Judges portrays the people of God languishing without good leadership. Judges and 1-2 Samuel bridge the gap from the entrance of the people of God into the Promised Land under Joshua to their expulsion from the land due to unfaithful kings in 1-2 Kings. Since the conquest of the land is not complete, Judges begins with the question of who will lead in battle (Judg 1:1) and ends with "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit" (Judg 21:25). The need for a king to lead God's people into their full inheritance is an important theme.
The need for a king to break the cycle of idolatry and oppression. The people of God repeatedly abandon God for pagan gods. God loves his people too much and will not let this ongoing rejection of their distinctive calling--to be a kingdom of priests, chosen to testify to his glory among the nations. Judges tells the story of the cycles of sin and deliverance (Judg 2:16-19). Despite the people's continuous rejection of God's kingship, he is moved to compassion for them. God provided individual judges again and again (Judg 2:16, 18; 3:9, 31; 6:14-15; 8:22; 10:1; 13:5).
The need for a king to break the cycle of idolatry and oppression. The people of God repeatedly abandon God for pagan gods. God loves his people too much and will not let this ongoing rejection of their distinctive calling--to be a kingdom of priests, chosen to testify to his glory among the nations. Judges tells the story of the cycles of sin and deliverance (Judg 2:16-19). Despite the people's continuous rejection of God's kingship, he is moved to compassion for them. God provided individual judges again and again (Judg 2:16, 18; 3:9, 31; 6:14-15; 8:22; 10:1; 13:5).
Tim Keller's Judges:
- God Gives Grace, even as we deteriorate from bad to worse.
- Faithful but Flawed (Judg 1:1-2:5).
- Gideon goes from weakness to triumph to degeneration (Judges 6-8).
- Samson: how God used a womanizer (Judges 13-16).
- Half Faith is No Faith (Judges 17-18).
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