Judges
Christ is coming...
For a few hundred years after the conquest of Canaan under Joshua, Israel was overseen by men (and one woman) called “judges.” They apparently had some judicial functions, but as much as anything else, they were military leaders who led the people against their enemies. And they were frequently needed in that period because the constant refrain of the book of Judges was:
“Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord,” (Judges 13:1).
Actually, the Jewish people have largely been disobedient to God from the very beginning of their statehood. As Moses said, “You have been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you” (Deut. 9:24). If you have read the book of Judges, and then followed on through the rest of the Old Testament history, you know that these people were constantly given to sin, idolatry, wickedness, and rebellion. And then they rejected their own Messiah—Jesus—when He came. They killed Him. And they are still rejecting Him to this very day. If Moses were alive today, he could well write Deuteronomy 9:24 again.
I do not, for the life of me, understand how or why some people who claim to be Christians are so fascinated by the Jewish people. God repeatedly gave them so much, and yet they have largely been a wicked, rebellious, ungodly people their entire history. And God has a special place for these still-rebellious people today? Poppycock and balderdash!
The entire Middle Eastern crisis today—100% of it—is being caused by two groups of people, Jews and Arabs/Muslims, who have rejected God’s plan for mankind through Jesus of Nazareth. I don’t really have a whole lot of use for either of those peoples.
Yet, the greatest people who ever walked the face of this earth were Jews. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Jeremiah and the prophets, Paul and Jesus’ apostles—people “of whom the world was not worthy” (Hebrews 11:38. Oh, and read a few verses above Hebrews 11:38 to discover what the “wonderful” Jewish people did to these great men and women in the Old Testament). There were 12 judges listed in the book of Judges, most just briefly, some a little more extensively, and they were, by and large, good people. Ehud, Deborah, Barak, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson—saviors of their people. A people who often needed saving because...well, read Judges 13:1 above again.
Just as an aside, Samson is a fascinating story, of course. A physically strong man who was incredibly weak morally. He couldn’t control his lust for women, and that eventually led to his death. But he was also a gambler, thief, and murderer. Yet, for all his faults, he is listed in Hebrews 11:32 among the heroes of faith. He loved his country, fought their enemies, and helped save the Messianic line. Kind of reminds me of Donald Trump, in a way. Not the best man morally by any means, but a man who loves America. Even the great heroes of the Bible needed the grace of God. “Noah found GRACE in the eyes of the Lord.”
If you want to read some of the most putrid material in the Bible, read Judges chapters 17-21. An absolutely horrible people. These “wonderful” Jews. But this is what happens, in any nation, when “everyone [does] that which is right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6; 21:25). It’s what is happening in America, and much of the world today, and for the exact same reason.
But the Lord and the great judges were able to keep the Jewish line together. For you and me. The Christ was coming...