Sunday, March 7: The Judges

Judges 17–21

We are nearing the end of the Book of Judges!

So far, we have seen leader after leader fail to deliver Israel from the cycle of sin, judgment, repentance and deliverance. Some of the judges had a lot of promise: Samson was strong, Jephthah had a way with words, Gideon contended with Baal. But in the end, each of them let us down. Samson couldn’t think past what was right in his own eyes, Jephthah’s silver tongue trapped him into a pagan vow, and Gideon’s faith became “complicated.”

In Judges 17–21, we see the dysfunctions of the judges trickle down to the whole nation. It is not a pretty sight. There is idolatry, armed robbery, sexual assault, murder, genocide, and human trafficking—all in one story! It has been called the spiritual low point of Judges and perhaps the entire Old Testament.

But woven throughout the narrative is a refrain that informs us of the meaning of the passage: “In those days there was no king in Israel.”

All the failed judges should evoke in us a desire for a true leader—one who is righteous, brave, and faithful. While Israel may not have ever seen that in an earthly king, their stories point us to Someone else.

Join us this week as we look at the epilogue of Judges and find out what true leadership looks like.

See you on the stream or in person!

You can participate online at 8:00, 9:30, or 11:00 a.m. You can also join us in person at 9:30 or 11:00 a.m.