Judges 1 A SUBTLE CHANGE This book covers a period of 325 years and provides many lessons as to how God begets strength out of human weakness. The key verse of the book is 17: 6 "In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." Yet, "God has chosen the weak things...." (1Cor.1:27-29). God used Ehud (3:12-30), who was left handed and Shamgar with his ox-goad (3:31); Deborah (4:1-5:31), who would be considered the "weaker sex" though she was not a weak woman, and Barak (4:10,13) with 10,000 foot soldiers against an army with 900 iron chariots. He used Jael (4:21; 5:26) with a tent pin in her left hand and a hammer in her right and Gideon (7:1-8), whose army shrank to 300 men with pitchers, torches and trumpets to defeat the enemies of the Lord's people. A woman killed Abimelech (9:53) with a piece of a millstone and after him the judge was Tola, whose name means "worm." Again. another woman steps into the historical account, Samson's mother, whom God miraculously used to bring Samson into the world, who in turn could use the jawbone of an ass, to kill 1,000 Philistines.
(1:1) "After the death of Joshua." Joshua is a record of the time Israel trusted and obeyed the Lord; a book of conquest; a book of unity. Judges, on the other hand is a book of unbelief, disobedience and defeat. Division and anarchy mark its pages. Scripture is neglected and rejected. It is an account of what happens when people turn away from the Lord. It is not uncommon for us as the people of God to go into a "dry patch" in our spiritual experiences shortly after times of victory and blessing. One of the causes is that there is a tendency on our part to think victory comes because of our strength, not realizing or at least admitting that God's "strength is made perfect in weakness," our weakness. Israel had entered the promised land and the Lord drove their enemies out from before them with hornets, and by His mighty power used His people in remarkable ways. But partial obedience is disobedience, and they left enough pro-idolatry, anti-God people there, that they became attracted to their sensual and ungodly ways.
Judges speaks to our time because it gives us living examples of people who served God and flourished in a similar time. It also tells us of people who did not succumb to the wave of sin. It clearly demonstrates to us what happens when a group of people pull back from wholehearted commitment to the Lord.
The book of Judges tells the story and gives us lesson after lesson of what happens when people turn away from God. Of this we can be sure: judgment against sin is certain. God does not ever cease to be righteous and holy. Compromising our God-given, Bible taught convictions, and disobedience to His divine will puts us in danger of losing out on His blessings now. Allowing sin to go without dealing with it and the wickedness that results, brings disaster to a nation, an assembly and an individual. There is a downward trend that leads to a downward spiral of sin when we do not learn from past history and live only for today and the "pleasures of sin for a season."
God has given us guidelines to live by to preserve us morally, spiritually and even nationally. Consistent living by the guidelines of the word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and faithfulness in life and testimony, go together. Spiritual commitment and the motivation to please God, allows God to demonstrate His love and mercy to us. Even when we fail, when we repent of our sin and turn to Him in faith, He is willing and able to show mercy and forgiveness. He is a just God who wants the best for His children even when they fail and forsake Him.