Judges 21

The cure for genocide a kidnapping. Obviously.

One reason I don't like Judges is that it is a book of failure. There are great heroes in it, but they  were always raised up by God in response to the people's failure to obey. We should always remember, though. That whenever they feel, Get well there to pick them up.

Judges 20

At lest they asked the win of God before the bat.

The sight of eleven tribes of God's people trying to destroy another was bad enough. Forgetting to seek after God's wisdom would be en worse.

Judges 19

This is the beginning of the worst part of the Bible, period.

It's important to remember that just because something's in the Bible it doesn't mean that God approves of it. Sometimes, like this chapter, it just records what happened.

Judges 18

This chapter explains why Dan ended up in the far north of Canaan, instead of in the land they were given. It's also a follow-up to the previous chapter.

By the way, Dan had an inheritance. They were just too afraid to take it.

Judges 17

From here to the end of this book is the worst part of Scripture. Verse 6 tells us why.

Here's something that you can think about instead: in the last chapter Phinehas gave Delilah 1100 pieces of silver to betray Samson, in this one, Micah's mother had exactly that much . Coincidentally?

Judges 16

Samson had a thing for Philistine girls, apparently. He also liked breaking the law and lying at least when the Spirit of God wasn't on him, he was dumb as a bag of hammers.

It took prison to cure him of that.

Judges 15

Samson did his great feats when the Spirit of the Lord was upon him. When he did things in his own power, he was strong, but not overly so,

And he was an idiot.

Judges 14

Let me reiterate: Samson was an idiot. He was an idiot used by God, but he was still an idiot.

In this chapter he not only broke his Nazirite vow, but also the Law of Moses. If anyone were proof that God can use whomever he wants, it was Samson.

Judges 13

Whatever else you might think of Samson, there's no doubt he was a miracle baby. Like Samuel, he was given in answer to his mother's prayers. Like John the Baptist, his coming was forecast by an angel.

But I still think he was an idiot.

Judges 12

Ibzan was a judge who broke the law.

It's impossible to remember that judges weren't primarily jurists, but warlords. They weren't expected to be better than anyone else. That said, by arranging marriages for his children outside his tribe, he broke the Law of Moses.

Judges 11

Did God want Jephthah's daughter? Of course not. In all the centuries that the Israelites were in the Promised Land, I don't think that he ever asked for a human sacrifice.

But he's always believed in keeping vows.

Judges 10

it's terrifying to realize God won't help.

There's a point in this chapter where the Hebrews, who have abandoned God, turn back to him for deliverance. God tells them no, and that they should ask the gods they've chosen.

Judges 9

"He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword." 

That's what kept going through my mind while I read the story of Abimelech. His reign both began and ended in murdrer. It was characterized by murdrer. If anyone ever fulfilled what Jesus later said, it was him.

Judges 8

The Israelites were literally unbelievable.

Gideon was God's instructions to deliver them from the Midianites, so they try to make him king. When he refuses, they follow God as long as Gideon lives, but turn back to the Baals after he dies.

Judges 6

Let's be clear: Gideon putting out a fleece was not an act of faith, and certainly wasn't anything to be emulated.

God had already spoken to him. He'd already raised an army. The fleece sheets more like his last attempt to get out of a than anything else.

Judges 5

This is the only chapter in Judges entirely given to a song.

Deborah was also the only female judge we know of. I wonder if there's any connection?

Judges 4

The story of Sisera and Jael is fairly well-known, and is the high point  of the chapter.. But what did killing the king's general actually accomplish?

The last verse of the chapter tells us.

Judges 3

Judges is a picturesque book, and Ehud stars in one of the most picturesque stories in it. So let's forget about him.

Instead, I want to think about Othniel. He was the son-in-law of Caleb, and God raised him up to judge Israel. In his lifetime Israel had gone from conquerors to slaves.

Judges 2

As long as Joshua and the elders were alive, the people of Israel worshipped Yahweh. It seems that the first chance they got, though, they turned their backs on him and ran to the gods that were already worshipped in Canaan.

Kind of like we'll trust anything but God before we turn to him.

Judges 1

I've said before that if I could cut out one piece of the Bible,that book of Judges would be it.

It starts out so well. The Israelites asked God before they did anything. That chapter ends with a list of tribes and the people they failed to drive out.