This book isn’t for the faint-hearted. There’s no gratuitous violence, but plenty that shows sin’s results.
I still like picture books. I love sharing the excitement with my little grandchildren, seeing their faces light up at every new page. It seems that God likes picture books as well. Almost half our Bible is composed of them. And Judges is one of those books. Remarkable episodes of remarkable people with remarkable weapons doing exploits for God. Imagine two women, one in her tower apartment, the other in her pilgrim tent, neutralizing a horde of soldiers with household utensils! I better not let too much out of the bag, but you get the idea. So back to the 21 chapters of Judges. In it are 14 main characters. Our Bible’s translators called them judges, but the Hebrew word yasha’ could as well be rendered deliverer, avenger, defender, helper, preserver, rescuer, victor, or even savior. What’s remarkable about these characters is not that they have super-powers (although some like Samson seem to), but that the Lord uses them when they have disqualifiers that we might think would have kept them on the shelf. But there they are, with their wobbly faith, funny weapons, and near-fatal flaws. Whatever could God do with them? You watch; it’s going to be quite the saga. But against these bright spots is an increasingly dark background. Why had God promised to help them to victory? Because He wanted a people VERY different from the demon-worshiping, baby-sacrificing, God-hating Canaanites. The covenant He ratified with them was based on His holy words. But as the story progresses, we see a downward spiral of spiritual neglect, growing unbelief, moral wickedness, and idolatry that engulf Israel until they horrifyingly resemble the inhabitants they were supposed to replace. Yet God remains faithful!