The Gospel in Judges

Judges portrays the people of God languishing without good leadership. Judges and 1-2 Samuel bridge the gap from the entrance of the people of God into the Promised Land under Joshua to their expulsion from the land due to unfaithful kings in 1-2 Kings. Since the conquest of the land is not complete, Judges begins with the question of who will lead in battle (Judg 1:1) and ends with "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit" (Judg 21:25). The need for a king to lead God's people into their full inheritance is an important theme.

The need for a king to break the cycle of idolatry and oppression. The people of God repeatedly abandon God for pagan gods. God loves his people too much and will not let this ongoing rejection of their distinctive calling--to be a kingdom of priests, chosen to testify to his glory among the nations. Judges tells the story of the cycles of sin and deliverance (Judg 2:16-19). Despite the people's continuous rejection of God's kingship, he is moved to compassion for them. God provided individual judges again and again (Judg 2:16, 18; 3:9, 31; 6:14-15; 8:22; 10:1; 13:5).

Judges prepare us for the final King and Judge to end all judges and all kings. The failures of both people and judges are so significant that they urge us to long for the hero who will never fail. God is the king who will not long tolerate seeing his people destroy themselves. Reviewing history it is fair to say that humanity is a mess and humanity needs a savior. The fabric of unfaithfulness is woven so deeply into human nature and the need for a savior to free us from oppression is so pervasive. These are inescapable patterns of life. But the people of God are never beyond the reach of his grace. No sin, no failure, no corruption, no despair, no brokenness is beyond the reach of God, who will destroy the darkness of sin and restore our original role (Ex 19:5-6; 1 Pet 2:9-10). Though Israel in Judges is in bad shape, God will provide from the line of David, King Jesus, the king of his choosing.

Tim Keller's Judges:

1. God Gives Grace, even as we deteriorate from bad to worse.
2. Faithful but Flawed (Judg 1:1-2:5).
3. Gideon goes from weakness to triumph to degeneration (Judges 6-8).
4. Samson: how God used a womanizer (Judges 13-16).
5. Half Faith is No Faith (Judges 17-18).