Week 21: Judges 9 – 21 and Psalms 141 – 147
One of my absolute favorite resources for my children (and myself to be honest!) is The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. The cover reads, “The Jesus Storybook Bible…Every story whispers His name.” Thankfully, this priceless children’s rendition of the Bible goes right from Joshua to David, skipping right past the book of Judges. But, if any accounts from Judges had been included, the story would hardly “whisper” Jesus’ name. The entire book of Judges screams for Him! It cries out and pain-stakingly moans for Him. If it whispers at all, it is a lifeless, desperate mustering of any last remaining breath to utter…”Jesus, help.”
I am glad to be have closed the cover on the book of Judges in this last week of reading. It was disturbing and sobering on so many fronts. It was uncomfortable to read, as if to stumble upon a bloody and mangled animal while on a beautiful hike through the wilderness. You wish you had not seen it. The gruesome image sticks with you and taints the pleasant memory. Like it or not, here Judges lies, laid bare for all who trek through the Bible to see. It cannot be avoided. There is no alternative route to get around it. It simply is and always will be, part of the story.
Why did I feel so squirmy and squeamish reading through Judges? I imagine that was the Divine Author’s intent. The depravity portrayed in Judges resonated with the depravity in my own heart. While the details may play out differently, the essence is the same. Judges portrays the potential destruction that comes when my heart is bowed down to anything other than the LORD Jesus Himself. Some of the words translated on the pages of Judges were all to familiar to convictions from the Holy Spirit that I have had over the years: abandoned the LORD, went after other gods, whored after other gods, served other gods.
Thankfully, the creator of our reading plan, Stephen Witmer, provided for us respites of hope and light as we traversed the pages of Judges by reading the Psalms as well. Once again, I was amazed at the perfect correlation between the two portions of Scripture this week. It is as if the Bible is alive and active or something crazy like that!
Let’s take a comparative look at a few passages from the book of Judges and Psalm 145:
First, we see the striking difference between a person and a people surrendered to the kingship of God and His way of salvation vs. a person and a people whose hearts are bowed down to the idols of their hearts. David, in reverent submission to God as his only King proclaimed:
“I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever…Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.” Psalm 145:1, 13
Compare David’s proclamation with the closing line of the book of Judges:
“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25
This is the final sentence of the book of Judges was the most precise way to sum up the cause of all that played out throughout the book. God was meant to be the King of Israel, but the nation as a whole had failed to keep Him on the thrown of their hearts. As the judges of Israel rolled through, going from mediocre, to bad, to worse, the state of affairs only magnified the absence of the true King in their lives. As we examine our own hearts, are we joyfully submitted to God as the ruling King of our lives? Or, like Israel, have we entrusted ourselves to lesser judges to sort out the issues in our hearts? Have we attempted to manage our struggle with sin by our own means, using brute strength to keep our problems at bay, all the while refusing to bow our knee to the One who has actually defeated our enemies?
This closing line of Judges perfectly set the stage for the utmost necessity for a messianic king to come to save his perishing nation. King David would be the type and shadow of the ultimate: Jesus.
Next, David articulated in Psalm 145 precisely what played out in Judges 20:
“The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth…He also hears their cry and saves them. The LORD preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.” Psalm 145:18-20
Look at the command and promise God spoke to Israel when they needed it most:
“And the LORD said, ‘Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand.’…and the battle was hard…and the LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel.” Judges 20:28, 34 and 35
This passage was God’s response when Israel inquired for the third time if they should go up against the tribe of Benjamin after being bitterly defeated two times in a row. The whole nation of Israel was in absolute moral disarray, but the people decided to put their foot down after the heinous act of cruelty and violence that took place at Gibeah towards the Levite’s concubine. (For more details, please re-read chapter 19. I do not wish to revisit the gut-wrenching account here.)
Israel’s first attempt ended in 22.000 men lost. That defeat grieved them. Judges 20:23 says that they wept before the LORD. They felt the pain of their loss and were heartbroken over their humiliation. The second time they went up against Benjamin, they lost another 18.000. It seems, however, that the devastation of their second defeat went beyond grieving what they had lost to actual repentance for their sin. Judges 20:26 says that the people wept, fasted, and offered sacrifices for sin. It would seem that God began to work some semblance of humility into their hearts through their failures in battle.
In their repentance, God assured the people of Israel of His victory on their behalf. Low and behold, on the third day, their enemy was defeated and God’s victory came. The battle was hard, but the promise was sure. What a testament to our own experience and the victory that Jesus won on our behalf on the 3rd day! Our battle with sin is hard and persisting, but Jesus’ work on the cross is ushered into our lives as we are brought low; as humility takes root and repentance becomes our practice.
Lastly, David proclaimed the beauty of God’s reign as King from generation to generation in Psalm 145:
“One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts…to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.” Psalm 145:4, 12
Somehow, the commendation of God’s glorious works was lost on the people of Israel once the leadership of Joshua ended. Had they begun to put trust in their own strength? Had they been distracted by the enticements of the inhabitants of the land? Were they worn out from battle? Had the comfort of the promised land made them complacent? Likely, it was a combination of factors that led to their devastating state of spiritual amnesia.
“And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that He had done for Israel.” Judges 2:10
Whatever it was that caused Israel to forget their God, let it not be so with us! Today, remember your King. Remember your salvation that was purchased by Jesus. Remember Him with all of your heart and let your mouth declare the story of your redemption. Make Him known wherever you are today. Jesus is our good and faithful King and His reign is our steadfast hope.