I began reading my bible for today with a heavy heart, not because of something going on in my life, but because I knew the story of the passage I would be reading. Have you ever started your bible reading for the day with a pit in your stomach because of what was coming? Perhaps it will be no surprise to you when I tell you that I am studying the book of Judges. Specifically, this morning’s chapter was the one in which a Levite gives his concubine to a group of wicked men to be raped and abused while he goes back to sleep (ch. 19). And this story is by far not the only horrific one in this book. Others include the father who sacrificed his daughter because he felt bound to a pledge he had previously made, Samson whose life was dominated by his lust for women and revenge (14-15), and a group of men who satisfied their need for wives by kidnapping eligible women (21). These were dark days in the land of Israel. This was especially tragic because Israel had been rescued from Egypt, and they were finally in the promised land. Yet they had not obeyed God: They had failed to take the land, and they had turned to the gods of the nations who lived among them. Judges shows what happens to a people when everyone decides to do what is right in his or her own eyes (21:25).
So why read Judges? Why study the books or passages in Scripture that seem dark and depressing? The apostle Paul, who as a Jew knew the Old Testament with its dark tones well, wrote that “all Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). So with that in mind, here are some of the things I’m learning from this dark time in Israel’s history:
-- Never underestimate the power of the influence of those whom you surround yourself with (or even what you watch or read). The practices and beliefs of the foreign nations crept into the lives of God’s people, perhaps at first in ways they hardly noticed. Our culture today is inserting its message into movies, advertisements, human interest stories in the news, etc. We must know truth as God defines it and be aware of how our culture is trying to shape us. We must stand firm in what is true and right.
-- Make sure you are worshiping God alone. The Israelites often didn’t completely abandon their worship of God, they just added the foreign gods to that worship. This, of course, shows that they did not really worship God in truth, for God commands that we have no other gods beside Him. Yet how prone are we in our own time to place our joy, satisfaction, or hope in things alongside God? Judges is full of examples that such idolatry never ends well.
-- God is a God of mercy. This is perhaps the most surprising – that despite the absolute wickedness of the Israelites, He continues to rescue them from their enemies. He still fulfills His plan for them. They do suffer the consequences of their wrong, but He does not abandon them and start over. We too experience God’s mercy. May we never take it for granted and may it cause us to live in gratefulness to Him.
-- Even in the midst of dark times, there are those who follow God whole-heartedly, providing a breath of fresh air; their examples shine out all the brighter in the midst of the darkness. We see Caleb at the beginning of the book who trusts God and takes the land allotted to him (ch. 1). We see Deborah who speaks God’s words to the people and then praises Him, recounting what He’s done after He delivers them (ch.5). And, jumping ahead to the next book, the beautiful story of Ruth and her faithfulness to God and to her mother-in-law also takes place during these days. May these people serve as an example to us that we too can shine as lights in a dark world, holding forth the word of life (Phil. 2:15)
These are surely not all the ways that Judges can be profitable to us, but it is a start. I have been thinking lately that I am thankful that the Bible does not gloss over the ugly. It shows the world in all its depravity so we feel the full weight of it. And then it shows Christ in all His glory and beauty, promising that one day this world will be made new. So, let’s be women of the Word -- the entire Word. Let’s open our bibles and study. There are truths to be gleaned even when the reading hurts.
--Amy O'Rear
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