Some Reflections on Judges

The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel.  He went out to war...." (Judges 3:10)

Over the weekend I finished the Book of Judges.  "He judged....He went...to war."  The Blessed Trinity, "raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them," warrior judges who judged by, "He went out to war," by leading the people to occupy all that the Word of God had given them. 

The word for, "judged," in our text means, "to pronounce sentence; by implication, to vindicate or punish; by extension, to govern."  In Judges we read of one great warrior/judge after another, Othniel, Shamgar, Gideon, Samson.  They did not "govern" or "judge" as we think of those terms today.  They judged by demonstrating what the Covenant People were created to be.  There lives were the judgment on Israel.

The problem with Christendom throughout the centuries is that people have taken those who were supposed to be examples and turned them into statues, heroes, not to disciple us, but to intimidate us.  We honor and revere them, but we can never be like them.  This is heretical, deistic, always admiring great personages, supporting their "great ministries," but always somebody else doing what we all have been created to participate in.

There is another thing which far too many overlook in the lives of the great warriors of the Bible.  They were never meant to be examples of
American "rugged individualism!"  Gideon and the three hundred did not defeat the Midianites on their own. They simply commenced the battle.      Then, "the men of Israel gathered together from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and pursued the Midianites" (7:23).  Yet most "Bible teachers" I have heard over the years give you the impression that these warriors were some sort of "special" supermen; even ministries try to get money from you, calling you "The Three Hundred!"

Have nothing to do with this.  The Bible teaches Kingdom, Church, the Covenant People of the Living Lord Jesus Christ, needing one another, depending on and encouraging the "person next to you" to join you in the fight.  David just started the battle by killing the giant.  He did not take on the whole Philistine army by himself.  Taking courage from David's example, the rest of the army defeated the enemy.

Jesus calls people to a life of, "I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you;" not, "You can do anything you put your mind to---------- on your own!"  Take heart today, dear Fellow Warrior.  I am with you, so are the others around you, even the, "least of these My brethren ."  Take courage from the Othniels, the Shamgars, the Gideons, the Samsons, the Davids, but never think for a moment you will ever win the war alone.  Who would want to live with that hanging over their heads?!?!?

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to see want You design to do in me, in Your Church, in Your Kingdom, with Your People.  Amen.
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When an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2