A “through the bible” devotion from the book of Judges.
When I read through the rest of Judges, from chapter 9 to the end, I’m amazed at Israel’s downward spiral into idolatry, cruelty, and the abuse of power.
- Gideon’s son Abimelech kills almost all of his brothers to secure a position ruling over Israel (Judges 9:5)
- Jephthah sacrifices his own daughter as fulfillment of a stupid vow he made to the Lord (Judges 11:31,35).
- Samson uses his strength mostly to mess with the Philistines and get women (Judges 13-16).
- Micah makes his own idol and hires his own personal priest (Judges 17).
- A Levite chops up his raped and murdered concubine and sends it out everywhere in Israel to spark a war with Benjamin and all but wipe out the tribe (Judges 20).
By the end of the book, the nation has descended into moral, social, political, and spiritual chaos. Just when you think they’ve hit bottom, a new chapter filled with new atrocities begins. And it’s all because “There was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).
Increasing chaos awaits us, too, unless we have a king. And the king we need is Jesus.
Waite for it... 