Judges: Hope of a Deliverer

As the book of Judges opens, the Israelites dwell securely in the place of God’s promise. These were His covenant people, called to be a light to the dark world around them through their complete devotion  to God and His ways. Very quickly though, the hearts of the Israelites were tempted and tried by the gods of the surrounding nations. Soon, “a generation rose up who did not know the LORD or the works he had done for Israel.” With God forgotten, and no leader to guide them, the people consistently fell prey to a cycle of sin and oppression. Those whom God had freed became enslaved once more.

God’s solution for His people’s oppression came through the judges; individuals specifically appointed by God to rescue His people. Each of these deliverers (a very unlikely cast of characters) point to our ultimate Deliverer—God’s own Son, Jesus Christ. 

As we explore the pages of this book of the Bible, we’ll see that we live in a time eerily similar to the days of the judges, a time when even God’s own people are prone to do whatever seems right to them. Often neglected because of its disquieting content, Judges is a book of pressing relevance to God’s people today. Judges sounds the alarm, warning against the ever-present danger of idolatry, calling for the destruction of our fidelity to the gods of this modern era, beckoning us to devote ourselves completely to God and His ways. 

Most of all, Judges is a book that bears witness to Jesus Christ, the great deliverer of God’s people. It is a book that points to a hope beyond our failings. It is a book for God’s people today.

This ten week, in-depth study can be used for individual, small, or large group study

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