The Book of Judges spans around 350 years of Israel's history, depicting the nation's progressive decline into peak depravity. It tells the tragic story of Israel's total failure as an unfaithful people. It highlights Israel’s inability to uphold their covenant with God, despite God's repeated deliverance and patience.
Before the era of kings, Israel was led by judges, who were military leaders similar to clan chieftains or warriors. These judges followed a repeated pattern of leadership that ultimately failed to overcome Israel's disarray and lack of centralized leadership.
The book highlights just how bad things can become, with each situation seemingly worse than the last. This occurs among God's people, not outsiders like the Canaanites. By the end of the book, it feels as though there is no hope.
Judges shows that both the leaders and the people were equally flawed. For instance, Samson performs incredible feats through God but succumbs to temptation and becomes a victim of his passions. This shows that those who wish to serve God may fall prey to their own lack of self-discipline.
Israel often turns away from God to worship Canaanite gods, showing that sin leads to punishment, while repentance offers deliverance and peace. Judges highlights a dark time in Israel's history, stressing the need for salvation and a deliverer to defend the people.
Judges highlights the decline of God's people and the consequences of forgetting Him while conforming to the surrounding culture. The book is a cautionary tale about becoming part of the problem instead of faithfully serving God in difficult times.
The Big Idea of Judges
S: What happens when God's people disobey him?
C: They progressively descend into depravity.
BI: When God's people disobey him, there's no limit to how bad things can get.
Prologue (1:1-3:6)
1:1-2:5
S: Where do our problems begin?
C/BI: Our problems begin with a failure to believe the gospel.
2:6-3:6
S: What happens when we disobey God?
C: God disciplines his people, and rescues them as they return to him.
BI: God disciplines his people to repentance.
Cycles (3:7-16:31)
3-5
S: Who does God use?
C: Surprising people.
BI: God uses unlikely people to do his work in unlikely ways.
6-7
S: How does God work?
C/BI: God chooses the uncertain to do the unlikely so that he gets all the glory.
8-9
S: What happens to effective, ungodly leaders?
C: Their character undermines their effectiveness.
BI: Character matters more than competence.
10
S: What happens when we persist in our rebellion?
C: God will refuse to deliver us.
BI: If we persist in our rebellion, God will refuse to deliver us.
11-12
S: Where did Jephthah go wrong?
C: Wrong theology and wounded pride undermined his leadership.
BI: Wrong theology and wounded pride lead to ruin.
13-16
S: Where did Samson go wrong?
C: He squandered his gifts and calling rather than delivering Israel.
BI: When you live for yourself you’ll waste your life and ruin your calling.
Epilogue (17-21)
17-18
S: What happens when we worship idols?
C: We end up in a gradual slide to emptiness and destruction.
BI: When we turn from God to idols, it leads to emptiness and destruction.
19-21
S: When God’s people disobey, how bad can things get?
C: There’s no limit.
BI: When God’s people disobey, there’s no limit to how bad things can get.
