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Hey Reading Community,
The Book of Joshua concludes with two speeches from Joshua that should remind you of Moses’ final words in Deuteronomy. Joshua challenges the people of Israel to shema, that is, “to listen” to the commands of the Torah in order to receive the blessings promised to them by Yahweh. After Joshua dies, however, things get really bad, really quick. The Book of Judges is one long story of the people of Israel’s failure and how they become “Canaan-ized” instead of a kingdom of priests. (Remember Exodus 19:4 – 6.)
The Book of Judges is really disturbing, and we hope you’ll take the time to read the blog this week, which will explore the hope the author is trying to highlight through the telling of these dark stories. Fortunately, you will conclude this week with the Book of Ruth, which should bring you back from the edge of your seat. It is a beautifully woven story that stands as an amazing testament to God’s redemptive power. It is also the topic of our "bonus" blog this week, check it out here.
Onwards!
Jon, Tim, & The Bible Project Crew
P.S. Want to dive deeper? Start with our blog on Biblical Theology. This week, we dive into the topic of Judges & Messianic Hope. |
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Chapter 6
THE PROMISED LAND |
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Week 11
Summary |
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For those who only know the story of Samson from children’s Bible stories, the real story comes as a shock. The bumbling but heroic strongman bears little resemblance to the arrogant, violent, and sex-crazed Samson we meet in the Book of Judges. And he’s just one among a larger cast of morally ambiguous characters in Judges. Their stories are not told so you can aspire to become a thug like Jephthah or an assassin like Ehud.
They are part of a large narrative arc in the Book that shows how the Israelites become progressively more and more “Canaan-ized” and less and less Israelite. The Book of Judges is designed intentionally to show you that God is still at work even when he doesn’t have much to work with. And by the time you get to Judges’ Chapters 17 – 21, you’ll hit bottom. These stories are really disturbing because they expose the dark underbelly of pain and violence caused by the human condition. The only glimmer of hope you’ll find is in the following Book, Ruth, which ignites the promise of a future messianic king from the line of David. |
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