Day 47 – Judges: Theme

“Whenever the Lord raised up a judge over Israel, he was with that judge and rescued the people from their enemies throughout the judge’s lifetime. For the Lord took pity on his people, who were burdened by oppression and suffering. Judges 2:18 NLT

The book of Judges spans over 325 years of Israel’s history, recording six successive periods of oppression and deliverance and describing the careers of 12 Judges. The Israelite’s captors included the Mesopotamians, Moabites, Philistines, Canaanites, Midianites, and Ammonites. God chose a variety of Judges – from Othniel to Samson – to lead his people to freedom and true worship. God’s deliverance through the judges is a powerful demonstration of His love and mercy for His people.

As we adventure through this book, notice the chosen judges’ dependence on God and their obedience to his commands. Observe the nation’s repeated downward spiral into sin, refusing to learn from past mistakes and living only for the moment and the flesh. But mostly lovely ones, stand in awe of God’s mercy as he delivers His people over and over again.

Prayer: Father, thank You for showing us the unending depths of Your mercy and love for Your people. Our imagination of the depth of Your love can never reach the potential of Your heart for us and we thank You for sending the greatest Judge of all – Jesus Christ. Amen.