Judges and Bible Thumping


We recently started going through the book of Judges in our Sunday School class, and even though it traces event taken place long ago, the stories remain fresh. Here's a little intro, providing a short summary of the events:

Sin, Slavery, Supplication, & Salvation, I shout! 

An old-time preacher is channeling me with a 4 part alliterated list, yet this list summarizes the repeated cycle of this book.  The Bible reader got hints of this as Israel was in the wilderness, and glimpses in Joshua (remember the Achan story), but it is on full display in Judges, setting the stage as a microcosm of Israel’s history.  

The Pharisee in us all snickers at Israel’s continual fall into sin and slavery, and their cry of supplication for salvation from God.  In our distance from the events at hand, arrogance bubbles up, giving thanks to God that we are more enlightened than these ancient dolts, but if we allow a moment of reflection our life is shot through with this cycle as well. 

This past year, past month, past week, even today we have fallen into “the sin that so easily besets us”, kicking ourselves for own weakness.  Thank goodness for forgiveness and redemption.

Not much has changed in 3500 years.

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