I spoke with my Pastor on Wednesday about one particular story in Judges, and he helped me appreciate that story more. Then I spoke with my Brother Nick over the phone yesterday, and he challenged me to consider the significance of the book of Judges as a whole. "What insights do we gain from the book of Judges?" he asked.
I see two major points straight away. First, as my Pastor pointed out, Judges highlights the depravity of man. As the Israelites are repeating the cycle of tradgedy I outlined before, God raises up a judge to lead their deliverance. No sooner does the judge die than the Israelites go to pot. This reiterates the point, we are disfunctional beings because we are fundamentally wicked.
The second major point is that God is so gracious. He is faithful to deliver us whenever we call to Him for salvation. No matter how bad we've been, no matter how far we've deviated from His perfect plan, He is faithful to forgive and restore when we humbly demonstrate faith. This is powerful! After reading one of my previous blogs this week, my mom refered me to Isaiah 30:18-19, 23.
Almost contrasting, the particular theme of today's reading was justice, especially in spite of the wickedness of men. The Lord worked through wicked men to bring justice. Another demonstration of His total sovergeinty.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for your grace. Thank you for being patient with me and forgiving me over and over and over. Lord, I do not want to abuse your grace; I want to live a life of holiness in response to the grace you've shown in saving me from destruction. Lord, I pray that you will help me walk with you today. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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