7. Jesus In Judges

9/24/2023

Introduction

This morning we will be partaking of communion together. In 1 Corinthians 11:24 we are told to do it in remembrance of Jesus. As we prepare for communion then, we are going to consider a few aspects of how the book of Judges points us to Jesus and His work of redemption. In the past we have looked at Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Joshua doing this. So we are continuing on to see how different books of the Bible help us remember Christ and our salvation.

Overview

To begin with, it would be helpful to have an overview of what is going on in the 21 chapters of Judges. That will help us better understand how it leads us to Christ. It will also help us have a better point of reference for the allusions and connections that occur within the New Testament.

The book of Judges can be divided fairly well into three different sections. The first two chapters lay out the background and problem for the rest of the book. Israel had conquered the land, but they had left pockets of idol worshipping Canaanites throughout it. They had made a covenant with some of the Canaanites and because of that God was going to leave them there to test them.

Chapters 3 through 16 record Israel’s cycles of idolatry and turning from God. In 7 different verses it says that Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. (Judges 2:11, 3:7, 3:12, 4:1, 6:1, 10:6, and 13:1) Because of their evil God would turn them over to the Canaanites or outside oppressors who would ravage them. When they called out to Him He would send judges to deliver them and they would have peace again. Then they would again turn to idolatry and the cycle would begin all over again. Even within the rescue from the judges in the upswing part of the cycle things were not all thoroughly godly and good.

Barak did not have the courage and faith to believe that God would use him to deliver Israel unless Deborah went with him. Gideon did refuse to be king after his victories, but he lived like one with his many wives. He also made a golden ephod that ended up leading him and Israel astray. After his death, one of Gideon’s sons, with help from the city of Shechem, killed 70 of his brothers. He then became a king for 3 years until God judged him and the city of Shechem.

Jephthah delivered Israel from the Ammonites but then with his rash vow lost his only daughter. Beyond that the jealous hotheaded Ephraimites started a civil war with him and 42,000 of them died.

Then we come to Samson. He was no paragon of virtue. He did not listen to his parents, tried to marry a Philistine, broke his Nazirite vow multiple times, and was immoral in an ongoing way. His greatest defeat of the Philistines even came when he committed suicide and brought the temple of Dagon down upon himself and his enemies.

All in all, while these judges did exhibit faith in God and He did use them to deliver His people, they also had many failings themselves. Things were not getting better in these cycles of idolatry.

The last section of the book, chapters 17-21 record a few illustrations of just how bad things were and why. At the beginning and end of this section, in Judges 17:6 and then the last verse of the book, it says that there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Two other times in between, in Judges 18:1 and 19:1, it reminds us of those facts by mentioning that there was no king in Israel.

If we thought things were bad before, these stand-out incidents reveal just how depraved things had gotten.

Chapter 17 begins somewhat innocuously pointing out that everyone did what was right in their own eyes as it shares the story of a man named Micah. He steals silver from his mom, repents, and then makes an idol from the silver she gives back to him for the purpose. He also ends up paying a wandering Levite to permanently be his family priest with the idols and ephod he had made. Chapter 18 tells the rest of the story. A passing warrior group from the tribe of Dan ends up stealing the idols and the Levite to serve them. Thus that Levite and his descendents became idol worshipping tribal priests to the tribe of Dan until the Assyrian captivity hundreds of years later. At the end of the story the Levite’s name and genealogy are given and we find out that he is actually a grandson of Moses. It was so shameful that in some of the Hebrew manuscripts an extra letter is inserted into Moses’ name to make it “Manasseh.” But the rest of the genealogy gives it dead away. The idolatrous wickedness in Israel was so bad that even direct descendents of Moses himself were leading it!

Chapters 19-21 recount another set of horrifying events. A traveling Levite’s concubine is abused unto death by wicked Benjamite men in Gibeah who first attempted to immorally abuse him. To get justice for this atrocity and the wickedness that had gotten so bad in Gibeah he sends parts of her body to the different tribes. Rightly they all came together to deal with this, but unfortunately the tribe of Benjamin defended Gibeah instead of turning over the evil doers. After a deadly civil war on both sides all of Benjamin with her cities were wiped out except for 600 men. To keep Benjamin from going extinct, while not violating their vows to not let their daughters marry the Benjamites, 400 wives were found by destroying another Israelite city, Jabesh Gilead (since they had not come to fight Benjamin). The rest of the needed wives were kidnapped from those dancing at Shiloh during the annual feast time. What a ghastly mess!

It is on this note, after recounting all of the idolatry and perverted wickedness that was in Israel, that the book ends. Its final verse restates the situation and spirit that pervaded the splintered, floundering, idolatrous nation.

Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

The book of Joshua recorded the Lord’s work in Israel with the victories that He gave them in bringing them into the promised land “flowing with milk and honey.” It ended with strong warnings from Joshua that they needed to fear and serve the Lord in sincerity and truth. The people covenanted to do so.

In a stark contrast to that, the book of Judges records the absolute failure of the people to fear and serve the Lord. It is one of the darkest and saddest books of the Bible. It records the evil, destructive, perverted realities of what naturally comes out of the human heart—even though externally they had God’s Law, God’s Word, God’s sacrificial system, God’s discipline, and God’s appointed leaders.

With all of that…

How Then Does The Book Of Judges Point Forward To Christ And Help Us Remember His Sacrifice?

With the book of Judges’ portrayal of the dark realities of human nature at this time in Israel’s history there are actually no direct quotations of it in the New Testament. However, there are a couple allusions to people and events in it as well as an event that foreshadows the coming of Christ.

We find the first allusion to the book of Judges in Hebrews 4:8. Hebrews 3 and 4 talk about the rebelliousness of Israel in the wilderness wandering. Because of that sinful disobedience and unbelief God did not let that generation “enter His rest.” They were not allowed into Canaan.
However, from what Hebrews 4:6-10 says, even with the conquest of Canaan Joshua did not bring them all into this true rest of God.

Hebrews 4:6-10 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS.” 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. 9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.

In Psalm 95:7-11 David spoke those words and referenced this warning and rest. How did he know that Joshua had not given the people rest? How could he speak of it still as a pertinent issue? The book of Judges made all of that abundantly clear. Simply being in the land did not translate into being in God’s blessing and “rest.” Being in the land did not guarantee God’s favor. It did not fix the heart issue of unbelief that was the same problem in the wilderness wandering. Just being in the land had not made it a “land flowing with milk and honey” experience. Rather, as the book of Judges showed, despite being in the promised land the problem of indwelling sin, unbelief, and disobedience ran rampant. They did not have God’s rest. Israel’s experience was anything but what it should have been.

The author of Hebrews takes all of this and highlights that there was still a future rest. Where would that happen? This is a rest that can only be fulfilled in Jesus. There is a deeper problem that needs a deeper solution. The rest of this passage in Hebrews 4 takes this pictorial warning from Israel’s history and applies it to all of us in the present. We must not follow in Israel’s example of disbelief and disobedience in the wilderness wandering and in the book of Judges in Israel. If we turn from eternal rest in Jesus there will be no rest for us in God’s favor and blessing. Listen to what Hebrews 4:11-13 says.

Hebrews 4:11-13 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

Hebrews reminds us not to deceive ourselves or to try to deceive God as we come to Him. It will not work. His Word will pierce through and reveal all of our sinful actions, attitudes, thoughts, and intentions. One of the foundational uses or purposes for the Law is to reveal sin. The law made clear where sin was, and the inability to redeem oneself. A sacrifice was needed to pay the penalty for one’s sins. Faith in God’s work of redemption was the only way of salvation. And yet, the law itself could not save. It too pointed towards to the ultimate sacrifice which was needed on our behalf. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of it all. We must each personally trust in Him to receive forgiveness, and God’s eternal rest. Hebrews 4 finishes off teaching about Jesus as our great high priest with our new relationship to Him by saying this:

Hebrews 4:14-16 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Jesus provided the once-for-all sacrifice for our sins through His death, burial, and resurrection. He paid for our sin to be removed and gave us His righteousness. Thus, in Him we can come to the throne of God’s grace and be reconciled to the Father. We receive mercy, grace, and complete forgiveness eternally. But we also receive His help here and now. He understands our weakness, has been through the complete human experience without sin and can daily give us grace and help in our times of need.
We can have true rest in Jesus. Sin no longer is our master. How does this happen? Through faith in Christ. That is always how salvation from sin has occurred: trusting in God’s way of redemption. It is also always how victory over sin in one’s daily experience has happened. We must walk by faith, trusting God’s Word. As we do, we will walk in obedience to Him and see Him overcome our temptations and struggles.

And that is precisely what we see in the second allusion to the book of Judges in the New Testament. It occurs a few chapters later in the book of Hebrews in Hebrews 11:32. Here we have four of the judges from the book being mentioned. In the verses after that one we see them, among others, highlighted as examples of faith. After giving many specific examples of faith the author of Hebrews wraps things up saying this:

Hebrews 11:32-40 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; 36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. 39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.

The judges in the book of Judges were far from perfect as we have seen. Yet, in their deliverance of Israel, at God’s direction and by His power, they did show faith. Those were the only bright spots in the whole book. From that we see that it was only when people walked by faith trusting in God that there was deliverance from oppressors and from the consequences and realities of sin. Their faith and the results pointed to salvation alone being in God.

The same is true for us in our lives. As we know from the coming of Jesus, He is God’s perfect deliverance from the consequences, power, and presence of sin. He is the only way of salvation. Without Him our lives will end up as bleak, hopeless, and destructive as those in Israel during the time of the judges. We will each follow our own hearts, doing what is right in our own eyes and then reap the consequences of our sin. Our particular sins will vary, like theirs did, but the eternal consequences will be the same. We will die outside of the rest and blessing of God. Like Israel who lived in the land with the possibility of God’s rich blessings without receiving it because of their sin and lack of faith, so too, if we do not place our faith in Jesus we will not receive God’s rest and salvation. Instead, we will receive God’s eternal judgment for our sin in the lake of fire.

One final way that we will highlight that Judges points forward to Jesus and His redemption is in Judges chapter 13. There we have the birth announcement of Samson by the angel of the Lord. By the time we get to the 13th chapter of Judges we realize that these endless cycles of wickedness, oppression, repentance, and temporary deliverance by a judge are going nowhere. Nothing is really changing and Israel is not even remotely experiencing God’s intended blessing. If anything things are getting worse! So when we have a whole chapter detailing the announcement of a special birth to a previously barren couple and are told that he will be a specially set aside Nazirite from birth, and when we hear that the name of this angel making the announcement is too wonderful to be pronounced and is in fact seen to be God by Manoah and his wife then one’s hopes begin to rise that perhaps now there will be something different. Perhaps finally there will come the true, complete deliverance of Israel. Perhaps he will be the prophet like Moses who would come as Deuteronomy 18 prophesied!

Sadly, those hopes are quickly dashed when the sad reality of Samson’s conflicted life and death are recorded. Samson completely failed to be the perfect deliverer for Israel. His life highlighted that no matter how good the human deliverer, and no matter what advantages he might have in being a Nazirite from birth, and in having God’s Spirit on him, and in having supernatural strength it still was not enough to overcome the indwelling problem of sin. Even a real life superman could not do it. All of this cries out that more is needed. God Himself is needed to help us and to overcome this indwelling sin problem. In God’s perfect correlation and orchestration Samson’s failure points forward to Jesus’ perfect fulfillment.

The angelic announcement of Samson’s birth and life foreshadows the angelic announcement given to Zacharias of John the Baptist’s birth and ultimately to Mary and Joseph of Jesus’ birth. (Judges 13:3, 5, 7 and Luke 1:13-17, 26-38/Matthew 1:20-25.) Samson’s life raised our eyes to our desperate need for a perfect deliverer whose death would not just destroy physical enemies and bring some physical freedom, but whose death would destroy the power and punishment of sin over our lives and bring us eternal, spiritual, and physical freedom. Samson’s death reminded us of the inability of mankind to bring a lasting and true deliverance. Jesus’ resurrection proves to us His power to save us completely, once-for-all, body and soul, and bring us eternally into God’s rest and fellowship.

Thus, probably the strongest way that the book of Judges points to Jesus is in its real world highlighting the need for our salvation. The whole book shows over and over again the wickedness of mankind’s heart and behaviors. It shows the inability of people to save themselves and live righteously. Even with all of the redemption and miracles that God had done in bringing Israel out of Egypt and with the conquest of Canaan the people were so quick to forget God and move into idolatry and evil behavior. Even with the giving of the law of the Lord at Mount Sinai and the institution of the priesthood with the tabernacle and whole sacrificial system each generation of Israel continuously rebelled and went their own way.

That is the stark reality of what people naturally do when they “follow their heart.” When they simply do what they feel like doing, sin is the result. They make up their own ways of worship. They make their own idols or fall into syncretism with other religions. Inevitably they move into immorality, strife, and murder.

Because of sinfulness in our hearts the libertarian utopia of live and let live simply does not work. Sin abounded. Anarchy internally and oppression externally resulted time and again. The form of government, though, is really not the heart of the issue: our sinful, depraved, hearts are. As we will continue to see under the future kingdoms of Israel, all other systems of government have the exact same problem and fatal flaw: the sin within all mankind. As Jeremiah 17:9 says,

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (KJV)

Ecclesiastes 7:20 Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. (NASB95)

Psalm 14:2-3 The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. 3 They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one. (NASB95)

The law does not fix the heart of man. Something more is needed. All of this points forward to the need for Jesus Christ to come and do what we cannot do on our own. Our sin needs to be paid in full and our hearts need to be changed from the inside out by the power of God Himself. External pressures and laws are not enough. Jesus is the only true Savior. Are you trusting in Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Have you been freed from your slavery to sin? Trust Him today. Nothing else will work. The book of Judges shows that and points to our need for God’s salvation. Everything else fails.

If we have been saved from this hopeless mess of sin, and given eternal rest in Jesus with the ability to go to God Almighty’s throne for grace and help in time of need then let us make full use of these blessings. Because of Jesus we can have victory over our sin day by day. Even in hard circumstances we can rest in Him and walk by faith. We can be confident in the future that He has for us. We can be strengthened for everything that faces us today.

Let us not put any confidence in our own flesh, in our own hearts, and in our own strength. Let us recognize the depravity and wickedness that we will find in those places. And, let us remember those who have had victory. Let us remember how they had victory: by walking by faith in God’s way of redemption and life. We must keep going to God’s Wisdom, trust it, and walk by it. We must listen to the exhortation of Hebrews 12:1-4.

Hebrews 12:1-4 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;

We must remember Him. We must go to Him, remembering where He is at. He is at the right hand of the Father. Through Him we have access to all the grace and help that we need. Walk with Him day by day.

Let’s pray and partake of communion.¹

© 2023, Kevin A. Dodge, All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB),Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

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