The end of Judges

Day 97

OT Reading: Judges 20-21

NT Reading: Luke 11: 1-28

I've always found the ending of the book of Judges to be rather odd. Perhaps odd isn't the right word. Maybe "curious" would work better. Regardless...Judges is quite peculiar in how it finishes. Let me explain.

I'm guessing that you have experienced some level of conflict with your relatives. You may have experienced disputes during holidays, perhaps grievances over inheritances, or frankly one of any number of scenarios that would cause tension among family members. But tell me, have you and your extended relatives ever gathered a few thousand people, taken up arms and decided to go to war with each other? Because that's basically what happened in the last few chapters of the book of Judges. In an effort to avenge the wrong done in Gibeah, thousands of fighting men go with the intent of wiping out the city and everything in it. Which, after a few tries, they succeed in doing.

Then comes "warrior's remorse"...or whatever we want to call it. The rest of Israel is in mourning because one of the tribes could potentially disappear.

Um...duh? Didn't you realize this could be the case before you went with the intent of wiping them out? But I digress...

So what do they do to fix the problem? They make arrangements for all the remaining Benjamites to have wives. Some through more traditional means, some by taking the "guy's choice" portion of a dance to an entirely new level.

Perhaps to the people of the day, these sorts of activities were common...ordinary. But in my 21st century American mindset, I admit that I find them flat-out odd.

Yet the one verse that always strikes me is the very last verse of Judges which reads, "In those days, Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit." Other translations put it this way, "In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:21, ESV)

Based on that verse alone I could go into a lengthy discussion about how quickly Israel repeatedly strayed from God's commands, and how we often do the same. I could compare our current relativistic culture with that verse, making a statement on today's society. But I think you can get all that on your own. If I may, I'd like to ask you to underline that verse in your Bible. File it away in your memory. Memorize it if that helps. And just see how often you come across a situation in life where, like those in the time of the judges, individuals only do what is right in their own eyes.