Bible Challenge Day 89: The Judges Spiral (Judges 7-9)

The book of Judges has a cool, spiral pattern.

At one level, the book follows a repeating pattern, like a circle. The pattern is established in chapter two, verse 11 forward. I take this chapter to be generic. It is not talking about a single event (e.g. verse 16) but rather introduces the pattern for each judge. First, Israel sins. God hands them over to a foreign oppressor. Eventually Israel cries out to God. God calls a “judge” (more like a general, normally) to deliver the people. The judge defeats the oppressor. The people remain faithful for the rest of the judge’s life, but then relapse and start the cycle all over again. The lesson is clear enough. Sin leads to punishment. Repentance and covenant loyalty lead to restoration.

Once we notice the pattern, then the deviations from the pattern become interesting. And it turns out the deviations are following a pattern too. Each judge is a little worse than the previous one.

So far we have read about Othniel (3:7-11), who follows the pattern perfectly. Then Ehud (3:12-30), who also follows it closely except that he begins to deliver the people by a political assassination that is described as disgusting. Deborah and Barak are third (4-5). Deborah is great, and perhaps the most impressive woman in the Old Testament. But Barak is the military leader, and he is less impressive. He won’t fight unless Deborah goes with him. As a consequence, he does not get the glory of killing the enemy leader (4:8-9).

Finally, today we get Gideon, who needs multiple signs before he is willing to act, and who is also explicitly told that neither he nor Israel as a whole will get the glory of the victory (7:2-8). Worse yet, Gideon slaughters non-cooperative Israelites and then constructs an ephod that ultimately leads him, his family, and his people astray. Then his son makes himself king ad fights a minor civil war.

We will continue the downward slide with Jephthah and Samson and especially with the Levite at the end.

The result is a kind of spiral, as the book circles around the theme of sin and punishment, repentance and restoration, but also moves consistently downward.

Where we are heading is social collapse and the need for a new start under a king. But the monarchy to come is set-up in Judges not as a wonderful institution so much as a desperate response to a desperate situation.

Fr. Harvey