Day 59 – November 17, 2023: Judges 1-5 and Psalm 3

We begin the book of Judges which is one of my favorites simply because one of my favorite characters in the Bible is in Judges. You find Deborah in chapter 4 and 5 and you read how her general, Barak, did not trust her and did not believe in her unless she was willing to lead the troops herself. She did and they conquered and Barak became her greatest soldier and confidant. They even sing a song together in chapter 5. We cannot underestimate the impact that Deborah, a full judge in full standing, as well as a prophet, has on Scripture as a woman of faith that God uses in a completely similar way as God would use any other man. Deborah is not defined as the wife of Lapidoth first and foremost, she is defined as a judge, a prophet, as one who did the will of God. There is nothing more important than that for her and for us as well. We are not defined by our spouses, or by our work, or by our interests. We are defined as stewards of God’s gifts which He has given us and equipped us for His kingdom.

But notice the refrain that begins in Judges and repeats itself over and over again. Look at Judges 2:11 where we read: “Then Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” That refrain repeats itself consistently in Judges. Every time a judge would die then the people would forget who God was and do what was evil in his sight. Is there any other stronger testimony for the need of godly leaders than this refrain. When godly people who are leading us no longer are in our midst, then we will do evil in the sight of the Lord.

Psalm 3 is pretty raw and pretty stark. There is a prayer for protection which is highlighted by a prayer to break the teeth of our enemies. That’s pretty vivid, but things get even more vivid in Judges as we go along.