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I think the Book of Judges is the second most “storied” book in the Bible (the Book of Acts would be my first choice). Why?
Judges contains story after story after story (just like Acts) with no lists of numbers that we get tired of reading as in the Book of Numbers and no endless Levitical laws found in the Book of Leviticus. At the same time, Acts has story after story after story of evangelism and the power of the Spirit (no lists or laws either!).
But besides stories, there’s scant comparison between Judges and Acts.
The Book of Judges begins with the miraculous conquest of Canaan by Israel, but after Joshua died, the Israelites plunged into rebellion, brutality, and debauchery. As it says in Judges 2:7. . .
The people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel (ESV).
And then soon after the death of Joshua. . .
And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger (Judges 2:11-12).
The Book of Judges focuses on the cycles of sin with the Israelites turning away from God, which leads to oppression from foreign powers, then crying out to God, with deliverance from a judge (mostly military leaders).
There are six main judges in the Book of Judges — Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Jephthah, Gideon, and Samson, and all of these judges had glaring character defects.
Considering the reason why the Israelites quickly lost their faith in the Living God, we find that they didn’t completely drive the Canaanites out of the Promised Land, and soon compromised their faith by worshipping the sensual Canaanite Baals (referring to multiple gods) — a practice which included sexual activity with temple prostitutes, as the Canaanites thought (in an agrarian society) that sex would entice the Baals to make their land fertile.
Now, back to the Book of Acts, which parallels the Book of Judges. Judges describes life in Israel after the death of Joshua, and the Book of Acts describes the life of the church following the death of Jesus. (Historical note: “Joshua” and “Jesus” are the same name. In Hebrew, the name “Yeshua” is translated “Joshua” in English, but when translated into the Greek, it becomes “Iesous” and then from the Greek to English, it becomes “Jesus.”)
The Book of Judges describes a quick descent from God, while Acts shows godly people spreading the Gospel to the world. The difference, I think, is that the Jews had the Law and the church has the Spirit!
With only the law and no clear leader, the Book of Judges describes Israel after Joshua. . .
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes (21:25).
The history of Israel in the Book of Judges isn’t pretty. It’s violent, shameful, murderous, and pagan. Today, we have the King of Kings (Revelation 17:14) who lives in us (Romans 8:10), and the life of the church described in Acts 2 remains an example for us. . .
All who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved (Acts 2:44-47).
Read the Book of Judges, then read the Book of Acts! Let’s choose Acts.