Judges: God Only Knows

And now we see the consequences of a good man and fine leader leaving no successor. Think of it as a Western -  Wagon Train with Eric Fleming and Clint Eastwood - strong leaders like Moses and Joshua. 

Then comes the transition to A Fistful of Dollars or The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Moses and Joshua are gone, leaving the people to fend for themselves. They are scattered, vulnerable to attack, living in lawless, dry, windblown, and harsh territory. These are new arrivals, struggling to survive and subject to oppression by villains, unable to resist. Then, out of nowhere, a deliverer arrives - a flawed hero. He drives out the bad guys, rescues the people, and moves on.

There is always violence – shootouts, showdowns, outlaws, and sheriffs, vivid and brutal scenes of villains dying, posses in pursuit, brawls, deception and strong women – who may or may not be virtuous.

Ehud sinks his sword up to the hilt in the fat of Eglon. Jael drives a tent peg through the head of Sisera. Samson is gruesomely blinded and brings down the temple killing hundreds or thousands. The Levite’s concubine is brutally raped by men in a village and then killed - her body separated into twelve pieces and sent to the tribes. 

That’s what we have here in these several chapters. The judges are heroes but not idealized. These are stories of strong figures who save people – as much from themselves as from outside villains. The tribal bonds are breaking down and the common purpose that once held them together is coming apart. They are on their own and, worse, they are not always ready to come to the rescue of the other tribes. They are looking out for themselves. They are fitting in to survive and becoming unfit to serve each other. The sense of belonging to a nation is unraveling into tribalism - us and them.

In so many of the stories of the Judges you have an unknown and unremarkable person who experiences the spirit of the Lord. Othniel, Gideon, Jepthah.

They are not “electable.” Gideon is weak, uncertain and not interested in the job. Jephthah is the son of a prostitute and his rash promise costs his daughter her life. Samson is a moral hazard and spoiled son. There is no campaign to put them in office. In some cases, like the account of Barak and Deborah, the natural leader is risk averse and lacks courage. He wants to be sure that Deborah will be with him. They want to know they will be successful before they commit themselves nor are they uniquely prepared in ways that we could understand or predict. There is nothing about their backgrounds or their talent that would have identified them early on as judges. They have not been trained in the school of judges. They are not the best and the brightest or selected by an organization as emerging leaders.

They are simply anointed.  “The Spirit of the Lord came upon them.”  

The Spirit of the Lord comes in two ways. First, it comes with an immediate and miraculous effect. Super strength, speaking various languages with no previous knowledge, healing, raising the dead. It is always out of the ordinary and a momentary charge. And then they live out the balance of their lives quietly and unremarkably.

The second way we see here is the anointing that lasts a lifetime. It brings not just spectacular experiences but permanent responsibility and duty. The anointing is for the balance of their lives – not just special times. As long as these permanent judges are alive Israel is faithful and protected. When they depart then everyone does what is right in their own eyes. There is no rule of law or binding power. It’s no wonder they desire a king. 

At the end of the day, we cannot understand why God picks who he does. We cannot figure out the scheme of things or be wise enough. It is, as the writer of the last few verses of Ecclesiastes says, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man… No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it."

That is the work of the anointed hero – do your whole duty so that we might say as Andi Ashworth does, “In the work of love there is no part too small to matter and no part so great that it trumps everything else.” It is not about a moment when you did a great thing. It is not about spending your life waiting for a great thing. It is about how you lived the days of your life.   

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Art by R.G. Harris

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