The Flawed Deliverers, the Ruin of Sin, and
the Need for a King
The book of Judges covers one of the darkest periods in Israel’s history. After the victories and covenant renewal of Joshua, Israel failed to fully obey the LORD and gradually turned to the gods/practices of the surrounding nations. The book follows a tragic pattern often referenced as the Judges Cycle: God’s people rebel against Him and fall into idolatry; God allows foreign nations to oppress them and bring them back to Him; the people cry out for help; God raises up a judge to deliver them; the people enjoy a season of peace; and then, after the judge dies, they quickly return to sin and the cycle begins again (and again). Each repetition reveals a deeper spiritual decline, showing the devastating consequences of covenant unfaithfulness and life lived apart from God’s rule.
The judges themselves point beyond themselves to Jesus. Though God uses Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, and others to deliver His people, each of them is deeply flawed. Some begin well and end poorly; others display serious moral and spiritual failures even while being used by God. Yet several of these judges are later commended for their faith in Hebrews 11. Their inclusion reminds us that God’s saving purposes are accomplished by His grace rather than human perfection. As we have recently seen in Hebrews, these men and women are part of the great cloud of witnesses who ultimately direct our attention beyond themselves to Jesus, the perfect Deliverer and the true Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).
While not every chapter of Judges is included, these readings have been carefully chosen to highlight the Flawed Delivers, the Ruin of Sin, and the Need for a King. You’ll see Israel’s repeated failures (chs. 1-2), the faith of Deborah (ch. 4), the rise and decline of Gideon (chs. 6-8), the tragic account of Jephthah (ch. 11), the strength and weakness of Samson (chs. 13-16), and the shocking collapse of Israel’s spiritual and moral life (chs. 17-21). The books repeated refrain — In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes — reveals the heart of the problem. Judges leaves us longing for a righteous King who can truly save His people. That longing finds its fulfillment in JESUS, who perfectly rules, perfectly delivers, and perfectly obeys where every judge failed.
Let’s dive in together and see Jesus in Judges!
- June 25 — ch. 1
Israel begins to possess the land, but their incomplete obedience leaves enemies among them and sets the stage for future compromise. - June 26 — ch. 2
Israel turns from the LORD after Joshua’s generation, beginning a cycle of rebellion, judgment, crying out, and deliverance through flawed judges. - June 27 — ch. 4
God delivers Israel through Deborah, Barak, and Jael, showing His power to save His people through unexpected and unlikely means. - June 28 — ch. 6
God calls Gideon to deliver Israel from Midian, showing mercy to His fearful people even when their suffering is tied to their own sin. - June 29 — ch. 7
God saves Israel through Gideon’s small and weakened army, making it clear that deliverance comes by His power. - June 30 — ch. 8
Gideon refuses kingship but leads Israel into idolatry, showing the need for a better deliverer who can give God’s people lasting rest. - July 1 — ch. 11
God uses Jephthah to deliver Israel, but his tragic vow reveals how deeply Israel’s faith has been distorted by the nations around them. - July 2 — ch. 13
God announces the birth of Samson, raising up a deliverer set apart from the womb to begin saving Israel from the Philistines. - July 3 — ch. 14
Samson’s sinful desires and conflict with the Philistines show God working through a deeply flawed deliverer to begin rescuing His people. - July 4 — ch. 16
Samson falls through his own sin, yet God grants him final victory over the Philistines, showing his weakness and Israel’s need for a greater Savior. - July 5 — ch. 17
Micah makes his own shrine and priesthood, showing the spiritual confusion of a people who do what is right in their own eyes. - July 6 — ch. 18
The tribe of Dan steals Micah’s idols and priest, revealing how far Israel has fallen when worship is shaped by convenience instead of God’s Word. - July 7 — ch. 19
Israel’s moral collapse is exposed through shocking violence, showing the ruin that comes when everyone does what is right in his own eyes. - July 8 — ch. 20
Israel responds to evil with civil war, revealing a nation broken by sin and in desperate need of righteous leadership. - July 9 — ch. 21
Judges ends with grief, confusion, and compromise, leaving Israel longing for a true King who will lead God’s people in righteousness.
Continue in the See JESUS in the Old Testament readings as we begin the book of Ruth!
Just Keith Harris 
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