The Book Of Judges Essay

636 Words2 Pages

Faithfulness and moral responsibility is the essence of God’s defining laws with the Israelites. Judges and Ruth express God’s willingness to save his struggling people as the ultimate act of Judge and Jury. God judges Israel for her sins and brings about human judges to deliver Israel from her oppressors. The book of Judges showcased the cycle of apostasy, repentance, and deliverance within the people of Israel (Hindson, Towns, 2013, p.104). Judges chapter 17-19 highlighted how religious compromise resulted in a moral corruption that untimely plagued Israel. After the death of the last king, Israel’s people drove themselves into chaos and decided to live freely without any moral conviction. The death of king Joshua, many other tribes fought …show more content…

The wilderness journey was a trial of obedience and faith given to the Israelites because God wanted to see how dependent and devoted his people would be through hardship. Unfortunately, what was meant to be an eleven-day journey turned into a forty-year expedition to cleanse Israel of any moral impurities and force her to become obedient. Judges was a result of Israel’s ignorance when arriving into the land of Canaan. Instead of delivering Canaan of its people and possessions Israel fell prey to its sinful nature. Numbers 33:56 relates to God’s promise to punish Israel with the same harshness as the Canaanites if they did not deliver the thorns plaguing the land. Israel's moral obligation was to the Father and not man's selfish desires. The final chapters of Judges express the struggles of idolatry and immorality. Micah was an Israelite that indulged in graven images (idolatry), the Danites was a tribe the revoked God’s inheritance, and the tribe of Gibeah was filled with barbarity towards the women. The book of Judges is continuously filled with cycles of sin and …show more content…

Ruth is a hopeful symbol of Israel’s future with God. Ruth is a Gentile woman that expresses a Godly love for her fellow Hebrew and Gentile people. During a time of moral sin and infidelity, God used Ruth as a testament of faithfulness to restore Israel’s promise with God's covenant. She exhibits God's love for his people and his promise to Abraham about Israel's fate. Ruth's love story with Boaz illustrated the biblical concept of redemption (Hindson, Towns, 2013, p.111). Ruth's devotion to Naomi during her troubling time clashed with her pagan ancestry. Her proclamation to Naomi in chapter 1:16, “Your people would be my people, and your God would be my God,” expounded her conversion of faith and loyalty. She denies her own pagan faith and devotes her life to the people of Israel and their God. Her commitment towards Naomi (God) gifted her with Boaz. He redeems her from a life of servitude and loneliness. Unfortunately, Ruth and Boaz’s union brings conflict, but eventually their union is blessed in the eyes of man. The book of Ruth taught about the ethical behavior during a period of moral decline. The contrast between God's judgment and his grace is illustrated in the book of Judges and Ruth (Hindson, Towns, 2013, p.114). The continuous act of disobedience perpetrated a cycle of sin. Each cycle furthering Israel away from God's grace and covenant. During an era filled with moral damnation,

More about The Book Of Judges Essay

Open Document