Crying Out for a Saviour
Everyone did what was right in their own eyes Wrongdoing (Judges 19) Revenge (Judges 20) Regret (Judges 21) In those days there was no king in Israel
The deliverer no-one wanted (13:1-5) The deliverer who wants to be like everyone else (16:4-21) The deliverer who’s victorious in death (16:22-31) A better deliverer!
Israel bargains with God (10:6-18) Gilead bargains with Jephthah (11:1-11) Jephthah’s bargain with God (11:29-33) …has disastrous results (11:34-39) We don’t need to bargain with God! Matthew 7:9-11
Abimelech: the man you want as king? (8:33-9:6) Jotham: the voice of judgement (9:7-21) Fire from Abimelech. Fire from Shechem. (9:22-57) Good news for Abimelechs 2 Corinthians 5:10 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Another time around (6:1-10) Gideon an unsure leader (6:11-16, 36-40; 7:9-15a) a spiteful leader (8:4-21) a faithless leader (8:21-32) God is a mighty warrior (7:1-8, 17-23) gracious and patient beyond measure! God’s gracious patience means salvation 2 Peter 3:3-9
A Prophetess and a Reluctant Leader (4:1-16) An Inglorious Victory (4:17-23) Judges and Us… What does it show about people? What does it show about God? What does it show about how God works in Jesus? Luke 9:51 Philippians 2:9
Time after time… Ehud - an ‘unlikely’ saviour (3:12-30) Jesus - an ‘unlikely’ saviour (1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5) Judges and us… What does it show about people? What does it show about God? What does it show about how God works in Jesus?
The story so far (2:1-2a) God continues to be faithful (1:1-18) … but God’s people fail (1:19-34) What went wrong? Israel didn’t pass the baton (2:6-10) The downward spiral (2:11-19) Judges and us What does it show about people? What does it show about God? What does it show about how God works in Jesus?