When people read the Bible, they may be surprised to find shocking stories of wickedness mixed with stories of great faith, sometimes in the very same people. In other words, it contains stories of people like us. Judges reports on the chaotic situation in Israel after the death of Joshua during which a series of deliverers rescued God’s people time and time again from self-inflicted problems. At the end of the book, things spiraled out of control, but this failure reveals the main point of the book. In the end, the judges could not have lasting success but were signposts pointing forward to the answer to their failures and ours.
In answer to Habakkuk’s complaint about God using the wicked to accomplish his purpose, God declared that the righteous will live by faith.
In the Proverbs, two women invite us to dine with them and embrace them, Lady Wisdom and Woman Folly.
After the shepherds of Israel mistreated and kicked out the man born blind in chapter 9, Jesus announced in John 10:1-21 that he is...