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.
The people could draw near to God only after the blood of the covenant was shed.
While the Old Testament is still valid, we also have the message of the one who was raised from the dead.
All through the Gospel of John we have been hearing about Jesus’ coming glorification. In John 19:16-42, we finally reach it and discover that...