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 response to King Saul’s second major error and his excuse, Samuel famously declared that to obey is better than sacrifice.
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 next pair of sections about John and Jesus, Luke reported that the Word of God came upon John, and the Holy Spirit...
