April 19, 2023

Judges 2: 16, 19 Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. . . . But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers. (NIV) 

Broken people mark every page of history, even Christian history.*

The book of Judges tells stories of heroes and anti-heroes. It is the history of a nation’s cycle of glory and shame as they fell from the heights of God-given victory over their enemies to the depths of depravity as they turned to idolatry. And back again for more of the same after the passing of the last old granny who still remembered what the Lord had done for them. 

As verse 16 says, the Lord raised up judges to save them when they hit rock bottom and called out to him for deliverance. With God’s help, these men (and one woman) performed some superheroic deeds – but sadly, very few of them ended well. Does that diminish the magnitude of their accomplishments? 

· Many years ago, a man – who was an elder, a Bible-school teacher, and church treasurer – asked God to help him find the right person for a job opening he needed to fill. Turns out I was that person, and my life was forever changed. Not long after, that man turned away from God. 

· When my boys reached middle school age, it became increasingly challenging to make them go to church. It was boring, they said. Until they made a new friend who changed their attitude. About the friend’s Christianity, they said, “He’s the real thing.” Today, my boys have grown into godly men but their friend has rejected Christianity. 

Of these two “heroes,” one has since passed away and the other doesn't seem to be on the track to ending well. But that doesn’t cancel out the good that they did in the days when the Lord “raised them up.” 

Before we get too judgmental about the Judges and the people they judged, let’s remind ourselves that God always uses imperfect instruments to accomplish his purposes – because that’s all he’s got to work with. Let’s pray that we remain faithful so that it can be said of us that we ended well. To the glory of God!

At the end of your life, your sin can be your exception.*