Judges. Chapter 3. Fixers. Ordinary doing the extraordinary.
This is a day we celebrate our independence. I never expected that my continuing read of Judges would have an Independence Day message in it. And I must say I find it constantly amazing how when I take the time to spend time in the Bible that God sends me a message with such clarity and force that throws me back. Today I started with Judges, got a little Genesis thrown in, and ended with John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address. Go figure out how those dots got connected…. one step backward, but two steps forward. Well, that’s progress!
Background. After Moses and Joshua, Isreael was a loose confederation of tribes. They had no king or centralized government, but when there was a crisis. These judges were divinely inspired by God and had a direct relationship with Him. They did not judge cases, but judged Israel after they had strayed and brought them back. I would call this more of a “fixer” than a leader. Someone who knew what was wrong, where they had to go, and what they had to do to get there are the key elements.
Judges 3 tells the story of the first three judges. But the opening verses lets us know that God had allowed foreigners and other nations to still hang around to keep them tested, true and strong — “These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan 2 (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience)….”
The first judge was Othniel, nephew of Caleb (remember him from Joshua and the scouting mission?) who was born and grew up in a tradition of faith and service who led the nation to conquer the foe in war. He had the privilege of learning service at the feet of Caleb, I’m sure.
The second judge was Ehud. A bit of a sneak who gave tribute to the king, then would stab him to death while meeting privately under the pretense of whispering a message from God. The message apparently had a point. The sharp point of a knife.
The third judge is the one that we can all take a tip from.
“After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.”
An ordinary person (farmer) who willingly served a greater cause, used the tools that he was given (an implement to spur and round of livestock), and stayed true to the mission (even in the face of an organized opposition).
Ordinary man. Ordinary tools. Extraordinary results when true to the course.
A nation does not accomplish these goals as a nation but through the dedication and service of its people. Three examples were given – leading the army, using deception for the good of the people to overcome evil, and one person true to mission can make a difference. The evil part is a bit disturbing, but I am reminded of Genesis 50:20 — “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (ESV)
We too have had these tests as a nation. We have had them frequently since our independence. Independence was declared on July 4, but the war to win it took years of struggle and sacrifice. And yet it was re-tested by England quickly in the War of 1812 resulting in the burning of Washington DC.
God knows all. Sees all. And he got it right for Israel. The fight is not so much in the “getting” but in the “keeping”. Our fight to secure the independence that our forefathers and ancestors secured for us is not over. We cannot and will not bask in the sunshine of that peace because each generation has had its own crisis and call for a “judge” to fix it.
We, too, have had our “judges” in the form of “fixer-leaders” in our times of crisis – Washington, Lincoln, Wilson, FDR, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Reagan to name a few. They had a plan to get past the tyranny of England, slavery, the first World War, the depression, the second World War, peace following war, missile crisis, communism and more. Churchill was England’s fixer-leader. And when the crisis was over, then what?
Well, in Israel’s case, it seemed they were on a roller coaster of backsliding. It seems each generation forgot the fundamental values and beliefs that made them a nation and lost their focus as they went on a path of self-destruction.
For whatever reason, Israel did a poor job of teaching the next generation of who they were. What made them a nation. What they needed to do. Even with the Bible, they seemed to have no “mission statement”.
I am reminded of the words of John F. Kennedy from his inauguration on January 20, 1961:
“We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans–born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage–and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
This much we pledge–and more. “