Even though the stories are fantastic, the book of Judges is pretty repetitive thematically. Let me give you a breakdown of the storyline:
God puts a judge (or leader) in charge of Israel. They thrive and are very obedient to God. When that judge dies, everyone in Israel immediately starts worshiping idols and turning away from God. He calls another judge, and the people come back to Him. That judge dies, and they turn away again. That goes on and on for twenty-one chapters. It’s not exactly M. Night Shyamalan material.
However, even with the consistent cycles of obedience and disobedience, there is a great over-arching lesson about leadership. It seemed that the Israelites thrived under any person that was appointed by God to be in charge. They were obedient, just, and full of faith.
God sent Jesus here to die for us, and then sent the Holy Spirit when Jesus ascended back into heaven. Individually, we each have the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us in righteous directions. We have a direct connection to God through Jesus Christ as He lives in us and us in Him. We have constant leadership that points us in God’s direction.
However, God has also appointed human leaders in our lives. Sometimes pastors, mentors, parents, or even friends have been put in our lives to help us be more obedient, just, and faithful.
It is sometimes a challenge for me to look at those people and believe they were appointed by God to be in my life. That is mostly because I am skeptical, untrusting, and fairly self-centered. Yet, after reading through the book of Judges, I have realized that without those people holding me accountable and challenging my behaviors, I can very easily get off track without even noticing.
So if you have people in your life that are obviously full of the Holy Spirit and they show interest in serving as a spiritual mentor for you, take full advantage of it. Seek their advice in your big decisions. Ask them to assess your habits and behaviors. Invite them to be an intimate part of your walk with Christ so that you can have even more stability and focus in your relationship with Him.
God appoints people to come into our lives and bring us closer to Him. It is vital that we remain open to the leadership of other believers and embrace the blessings they can bring to our relationships with God. God put those people in our lives for a reason. Trust Him by trusting them.
Now, I am off to try and get the theme from “The People’s Court” out of my head. You’re welcome.