You've heard the stories of Samson and Gideon, but the book of Judges doesn't end there. The final five chapters take us into some of the darkest moments in Israel's history, and they hold a message we desperately need to hear.
Rabbi Jeff Zaremsky walks us through Judges 17-21, where we meet a man named Micah who builds his own shrine, hires his own priest, and thinks God will bless him for it. Then we witness a story so disturbing, a Levite's concubine abused and murdered, that it sparks a civil war that nearly wipes out the tribe of Benjamin.
Four times in these chapters we read the same haunting phrase: "In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes."
When there's no structure, no accountability, no respect for God-appointed authority, chaos follows. People mix truth with error. They defend the guilty. They turn on their own brothers. And the work of God grinds to a halt.
But here's the hope: Benjamin was humbled, almost destroyed, and then restored. Out of those 600 survivors came the first king of Israel, and eventually, the apostle Paul. God doesn't give up on a tribe, and He doesn't give up on you.
Whether you're wrestling with loyalty, authority, or just trying to figure out what it looks like to follow God in a world that celebrates "doing your own thing," this message will challenge and encourage you.
