Judges 3 – Judges 5

Warning:
Today’s reading may be rated R
for Violence and Gore

Perhaps every reading should come with a rated similar to what we see at the beginning of a TV show or as posted with a movie. Even it Judges chapters 3 – 5 had a rating I would have kept reading. The violence and gore helps to make things interesting. This is definitely the stuff that Hollywood makes movies out of.

We’ve got Ehud (a Judge of Israel) and King Eglon. The Israelites are oppressed by Moab, and Ehud goes in for the rescue. Negotiations don’t work, but his double edged sword does the trick. Right into the folds of Eglon’s belly. You can almost hear the slurp of the fat as it closes in around the blade which was completely embedded in his belly. Add to that he was sitting on the “throne” and we can all begin to connect the dots on how that might have looked. Again rated R for violence and gore!

Then we’ve God Deborah, Barak, Sisera, and Jael. A some what convoluted story which includes: 1) Deborah – the Judge called to redeem Israel from the oppression of the Canaanites, 2) Barak – one of Deborah’s military leaders 3) Sisera – the opposing general, and 4) Jael – the heroin. In the midst of fleeing from the battle led by Deborah and Barak, Sisera ends up seduced by Jael. To make things even better, Jael drugs him with warm milk only to hammer a tent peg into his forehead. Whack! Whack! Whack! Good stuff!

Moral of it all . . . Israel strays from God. . . the Judges come into provide guidance (and rescue?) . . . and things get a little bit R rated. Perhaps after all the readings of borders and which tribe was going to live where, we needed something a bit more interesting!

Peace,
Pastor

Our next reading: Judges 6 – 7