Relativity and Redemption - A Devotional Study of Judges and Ruth

All Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible, unless otherwise noted. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Nashville, TN

Relativity and Redemption – A Devotional Study of Judges and Ruth

By Warren Henderson

Copyright © 2016

Cover Design: Benjamin Bredeweg

Editing/Proofreading: Keith Keyser,

Daniel Macy, and David Lindstrom

Published by Warren A. Henderson

3769 Indiana Road

Pomona, KS 66076

Perfect Bound ISBN: 978-1-939770-32-5

eBook ISBN: 978-1-939770-33-2

ORDERING INFORMATION:

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Other Books by the Author

Afterlife – What Will It Be Like?

Answer the Call – Finding Life’s Purpose

Behold the Saviour

Be Angry and Sin Not

Exploring the Pauline Epistles

Forsaken, Forgotten, and Forgiven – A Devotional Study of Jeremiah

Glories Seen & Unseen

Hallowed Be Thy Name – Revering Christ in a Casual World

Hiding God – The Ambition of World Religion

In Search of God – A Quest for Truth

Managing Anger God’s Way

Mind Frames – Where Life’s Battle Is Won Or Lost

Out of Egypt – A Devotional Study of Exodus

Overcoming Your Bully

Passing the Torch – Mentoring the Next Generation

Revive Us Again – A Devotional Study of Ezra and Nehemiah

Seeds of Destiny – A Devotional Study of Genesis

The Bible: Myth or Divine Truth?

The Fruitful Bough – Affirming Biblical Manhood

The Fruitful Vine – Celebrating Biblical Womanhood

The Olive Plants – Raising Spiritual Children

Your Home the Birthing Place of Heaven

Table of Contents

Title Page

Other Books By This Author

Preface

Introduction to Judges

The Joshua-Judges Connection

Devotions in Judges

Introduction to Ruth

Devotions in Ruth

Endnotes

Preface

Spiritual corruption and idolatry became rampant among the Jews during the era of the Judges, beginning with the generation directly after Joshua’s. This angered the Lord who repeatedly punished His covenant people through military invasion. After years of oppression, the Jews would repent and cry out to the Lord for deliverance. On these occasions the Lord raised up judges to remove the oppressors from the land and to guide the nation in righteous conduct. Amidst this long and gloomy backdrop of failure and chastening, a bright ray of redemptive hope is conveyed in the lovely story of Ruth, a young Moabite widow who is sacrificially devoted to her mother-in-law Naomi, also a widow.

Accordingly, from a typological sense, the story of Ruth pictures the fulfilment of all that God’s promises in connection with Israel (and no less the Church who is later grafted into such promises), on the ground of sovereign grace, after the nation (portrayed in Naomi) had lost all claims to God’s blessing because of moral and spiritual failure (the testimony of Judges). Judges displays the ever increasing depravity of Israel, despite divine chastening and intervention, which ultimately leaves God’s people in a thick hue of spiritual deadness. Thankfully, the activities of God’s grace are not overcome by human failure; this leaves us with a wonderful scene of joy and blessing at the conclusion of the book of Ruth.

Naomi, representing the chastened nation of Israel, is a backsliding believer, who returns to Lord after experiencing the consequences of departing from God’s will. She departed Judah full, but willing returns (a key word in Ruth) empty, after God stripped everything away by disciplinary action. Having been emptied of all self-ambition and self-fortitude she again experiences God’s delight and blessing in her life.

Through her connection with Naomi, Ruth steps forward in faith to reject the deep-seated pagan heritage of her own people to become a Jehovah worshipper. After approaching a potential kinsman-redeemer, Boaz, and requesting to be redeemed, she receives his pledge to do so. Later, she will experience the redeeming love of Boaz through marriage and be not only brought into the commonwealth of Israel, but also the genealogy of Christ.

Relativity and Redemption is a commentary style devotional which upholds the glories of Christ while exploring the books of Judges and Ruth within the context of the whole of Scripture. I have endeavored to include in this book some of the principal gleanings from other writers. Relativity and Redemption contains dozens of brief devotions. This format allows the reader to use the book either as a daily devotional or as a reference source for deeper study.

— Warren Henderson

Judges

Introduction to Judges

The Author

While the author of Judges does not personally identify himself, Hebrew tradition asserts that Samuel is the writer of the book. The Babylonian Talmud (Tractate Baba Bathra 14b) states: Samuel wrote the book which bears his name and the books of Judges and Ruth. The internal evidence mentioned in The Date section below also indicates that Judges was written just before the reign of David. If this supposition is correct, this timeframe ensures that Samuel is a strong candidate for authorship. Samuel was the leading prophet at that time, was well-respected in Israel, and also was a renowned writer (1 Sam. 10:25).

The Date

Internal evidence suggests that Judges was written just after the coronation of King Saul in 1051 B.C., but before David overcame the Jebusites dwelling in Jerusalem in 1004 B.C. (1:21). F. Duane Lindsey suggests that there are three pertinent reasons for adopting this conclusion:

(1) The stylistic motto in those days Israel had no king is repeated towards the end of the book (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25) and looks backward from a period when Israel did have a king. (2) The statement about Jerusalem that to this day the Jebusites live there (1:21) is most clearly explained as written before David’s conquest of the city (2 Sam. 5:6-7). (3) The reference to Canaanites in Gezer suggests a date before the time the Egyptians gave the city to Solomon’s Egyptian wife as a wedding present (1 Kgs. 9:16).¹

If Samuel is the author of Judges, the book would have been written in the latter years of his life, just after the appointment of Saul as Israel’s first king. A date of 1050 to 1020 B.C. seems appropriate based on this assumption.

The Interval

While most Bible scholars concur that the book commences with the death of Joshua and concludes with Saul’s ascent to the throne, there is much debate as to the actual duration of the book. It is generally agreed that Saul became the first king of the Jewish nation in 1051 B.C.; however, the date of Joshua’s death is debatable as it is directly tied to the date of the Exodus. Biblical scholars have placed the date of the Exodus from as late as 1230 B.C. to as early as 1580 B.C. Archeological evidence has been used to bolster various dates in this range.

History records that an Asiatic people called the Hyksos captured and ruled Egypt from around 1720 to 1580 B.C. (corresponding to the time of the Patriarchs and to the 15th and 16th Egyptian dynasties). Some historians believe that the Hyksos, like the Hebrews, were a nomadic people. They were also Semitic (i.e. descendants of Shem), as were the Israelites. It seems logical to conclude that the migration of the Israelites to Egypt and the rise of Joseph to power corresponded with the Hyksos’ control of Egypt. Semitic rulers would have been more favorable than the Egyptians to allow a Semitic foreigner to be the second in command of Egypt and to permit a migration of other Semitic people to Goshen. The new king who did not know Joseph would correspond with the expulsion of the Hyksos from Egypt after the 16th dynasty (Ex. 1:8). With the removal of Joseph and the Hyksos, the Egyptians regained political control and enslaved the Israelites, perhaps in retaliation for Semitic rule.² The Pharaoh mentioned in Exodus 1:8 is likely Amenhotep I (1545–1526 B.C.) or Thutmose I (1526-1512 B.C.). Amenhotep II (1450-1425 B.C.) was involved with building projects in northern Egypt and accordingly may have been Pharaoh at the time of the Exodus. In conclusion, a mid-fifteenth century B.C. date for the Exodus is supported by historical evidence.

Solomon states that the Exodus occurred 480 years before he began constructing the temple in the fourth year of his reign (1 Kgs. 6:1). Solomon reigned as king in Israel for forty years, from 971 to 931 B.C. This means that the temple work was initiated in 966 B.C., and 480 years earlier would put the Exodus date at 1446 B.C.³ Solomon’s statements in 1 Kings 6:1 enable us to fix the interval of the Judges with more confidence. 

Working forward from the 1446 B.C. date for the exodus and adding forty years for the wilderness experience, seven years for the Canaan conquest, and a few decades for the elders who outlived Joshua to die, the period of the Judges would have commenced between 1390 and 1350 B.C. If the last elder (being less than twenty years of age at the time of the exodus) lived as long as Joshua (i.e. 110 years), then a date nearer to 1350 seems reasonable. Israel entered into idolatry shortly after this time (2:7), thus initiating the cycle of disciplinary action which necessitated the Judges. This evaluation would suggest that the period of the Judges, ended with Saul’s ascent to the throne in 1052 B.C. and lasted slightly over three hundred years.

What about Paul’s historical overview in Acts 13:18-21, which denotes 450 years for the era of the Judges? The reference is difficult to reconcile with the previously explained Bible chronology, though various explanations have been suggested. It is feasible that Paul is including years of Jewish oppression in Egypt within the scope of oppression during the time of the Judges. But textually speaking, this rationalization does not hold much merit. A more likely explanation is that Paul is speaking of the sum total years of independent judgeships and related oppressions, instead of absolute chronology, as in Solomon’s statement.

The narrative indicates that the judges had authority over a particular region of Israel, rather than over the entire nation, thus, some judgeships overlapped. The Jewish response to their oppressors provides credibility to this understanding – not all of the tribes were requested, nor responded to the call to arms. This would mean that the total time of the judges would be less than the summation of each situation (i.e. less than the accumulative 408 years of judgeships and oppressions – see table below).

The Judges

Outline

1:1-3:6: Historical Review and Prophetic Prelude

3:7-16:31: The Era of the Judges

17-21: Examples of Moral and Spiritual Declension

The prelude or preface to the book shows the degeneracy of Israel and their lapse into idolatry after the death of Joshua and his contemporaries (1:1-3:6). The principal narrative of Judges relates to the thirteen distinct judges whom God raised up to deliver His people from their servitude to foreign nations, which resulted from willful idolatry. The last five chapters of the book form an appendix and provide two dramatic examples of idolatry and immorality among the Israelites. These two incidents illustrate the overall condition of the people in the main narrative and occur early in the era of the judges; these events are not chronologically placed.

The Setting

The history of the Jewish nation after the death of Joshua to the reign of King Saul is recorded in the book of Judges. Before his death, Joshua sternly warned his fellow countrymen to drive out the remaining Canaanites in the land and to not intermingle with them (Josh. 24). The Israelites, by Jehovah’s power, had defeated the main Canaanite armies and fortifications, but there were many pockets of resistance in their inheritance. By these, the Lord would test the faithfulness of His people. While some like Caleb and Othniel boldly confronted the enemy and gained a pagan-free inheritance, most Jews resorted to either enslaving the remaining inhabitants or benefitting from them through social ties – they did not drive them out. Judges records the consequences of disobedience which eventually led to the greater sins of worldliness and idolatry.

The Theme

Spiritual corruption and idolatry became rampant among the Jews in the generation directly after Joshua’s. This angered the Lord who repeatedly punished His covenant people through military invasion. After years of oppression, the Jews would repent and cry out to the Lord for deliverance. On these occasions the Lord raised up judges to remove the oppressors from the land and to guide the nation in righteous conduct. The Hebrew concept of judge has wider implications than the English language poses today. The Hebrew judges did much more than merely interpret the Law and issue rulings to its application; they were civil and military leaders also. Unfortunately, after the passing of a particular judge, the Jews would invariably enter into idolatry again and the cycle of rebellion, invasion, repentance, and deliverance would repeat.

It is no coincidence that there were thirteen judges who ministered to Israel during the time when every man did what was right in their own eyes (17:6). When used metaphorically in Scripture, each of the numbers from one to forty holds a particular meaning; the following are a few examples of how the number thirteen is used in Scripture to show rebellion. The number thirteen is first mentioned in the Bible when five Jordanian kings rebelled against Chedorlaomer (Gen. 14:4). There were thirteen years of silence after Abraham doubted God’s promise and fathered Ishmael, after which God reminded Abraham of His covenant thirteen times (Gen. 17). Haman’s plot to destroy the Jews was set for the 13th day of a particular month (Est. 3:13). Jeremiah delivered thirteen messages to apostate Judah, whom he calls a backsliding people thirteen times. Satan, or the Dragon, is spoken of thirteen times in Revelation. Instead of accepting God’s will in the matter, King Saul made thirteen attempts on the life of David, God’s chosen man to replace Saul on the throne. Throughout Scripture, the number thirteen is associated with rebellion, and this is likely the determining factor in the number of specific judges in the book.

There is little desire for God or His Word throughout the book of Judges. The main theme of the book is God’s abiding love for His people even though they repeatedly forgot Him, embraced false gods, and prompted His chastening hand against them to regain their allegiance and separation. These seasons of rest were short-lived, for abruptly after the instruments of blessing were removed (i.e., the judges), evil quickly redevelops. So while brief and partial revivals do occur in Judges, none reach the full national status that is witnessed in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. In fact, with each passing deliverance and departure, the condition of Israel grows darker, says J. N. Darby:

Things have gone from bad to worse. There have been revivals, but still the same principle of unbelief; and the decay of each revival has marked increasing progress in evil and unbelief in proportion to the good which has been thus forsaken. The revival never reaches to the extent of laying hold of what God is, what He revealed Himself as at first from His people, what the first power of revelation and action of the Spirit. When departed from, God is more and more lost.⁴

This era of cyclic and progressive declension predates the time of the prophets, so there were no public calls to repentance or warnings of impending judgment. The long-suffering nature of God would be restrained for a time, but disciplinary judgment would ultimately occur in an attempt to recover His people. Jehovah was jealous for the hearts of His people who repeatedly forsook Him for idols. Yet, He did not forsake them – He sent judges to declare His forgiveness and to govern them in righteousness.

The Chronology of Judges

The following diagram shows major events occurring within five distinct timeframes during the era of the judges.⁵

The Problem With Moral Relativity

If moral reckoning is truly derived from developed self-preservation and self-propagating protocol, as evolution postulates, would not the same core of self-focused need be naturally relied on to resolve moral conflict with others? Would not selfishness, abuse of power, manipulation, and violence characterize conflict resolution? Furthermore, if survival is the chief incentive for morality, why would anyone want to show compassion to a retarded child, the elderly, the sick, the injured, the Orpahn, the handicapped, the widow, the poor, the defenseless, etc. Survival of the fittest is where moral relativity drives a society, the end result of which is either the Third Reich or social anarchy.

From the atheistic point of view, some actions, such as stealing or murder, may be socially unacceptable, but yet be determined necessary to better promote the survival of the species. So is it morally wrong to steal, or murder someone? Given the atheistic worldview, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with these behaviors – each act might be deemed necessary; whereas, absolute morality condemns both behaviors. It is wrong to steal or to murder.

It stands to reason, that from a theoretical standpoint, a society adhering to absolute moral reckoning rather than moral relativity would be characterized by less violence. If naturalism were true, more aggression would be expected in a society in which each individual pressed for his or her own personal security and survival over the well-being of others. If naturalism were not true, this realization may still be observed, for as a people ignore their moral programming (their consciences), that society will primarily be occupied with pursuing personal gain and selfish indulgences, rather than the good of others. In either case, moral inclinations where self is preeminent and the welfare of others is ignored will lead to the demise of a society, not to its beneficial development.

Historically speaking, this very situation occurred in the Jewish culture during the era of the Judges (11th to 15th century B.C.). After the conquest of Canaan, we read of a new generation which no longer knew or obeyed God. When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel. Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord … and they forsook the Lord God… (Judg. 2:10-12). What was the problem? The Jews rejected the divine moral commands imposed upon them and instead chose moral relativity as a guide; "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judg. 17:6). Moses had sternly warned them not to do this just prior to their entrance into Canaan: You shall not at all do as we are doing here today – every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes – for as yet you have not come to the rest and the inheritance which the Lord your God is giving you (Deut. 12:8-10). The Israelites did not heed this warning and through disobedience eventually lost their rest in the land and then their inheritance of land.

Consequently, for several hundred years, the Jews were a splintered people, immorality and paganism were rampant, and they were regularly chastened by God (e.g., conquered and oppressed by other nations). The Bible warns, As righteousness leads to life, so he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death (Prov. 11:19). Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people (Prov. 14:34). Moral relativity devolves human society into chaos, while pursuing righteousness leads to prosperity – God’s blessing.

Application for the Church

While the book of Judges clearly pertains to a specific time of moral relativity in Jewish history, there are important spiritual parallels that may be drawn with the spiritual wherewithal of God’s people in the Church Age also. William Kelly encourages us to learn from these instructive lessons in Judges that we might find spiritual help in our present day also:

The history records repeated instances of Jehovah’s deliverances of His chosen people after their successive acts of disobedience to His precepts and departure from His worship. Though that dispensation differs from the present, God as God is unchanged; amid the brazen-faced apostasy and the spiritual lassitude of Christendom the faithful may count that God will as of old raise up some Gideon or Barak and give a season of reviving to those who wait upon His name, as indeed in His gracious sovereignty He has often done at intervals in the past history of His church on earth. The Book of Judges encourages the hope that He will do so again before its final days.⁶

Amen! And amen!

The Joshua-Judges Connection

The English words rest and possession are key words in Joshua and Judges. Before we can practically understand the meaning of divine rest, we first must understand how we acquire our divine inheritance. The words possess, possessed, and possession are found twenty-four times in Joshua and nine times in Judges. These references are mainly translated from two Hebrew words yarash and achuzzah. Yarash means to occupy by expelling the previous tenants, while achuzzah conveys the thought of something (especially land) seized for a possession. Two important lessons are conveyed through the usage of these two Hebrew words.

First, it is observed that yarash is found twenty-nine times in Joshua and twenty-seven times in Judges; the only Old Testament book with more occurrences is Deuteronomy. It is translated to drive out as well as to possess. Joshua is the story of God’s people relying on His grace to overcome what impedes them from possessing their God-given inheritance. The benefits of that inheritance were only obtained through faithful and obedient acquisition. This is likely why about half of the occurrences of yarash in Judges occur in the introduction (1:1-2:9), which recaps the warfare in Canaan after the tribal divisions of the land were complete.

For Christians, our inheritance is the sum total of the blessings of grace available in Christ, yet our possession of these blessings relates only to that portion we make our own. Accordingly, conflict is a necessary aspect of a believer’s spiritual development and is inevitable on this side of heaven; it is the means of learning Christ and more intimately identifying with Him. The Kingdom of God advances as believers live for Christ, and they are rewarded accordingly – in this sense there is much ground to be gained.

Second, achuzzah occurs six times in Joshua; the only Old Testament books with more occurrences are Leviticus and Ezekiel. The usage of this word in Joshua occurs after chapter 20 (i.e. after the land had been seized by the Israelites from the inhabitants and was available for distribution). Believers must co-labor with the Lord to be victorious in spiritual conflict – we war in response to His wherewithal, not our own. Believers must remain active in faith to fully benefit from their spiritual blessings they already have in Christ. This is probably why achuzzah is not found in the book of Judges: the Israelites did not continue on with Jehovah to retain what they had already achieved through faith; in fact, much of it was lost. In summary, yarash is the inheritance to be possessed (i.e. labored for), while achuzzah is a possession we labor to keep and benefit from now. The Israelites strived to obtain the land (their inheritance) in the first twelve chapters of Joshua and were to continue