Welcome to Gospel Rant, and our new series, Breaking Badly!

Episode 5: Othniel and Ehud

Today we finally arrive at the first stories of the judges themselves.

But before we jump into those stories, it helps to remember how the book of Judges is structured.

Judges is not random storytelling. It is carefully arranged narrative.

The book begins with two prologues, which explain how Israel’s spiritual collapse began.

At the end of the book there are two epilogues, which show the depth of corruption that eventually overtakes Israel—including corruption among the priesthood itself.

Between those bookends are the stories of the judges.

Twelve of them.

The number twelve is probably intentional. Just as Israel had twelve tribes, the editor seems to be saying that every tribe had an opportunity to return to Yahweh.

But they didn’t.

And one more thing to remember: these judges probably did not serve sequentially. Many of them likely ruled in different regions at the same time.

Israel was geographically fragmented, and Canaanite peoples were scattered everywhere throughout the land.

Today we look at the first two judges in the narrative.

Othniel and Ehud.

Interestingly, they are the only judges in the book specifically described as being raised up by God.

We will see what you think.

And now, it’s your turn…

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Take heart, child of God.