Redeemer Bible Church Santa Barbara

Judges’ two epilogues recount daily-life vignettes of Israel during those troubled days. The first reveals what compromised worship looked like in real life. Though in many ways we might feel far removed, our worship may be prone to similar compromises.

Samson has been dedicated to God even before his birth, yet he has squandered the opportunity to live for the LORD. His sin takes him down a dark and costly path, but God still hears his desperate cry at the end of his life.

Today we examine some of the strangest and saddest stories in all the Bible. How can one’s life be so full of potential and end up in such chaos? We must recognize, understand, and avoid similar squandering of God’s blessings in our lives.

Today’s text begins the saga of the original superhero, Samson. It’s an unusual narrative, with drama, sadness, promise, hope, and even touches of humor. And it ultimately can point us to our one true Hero.

...So prayed Jesus on the night of his betrayal (John 17.11). But divisions remain. And Israel’s tribal conflicts, like here in Judges 12, are cautionary tales for God’s people of any era. That sad civil war carries warnings for us today.

Israel’s downward-spiraling cycles throughout the times of the Judges are on display again in today’s grim tale. Clearly a low view of humanity’s intrinsic value had infected the thinking of God’s covenant people. Sound familiar?

Today’s Judges text serves as an interlude and reorientation. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same; there are warnings for Jesus-followers still today.

It’s likely the most familiar of Christmas themes: peace on earth, goodwill toward men. The King James Version, perhaps not quite accurate, nevertheless resonates in our memories, our troubled hearts, and our chaotic times. Is there peace to be found?