Out of order
Judges Chapter 20 – 21 Read it here
If ever there were a story of a nation caught in a downward spiral, the final chapters of Judges are that story. The depravity of the “good guys” is almost as complete as the depravity of the “bad guys.”
Over the next two days we’ll read the book of Ruth. While it is in the same era as Judges, it’s a separate story that doesn’t really flow from Judges.
Following Ruth we’ll have our New Testament interlude with the Gospel of John (a good way to get the bad taste of the end of Judges out of our mouths) before returning to the historical narrative with Samuel.
I point this out because, to the extent we can make any sense out of these dark days where order completely collapses it is that they show the desperate situation of Israel that leads God to grant their request to have a king. Pausing to read two books in between will tend to cover up that important sequence.
If there is any positive conclusion to draw from the story of the civil war between Dan and the rest of the tribes its that once Dan is defeated the other tribes show a kind of rough mercy in ensuring that the tribe of Dan will live on by finding wives for the fighting men who fled.
Even in the darkest hour, God finds a way to choose life.