On Monday we began looking at the question why did Jesus live? (You need to begin with that post for all this to make sense.) To do this, we’re telling Israel’s story to see where Jesus fits in. So far, God’s original image-bearers have rebelled, but God has acted in mercy to choose for himself a people who will be his image-bearers, showing the world what life is like when lived the way God intended. The only problem is, they messed up again – so that by the end of the book of Judges, they’re mired in idolatry and immorality, living by their own rules, not God’s:
Judges 21:25 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.