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The book of Judges is filled with unexpected turns. We also discover in the story of Samson that the people did not expect nor call to God for his salvation. Samson's story is also unexpectedly more about God and his work than his life. We need God to rescue us more than we need Samson to be sordid. What we discover at the conclusion of the story of Samson is the story of the Gospel--where justice and grace are held together through the death of God's champion of salvation.

This passage calls on God's people to know that even when its seems that a foreign ruler is in control, God continues to work through his deliverer to bring justice and salvation!

Against impossible odds, Gideon leads 300 men against 135,000 in battle with no weapons of war -- except fearless faith in God. Here in this well known Biblical episode, we see how Gideon's journey illuminates our own fears against difficult odds and the hope that we can have that we're going to be "OK" in the Gospel.

In spite of some preconceptions of a denigrated view towards women, a Biblical perspective is to the contrary. In this story of the judgeship of Deborah and the action of the woman Jael, we see the seriousness of the sin of violence against women and God's affirmation of inherent dignity through justice--all the while with salvation by God's grace.