Last Verse

Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the LORD relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them.
Judges 2:18

Judges is a disturbing book in the Bible. It ends on a sour note. The last statement is a summary of the problem: “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes”. The cyclical nature of Judges is well known. Judges 2:18 provides a good snapshot. First, the people would sin and then they would fall under the oppression of their enemies. They would cry out to God and God would provide a deliverer or “judge”. After a period of deliverance, they would fall back into sin. Perhaps what saddens me most is the stark contrast between the long-suffering of God and the short memory of the people. Judges spans over 300 years and during that time we read of very little progress. In fact the last verse sounds worse than the first. As we prepare for the end of another year, what if you penned a “last verse” for this year? Would it read better than the first? What have you learned? If we are breathing, it is evidence of the grace (and long-suffering) of God. It might be beneficial to make a personal list of “lessons learned” during this past year. God has given each of us many opportunities to learn about His character and plan during the past year. Take some time to reflect.