Caffeinated Crunchy Christian Moms

Read: Judges 7-11

Reading through Judges today honestly left me feeling heavy.

“Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” -Judges 8:22

That line keeps repeating throughout the book. Again, and again, and again. They turn away, suffer, cry out, God rescues them, and then the cycle starts over.

“We have sinned against you… Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.” -Judges 10:10–16

This time, though, it almost feels like God had had enough. He tells them to cry out to the gods they chose. Their sin wasn’t casual at this point, it was intentional. They didn’t take it seriously until the consequences were unbearable.

Historically, Judges takes place during a chaotic period in Israel’s history; after Joshua’s death and before Israel had a king. There was no centralized leadership, and the book repeatedly says everyone did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25). Israel was meant to function as a theocracy, with God as their true king, but spiritually and morally they were unstable and heavily influenced by surrounding cultures (Encyclopedia Britannica, “Biblical literature: The Book of Judges”).

That cultural influence becomes painfully clear in chapter 11. At first, Jephthah actually seems wise. He doesn’t immediately rush into war. He tries to reason with the Ammonite king and recounts Israel’s history. And then he says:

“I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. Let the Lord, the Judge, decide the dispute this day…” -Judges 11:27

Yes! Let God decide. Let the Lord be the judge. That is what Israel was supposed to do all along, trust Him as their leader and ruler.

Chapter 11 then takes a turn that I truly don’t understand. Jephthah makes a vow with God. If God gives him victory, he will sacrifice whatever comes out of his house to greet him when he returns home. In that moment, it’s his only daughter, his only child. That is where my heart just breaks. Why make that deal at all? Earlier in the chapter, the Spirit of the Lord comes upon Jephthah. God didn’t require bargaining. Throughout Israel’s history, victory came from obedience and trust, not negotiation. I do not recommend trying to negotiate with God. He said, “Let the Lord decide.” That’s trust and faith. But then the vow feels like control or insurance. Jephthah isn’t fully trusting in God because he is trying to negotiate and secure the desired outcome.

Scripture tells us the vow was fulfilled. We aren’t given graphic details, but the weight of it is there. As a mother, this makes me want to cry. I cannot imagine a parent sacrificing their child over an unnecessary promise. It’s unthinkable.

At church today we were in Romans, and the conversation turned to how difficult it is to read passages involving violence and sacrifice. Being told to murder by God is not something that sits easily with us. What was emphasized is that God is holy, and we are not meant to approach Him casually (BGC).

The Israelites physically saw what their sin required: sacrifices, blood poured out, death. It was meant to make them think twice before willfully sinning. Sin is more serious than we realize. All sin is sin and should be taken seriously (BGC).

Judges shows what happens when people don’t fully grasp that seriousness. They drift away from God and change focus to cultural influences. They are alive but not truly living in obedience. Until we understand the seriousness of sin, we won’t understand the weight of grace (BGC).

“Having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness… he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” -Colossians 2:14

Another thing pointed out from my church today was to confess our sins specifically. I often find myself asking God to just vaguely forgive me of my sins. But no sin is small and it requires acknowledgement before God. We must repent to not get stuck in the same cycle that Israel lived in for generations.

As a mom, this book feels like both a warning and a call. The Israelites didn’t take sin seriously until it was almost too late every time. I don’t want to model that kind of spiritual drift in my home. I don’t want my children to see a faith that only turns to God in difficult times or crisis. I want them to understand His holiness and His mercy all the time.

Judges is heavy to read. Maybe it’s meant to be though. It forces us to wrestle with the weight of sin, and in doing so, it makes the gospel and a relationship with God feel even more necessary.

Discussion Questions

1. As a mother (or future mother), how can you guard against spiritual drift in your home?
2. What does specific confession of sin look like in your life? Why is naming sin important?

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