“In those days there was no king in Israel, but everyone did that which seemed right to himself…”—Judges 17: 6, 21: 24
“Have you ever read the Book of Judges?” he asked.
“I don’t believe I have,” she answered. “What’s it about, and why is it on your mind?” she asked.
“It’s a history of the Jews from Joshua until their first king Saul…They were not good people…They lied, cheated, deceived, murdered, and followed false idols on the whims of both their conquerors and those they conquered.
They forgot God.
During wars, they chose women to sleep with foreign kings and generals. Then after, in their sleep, they’d drive stakes through their skulls and escape out of respect for the king’s privacy before being found slain the following morrow.
The history is a cycle of bondage then brief freedom in after-repentance for their sins before falling back into the habits and desires of wrongful ways.
And, still, these were God’s chosen people; His very much human and imperfect messengers for bringing His Spirit and Word to all mankind.”
“What made you think of that?” she asked.
“I just wonder, in our millennia since, how much has mankind really changed? And—if in repeat of cycle and man’s ways—when, again, will the great wars and after-chains of bondage return to a lost and faithless people?”
“And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they served Baalim. And they left the Lord the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt: and they followed strange gods, and the gods of the people that dwelt round about them, and they adored them: and they provoked the Lord to anger.
Forsaking him, and serving Baal and Astaroth. And the Lord being angry against Israel, delivered them into the hands of plunders: who took them and sold them to their enemies, that dwelt round them: neither could they stand against their enemies: But whithersoever they meant to go, the hand of the Lord was upon them, as he said, and as had sworn to them: and they were greatly distressed.
And the Lord raised up judges, to deliver them from the hands of those that oppressed them: but they would not hearken to them…They quickly forsook the way, in which their fathers had walked: and hearing the commandments of the Lord, they did all things contrary.
And when the Lord raised them up judges, in their days he was moved to mercy, and heard the groanings of the afflicted, and delivered them from the slaughter of the oppressors. But after the judge was dead, they returned, and did much worse things than their fathers had done, following strange gods, serving them and adoring them. They left not their own inventions, and the stubborn way, by which they were accustomed to walk. And the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said: Behold this nation hath made void my covenant, which I had made with their fathers, and hath despised to hearken to my voice.
…and they did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they forgot their God, and served Baalim and Astaroth.”—Judges 2: 11-20, 3: 7
“…you have forsaken me, and have worshipped strange gods: therefore I will deliver you no more: Go and call upon the gods which you have chosen: let them deliver you in the time of distress.
And the children of Israel said to the Lord: We have sinned, do thou unto us whatsoever pleaseth thee: only deliver us this time.
And saying these things, they cast away out of their coats all the idols of strange gods and served the Lord their God: and he was touched with their miseries.”—Judges 10: 13-16