Book Review: Judges For You by Tim Keller

Judges is probably one of the most depressing and repetitive book of the Bible. Why is it depressing? It is where the people of Israel do whatever is right in their own eyes, a nation would come to oppress them, God raises a leader to save them, Israel now fears God, that leader dies, and they do their own thing again. This process happens over and over again which is why the book is repetitive.

Many would read Judges and try to apply that to America where we are doing our thing then God will judge us and ultimately raise a leader to lead us back to God in a time of revival. Some will also have character studies on the Judges, the leader God raises to save Israel, and make that study all about the leader. Is Judges all about Israel? They do play a huge part of the book. Is Judges all about each leader and leaders today need to apply their leadership qualities?

Tim Keller's latest book, Judges For You, takes us through the book of Judges through the lens of the gospel. Keller wrote that while Judges does tell us about "heroes" that God used to rescue Israel, "There is only one hero in this book, he's divine" (pg. 10). Judges is not a book of virtue which we follow leaders with good morals, but it is about a "God of mercy and longsuffering, who continually works in and through us despite our constant resistance to his purpose."

Keller says, there are six themes or truths about God that the writer of Judges wanted us to learn:

1. God relentlessly offers his grace to people who do not deserve it, or seek it, or even appreciate it after they have been saved by it.

2. God wants lordship over every area of our lives, not just some.

3. There is a tension between grace and law, between conditionality and unconditionality.

4. There is a need for continual spiritual renewal in our lives here on earth, and a way to make that a reality.

5. We need a true Savior, to which all human saviors point, through both their flaws and strengths.

6. God is in charge, no matter what it looks like.

This entire book is a gospel-centered commentary on the book of Judges which I thought was beautifully written in the style that Keller writes. Not many times would you pick a commentary on Judges and it would be saturated in the gospel. Keller goes through the book of Judges verse by verse and wrote this commentary that is very readable. If you are wanting to do a study on Judges, make sure you get this book.

Thanks Good Book Company for letting me review this book.