The Judge Who Saves
After the death of Joshua, the writer of Judges narrates the sad next chapter in the story of God's people: "They abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the Lord" (Judges 2:12)
But God was not done with his people. Even though he was angry, God sent a series of deliverers to rescue them from their enemies:
Then the Lord raised up judges to rescue the Israelites from their attackers.... Whenever the Lord raised up a judge over Israel, he was with that judge and rescued the people from their enemies throughout the judge's lifetime. For the Lord took pity on his people, who were burdened by oppression and suffering. (Judges 2:16-18)
For the next three hundred years, Israel's national life was a miserable roller-coaster ride of sinking in sin and oppression, crying out to the Lord and being delivered by a judge, then falling back into sin. The stories of Ehud, Gideon, Samson, and the other judges are stories of savior-judges whom God sent to rescue Israel from their enemies and from themselves.
Each of the judges God sent pointed toward the great Savior-Judge to come. In Jesus, the God who takes pity on his people took on flesh. Luke wrote that as Jesus entered Jerusalem, "He began to weep," saying, "How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace" (Luke 19:41-42). The first time Jesus came, he saved by experiencing judgment, not by exercising it. To save God's people to uttermost, Jesus experienced the judgment of God on our behalf. "God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him" (John 3:17).
But it would be a mistake to assume that judgment has been altogether discarded. At the second coming of Jesus, he will come to judge. "He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don't know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus" (2 Thessalonians 7:7-8).
~ Judge who endured the judgment I deserve, Savior who provides the rescue I don't deserve, I lift up my eyes to see your salvation and wait for you to bring your saving work to its full consummation.
