Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them (that is, all the Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan; only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war, those who had not experienced it previously). These nations are: the five governors of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. They were left to test Israel by them, to find out if they would obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers through Moses. The sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. (vv. 1-6)

It is easy to interpret God’s wrath as merely the consequence of our sins. God placed the Israelites under the Law, knowing that they did not have the heart, knowledge, or will to keep it. Salvation does not come through bloodline but through the Holy Spirit that God gives to His people.

Many believe that the calamities that befell the Israelites came because they failed to drive out the people of Canaan. However, salvation is for every ethnicity, which is why Scripture speaks of “everyone” who believes. My skin color, ancestry, and background do not determine my salvation. We see this illustrated in Ruth, a Moabite woman.

Therefore, the persecution of the Palestinians in the present age does not make sense from this perspective. It is a narrative that politicians and people in power use to influence and control others. Sadly, many American churches embrace the idea that all Israelites are God’s chosen people and therefore will be saved.

Then God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years. (Genesis 15:13)

We understand freedom only by experiencing slavery. The conditional covenant, tied to the Law, teaches us about slavery, and slavery leads to death. We cannot be set free unless someone pays the price to redeem us. We all go through a period of slavery in our lives so that we may understand the freedom God has brought us. Our socioeconomic circumstances on earth may be difficult, but they do not change our status before God.

So, how should we interpret the Book of Judges? A total of thirteen judges appear in the Bible, including Samuel, symbolizing the thirteen tribes of Israel. The primary role of these judges is to teach the people about God and deliver the Israelites from slavery. Yet as soon as a judge dies, the people return to idolatry and fall back into slavery.

Eventually, Israel becomes a kingdom with Saul as its first king. Human kings are full of sin and weakness, but the true King, Jesus Christ, is perfect and reigns forever. We no longer need a human king because we have the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, people continually seek a human leader to teach them about God and guide them. They follow false shepherds blindly without questioning their wisdom or understanding of God. In doing so, people become slaves again and never seem to learn from their mistakes.

In the Holy Spirit, we have faith, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Although we still struggle in this world, we have everlasting freedom in God.

Under the fig tree—the fruitless tree, since what we eat is actually its flower—there is no fruit. Likewise, under the conditional covenant, where life and death are determined by my actions and thoughts, there is only slavery. Who can revive the old covenant that God Himself has cursed?

And seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves alone; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered. (Matthew 21:19)