From a Ten Commandments’ perspective, The Book of Judges represents the Dark Ages. Agenda driven, Judges’ tales told pull no punches in detailing generations of a dystopian society; a society lacking a formal government.
Judges’ ends with the epic line: “in those days there was no king in Israel; a man could do whatever seemed proper in his eyes.” Judges 21:25. While this summation is monarchistic propaganda, it speaks to a greater truth. There is an eternal truth for humanity; the belief that people should do whatever they wish to do “as long as it feels right.” Science Fiction, not too long ago, has even embraced this notion as an attitude for the distant future. In the J.J. Abrams’ reboot of Star Trek, Mr Spock, played by the great Leonard Nimoy, advises a younger Kelvin [alternative] timeline Spock to abandon logic and “do what feels right”.
Judges explores God’s existentialism. God risks being forgotten by those he delivered from Egyptian bondage. He handles the Israelites like a metaphysical “yo yo”. He holds them tight in his grip and warmth for periods of time only to spin them off. Once spun, his people eventually lose momentum in their fidelity and fall into a faith crisis. Their connection to the Almighty, for generations, is like a taut piece of string rather than an embrace. This post addresses “the Emissary”.
In Judges’ Chapter 2, an Emissary of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said: “I brought you up from Egypt and I brought you to the land that I swore to your forefathers. And I said, “I shall never annul my covenant with you. But you shall not seal a covenant with the inhabitants of this land you shall break apart their altars. ”But you did not hearken my voice!” What is this that you have done?” so I also said, “I shall not chase them out before you, and they will be unto you [as thorns in your] sides, and their gods will be a trap for you.” Judges 2:1-3.
When the Lord’s Emissary spoke these words to all the Children of Israel, the people raised their voices and wept.” Judges 2:4
It was reported that a “new generation arose after them that did not know the Lord, nor the deeds that he had performed for Israel.” Judges 2:10.
As Judges moves forward in time, the others gods will become a trap for the Israelites. Thus, from a Ten Commandments’ perspective, the challenge of idolatry is a forefront discussion point with repect to this period. There is an equally important undercurrent that must be addressed. I call it “the Eleventh Commandment problem.”
While there is no Eleventh Commandment, the Ten Commandments, independent of the Torah, fails to describe a methology and mechanism for generational transmission. As The Book of Judges’ evidences, without adherence and commitment to transmit the law to future generations, the message from Mt. Sinai is at risk of being lost.
The Torah, however, addresses transmittal concern. L’dor v’dor- from generation to generation- is impressed within the V’ahavta which obligates individuals to impress the instructions upon their children. With respect to Passover, Exodus 13:8, parents are obligated to tell their children that “with the strength of the hand, the Lord brought us out from Egypt, the house of slaves..” The Israelites, in Judges, however, apparently are not either versed or pay reverance to the commandments.
Thus, the lesson from the Emissary is the obligation to education the next generation. The Emissary serves as a cautionary tale of the consequences. Imagine a society that had a generation that forgot the lessons from the Bible? or, one that totally forgot the Bible?
Be well!!
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