The Era of the Judges and the Kingdom of God (6) God’s Kingship and Peace

“So may all your enemies perish, LORD! But may all who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength.” Then the land had peace forty years. (Jdg 5:31)
 
Review
We’ve talked about the kingdom of God through the book of Judges. In our last sermon, we examined Judges 19–21, focusing on the story of the Levite and his concubine to understand what happens when people do not acknowledge God as King.
One day, the Levite and his concubine stayed in a town called Gibeah, which belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. That night, some wicked men of the city surrounded the house, demanding that the Levite be brought out so they could have sexual relations with him.
The Levite handed his concubine over to them, and she was abused throughout the night. At dawn, she barely made it back to the house, but she eventually died. Early the next morning, the Levite got up to leave, and when he opened the door, he found the body of his concubine at the doorstep.
The Levite’s response was extreme: he dismembered her body and sent the twelve parts to the tribes of Israel to expose the crime. This shocking act led to a nationwide assembly. The eleven tribes of Israel  demanded that the tribe of Benjamin hand over the wicked men who had committed this terrible crime. But they refused. As a result, a war broke out between the eleven tribes and the tribe of Benjamin, and in the end, the tribe of Benjamin was almost completely destroyed.
The tribes of Israel even resolved not to give their daughters as wives to the men of Benjamin. However, when the tribe of Benjamin was on the verge of extinction, they regretted their decision. Seeking a way to provide wives for the Benjamites without breaking their vows, they devised a plan. They allowed the men of Benjamin to seize women who came out to dance at the Lord’s festival in Shiloh and take them as their wives.
In this story, the Levite and his concubine appear as the victims, and the tribe of Benjamin seems to be the perpetrators.
But, what the author of Judges emphasizes is that all of them actually share the same fundamental problem: they all refused to acknowledge God as King and lived according to what seemed right in their own eyes rather than following His will.
The Levite’s concubine had left him after committing adultery and returned to her father’s house. When the Levite faced a threat to his own life, he handed her over to the wicked men. Of course, there is no question that the wicked men’s actions were evil, and no one in the city attempted to stop them.
The Levite’s response in dismembering her body for the sake of personal vengeance also violated the Law. He did not bury her immediately as commanded, and sending her body in twelve pieces to the tribes of Israel was an act driven by revenge, not justice.
The tribe of Benjamin, despite knowing that such a horrific act had occurred in one of their cities, refused to hand over the guilty men and instead chose to confront the eleven other tribes. And, the plan devised by the eleven tribes to provide wives for the Benjamites—seizing women who came out to dance at the Lord’s festival—was contrary to God’s will.
In this way, every character at the end of Judges broke God’s law. They all did not recognize Him as King. After recounting these events, the author concludes: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” (Jdg 21:25) This sentence serves both as the conclusion and the summary of the entire Book of Judges.
So, what does it mean to acknowledge God as King according to Judges? It means abandoning our own thoughts, desires, and standards of what seems right or good to us, and instead following God’s will and obeying His Word.
Yet most of the people in the book of Judges did not live this way—even the judges themselves. They followed their own desires, did what seemed good in their own eyes, and failed to understand and obey God’s will through His Word. Though they called upon God with their lips, their lives did not truly honor Him. The result is the horrific sins we read about in Judges: rape, sexual immorality, adultery, murder, homosexuality, idolatry, and more.
By exposing these events without hiding them, the author teaches us a vital lesson: a life that does not acknowledge God as King inevitably leads to tragic consequences.
And all of this begins with ignorance of God’s Word. The second generation of the Exodus failed to pass on their knowledge and experience of God to the next generation, and consequently, the third generation and subsequent generations did not follow God’s will while living in the land. What they faced in such a life was confusion and sin.
This is the central theme of the Book of Judges that we have been studying over the past few weeks. The author of Judges vividly shows the chaos and tragedy that befall those who do not acknowledge God as King and fail to live according to His will. By revealing these tragic consequences, the book guides us not to follow in their footsteps, but to recognize God as the true King of our lives and to live in obedience to His Word, so that we may experience a truly blessed life in His kingdom.
So, what is the most important message that the author of Judges wants to convey to us? It is the reality of how much we truly need a King. This “King” is not simply a human ruler or a political leader. The true King who runs through the entire Book of Judges, the One who governs our lives and hearts, is God Himself. God holds ultimate authority over our choices, actions, thoughts, and decisions. Only when He reigns as King can we experience true order, peace, and restoration, even amid the chaos and frustrations of life.
The world we live in today is not so different from the time of the Judges. Every day, we make countless decisions—at work, in our families, in relationships, in finances, and in our spiritual lives. Often, we rely on our own judgment or the values of the world to guide us. Yet, when we fail to acknowledge God as King and live according to our own ways, our lives fall into the same patterns of confusion, frustration, sin, and pain that plagued Israel in the time of the Judges.
But a life under God’s kingship is different. When we recognize God as the Lord of our hearts and make choices in obedience to His Word and guidance in every moment, our lives begin to bear stability and abundant fruit. Even amid the repeated human failures recorded in Judges, God always provided a path for restoration and salvation. This teaches us the very essence of life under God’s Kingdom.
Therefore, the challenge God gives us through the book of Judges is clear: we are called to live with the true King, God and Jesus Christ, at the center of our lives. A life governed not by our own thoughts and desires, but by God’s Word and will. This is what it means to live under the reign of God’s Kingdom.
So, the Book of Judges asks us, “Who is the King of your life?” Like the Israelites in the time of the Judges, we often make choices according to our own thoughts and desires. But when we allow God to reign as King, our lives move beyond confusion and despair, entering the path of peace and restoration.
 
Acknowledging God as King: True Freedom
Some people may argue that acknowledging God as King and following His will under His kingship and sovereignty is a life without freedom—a life bound by restrictions. They even criticize Christians as people who have lost their independent thought and creativity. But that is not the case. According to the Bible, it is precisely a life that acknowledges God as King, trusts His Word as truth, and obeys Him that experiences true freedom.
Recently, I came across a passage in Tim Keller’s book, The Reason for God, that speaks directly to this point. Our Sunday school teachers are reading and discussing this book together, and I highly recommend it to you as well. In this book, Tim Keller addresses the reasons why non-believers are often skeptical of Christianity. And he focuses on the concept of bondage in chapter 3.
Keller argues that true freedom is found through “restraint” and “limits.” He uses the example of a fish: for a fish to swim freely, it must be in the environment suited to its nature. A fish can only live freely in water. In other words, it is only when the fish is ‘confined’ to the environment it was created to live in that it can truly experience freedom.
Keller then connects this to human freedom. For humans to live in true freedom, they must exist within the limits suited to their nature and purpose. But we cannot discover this on our own. Our own ideas about the purpose of life or human nature are insufficient. Only the Creator, God, can reveal the answers to these questions.
The Bible tells us that we were created in God’s image. This means that we were made to reflect God’s character. We were created to exist in the loving relationship of the Triune God, to enjoy that love, to love God and our neighbors, and to care for the world God has made and given to us.
This is the purpose for which humans were created and the life we are called to live. The environment of God’s love—and the reality that God is our Creator and therefore our King—is what enables us to live fully as human beings and to experience true freedom. Just as a fish can only thrive and be happy in water, we can only experience true freedom and happiness when we are in the right relationship with God.
Therefore, in order to experience true freedom, we must willingly live within that limit. We must not try to step outside the life where God reigns as our King. Living outside God’s rule may appear to be “free,” but it is not—it is like a fish leaving the water.
So, God’s kingship and His Word do not restrict or limit us; rather, they grant true freedom. As Jesus said:
"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (Jn 8:31-32)
The truth that Jesus proclaimed does not bind us. Instead, it reveals who we are, what we were created for, and how we are meant to live. In living within our purpose and in relationship with God, we experience true freedom.
 
God’s Kingship and Peace
Returning to the Book of Judges, before we conclude the book, I want to highlight one more important point. Judges is darker, more tragic, and chaotic in tone than many other books of the Bible. This is intentional. The author repeatedly records the tragic events that befell the Israelites when they did not acknowledge God as King, signaling to readers like us to turn away from such a life.
Yet, even within this generally grim context, there is something remarkable that we can also observe: the “peace” that God granted them amid the chaos.
One phrase that appears repeatedly in Judges is, “In those days there was no king…” But we also repeatedly see another phrase: in the book “the land had peace.”
“So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.” (Jdg 3:11)
“That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.” (Jdg 3:30)
“Then the land had peace forty years.” (Jdg 5:31)
“Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace forty years.” (Jdg 8:28)
If we add up all the periods explicitly described as times of “peace,” they total about 200 years. Including the reigns of other judges, the period of peace extends to roughly 245 years. Considering that the era of the Judges spanned from Israel’s settlement in Canaan until Samuel anointed Saul as the first king—about 400 years—this means that more than half of the time, Israel enjoyed peace. Compared with any other period in the Old Testament, this is extraordinary. This is one of the ironies we find in Judges.
Although the people of Israel did not truly acknowledge God as their King, it is striking that the Judges period contains the largest number of years of peace in the Old Testament. How can we understand this? The answer lies in the concept of theocracy.
Theocracy means that God Himself reigns as King over a nation. The period of Judges was, in essence, a theocratic era. Even though Israel did not acknowledge God as their King, that did not mean He was not their King. Since they had no human king at the time, it was God who governed them—even if they did not realize it. Therefore, we can see the human-kingless period in Judges as a time of divine theocracy, when God reigned directly over His people.
This helps us understand why the Judges period includes such a long duration of peace. In Judges, we can see God’s kingship and sovereign rule. Despite Israel’s repeated disobedience and rebellion, God remained faithful. Whenever they cried out to Him in times of trouble, He raised up judges to deliver them. Every time they faced crises, He rescued them. This demonstrates that God exercised His sovereign authority as King over Israel’s history.
Even though Israel failed to acknowledge God as King, He remained faithful as their King. Even though they disobeyed His Word, He remembered His covenant with their ancestors and kept His promises. Even though they did not love Him, God continued to guide and care for them in love. This is why, paradoxically, the period that was spiritually the darkest—the Judges era—also contained the longest stretches of peace.
Here, we see God’s sovereignty in salvation. Even amid our failures, God faithfully accomplishes His plan of salvation. This is why, despite our imperfection, weakness, and sin, we can continually approach God and live in the peace He gives.
We may sometimes fail to live with God as our King, and we may love other things more than Him, but God’s love toward us remains constant. Even when we do not obey His Word, He remembers His covenant with us and fulfills it faithfully. This sovereign love and faithfulness of God forms the foundation of our assurance of salvation.
And our proper response to God’s love and faithfulness is to acknowledge Him as the true King of our lives and to submit to His reign according to His will. When we do this, we will experience even greater measures of peace, freedom, and joy. If God provided peace even when we failed to recognize Him as King, how much more abundant will the peace be that we experience when we willingly acknowledge Him as King over our lives?
Today, I pray that all of us would once again surrender our lives to God. May we acknowledge Him—the One who always loves us and is faithful to us—as the true King of our lives. Let’s cherish the Word that God has given us, using it as the guideline for our lives, and live within the boundaries He has established in it.
I want to share one of my favorite sayings that Paul cites in 1 Corinthians: “Do not go beyond what is written.” (1 Cor 4:6)
May our lives never step outside the boundaries set by God’s Word. As we live as God’s people, recognizing Him as our King, may we experience the true freedom and joy that He provides each day. May we also be blessed to build His Kingdom on this earth through our daily lives. Amen. Let’s pray.
 
[Prayer]
Dear Lord, we come before You with hearts full of gratitude, acknowledging You as the true King of our lives. We thank You for Your faithfulness, Your steadfast love, and Your sovereign rule over our lives.
Lord, we surrender our lives to You once again. May we honor You as our King in every thought, word, and action. Help us to cherish Your Word, live within its boundaries, and follow Your guidance in all that we do. Teach us to trust Your wisdom above our own and to find true freedom, peace, and joy in obedience to You.
Father, we pray that the truths we have reflected on today—the need for a true King, the freedom found under Your reign, and the peace that comes from walking in Your ways—would take root in our hearts. Strengthen us to live each day as Your people, building Your Kingdom here on earth, and sharing Your love and grace with those around us.
We ask that Your Spirit continue to lead us, empower us, and remind us of Your presence every day. May our lives bring You glory and honor as we submit to Your reign, trusting fully in Your promises.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and King, we pray. Amen.
 
[Reflection Questions]
1. What do you think are the decisive differences between a life that does not acknowledge God as King and a life that does? Which of these two types of life are you closer to? When do you feel that you are living under God’s rule, and when do you feel outside of His reign?
2.  What do you think about the idea that true freedom comes with limits? How does acknowledging God as King and following His will bring us true freedom, peace, and joy? Are there areas in your life where you feel “free” but are actually outside God’s reign? In what areas do you feel the need to impose limits on yourself in order to experience true freedom in God?
3.  Even when we do not acknowledge God as King, He still leads us and brings peace to our lives. Have you experienced moments like this in your own life?