Tales of the Abused: Lessons for Today from Women in the Book of Judges

The Book of Judges is an unsettling read. It is a time of great sin and perversion in Israel’s history, when everyone did what was right in his own eyes, and the stories are ugly. There is lying, stealing and murder around every corner. But the most uncomfortable narratives for me (Michelle) as a woman and mother are the ones that detail the abuse of women.

In Judges 11, a man makes an irrational vow that ends with him murdering his own daughter. In Judges 16, Samson’s wife is victimized as men drag her out of her home and burn her alive to supposedly “punish” Samson for his rash behavior. And, in Judges 19, the ugliest and most detailed story of them all, a woman is thrown into the streets to be raped all night by a gang of me and eventually dies of her wounds; to story becomes even more grotesque when her husband hacks apart her lifeless body and sends pieces to each of the tribes of Israel.

Ugh.

After reading the Book of Judges, it might feel like the Bible doesn’t value women and their well being, or care for their justice. How are we to interpret these stories of abuse? What is their purpose? Do they leave us broken, feeling utterly helpless to the long history of assault that women have faced? Are there inherent critiques and warnings that we should identify, words that should haunt us today and teach us about our own present realities? Do they give us any messages of hope?

It is our hope at The Art of Taleh that, with great humility and sensitivity, we will study these passages over this next month and find messages of hope that point to Christ. We know that many of our readers have followed the #metoo movement and have even seen first hand cases of abuse and assault in the church. That is heart breaking. We know that many of our readers have been victims themselves, and as the Ford/Kavanaugh trial rages on right now, painful experiences and memories are resurfacing for a lot of women. For all this and more, we grieve with you. 

If you have experienced this kind of pain and heartache, we want you to know that God has not abandoned you. He has not forgotten you. He knows your pains, He has words of hope for you today, sister and brother. Know that God can bring healing to your heart and your body, and He will undoubtedly bring justice to your perpetrators.

We know this to be true because we see this in the book of Judges. Though the stories of abuse in Judges are painful, our prayer is that, by studying them, they can also give us greater insight into God’s heart for women, both then and now. He does not abandon the abused, the assaulted, the victimized. No. God empowers women’s voices; He reigns down fiery justice; He raises up active women to speak for the silenced; and He brings healing, restoration and peace to whole communities. If God was capable of that then, He is surely capable of that now for you, friend.

So, join us as we humbly walk down this path. If you haven’t subscribed to our email list, you can do so here and get each new devotion in your inbox; and please share with your friends. We hope that this series can open up dialogues and invite a community of believers to share, laugh, cry and encourage one another as we learn together more about God’s love for women, His promise of justice and His healing hand of restoration.