Judges: God’s War On Humanism by James B. Jordan

The Book of Judges in the Bible contains some famous stories and some obscure and confusing stories. Judges: God’s War On Humanism is an easily readable commentary on the Book of Judges. James B. Jordan leads the reader through every section of the Book of Judges. His explanations are well-reasoned and Biblically sound, although they do sometimes depart from traditional commentaries and understanding.

“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” is a repeated comment throughout the Book of Judges. Often this is understood to be an explanation as to why a king or strong central government is needed in a nation. Many commentators, to the delight of humanists and socialists, fall into this trap.

James B. Jordan shows that God is the King that is being rejected. This is not Scripture saying a human king or centralized government is necessary. What Judges shows us is that when God is rejected as King, when His appointed rulers are ignored and when His laws are disobeyed, anarchy is the result. This is followed by oppression. However, God is merciful, and when oppression leads to genuine repentance, He graciously forgives and provides a deliverer. The cycle repeats over and over as the people refuse to accept God as King.

The fact that when human kings did appear later in Israel’s history, the same cycle continued to repeat reveals that human kings were not the answer. The answer is that God must be King no matter what title His human representatives bear.

There are many practical lessons that can be learned, both personally and nationally. And many of the stories have surprising twists and messages when they are properly understood in the broader Biblical context. I highly recommend Judges: God’s War On Humanism to every serious Bible student and to those who are wondering why our world is in the shape it is today.

From The Inside Flap:

“Once Israel was established in the land of promise, they faced the threat of Baalism. Baalism was nothing other than secular humanism in its ancient form. The confrontation between God's people and Baalism, this, parallels the confrontation between the Church and secular humanism today.

The Book of Judges shows us that because of the sins of His people, God raised up Baalist (humanist) adversaries to afflict them. Because of their compromise, God's people had to learn first of all that there was a war, and that peace and compromise with Baalism was impossible. Then they had to learn how to fight the wars of the Lord. In terms of this, Judges is not a book primarily about military tactics but about faith and single-mindedness. As such, it has much of practical value to teach the Church of today.”

A digital copy of this book is available free at Gary North Free Books. Select "Author" and then scroll down to James B. Jordan.