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In today’s reading—Judges 19–21—we come to the end of the book of Judges. One verse that really caught my attention and sent me on a research expedition was Judges 20:28:

“…and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, ministered before [the ark of the covenant] in those days…”

This stood out because we previously encountered Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, when the ten tribes of Israel sent a delegation across the Jordan to confront the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. They feared those tribes were drifting into rebellion, and the leader of that delegation was none other than Phinehas (see Joshua 22).

If this is the same man—and I believe it is—then we’re faced with a decision: either we believe Phinehas was over 300 years old by Judges 20, or the book of Judges is not arranged in strict chronological order. The more likely explanation is that Judges is a collection of historical events not in sequential order, rather an arrangement meant to illustrate how deeply every tribe in Israel was caught in the up-and-down roller coast ride that began—for us—8 days ago. 

This idea makes sense (to me) when we consider the tribe of Benjamin’s story at the end of Judges. Due to their disobedience and lack of unity with the rest of Isreal, Benjamin had been decimated and disgraced by their brothers immediately before the monarchy began. It would seem unlikely that Israel’s first king, Saul—who came from Benjamin—would have been widely accepted. This suggests the events recorded in Judges 19–21 likely occurred earlier in the timeline, but were placed at the end of the book for narrative purposes.

So why end the book of Judges with Benjamin down and out? Many scholars believe that the book of Ruth was originally part of Judges, or at least functioned as its appendix. If so, that placement might explain why the book of Judges ended the way that it did.

Judges ends with the tribe of Benjamin driving the final spiral into chaos, leaving the reader with a rather negative impression of Saul’s ancestral tribe. But the book of Ruth, introduces us to Boaz—a godly man from the tribe of Judah, who becomes the great-great-grandfather of King David. In contrast to Benjamin’s moral failure, we are given a story of redemption, loyalty, and godly character from Judah. That’s no accident. This contrast sets the stage for the monarchy, casting Saul’s tribe in a negative light while David’s tribe—Judah—in a positive one. It’s a powerful example of God’s sovereign storytelling.

Takeaway: What encourages me this morning is the beauty of God’s story. Today marks Day 96 of our Bible reading journey. At the start, I wasn’t sure we’d have fresh insights each day without becoming repetitive. But that hasn’t been the case at all. God’s Word is rich and riveting. When we lean in, allowing Him to guide and teach us, He holds our attention—and He keeps shaping our hearts.