New Eyes | Judges | Pastor Matt Robbins

Judges opens with Joshua gone and “another generation” rising that “neither knew the Lord nor what he had done.” The text frames that shift as more than a change of leaders. It is a cooling of love. Inheriting land without cost and faith without struggle, Israel lets forgetfulness become the engine of drift. The pull is not a sudden sprint into paganism but a junior-high ache to fit in. Surrounded by Canaanites, Israel trades the Lord who sends manna for Baal who sends rain, and Ashtoreth who promises babies. They do what seems reasonable in the neighborhood, and “the people did evil in the sight of the Lord.”

The story then moves into the familiar cycle: sin, oppression, crying out, deliverance, rest, repeat. Into that churn, Deborah stands out. The prophet and judge sits under her palm while Israel comes for judgment. She summons Barak, steadies his trembling, and through Jael the victory lands with a woman. Deborah uniquely does the actual work the book is named for. She adjudicates disputes, fosters justice, and sings as “a mother in Israel,” a bright mercy in a violent, patriarchal world.

Judges refuses to sanitize the darkness. At points it names the horror outright. At other points it simply shows it, trusting the reader to feel what the author feels. Like good literature, it does not paste labels on villains. It lets actions expose them.

The refrain “in those days there was no king; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” is not a celebration of rugged freedom. It is the verdict of moral chaos. The text keeps setting that line against its counterline: the people did what was evil “in the sight of the Lord.” Human eyes and appetites are unreliable arbiters. They tilt toward self. God’s eyes are the true plumb line. Torah aims to form a distinct people whose justice, care for the weak, and communal peace flow from deferring to the King.

Judges therefore presses a concrete question: whose eyes will be trusted. The call is not to admire an ideal but to obey a Person. Christ’s kingship interrupts private will. If Jesus never disagrees, it may not be Jesus talking. The book also insists on one thing even sturdier than Israel’s cycle of rebellion. God’s grace keeps breaking in. He “could bear Israel’s misery no more,” and when repentant children return, the Father’s heart looks them in the eye with breathless joy and says, “You’re here.”

Key Takeaways

• 1. Forgetfulness is the engine of drift Forgetfulness rarely screams; it hums in the background until hearts cool and other gods seem plausible. The text shows a generation that inherits benefits without the story, then slides from dependence into imitation. Memory is not nostalgia but covenant oxygen, and without it souls will breathe whatever is in the cultural air. The cure is not willpower alone but a re-immersion in God’s deeds and name. [11:44]
• 2. “Right in our eyes” breeds chaos The slogan of autonomy sounds brave until it meets real neighbors. When every person enthrones private appetite, the powerful define “right,” and the vulnerable pay. Judges names this experiment a failure by its fruits: privatized religion, sexual violence, civil war. Wisdom begins when moral sight is borrowed from the One whose eyes do not lie. [29:55]
• 3. Deborah embodies Spirit-led judgment Deborah does not just win a battle; she holds court, reconciles disputes, and steadies fearful leaders with God’s word. Her authority is not bluster but discernment that creates peace. In a culture intoxicated with force, her palm-tree bench becomes a sanctuary where justice is both courageous and humane. That is what leadership looks like under God’s eyes. [17:52]
• 4. Christ’s kingship overrules private will Kingship is not a metaphor for warm feelings but a claim on concrete choices. Obedience often means saying no to an appetite that feels self-evidently right or yes to a calling that feels costly. If Jesus never crosses a desire, a rival has quietly taken the throne. Freedom is found on the far side of surrendered rule. [40:57]
• 5. Grace outlasts repetitive rebellion Israel’s cycle is tediously predictable, yet God’s mercy proves more stubborn than their sin. He does not grow bored with repentant hearts; he grows restless under their misery and moves to rescue. This does not excuse relapse, but it does underwrite repentance with hope. Return is welcomed with the Father’s delighted “You’re here.” [44:12]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:29] - Judges as disturbing tragedy
• [01:19] - BibleProject overview
• [09:56] - A generation forgets God
• [13:27] - Baal, Ashtoreth, and conformity’s pull
• [14:55] - The sin-repentance-deliverance cycle
• [15:19] - Deborah, mother in Israel
• [18:57] - How to read dark stories
• [23:42] - “No king… right in their eyes”
• [24:11] - Subjective vs objective morality
• [30:55] - In the sight of the Lord
• [36:17] - God intends to be King
• [40:57] - Practicing costly obedience to Jesus
• [44:12] - Grace outlasts rebellion
• [48:22] - The Father’s “You’re here”

1. What specific actions did the new generation take that were described as "evil in the sight of the Lord" (Judges 2:11-13)? How does this contrast with their ancestors’ relationship with God?
2. The sermon describes Deborah as a leader who "holds court, reconciles disputes, and steadies fearful leaders with God’s word" [17:52]. What details in Judges 4:4-5 highlight her unique role compared to other judges?
3. How does the repeated phrase "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17:6, 21:25) frame the moral condition of Israel? What examples from the sermon illustrate this chaos?

1. Why might forgetfulness of God’s deeds lead to spiritual drift, as seen in Judges 2:10? How does this connect to the idea that "memory is covenant oxygen"?
2. The sermon contrasts "right in their own eyes" with "evil in the sight of the Lord" [30:55]. Why is human judgment unreliable, and how does God’s perspective differ?
3. Deborah’s leadership is described as "Spirit-led judgment" [17:52]. What qualities made her effective in a patriarchal society, and how does her example challenge modern assumptions about authority?

1. The sermon warns that "forgetfulness is the engine of drift" [11:44]. What rhythms or practices could help you actively remember God’s faithfulness in your life?
2. Reflect on a time when you prioritized "what seemed right in your own eyes" over God’s guidance. What were the consequences, and how might you respond differently now?
3. Deborah’s leadership created peace through discernment rather than force [17:52]. In your relationships or community, where could you practice courageous and compassionate leadership?
4. The sermon states, "If Jesus never disagrees with you, it might not be Jesus you’re hearing" [42:18]. What area of your life do you sense Christ’s kingship challenging your personal desires?
5. How does the image of God saying, "You’re here" [49:31] to repentant hearts reshape your view of returning to Him after failure? What step could you take to embrace this grace today?