Readers familiar with the book of Judges don’t necessarily spend too much time in the opening sections. We want to get straight to the action—to read about God working mightily through Gideon’s shaky faith, Jephthah’s rash vow, and Samson’s great strength. These are the exciting stories that grab our attention and enlighten our imagination. But if we don’t first pause at the beginning, we may well miss what the rest of the book, by God’s design, is trying to teach us.