We close the book on Jephthah and read the story of Samson. A lover of riddles, Samson himself is a bit of a riddle himself. His constant back and forth with the Philistines proves him to be undisputedly the best and worst judge we've seen thus far. His story, full of deceit, debauchery, and compromise becomes a bit of an allegory for the nation of Israel itself.

When Nebuchadnezzar has another startling dream, he turns to Daniel for its interpretation. Daniel foresees Nebuchadnezzar's coming destruction in God's holy judgment. We learn how our inclination toward idolatrous glory robs us of the true satisfaction found in glorifying the one true God (Daniel 4).

First, we begin with the seizure of power from Gideon's son Abimelech. After witnessing his rise and fall, we meet a few more judges before the rule of Jephthah, the Gileadite. Jephthah's tragedy sheds light upon how Israel sees their God and the depth of their decline.

What do we do when we're faced with a controversial issue that flies in the face of our faith? We see from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that serving God publicly can lead to a type of change in the world that we couldn't fabricate if we tried (Daniel 3).

At a time when Israel is being plundered by a nomadic race, the Angel of the Lord appears to the youngest son of a man of Menasseh. Gideon begins as a coward and dies a tyrant surrounded by idolatry and debauchery.

When Nebuchadnezzar has a troubling dream, he threatens the lives of all his seers to divine the content and meaning of his dream. Daniel appeals to his God on behalf of the safety of his peers (Daniel 2:1-45).

After the death of Joshua, the Lord looks upon the Israelites and sees that they have turned their hearts away from Him. God delivers the Israelites up to warring nations. This passage includes the first four judges in Israel: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, and Deborah.

Daniel and his three friends find themselves taken captive into a pagan nation. We see Daniel's insurgency in the strangest places and boundaries proving that the true God is really the One in charge (Daniel 1).

The Israelites beyond the Jordan erect a memorial altar that nearly sparks a civil war. Joshua is ready to die and addresses the nation one last time.

Paul concludes his second letter to the Corinthians by reminding them that his desire for them is their maturity. Although he isn't afraid to come to the Corinthians in authority, it's ultimately for their growth; not for their destruction (2 Cor 13:9-14).