“The Hollow Men” is a haunting, exquisite poem by T. S. Eliot. You may have heard the closing lines referenced in pop culture: “This is the way the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper.”
I reread the poem after walking backward and forward through today’s passage in Judges, the final chapter of a brutal journey. We are trained, when reading stories, to settle into a conclusion not long after the climax. We long to be satisfied. The book of Judges doesn’t do that. Earlier in the poem, Eliot writes the following.
The eyes are not here / There are no eyes here / In this valley of dying stars / In this hollow valley / This broken jaw of our lost kingdoms. // ….death’s twilight kingdom / The hope only / Of empty men.
Eliot’s “empty men” are a helpful comparison as we end our study of Judges. The weight and power of Eliot’s words capture, in ways I never could, the heart-wailing of the tribes of Israel. When death is the only hope for an end, we are left in total darkness.
We know that Jesus is our conquering King, the life and light of humankind. But Judges doesn’t end with Jesus. Judges ends with a “valley of dying stars,” empty men grasping together at nothing. “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him” (Judges 21:25). As modern readers, we can read this last verse in Judges and know it’ll all be okay because Jesus is coming. Even though that is true, would you be willing to resist that temptation for closure with me today?
Let us whimper. Let us feel the ache of the ages, the desperation for something we cannot name. The longing for a king that led the Israelites in caustic circles is the same longing that leads us to fill our lives with stuff that distracts and tries to counteract that epic ache.
The inclination to grasp at goodness is the right response to reading the book of Judges. Our hearts are magnetized to light, not darkness. Judges provokes that tension in us, leaving us with an unsettled feeling. It is a historical book, a true tragedy tucked in the middle of the greatest book ever written. And yet, its darkness is unparalleled. Its darkness makes us crave light.
Chiaroscuro is an art technique that utilizes sharp contrasts—light and dark—for dramatic impact. Judges is a book of chiaroscuro. The whole picture of the Bible is made more vibrant, more impactful, more necessary because of these dark corners. We can thank God for the book of Judges, and we can thank Him for wiring our hearts to long for the goodness and light that only He provides.
I know I am wild for this, but I actually liked reading Judges. It light of the darkness, how much brighter does Jesus shine? Chiaroscuro is a great analogy. It is not easy to observe the wretchedness of mankind. It reveals how weak we are and how merciful God is. Honestly, I needed to see that visually- how merciful God is in contrast to how wicked we can be. We need this book, truly, we do. I know it is not easy to read, but how much brighter is the morning sun of blessings and joy after a night of weeping… Seriously.
Anyways. I AMEN the words of @Blessed Beth. This verse stood out to me, too.
@HL- prayers for your final interview today! May the Lord give you His peaceable and pure wisdom as you walk in obedience.
@Teresa D- I pray you remember to know God is God and He has you in His hands. He sustains your breath. May you know and see Him in this time of vulnerability and weakness. May He hold you close.
@Adrienne- May the Lord be near to this family… And bring great comfort. That is so awful. May they see His goodness working things together for their good… May He give them His peace that surpasses knowledge.
God bless all you, Shes..thankful we can read the Word together and intercede for one another. A prayer lifted up for those with unspoken needs. God sees you. Keep praying and believing for change. Love you ♥️
As I read the lesson for today, I can’t help but parallel it to the world we live in today. As a nation, the further and further we get away from our true King, Jesus, the more and more we “do what is right according to our own ways”, which sadly, is missing the mark entirely. I pray, Lord, that you keep my heart centrally focused on You even in the midst of the chaos around me.
“When death is the only hope for an end, we are left in total darkness.” I admit, just like the others. This was a very hard read, and I read things I never knew were there. Thank you to our Father God, giving us his one, and only son, for you and I and that’s why we are here today and I hope that we have and someday we will all be united with HIM. Meanwhile, I have some work to do here. Right now I get to love on little children. I hope someday they see that it’s Jesus, and not me. It’s all Jesus! None of it’s me.
My last study was the book of Esther where she was trafficked into the kings harem, and now here in Judges we see the trafficking of girls for wives. This theme has been so heavy on my heart and I recently encountered an organization called She Is Safe that focuses on rescuing young girls and women in the 10-40 region from being trafficked. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this sin has been highlighted in my life lately and i have been aching to learn more and find out what I can do to help. This was a good study. Thank you.
I love Melanie’s comment that the rest of the Bible is vibrant when we see it in contrast to the dark corners of Judges. This is my second journey through Judges since September. I tutor Bible College students and the darkness of Judges weighed heavily. This time through it I saw the pops of light shining through. God was there, ready to bring about the fulfillment of his covenant promise with Abraham, waiting for his chosen people to call on him. In the people’s darkest days God came through. How grateful I am that we know the whole story of God. When Judges ends, I Samuel begins. It is God’s rescue story.
Happy Friday! And Yes – Happy we’re done in Judges day!! As you have all said, this was a hard read. Especially today where once again it was mentioned that the sword was to kill everyone living in Jabesh Gilead, including women and children. (Judges 21:10) I can not even imagine the horrors! This book has been SO dark, but as has been said – the darker the night, the brighter the light. Praise God for Jesus who is the Light of the World! Our world is in such need of a Savior…Father God, please open the hearts and minds of those who do not know you, who haven’t a clue who Jesus is. Turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to You – God Almighty. That they too may know your love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Let us who believe shine our light – the light of Jesus – for all to see. Use us for Your honor and Your glory. In Jesus Name.
@Teresa Donley – praying for you today as you have your spinal tap. May God’s grace carry you through it all – from the tap to the lying in bed for 24 hrs to the results. May God’s peace be upon you.
@HL – praying for your interview – hope all goes well and communication is good on both parts. God’s peace no matter what the results.
@Adrienne – Praying for Sue, her DIL and her granddaughter as this family has had one heartache after another. May God carry them through these difficult days.
@CeeGee – praying you will be fully recovered come Monday!
Happy Friday my SRT sisters! May each of you walk in the light and love of Jesus today and let your light shine for Him!! ❤️
Like most of you, I am so glad to close the door on this book. I have read it before, but I know it will stay with me now because of all of the wonderful contributions/discussion shared here.
I feel like it brought us together in a way that no recent study has done. I love you all and love your hearts!
So thankful that their pain wasn’t wasted in that it was part of God’s sovereign plan. Like the Israelites we sometimes have to go through a dark time in order to truly appreciate all that God is and does. Thank You, God, for loving us through the dark times.
TERESA DONLEY – Praying for peace for your heart, blessings from the Word, and for those administering the spinal tap. Mostly praying with you for accuracy in the test and diagnosis. Hang in there, sis; we are with you in spirit! ❤
SEARCHING and MERCY – ❤
KIMBERLY Z and DONNA WOLCOTT – Praying your special weekend is truly blessed. Safe travels!
We did it!! Happy last day of Judges!!
Even though the books ends with everything still a mess, what a beautiful reminder of the light and hope that is to come.
A reminder as well for us to be that shining light.
Prayer request: I have a final interview this afternoon for a job that I’m excited about. Things have moved very quickly this week with the interview process and I’ve seen His hand in everything. Prayers for peace, light and communication on both sides of the interview.
Praying for you all today