What was the role of a good judge in Israel's government?
In Israel's God-centered government, a good judge functioned as a ruler under God, leading the people to spiritual heights. The judge was not an independent monarch but an instrument through whom Jehovah governed. During the period of the Judges, faithfulness to God through such leadership brought revival, while departure into idolatry brought decline.
Les teaches that during the 300 to 400 years of the book of Judges, Israel's history was a roller coaster. They would reach a spiritual height under a good judge, who was merely a ruler under God in a God-centered government. The judge did not replace God's authority but served under it. Les contrasts this with Israel's failure to destroy the Canaanite people as God instructed, which drew them into idolatry. A good judge, therefore, governed under God's rule and led the nation to spiritual height.