“Adoni-bezek escaped but the Israelites soon captured him and cut off his thumbs and big toes.” (Judges 1:6 NLT)
I read this and immediately think, what a cruel act! We’re the Israelites truly that twisted?
Then I tried to imagine life without thumbs and big toes, life without balance or grip. A little googling reveals that thumbs comprise up to fifty percent of hand function. More than that, the thumb gives us opposition, a key human quality. Big toes are nearly as crucial as thumbs, providing stability and propulsion.
It turns out you can replace a thumb with a toe surgically, but it never functions quite the same. The operation involves microsurgery and a team for the hand and a second team for the foot. The whole procedure requires eight hours and the recovery is involved. The new digit called a “thoe” – I can’t make this stuff up!
This act against the Canaanite king feels excessive until we keep reading.
“Adoni-bezel said “I once had seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off, eating scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them.”” (Judges 1:7 NLT)
Additional research lets know that long ago, Romans would cut off their thumbs to avoid military service. Even today, army enlistees are refused if they are missing any part of their foot. Adoni-bezek’s cruel act against his enemy humbled them greatly, moving them from mighty king to lowly beggar.
So why does the book of Judges open with such a story? Adoni-bezek acknowledges it; eventually we all get what’s coming to us. Every living person will one day be judged, and this Old Testament book reminds us that our only rescue from sin is found in God. Israel would serve God for a while and then eventually lose their way with idols. Then God would allow judgement to sweep in. The Israelites then called on God and repented. He’d send a judge to intervene on their behalf, rescuing them from the latest threat. And then they’d begin the dance again. We see this over and over in a loop that bible scholars call the cycle of apostasy. But we also recognize the pattern from our own stories.
Judges is a reminder that we reap what we sow. A life that acknowledges God and honors Him is a far better choice than refusing Him and serving ourselves.
“Do not be misled – you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.” (Galatians 6:7 NLT)
Lord, today we are thankful for big toes and thumbs. But far more than that, we are thankful for grace and mercy. Thank You for coming to our rescue and revealing a better way to live. Please help us be mindful of what we are sowing. We want to honor You. Amen.