The deuteronomistic cycle described by Richard Martin

There’s a nasty cycle that repeats time and again in Judges, and that forms a theme of the history in the books of Samuel and Kings too:

• Israel forgets that Yhwh is the ONE who has given them everything
• they start to worship/serve other Gods
• God allows an enemy to oppress them
• they call to God – who raises up a strong leader who by God’s power rescues them

This pattern was described in Deuteronomy so these books (with Joshua) get called the “Deuteronomistic History” by scholars.

The prophetic cycle by Richard Martin.

Incidentally since I have used Richard Martin’s fine diagram of this vicious cycle I will include also here (though it is really describing an extension of this pattern found in the prophetic books) his prophetic cycle – in the hopes some of you will find his superb class notes useful 🙂

After all it is appropriate while reading Judges to remember that this depressing book is part of a wider Scripture that is all fulfilled in Christ! The prophets will point more clearly to that fulfillment than Judges does.