We get only a sip from the book of Judges. A sip may be all we want; a big gulp of the book might be more than we could take. So, the lectionary committee measures out a small spoonful of this book, seven verses, and gives us a sip once every three years. The committee must be afraid that all of the blood and gore would turn our stomachs and all of the sex would distract us. So, the bottle marked "Judges" has a sticker from the committee that reads, "Caution, do not exceed recommended dosage."

For our part, we don't make much of an effort to break into the medicine cabinet to sneak a swig of the book. A Bible study on Judges would not likely pack 'em in. Most of us have heard of only two characters in the whole book: Samson and Delilah. Even as fascinating as that story is with the flawed…