The story does not end with the exodus. In many ways, it is just beginning. The people of Israel had been redeemed from Egypt, but they were not yet home. What followed was the long, winding process of becoming a nation in the land of promise. This story, told through Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings, is not only a record of what happened. It is a theological reflection on God’s character, His people’s failures, and the hope of a king who would finally get it right.
From the outset, the Hebrew Bible is not shy about human failure. Moses dies just outside the land. Joshua leads well, but the next generation forgets. The Judges rise and fall. The people want a king like the nations, and they get Saul. Then comes David, and it looks like everything is coming together for a moment. But even David stumbles. His son Solomon builds the temple but cannot hold the kingdom together. A divided monarchy emerges with a long line of kings, and they mostly fail to walk with God.
Yet underneath this history runs a steady current of promise. The idea of Messiah is not overtly mentioned in these books, but it is by no means absent. It waits in the shadows, echoing through stories, covenants, and prophetic moments.
Joshua leads the people into the land, a new Moses for a new generation. His name, Yehoshua, means “The Lord saves.” It is the Hebrew root for the name Jesus. The connection is not forced. The book ends with Joshua saying, “Not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you” (Joshua 23:14). However, it is clear that the people need more than land. They need faithful hearts.
The New Testament will later describe Jesus as the greater Joshua. While the first brought people into a physical inheritance, the second leads to a spiritual one. The book of Hebrews makes this explicit (Hebrews 4:8-10).
The recurring line in Judges is haunting: “In those days, there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). The book is a downward spiral of idolatry, violence, and moral confusion. And yet, God keeps raising imperfect deliverers like Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson.
None of them fix the problem. They are temporary solutions to a much deeper wound. Judges leaves the reader not with a list of heroes to imitate but with longing for someone better, someone who would rule with justice and wisdom, someone who could change the heart, not just the situation.
In Samuel, the people ask for a king. At first, this request is seen as a rejection of God (1 Samuel 8:7). But God allows it, not because He agrees with their motives, but because He has always planned to work through a king (Deuteronomy 17:14-20). Saul fails. David rises. And then God makes a promise: “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16).
This is a turning point. The Davidic covenant becomes a cornerstone of messianic hope. It is not just about David. It is about his greater son. From this point on, the prophets and poets of Israel will look back to David and forward to the one who will finally fulfill the promise.
But before that comes a long, painful descent. Solomon begins with glory and ends with idolatry. The kingdom splits. Israel and Judah take turns failing to honor God. Occasionally, a good king rises like Hezekiah or Josiah, but the overall story is one of decline.
Even in the worst chapters, the story whispers hope. Nathan speaks of a king whose throne will not fail. The chronicler reminds post-exilic readers of the Davidic line. And the prophets begin to speak more clearly. Isaiah talks about a child who will be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Micah speaks of a ruler from Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).
These echoes come from a deep awareness of history. The writers are not inventing hope but drawing it from the story they already know, a story of promises made and repeated, a story where God’s faithfulness keeps showing up even when His people fail.
This chapter of Israel’s history shows the tension between human leadership and divine purpose. It highlights how even the best intentions can fall short and how God’s grace continues to work through broken people. The pattern is clear: people fail, God remains faithful, and hope persists.
Reading this section with a messianic lens does not require stretching the text. It means listening for the themes that the New Testament will later make explicit. Jesus is not imported into the story but emerges as its resolution.
Joshua’s name and mission point forward to Jesus, the ultimate deliverer who brings God’s people into their true inheritance. The judges demonstrate the need for a perfect deliverer who can actually solve the problem of human sin. David’s covenant establishes the promise of an eternal kingdom that will find its fulfillment in David’s greater son. Even the failures of Solomon and the divided kingdom serve to heighten expectation for the king who will succeed where all others failed.
The messianic expectation in these books is seen through typology and implication. Joshua’s name, the Davidic covenant, the cries for a righteous king all show rather than tell. Other connections, such as the prophetic echoes, require a canonical approach, linking texts across time and author. The historical context helps anchor these hopes in real events, while theological interpretation frames them as part of God’s larger work.
These books remind readers that God’s plan is not linear or neat. It winds through failure and redemption, always moving toward the One who will do what no judge or king could do perfectly. The throne of David may have been interrupted by exile and foreign rule, but the promise remained. Somewhere in David’s line, a king was coming who would reign in righteousness, establish justice, and rule forever.
When Jesus arrives in the New Testament, He steps into this long history of expectation. He is announced as the son of David, born in David’s city, heir to David’s throne. But He also transcends every expectation, ruling not through political power but through sacrificial love, establishing a kingdom not of this world but for this world, and reigning not just over Israel but over all creation.
~PW 🌮🛶
Phillip W. Martin 
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