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The Book of Judges drives me nuts to read because the children of Isreal were just so dumb, but there are a lot of very cool parts. Here’s one of my favorites. It reads like something out of a military ops novel:
Judges Chapter 3
15But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

16But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

17And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.

18And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.

19But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.

20And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.

21And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:

22And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

23Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.

24When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.

25And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.

26And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.

Always cracks me up. I find it so funny all the things that God had to specifically tell the children of israel not to do. “Don’t look at your father’s wife nekked, its bad, don’t look at your wife’s sister nekked, its bad, don’t do inappropriate things to animals, its bad.

It makes me think of children playing near stoves. I love how following the children of israel through history is like following a person through their own growth, from childhood in the old testament, to the maturing of the people through the new testament. It is neat how God deals with people through principles and guideposts in the new testament just like how parents begin to use “well, you are an adult now, so I expect you to act like one.”