Old-Testament Survey: The Book of Judges

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Old-Testament SurveyThe Book of Judges
Up-and-Down Period for Israel
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The Judges

• Following Joshuas death, Israel seeks to gain
  control over Canaan.
• They were unable to drive out the Canaanites
  whose cities were well-fortified.
• Influence from the inhabitants of these cities
  caused Israel to commit spiritual adultery.
• When they began worshipping Baal, the god of the
  Canaanites, God allowed the nations to oppress
  them.

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The Mistakes

• And you shall make no covenant with the
  inhabitants of this land you shall tear down
  their altars.' But you have not obeyed My voice.
  Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, 'I
  will not drive them out before you but they
  shall be thorns in your side, and their gods
  shall be a snare to you. (22,3)

• When all that generation had been gathered to
  their fathers, another generation arose after
  them who did not know the LORD nor the work which
  He had done for Israel. (210)

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The Mistakes

• Yet they would not listen to their judges, but
  they played the harlot with other gods, and bowed
  down to them. They turned quickly from the way in
  which their fathers walked, in obeying the
  commandments of the LORD they did not do so.
  (217)

• I also will no longer drive out before them any
  of the nations which Joshua left when he died, so
  that through them I may test Israel, whether they
  will keep the ways of the LORD, to walk in them
  as their fathers kept them, or not. (221,22)

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The Judges

• Israel had no centralized government (king), no
  unified effort against her enemies.
• Nevertheless, the LORD raised up judges who
  delivered them out of the hand of those who
  plundered them. (216)
• Judges were more strong military leaders than
  they were court officials.

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The Judges

• Period of judges lasted over 350 years.
• There were 15 judges.
• For eight years, Israel served the king of
  Mesopotamia.
• OTHNIEL, Calebs son-in-law, became the first
  judge.
• Under his leadership, Israel fought and defeated
  the king of Mesopotamia. They had rest for 40
  years.

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The Judges

• Eglon, king of Moab, allied himself with the
  Ammonites and Amalekites to defeat Israel. They
  served him and paid tribute for 18 years.
• EHUD, the second judge, was left-handed. He, took
  the tribute money to Eglon, who was very fat.
• He asked to speak with him privately, then
  stabbed him with an 18 sword. Eglons body fat
  closed over the blade of the sword.
• Ehud escaped and led Israels army to defeat the
  Moabites. The land had rest for 80 years.

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The Judges

• SHAMGAR, the third judge, saved Israel by killing
  600 Philistines with an ox-goad.
• Jabin, king of Canaan, oppressed Israel for 20
  years.
• DEBORAH, the fourth judge, who was a prophetess,
  called Barak to lead Israels army against
  Sisera. He agreed to go, but only if she went
  with him.
• They fought near Megiddo, and Israels army
  routed the Canaanites. Sisera fled on foot.
• Israel had rest for 40 years

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The Judges

• GIDEON was the fifth judge.
• The Midianites and Amalekites join forces and
  subdue Israel for seven years.
• Israel flees to the mountains for safety and can
  only harvest their crops in secret.
• God calls on Gideon to fight against the
  Midianites.
• At night Gideon destroys the altar of Baal.
• God gives Gideon two signs.
• Fleece of wool on threshing floor. Dew on fleece,
  but not on the floor.
• Next morning, dew on floor, but not on fleece.

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Battle Against the Midianites

• 32,000 men assemble to fight the Midianites.
• To show that Godnot the armys sizeis the
  reason for Israels victory, Gideon reduces the
  army.
• 22,000 go home because they are afraid.
• At the place of the water, only those who lap
  water like dogs--300 men--are picked to fight!
• Armed with trumpets, empty pitchers, and torches
  in the pitchers, they attack.
• The battle cry is, The sword of Jehovah and
  Gideon. The enemies panic and kill each other!
• Israel has rest for 40 years. They seek to make
  Gideon a king, but he refuses.

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More Judges

• ABIMELECH one of Gideons 70 sons became the
  sixth judge.
• Desiring to be king over Israel, he killed 68 of
  his brothers (only Jotham escape) and began to
  reign in Shechem.
• Jotham gave a speech and caused the men of
  Shechem to rebel against his brother.
• Abimelech subdues the uprising, but he is killed
  when a woman drops a millstone on his head as he
  fights against the people at Thebez.
• He reigned for three years.

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More Judges

• TOLA, the seventh judge, ruled for 23 years.
• JAIR, the eighth judge, ruled for 22 years.
• JEPHTHAH, a man of valor, became the ninth judge.
  
• Deprived of his inheritance because he was the
  son of a prostitute, he had been driven out of
  Gilead into the Land of Tob, where he formed a
  band of powerful, vain men.
• When the Philistines and Ammon had oppressed them
  for 18 years, Israel called on Jephthah to rescue
  them.

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More Judges

• He consented to help them if they made him king,
  if he was victorious.
• Jephthah promised God that if He would give him
  victory, he would sacrifice the first thing that
  came out to greet him.
• When he returned from the victory, the first to
  greet him was his daughter. He kept his vow!
• The Ephraimites became angry with the men if
  Gilead because they had not been asked to fight
  against the Philistines.
• Civil war followed and 42,000 Ephraimites died.

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More Judges

• IBZAN, the tenth judge, ruled for seven years.
• ELON, the eleventh judge, ruled for ten years.
• ABDON, the 12th judge, ruled for eight years.
• The Philistines oppressed Israel for 40 years.
• The angel of the Lord promised a child to a man
  named Manaoh and his barren wife.
• This son would not drink wine or strong drink and
  would never shave his head.

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Samson

• SAMSON, the 13th judge, rules for 20 years.
• He falls in love with a Philistine woman from
  Timnah.
• He wagers--for 30 changes of clothesthat the
  Philistines cannot solve his riddle.
• The Philistines threaten the brides parents, and
  she tells them the answer to the riddle.
• Samson kills 30 Philistines in Ashkelon and takes
  their garments to pay the wager!

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Samson

• Samson returned to get his wife, but her father
  had given her to another man.
• He caught 300 foxes, attached firebrands to their
  tails, and released them in the fields of the
  Philistines, destroying them.
• Israel is forced to have Samson arrested and
  bound with ropes. They give him over to the
  Philistines.
• He broke the ropes, picked up the jawbone of a
  donkey, and killed 1000 Philistines!

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Samson

• Samson goes to Gaza to visit a harlot.
• The Philistines surround the city, intending to
  kill Samson the next day.
• At midnight, Samson leaves the city, tears down
  the city gates, and carries them to the top of a
  nearby mountain!

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Samson and Delilah

• Samson falls in love with another Philistine
  woman, Delilah.
• The Philistines agree to pay her to find the
  source of his strength.
• He lies to her three times, but finally tells her
  the truth--he will lose his strength if his hair
  is cut.
• While he sleeps, she has his hair cut, binds him
  with rope, and delivers him to the Philistines.
• They put out his eyes and place him in prison. He
  is forced to turn the millstone to grind grain.

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Samsons Death

• While he is in prison, Samsons hair begins to
  grow again.
• The Philistines hold a great feast and bring him
  out to make sport of him.
• They lead him between two pillars that support
  the house where they are gathered.
• Samson prays to God and asks Him to return his
  strength so he can avenge his eyes.
• He topples the pillars and causes the house to
  collapse, killing himself and all the
  Philistines. He kills more in death than during
  his entire life!

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Personal and Tribal Idolatry

• Stories showing the moral corruption of Gods
  people. (2125)
• Micah builds a graven image to Jehovah and hires
  a Levite to serve the idol.
• The tribe of Dan, unable to conquer the land that
  Joshua had given to them, sends out spies seeking
  a place to move.
• Stopping at the house of Micah, they see the
  idol.
• The Levite tells them theyll have a profitable
  trip. Later, they steal the idol and convince the
  Levite to come with them, offering him a better
  position!

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Personal and Tribal Immorality

• A Levite who has as his concubine a harlot from
  Bethlehem.
• She runs away to her fathers home in Bethlehem.
• Levite goes to bring her back, and on the way
  back, he stops in Gibeah.
• The men of Gibeah take the Levites concubine and
  rape her all night.
• The next day, the Levite cuts her body into 12
  pieces and sends the parts throughout Israel.
• Eleven tribes determine to punish Gibeah.
  Benjamin rises to her defense.