Judges: Introduction and Outline

This week we are beginning a series on the book of Judges. According to the Talmud, the book of Judges was written by Samuel. Scripture records this fact in 1 Samuel 10:25.

"“Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.”

The time period of the book of Judges covers the period between Joshua's death and the rise of the monarchy in Israel. Judges covers a chaotic period between 1380 and 1050 BC. Under Joshua's leadership, Israel had generally conquered and occupied the land of Canaan, but large areas remained yet to be possessed by the individual tribes. Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord continually. "There was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." (21:25) By deliberately serving other gods the people of Israel broke their covenant with God. As a result, the Lord delivered the into the hands of various oppressors. Each time the people cried out to the Lord, He faithfully raised up a judge to bring deliverance to HIs people. These judges, chosen by the Lord and anointed with His Spirit were military and civil leaders. The Book of Judges not only looks back to the conquest of Canaan led by Joshua and records the conditions in Canaan during the period of the judges, but it also anticipates the establishment of the monarchy in Israel.

The purpose of the Book of Judges is three-fold: historical, theological, and spiritual.

• Historically: Judges describes events that took place during a specific time in Israel's history and provides a link between the conquest and the monarchy.

• Theologically: Judges underscores the principle established in the Law that obedience to the Law brings peace and life, and disobedience brings oppression and death. Israel's disobedience of the Lord's kingship throughout the time of the inspired leadership of the judges resulted in apostasy and anarchy. This consequently demonstrated the need for a permanent, centralized, hereditary monarchy through which the Lord would continue to exert His Kingship over Israel.

• Spiritually: Judges serves to show the Lord's faithfulness to His covenant. Whenever His people repent and turn from evil ways, the Lord always forgives them and raises up Spirit-empowered leaders to deliver them from their oppressors.

The book of Judges illustrates the disastrous consequences of breaking fellowship with God through idolatrous worship. The Lord requires commitment from His people and sin separates people from Him. When we sin, the Lord in His love chastises us until we come to full repentance. When we cry out to Him, the Lord faithfully responds to us. He forgives us, brings deliverance to us, and restores our fellowship with Him.

The Lord, ultimately, is our Judge, our Deliverer. He is able to do impossible things. Just as He appointed deliverers and empowered them with His Spirit to do exploits. He is able to endue us with His Holy Spirit and to use us to bring deliverance to people bound in sin and despair. He responds to the cry of the penitent heart. The Lord is faithful, and His love is constant.

Judges graphically portrays the character of God in His dealings with the children of Israel. In righteousness, the Lord punishes them for their sin, but in His love and mercy, He delivers them in response to their penitent cry. Though the judges are called the deliverers or saviors, ultimately it is God that is their Savior. The book of Judges emphasizes humanity's need of a Divine Deliverer/Savior. Throughout the course of history, God's people have sinned. God, as the Lord of history, has always delivered His people from oppression when they have repented and turned their hearts back to Him. In the fullness of time, God in His love, sent forth His Son, Jesus Christ as our Deliverer and Savior, to redeem us from the bondage of sin and death. Our Lord is a righteous Judge who will one day judge in righteousness. (2 Tim. 4:8, Acts 17:31)

Overview: The Holy Spirit at Work in The Book of Judges

The activity of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Judges is clearly displayed in the charismatic leadership of the period. Othniel, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson performed heroic deeds attributed to the Spirit of the Lord.

• Othniel: The Spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel (3:9-10) and enabled him to deliver the Israelites from the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim, King of Mesopotamia.

• Gideon: Through the personal presence of the Spirit of the Lord, Gideon (6:34) delivered God's people from the oppression of the Midianites. Literally, the Spirit of the Lord clothed Himself with Gideon. The Spirit empowered this divinely appointed leader and acted through him to accomplish the Lord's saving act on behalf of His people.

• Jephthah: The Spirit of the Lord equipped Jephthah (11:29) with leadership skills in His military pursuit against the Ammonites. Jephthah's victory ver the Ammontes was the Lord's act of deliverance on Israel's behalf.

• Samson: The Spirit of the Lord empowered Samson to perform extraordinary deeds. He began to stir in Samson in (13:25), and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him on several occasions. Samson tore a lion apart with his bare hands (14:6). He killed 30 Philistines (14:19). He freed himself from ropes that bound his hands and killed a thousand Philistines with a donkey's jawbone. (15:14-15)

The same Holy Spirit who enabled these deliverers to do exploits and fulfill the Lord's plans and purposes is at work today. He desires to move upon His people so that we, too, can do impossible things. The Lord wants to bring deliverance to His people, and He is looking for consecrated people to empower with His Holy Spirit.

Outline

I. Prologue: Conditions in Canaan after Joshua's death 1:1-3:6

A. Continuing conquests by Israelite tribes (1:1-26)

B. Incomplete conquests of the land (1:27-36)

C. Covenant of the Lord broken (2:1-5)

D. Introduction to the period of the judges (2:6-3:6)

II. History of Oppressions and Deliverances During the Period of the Judges 3:7-16:31

A. Mesopotamian oppression and deliverance by Othniel (3:7-11)

B. Moabite Oppression and deliverance by Ehud (3:12-30)

C. Philistine oppression and deliverance by Shamgar (3:31)

D. Canaanite oppression and deliverance by Deborah and Barak (4:1-5:31)

E. Midianite oppression and deliverance by Gideon (6:1-8:35)

F. Brief reign of Abimelech (9:1-57)

G. Tola's judgeship (10:1-2)

H. Jair judgeship (10:3-5)

I. Ammonite oppression and deliverance by Jephthah (10:6-12:7)

J. Ibzan's judgeship (12:8-10)

K. Elon's judgeship (12:11-12)

L. Abdon's judgeship (12:13-15)

M. Philistine oppression and the exploits of Samson (13:1-16:31)

III. Epilogue: Conditions Illustrating the Period of the Judges 17:1-21:25

A. Apostasy: Idolatry of Micah and the Danites (17:-18:31)

B. Immorality: Atrocity at Gibeah and the Benjamite War (19:1-21:25)

Tomorrow we will dive into chapter 1 of Judges. We will go through Section 1, A and B. Please read all of chapter 1 before tomorrow.

Be blessed by being a blessing!