There are many lessons for Christians in the book of Judges, not least of which are (1) “little children, keep yourselves from idols” and (2) “to obey is better than sacrifice”. Not to mention the most important lesson – (3) that God is infinitely gracious (in spite of our sins and failures), although we should not abuse that grace and then be judged (since God does not allow sin to go unpunished). We also see that (4) the Holy Spirit (called the Spirit of the LORD) empowers God’s servants to be righteous and obedient, and do His will.
In Judges, violence against enemies was necessary, but it is not so for Christians. If we take the presence of the Canaanites among the Israelites as a metaphor for the presence of the old Adamic sin nature (“the flesh”, which needs to be crucified, mortified, or put to death) then we can see the spiritual lesson in the slaughter of God’s enemies in Joshua and Judges. The Bible says that sin shall not have dominion over you, and God would not allow the Canaanites to have dominion over Israel except for short periods, before He raised up judges who slaughtered them.
Furthermore, we see that (5) God is no respecter of persons, and chose His deliverers from various tribes, and from various circumstances (some rather mean). We also note in Hebrews 11 (6) that the judges are mentioned among those who had faith, since they were saved by grace through faith. Finally we see in the book of Judges (7) that when God is not King over a people, it is a time of spiritual confusion, where every man does that which is right it his own eyes (whether or not it is righteous) and there is great corruption and moral degradation.
The title of Judges could also have been rendered as “deliverers” or “saviors” since these people were less judges in the judicial sense, than saviors of Israel in the sense of delivering them from their enemies. The Hebrew word for judges – שֹֽׁפְטִ֑ים (sho-pe-tim) -- means judges or governors, but most of them were military leaders rather than governors.
I. THE NEED FOR JUDGES (chapter 2)
A. The generation after Joshua did not know the LORD: 10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
B. The Israelites became idolaters: 11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: [Note: Baalim is plural for Baal, the chief god of the Canaanites.]
C. They forsook the LORD God – the true God -- and went after false gods:12a And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them,..
D. They provoked the LORD to anger: 12 b...and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger 13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. [Note: Ashtaroth was the chief Canaanite goddess]
E. God delivered Israel into the hands of their enemies: 14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
F. The Israelites were greatly distressed because of their enemies: 15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
G. In spite of their sins and wickedness, God gave them deliverers: 16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
F. In spite of God’s grace, they failed to listen to their judges:17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.
G. The LORD was always with the judge to deliver His people: 18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. [Note: the Spirit of the LORD came upon the judge to empower him]
II. THE JUDGES AND THEIR TERMS OF OFFICE
1. Othniel, the nephew of Caleb –40 years.
2. Ehud, a left-handed Benjamite – 80 years.
3. Shamgar, the son of Anath – no term given.
4. Deborah, a prophetess – no term given. (worked with Barak 40 years)
5. Gideon, also called Jerubbaal – 40 years.
6. Tola, a man of Issachar – 23 years.
7. Jair, a Gileadite – 22 years.
8. Jephthah, a Gileadite – 6 years.
9. Ibzan, of Bethlehem – 7 years.
10. Elon, a Zebulonite – 10 years
11. Abdon, a Pirathonite – 8 years.
12. Samson, a Danite – 20 years.
[Note: Bolded names mentioned in Hebrews 11]
Some regard Eli the priest (before Samuel) as a judge also. But Samuel was the last judge of Israel before Saul became the first king. The time period assigned to the judges in the book of Judges is generally held to be 410 years, but it could be much lower (325-350 years).
In Judges, violence against enemies was necessary, but it is not so for Christians. If we take the presence of the Canaanites among the Israelites as a metaphor for the presence of the old Adamic sin nature (“the flesh”, which needs to be crucified, mortified, or put to death) then we can see the spiritual lesson in the slaughter of God’s enemies in Joshua and Judges. The Bible says that sin shall not have dominion over you, and God would not allow the Canaanites to have dominion over Israel except for short periods, before He raised up judges who slaughtered them.
Furthermore, we see that (5) God is no respecter of persons, and chose His deliverers from various tribes, and from various circumstances (some rather mean). We also note in Hebrews 11 (6) that the judges are mentioned among those who had faith, since they were saved by grace through faith. Finally we see in the book of Judges (7) that when God is not King over a people, it is a time of spiritual confusion, where every man does that which is right it his own eyes (whether or not it is righteous) and there is great corruption and moral degradation.
The title of Judges could also have been rendered as “deliverers” or “saviors” since these people were less judges in the judicial sense, than saviors of Israel in the sense of delivering them from their enemies. The Hebrew word for judges – שֹֽׁפְטִ֑ים (sho-pe-tim) -- means judges or governors, but most of them were military leaders rather than governors.
I. THE NEED FOR JUDGES (chapter 2)
A. The generation after Joshua did not know the LORD: 10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
B. The Israelites became idolaters: 11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: [Note: Baalim is plural for Baal, the chief god of the Canaanites.]
C. They forsook the LORD God – the true God -- and went after false gods:12a And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them,..
D. They provoked the LORD to anger: 12 b...and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger 13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. [Note: Ashtaroth was the chief Canaanite goddess]
E. God delivered Israel into the hands of their enemies: 14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
F. The Israelites were greatly distressed because of their enemies: 15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
G. In spite of their sins and wickedness, God gave them deliverers: 16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
F. In spite of God’s grace, they failed to listen to their judges:17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.
G. The LORD was always with the judge to deliver His people: 18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. [Note: the Spirit of the LORD came upon the judge to empower him]
II. THE JUDGES AND THEIR TERMS OF OFFICE
1. Othniel, the nephew of Caleb –40 years.
2. Ehud, a left-handed Benjamite – 80 years.
3. Shamgar, the son of Anath – no term given.
4. Deborah, a prophetess – no term given. (worked with Barak 40 years)
5. Gideon, also called Jerubbaal – 40 years.
6. Tola, a man of Issachar – 23 years.
7. Jair, a Gileadite – 22 years.
8. Jephthah, a Gileadite – 6 years.
9. Ibzan, of Bethlehem – 7 years.
10. Elon, a Zebulonite – 10 years
11. Abdon, a Pirathonite – 8 years.
12. Samson, a Danite – 20 years.
[Note: Bolded names mentioned in Hebrews 11]
Some regard Eli the priest (before Samuel) as a judge also. But Samuel was the last judge of Israel before Saul became the first king. The time period assigned to the judges in the book of Judges is generally held to be 410 years, but it could be much lower (325-350 years).
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