Judges: Faithful God — Broken People: An Introduction to Judges

Like a tired television rerun, the Book of Judges exposes the monotonous downward spiral of a culture that had turned its back on God. It unveils cycles of increasing depravity in which the sins of the culture became the sins of God’s people — a period that anticipats today’s relative ethics and morality.

“In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (, KJV)

Through the Summer and into the Fall we will be spending some time in the Book of Judges. If there’s a theme to the book it’s found in George Santayana’s assertion, “Those who will not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat its mistakes.” If there’s a lesson to learn from the Book of Judges it’s that God is faithful to a broken people.

In this book we will witness moments of great weakness, but also moments of greatness in the various lives of those people who are called Judges.

Tonight is an introduction to the book.

I. THE BOOK OF JUDGES

1. in the Hebrew Bible the Book of Judges is the 2nd book in the section called “the prophets” — or Nevi’im in the Hebrew

prophets” — or Nevi’im in the Hebrew

a. it tells the story of the Hebrew people from shortly after the death of Joshua up until the birth of the Prophet Samuel’s birth

the birth of the Prophet Samuel’s birth

b. it does not paint a pretty picture

ILLUS. Someone once described the Book of Judges as “despicable people doing deplorable things” and as “trashy tales about dysfunctional characters.” As the history unfolds even the “heroes,” the judges, become increasingly flawed and failing.

deplorable things” and as “trashy tales about dysfunctional characters.” As the history unfolds even the “heroes,” the judges, become increasingly flawed and failing.

A. JUDGES IS THE TRAGIC SEQUEL TO JOSHUA

1. in Joshua, the people were obedient to God in conquering the Promised Land

a. in Judges, they are disobedient, idolatrous, and often defeated

2. gives us a synopsis of what it going on in Israel in that day

“After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance. 7 The people served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel. 8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 9 And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14 In his anger against Israel the LORD handed them over to raiders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. 15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the LORD was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress. 16 Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the LORD’s commands. 18 Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the LORD had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.” (, NIV84)

a. it really is a era of chaos

b. unified leadership died with Joshua

3. in that passage the author describes seven distinct cycles of Israel’s drifting away from God

God

a. 1st, Israel at rest

b. 2nd, Israel sinning

c. 3rd, Israel oppressed

d. 4th, Israel supplicating, and repenting

e. 5th, Israel sent a deliverer

f. 6th, Israel is saved

g. 7th, Israel is at rest

4. this cycle is repeatedly played out over a 250-300 year period in the nation’s life

B. THE JUDGES

1. fourteen Judges in total arose to deliver Israel in one way or another

a. seven of them are major characters

1) Othniel of Judah (3:9–11) vs. Chushan-Rishathaim, King of Aram

2) Ehud of Benjamin (3:11–29) vs. Eglon of Moab

3) Deborah of Ephraim the prophetess and Barak the army leader (4–5) vs. Jabin of

3) Deborah of Ephraim the prophetess and Barak the army leader (4–5) vs. Jabin of Hazor (a city in Canaan) and Sisera, his captain of the army

Hazor (a city in Canaan) and Sisera, his captain of the army

4) Gideon of Manasseh (6–8) vs. Midian, Amalek, and the "children of the East"

4) Gideon of Manasseh (6–8) vs. Midian, Amalek, and the "children of the East" (apparently desert tribes)

(apparently desert tribes)

5) Abimelech of Manasseh (9) (the son of Gideon who proclaimed king after his father’s death. He was an unprincipled, ambitious ruler, often engaged in war with his own subjects more than Israel’s enemies, and is considered evil) vs. all the Israelites who oppose him

father’s death. He was an unprincipled, ambitious ruler, often engaged in war with his own subjects more than Israel’s enemies, and is considered evil) vs. all the Israelites who oppose him

6) Jephthah of Menasseh (11–12:7) vs. the Ammonites

7) Samson of Dan (13–16) vs. the Philistines

b. six of the Judges are minor characters

1) Shamgar (3:31)

2) Tola and Jair (10:1–5)

3) Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon (12:8–15)

c. two of Israel’s Judges are not mentioned in the Book of Judges

1) Eli, the Priest

2) Samuel, the Prophet

a) these two Judges are named in 1 Samuel and were the two Judges immediately before the rise of the Hebrew monarchy

immediately before the rise of the Hebrew monarchy

2. the book of Judges receives its name from the leaders who delivered Israel from a series of foreign oppressions

series of foreign oppressions

a. it is the Hebrew noun shopēt and literally means leader

1) it is rendered from a Hebrew verb meaning to judge or to deliver

b. when you look at the ministry of the men and women whom God raised up as Judges, you see that deliverance is what they actually accomplished on behalf of the people

Judges, you see that deliverance is what they actually accomplished on behalf of the people

3. a Judge was a God-called deliverer who defended Israel’s right, whether in the capacity of a juridical official who hears cases and renders judgments or as a military leader who throws off the oppressor of a victimized people

capacity of a juridical official who hears cases and renders judgments or as a military leader who throws off the oppressor of a victimized people

a. the heroes of the Judges’ stories are chiefly military leaders or tribal champions who arose in hours of crisis to deliver their people from the hands of enemy oppressors

arose in hours of crisis to deliver their people from the hands of enemy oppressors

b. these were men and women who were powerfully courageous and zealous for the independence and well-being of the tribes

independence and well-being of the tribes

1) they rallied the necessary support to combat the recurring harassment and open attacks of nearby enemies

attacks of nearby enemies

4. the book may be divided into three parts:

a. an introduction, which deals with Israel's failure to conquer Canaan completely, first from a military and then from a religious perspective (1:1-3:6)

from a military and then from a religious perspective (1:1-3:6)

b. the main body of the book, consisting largely of the adventures of the individual Judges (3:7-16:31)

Judges (3:7-16:31)

c. an epilogue (chaps. 17-21), which sets the stage for the transition to monarchy

II. WHO WROTE JUDGES?

1. the Book of Judges does not specifically name its author, and so we can’t say with absolute assurance who wrote it

absolute assurance who wrote it

a. ancient Jewish tradition says that the Prophet Samuel is the author

2. Samuel is a key leader in Israel in the period between the end of Judges and the beginning of the Hebrew monarchy under Saul

beginning of the Hebrew monarchy under Saul

a. he was probably the most significant leader in Israel after Joshua and before the monarchy

monarchy

“And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD.” (, NIV84)

1) it was under Samuel's leadership that Israel defeated the Philistines at Mizpah, and threw off their yoke of oppression

and threw off their yoke of oppression

2) it was also through Samuel's efforts that Israel kept her religious heritage and cultural identity alive during their occupation by the Philistines

cultural identity alive during their occupation by the Philistines

b. Samuel would have been well acquainted with the oral stories passed down within the various tribes from whom the various Judges arise and so he is the most likely author of the book

the various tribes from whom the various Judges arise and so he is the most likely author of the book

3. a clue to his authorship is the recurring phrase “in those days there was no king in Israel” found four times throughout the book

Israel” found four times throughout the book

a. it seems to assume that when the author is writing there is a king in Israel

1) we know that Saul was anointed King over Israel in 1051 BC

2) we know that Samuel was the last Judge over Israel and the one who anointed Saul to be King over Israel

Saul to be King over Israel

4. another clue is found in

“The Benjamites, however, failed to dislodge the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the Benjamites.” (, NIV84)

a. the author says that the Jebusites were living in Jerusalem to this day

1) it was King David who captured the city from the Jebusites, meaning that the Book of Judges is written before that event

Book of Judges is written before that event

2) David dislodged the Jebusites from Jerusalem in 1004 B.C. which mean Judges was written before that event

was written before that event

5. a third clue is found in the Ark of the Covenant’s location

a. in the Ark was removed from Shiloh in Samuel’s day, but was still there during the time of the Judges ()

there during the time of the Judges ()

b. all of this points to an authorship of the book after Saul’s coronation as king, but before David’s capture of Jerusalem

before David’s capture of Jerusalem

c. our best assumption is that Samuel would have written the book of Judges sometime between 1045-1000 B.C.

sometime between 1045-1000 B.C.

III. LESSONS FROM THE BOOK OF JUDGES

1. Those Who Will Not Learn the Lessons of History Are Doomed to Repeat its Mistakes

a. George Santayana was correct in this

1) the history of the people of Israel in Judges is a sad and lamentable chronology of failure to learn from past mistakes

of failure to learn from past mistakes

2) the book of Judges shows a continuing cycle of God’s people sinning and being unfaithful to God, being punished and crying out for deliverance

unfaithful to God, being punished and crying out for deliverance

3) each time God mercifully raised up a deliverer and the oppressors were defeated, giving His people rest

defeated, giving His people rest

4) but within years the same old pattern was repeated, with the people inevitably being occupied and harshly ruled by their enemies

being occupied and harshly ruled by their enemies

b. this is true of nation-states, it’s true the Church, it’s true of the believer

1) it is especially true when people reject the teachings of the inspired Word of God, the Bible

God, the Bible

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (, NIV84)

2. Idols Can Make Anyone Forget God’s Word and Godly Moral Values

“Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger” (, NIV84)

a. we live and work among a great variety of gods—not only those of other formal religions, but also the gods of wealth, celebrity, pleasure, ideology, achievement

religions, but also the gods of wealth, celebrity, pleasure, ideology, achievement

b. idols in the lives of God’s people will always provoke Him to anger

3. God Allows Hard Times to Come into the Lives of His People to Drive Them to Him

“And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (, NIV84)

4. God Relentlessly Offers His Grace to People Who Do Not Deserve It, or Seek It, or Even Appreciate it after They Have Been Saved by it

Even Appreciate it after They Have Been Saved by it

5. God Uses Both Wonderfully Gifted as Well as Horribly Flawed People to Lead Nations

“When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (, NIV84)

a. the importance of right leadership in a nation cannot be ignored, especially when that leader is committed to set an example as a God-fearing person

that leader is committed to set an example as a God-fearing person

Application: Have you forgotten the great works God has done in your life? It is tempting to read the Book of Judges, and ask, “What in the world is this doing in the Bible?”

The answer is an important one — it is the gospel! The book of Judges shows us that the Bible is not a “Book of Virtues”; it is not full of inspirational stories. Why? Because the Bible (unlike the books on which other religions are based) is not about following moral examples. It is about a God of mercy and long-suffering, who continually works in and through us despite our constant resistance to his purposes. Ultimately, there is only one hero in this book, and he’s divine.

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