Judges

Chapter 1:  Judah's Leadership against the Canaanites, Benjamin's Failure, Success of the House of Joseph, and Failure of the Other Tribes

Summary

More conflict soon comes to Israel.  The Canaanites are retaliating because their land was taken from them and most were killed in battle during the time of Joshua.  God appoints Judah and Simeon to lead the first military campaign against the Canaanites.  Judah, Simeon, and a new assembled Israeli army strike down the Canaanites and Perizzites in Bezek killing 10,000 men.  The men of Judah re-capture the city of Jerusalem as Canaanites had taken it back over.  Their campaign continued throughout the land of Israel fighting against the various Canaanites that settled in the land.  The reason why the Canaanites lived in Jerusalem is because the Benjaminites did not drive out the Jebusites who were living in Jerusalem.  The house of Joseph attacks and takes over the town of Bethel.  The military campaign under Joshua did not go perfectly as planned.  Various tribes of Israel were not able to force out all the Canaanites in their inherited lands.  So, they were forced to live with them.  This created an ongoing conflict between the Israelites and the Canaanites and other people groups that were forced to relocate to another land.

Verses of Interest

• Judges 1:4 - When Judah attacked, the Lord handed the Canaanites and Perizzites over to them. They struck down 10,000 men in Bezek
• Judges 1:20 - Judah gave Hebron to Caleb, just as Moses had promised. Then Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak who lived there.
• Judges 1:21 - At the same time the Benjaminites did not drive out the Jebusites who were living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites have lived among the Benjaminites in Jerusalem to this day.
• Judges 1:22 - The house of Joseph also attacked Bethel, and the Lord was with them
• Judges 1:28 - When Israel became stronger, they made the Canaanites serve as forced labor but never drove them out completely.

Thoughts on the Text

• From the Judges introduction in "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee," "The Book of Judges takes its title from the twelve men and one woman who served as judges during the period from Joshua's death to the time of Samuel.  This book was written during the period of the monarchy (and tells the story about the time there was no king of Israel)...All the judges were themselves limited in their capabilities.  In fact, each one seemed to have some defect and handicap which was not a hindrance but became a positive asset under the sovereign direction of God.  None of them were national leaders who appealed to the total nation as Moses and Joshua had done.  The record is not continuous but rather a spotty account of a local judge in a limited section of the nation.  Backsliding and the amazing grace of God is recovering and restoring is the theme of Judges."
• The Book of Isaiah outlines three steps that cause the downfall of nations: (1) spiritual apostasy; (2) moral awfulness; and (3) political anarchy, which is the final stage of any nation.  These steps have destroyed nations down through history.
• General Douglas MacArthur said:  "In this day of gathering storms, as moral deterioration of political power spreads its growing infection, it is essential that every spiritual force be mobilized to defend and preserve the religious base upon which this nation is founded; for it has been that base which has been the motivating impulse to our moral and national growth.  History fails to record a single precedent in which nations subject to moral decay have not passed into political and economic decline.  There has been either a spiritual reawakening to overcome the moral lapse, or a progressive deterioration leading to ultimate national disaster."
• In this first chapter we see that most, if not all, tribes of Israel failed to win a total victory in driving out the enemy.  All the tribes were weak in this regard, and they did not follow God's instruction to drive their enemies completely out of the Promised Land.  The other people groups who inhabited the land would be a thorn in Israel's side then, and all the way to the present day in 2021.
• When the children of Israel settled in the Promised Land, they were subject to the influence and temptations of the Canaanite religion.  It was a degrading religion, and they soon lapsed into idolatry and apostasy.  Each tribe fell into sin.  Each tribe was a failure in ways, and did not do exactly what God told them to do.  Unfortunately not a single tribe of Israel was able to completely  possess the land that God had given to them.
• This same spiritual historical loop applies to us individually and it applies to us as a nation.  Everything is ok and we serve God.  Then we do evil or commit sin in some way.  Then, we forsake God and follow our own way and desires.  Then we deteriorate into the slavery of sin.  Finally, when we hit rock bottom we cry out to God.  We turn back to God.  We repent.  Jesus Christ raises us up and He delivers us from our sin.  Then we serve God once again.

Chapter 2:  Pattern of Sin and Judgment and Joshua's Death

Summary

The Angel of the Lord says to the Israelites that they are not upholding the covenant they made with the Lord.  Instead they are not driving the Canaanites out of their land and they are bowing down to foreign gods such as Baal and the Ashtoreths.  God curses the Israelites because of their ongoing sin.  The next generation of Israelites forget about Joshua, Moses, the history of the Israelites, and all that God has done for them.  The Lord's anger burns against Israel because the new generation did not follow the commands and statutes upheld by the previous generation.  As a result the Israelites do not have peace in their land and are entangled in an ongoing conflict with the Canaanites and good and evil.  The Lord raises up judges who save them from the power of the Marauders, but the Israelites still do not listen to them.  They still do not turn from their evil practices or their obstinate ways.

Verses of Interest

• Judges 2:2 - You are not to make a covenant with the people who are living in this land, and you are to tear down their altars.  But you have not obeyed Me. What is this you have done? 
• Judges 2:7 - The people worshiped the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and during the lifetimes of the elders who outlived[f] Joshua. They had seen all the Lord’s great works He had done for Israel.
• Judges 2:11-13 -  After them another generation rose up who did not know the Lord or the works He had done for Israel.  The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. They worshiped the Baals and abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods from the surrounding peoples and bowed down to them. They infuriated the Lord, for they abandoned Him and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths.
• Judges 2:17 - They quickly turned from the way of their fathers, who had walked in obedience to the Lord’s commands. They did not do as their fathers did.
• Judges 2:20-21 - The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and He declared, “Because this nation has violated My covenant that I made with their fathers and disobeyed Me, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died.

Thoughts on the Text

• From "Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee," "I believe that the "angel of the Lord" is none other than the pre-incarnate Christ.  God appeared in a form that could be perceived by the human senses.  Although He had always met the need of His people, they had not obeyed His voice."
• "This is the beginning of Israel's "hoop of history."  They repeated the weary round of forsaking God, sinning, being reduced to servitude by the enemy, returning to God in repentance, being delivered by God appointed judges, back to obedience to God.
• Each time the nation hits rock bottom because of sin and the worship of false gods, the one true God raises up a judge to deliver the nation.  That is what the book of Judges is all about.

Chapter 3:  The Lord Tests Israel, Othniel, the First Judge, Ehud, and Shamgar

Summary

God leaves certain nations in Israel in order to test the Israelites who had never fought in battle.  The nations included:  the Philistines, the Canaanites, the Sidonians, the Hivites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, and Jebusites.  The Israelites settle among these other people groups and do not kick them out of Israel.  As a result, the Israelites intermarry with these other nations and worship their gods.  The Israelites are eventually ruled by a foreign king and they serve him for 8 years (the doubly evil king of Aram).  Because of this, the Israelites turn back to the Lord, and God raises up the first Israelite judge, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's youngest brother.  Othniel brings the Israelites out of bondage.  He defeats the king of Aram, and Israel is peaceful for 40 years.  Othniel then dies.  This pattern of good and evil, falling away from God and coming back to the Lord continues on throughout Israelite history.  Other judges along with their stories written in this chapter include Ehud son of Gera (a left-handed Benjaminite) and Shamgar son of Anath.

Verses of Interest

• Judges 3:7-8 - The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; they forgot the Lord their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs.  The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and He sold them to Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim, and the Israelites served him eight years.
• Judges 3:9 - The Israelites cried out to the Lord. So the Lord raised up Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s youngest brother, as a deliverer to save the Israelites.
• Judges 3:12 - The Israelites again did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel, because they had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight.
• Judges 3:15 - Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjaminite, as a deliverer for them.
• Judges 3:31 - After Ehud, Shamgar son of Anath became judge. He delivered Israel by striking down 600 Philistines with an oxgoad.

Thoughts on the Text

• We see from the three judges written about in Judges Chapter 3 that all of them had some defect.  They all had an odd characteristic, or handicap which God used.  The judges reveal that God can use any man who is willing to be used.
• In this chapter we see that instead of driving the Canaanites from the land, Israel shared it with them.  Instead of maintaining their own beliefs and worship of God, they intermarried with the Canaanites and adopted their religious beliefs.  The children of Israel lapsed into a period of apostasy.  Because of their disobedience, God sold them into slavery for eight years.  They were oppressed to the point that they cried out to the Lord for help.  So, God raises up judges to deliver them from oppression and evil.
• As in the days of the judges, God still uses ordinary men who want to be used to accomplish His great purposes.  God can use you if you want to be used, friends.

Chapter 4:  Deborah and Barak

Summary

Judges Deborah and Barak fight against Jabin King of Canaan and the commander of his forces, Sisera.  Barak summoned 10,000 men from the Naphtalites and Zebulunites.  He deployed his forces in battle against Sisera and all his men.  Not a single man of Sisera's army was left alive.  Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael.  She pretended to hide him in her tent, but once he was asleep she drove a tent peg through his head and killed him.  The Israelites eventually destroy Jabin king of Canaan as well.

Verses of Interest

• Judges 4:1-3 - The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud had died.  So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his forces was Sisera who lived in Harosheth of the Nations.Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, because Jabin had 900 iron chariots, and he harshly oppressed them 20 years.
• Judges 4:16 - Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth of the Nations,[c] and the whole army of Sisera fell by the sword; not a single man was left.
• Judges 4:23-24 - That day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites. The power of the Israelites continued to increase against Jabin king of Canaan until they destroyed him.

Thoughts on the Text

• According to the scriptures, after the death of Ehud, Israel again turned to idolatry, and a new period of oppression began.  The Lord sold Israel into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan.  For 20 years Jabin and his commander, Sisera, oppressed Israel.  
• The woman and prophet Deborah was the judge of Israel at this time.  She stood up to Jabin and told an Israelite general, Barak, to fight against Jabin and his army.  Barak on the other hand, hid behind the lead of Deborah and would only go into battle if she went with him.  Deborah promised to go with Barak but told him that a woman would be the heroine of the battle.  With Deborah's help and leadership, the Israelite forces completely exterminate Jabin's army.  Sisera is also killed as well as he is fleeing and hiding for his life.
• Israel is once again delivered out of oppression.  How long will this peace last?  How long until they once again fall back into a sinful, disobedient lifestyle, and fall back into bondage?

Chapter 5:  Deborah's Song