God Cherishes You Blog

Book of Judges

Introduction:

            The book of Judges is a bridge that covers the history of Israel from the death of Joshua (1370 B.C. – 1100 B.C.) to the beginning of the kings who would rule over Israel and Judea. The original Hebrew translation of the title of the book was shophetim.

            These ‘judges’ in question were more often military leaders who were empowered by God to deliver His children from their wayward (pagan) lapses. Why? As you’ll recall, Joshua left certain pockets of unconquered pagan resistance. These pockets would grow and influence the Israelis into repeatedly pagan rebellions against Jehovah.

            The authorship of the book of Judges is unknown. However, some biblical scholars believe that the prophet Samuel was the Holy Spirit-inspired author.

1.Cleaning up where Joshua fell short:

After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Which tribe should go first to attack the Canaanites?” The Lord answered, “Judah, for I have given them victory over the land.” The men of Judah said to their relatives from the tribe of Simeon, “Join with us to fight against the Canaanites living in the territory allotted to us. Then we will help you conquer your territory.” So the men of Simeon went with Judah. Jdg. 1:1 – 3. NLT

            The two tribes slaughtered ten thousand Canaanites in a town called ‘Bezek’. Then they went to Jerusalem and killed all the Canaanites and again in Hebron as well. Next, they went on to capture 4 more cities. Still, they came up short:

The Lord was with the people of Judah, and they took possession of the hill country. But they failed to drive out the people living in the plains, who had iron chariots. Jdg. 1:19 NLT

            Seven of the other tribes were unsuccessful at fully subduing the Canaanites as well. Thus, their covenant promises to fully destroy them, to be fully compliant, was tossed aside, and God sent word by His highest angel to tell the Israelites that they broke the covenant between them:

 Now the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you to the land which I swore [to give] to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you, and as for you, you shall not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed Me; what is this that you have done? So I also said, ‘I will not drive your enemies out before you; but they will be like thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.’” Jdg. 2:1 – 3. AMP

            Ultimately, it led to Israel’s apostasy. And it only took one generation that didn’t pass on the Law, and the miracles of God to their children for that to happen:

After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel. Jdg. 2:10 NLT

2.The sin sequences of Israel:

            What does that mean? It means that Israel committed a series of idolatries. And these events followed a certain pattern: Israel embraced paganism; God lifts His protection off His children; they are conquered by their enemies; and God sends a ‘judge’ to deliver them:

Then the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord and worshiped and served the Baals, and they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods from the gods of the peoples who were around them, and they bowed down to them, and offended and provoked the Lord to anger. So they abandoned the Lord and served Baal [the pagan god of the Canaanites] and the Ashtaroth. So the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He gave them into the hands (power) of plunderers who robbed them; and He sold them into the hands of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer stand [in opposition] before their enemies. Wherever they went, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil (misfortune), as the Lord had spoken, and as the Lord had sworn to them, so that they were severely distressed. Jdg. 2:11 – 15. AMP

            Baal was the Canaanite god of fertility, and Ashtaroth was a female deity who was Baal’s consort, also related to fertility, temple prostitution, and other sexual deviancies.

            God showed His mercy, but to no avail:

Then the Lord raised up judges who rescued them from the hands of those who robbed them. Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they played the prostitute after other gods and they bowed down to them. They quickly turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do as their fathers. When the Lord raised up judges for them, He was with the judge, and He rescued them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed and afflicted them. But when the judge died, they turned back and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, in following and serving other gods, and bowing down to them. Jdg. 2:16 – 19. AMP

            So, God lifted His protection once more.

            Let’s drill down and look at the major sequences:

And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the Israelites served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. Jdg. 3:7, 8. AMP

            So, there you have it: apostasy and idolatry. Jehovah facilitates the conquest of Israel by the king of Mesopotamia, who enslaves them for 8 years. When the Israelites couldn’t handle it anymore, they finally turned to their Creator for deliverance. So, God sent them the first judge:

But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord [for help], the Lord raised up a man to rescue the people of Israel, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand, and he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. And the land was at rest [from oppression for] forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died. Jdg. 3:9 – 11. AMP

            The pattern presents itself. Israel falls into unrepentant spiritual adultery, God punishes them with an enemy, He takes pity on them when they petition Him for deliverance. Jehovah sends them a ‘judge’, (in this case, Othniel), who is empowered in the Spirit by God to extricate the enemy. And then Israel has a period of peace until the judge of this sin sequence dies.

            And then, Israel rinses and repeats, and we begin the second sequence:

Once again the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, and the Lord gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel because of their evil. Eglon enlisted the Ammonites and Amalekites as allies, and then he went out and defeated Israel, taking possession of Jericho, the city of palms. And the Israelites served Eglon of Moab for eighteen years. Jdg. 3:12 – 14. NLT

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. The Israelites sent him with the tribute for King Eglon of Moab. Jdg. 3:15 CSB

            And so, once again, Israel turns to idolatry, God sends the king of Moab and two of its allies to conquer the Israelites. They are enslaved for eighteen years, and in that period, they were forced to pay tribute to the king of Moab.

            Again, Israel remembers their Maker and beseeches Him for deliverance, and He sends Ehud to do just that. Ehud straps a dagger to his thigh, as it is his clandestine mission to assassinate the king under the ruse of coming to deliver the king his tribute.

            When Ehud gave the king his tribute, he also told him that he had a ‘secret message’ for him, so the king cleared the room. Then, Ehud told the king it was a message from God, and plunged his dagger into the king’s belly, whereupon he died.

            Ehud escaped and rallied the Israelites in the vicinity of Ephraim. He led them to battle, and severely defeated the Moabites. And Israel had peace for eighty years…

            Stay tuned to the continuing adventures of the judges…

            Goodnight and God bless.