IN THE WORD BIBLE STUDY/ THE BOOK OF JUDGES
Students here are some notes of study for THE BOOK OF JUDGES. Please read chapters 1-3 and research any words or phrases you do not understand and bring your findings to class. I have collected some materials from our Study Guide by Marilyn Hickey.. SEEING JESUS BIBLE ENCOUNTER, and my own study notes as well. See you Thursday night 7:30, est..Conference # 518-530-1840, Access code 367405204.
FAST FACTS
AUTHOR AND SETTING:
Samuel, the Promised Land
Purpose:
The story of Israel from the death of Joshua to the time of Samuel is one of military deliverers and rulers, those who functioned under the Holy Spirit's anointing. The Israelite's alternated between serving God and departing from Him.
Seeing Jesus:
A judge is defined as a “savior and ruler, a spiritual guide and political deliverer”.--an apt description for Jesus Christ. The 15 judges (13 in judges, 2 in 1 Samuel) present a cumulative picture of Jesus as the ultimate prophet, priest, and king.
Theme Verse:
Judges 21: 25
SEEING JESUS IN JUDGES
Overview
The Book of judges emphasizes military delivers and rulers. The summary of the action in this book is contained in the second chapter. The Israelites served the Lord during the period mentioned in Judges 2:7
“And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel.”
In the succeeding generation they departed.:
“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 he had done for Israel.” Judges 2:10
In distress they turned to the Lord:
“Nevertheless the Lord raised up Judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them” Judges 2:16
There are four key words in this book: sin, punishment, repentance and deliverance. Tragic to say,, the general tendency was downward.
There are 13 judges mentioned in the Book of Judges:
12 men and 1 woman. There are four other judges who are not mentioned in this book: Samuel, Eli, Joel, and Abijah.
Judges covers a period from the time of Joshua to King Saul—490 years.
The key thought: Every man did what was right in his own eyes. Judges 17:6, 21:25.
The Book Shows the Israelites General Failures:
They turned from a central place of worship (Gideon and Abimelech).
The failure of the priesthood.
The loss of national unity which had been established under Joshua (Deborah and Barak):
a. Joshua was appointed to the conquest of the national land with the national army.
b. The allotment of the territory to nine-and-a-half tribes.
c. The renewal of the covenant.
The establishment of a central place of worship.
Seeing Jesus in Judges
Undoubtedly, Jesus is seen as the angel in judges 2:1, which was the same messenger as in the book of Judges before Joshua went in to take the promised land. ANGEL also means messenger.
Certainly every deliverer who was raised up showed a picture of Jesus Christ being the deliverer for any man who will turn unto Him and cry unto Him in the time of his trouble.
Jesus can also be seen in the parable mentioned in Judges 9:7-15.
OUTLINE
order of events (Judges 1:2-5)
a. short period of fidelity-Judges 1:6-10
b. History reveals itself: history shows how, in disobedience to God, each one of the nine-and-a-half tribes west of the Jordan failed to destroy the remnant of the Canaanites and made terms with the nations.
Judah and Simeon:
“And the Lord was with Judah; and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.” Judges 1:19
“And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormaah. Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.” Judges 1:17-18.
Benjamin:
“And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak. And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day'. Judges 1:20-21.
Ephraim:
“And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the Lord was with them. And the house of Joseph sent to decry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz). And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city. And they said unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy. And when he shew them the entrance into the city, the smote the city with the edge of the sword; but the let go the man and all his family. Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer among them. Judges 1:22-29.
MANASSEH (WEST)
“Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean and her towns, not Taanach, and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.” Judges 1:27
ZEBULLUN:
“Neither did Zebulun drive out other inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwell among them, and became tributaries. Judges 1:30
Asher:
“Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of He;bah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob: But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out.” Judges 1:31-32.
NAPHTALI:
“Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, nor the inhabitants of Bethanath: but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath became tributaries unto them” Judges 1:33.
DAN:
“And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain; for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley.” Judges 1:34.
The third event: was an appearance of an angel from Gilgal (where Joshua had seen him), to rebuke unfaithful tribes-Judges 2:1-6.
General Apostasy—the two-and-half tribes east of the Jordan River were also involved in idolatry.
General statements concerning Jehovah's intervention-Judges 2:6-3:4
Stories of special deliveries-Judges 3-16.
Othniel (Judges 3:7-11)
Eight years of oppression..Mesopotamiams
Forty years of rest.
Ehud (Judges 3:12-30)
Eighteen years of oppression—Moabites, Ammonites, Amalekites
Eight years of rest
Shamgar (Judges 3:31)
Oppression by the Philistines
Deborah and Barak (Judges 4,5)
Twenty years of oppression—Jabin, King of Hazor (Canaanites)
Forty years of rest
Gideon ( Judges 6-8
Seven years of oppression—Midianites
Forty years of rest
Tola (Judges 10:1-2
Oppression by Abimelech
Twenty-three years of rest
Jair (Judges 10:3-5)
Twenty-two years of rest.
Jephthah (Judges 10:6-12:7)
Eighteen years of oppression..Amon and Philistines
Six years of rest
Ibzan (Judges 12:8-10)
Seven years of rest
Elon (Judges 12:11-12
Ten years of rest
Abdon Judges 12:13-15)
Eight years of rest
Samson (Judges 13-16)
Forty years of oppression—Philistines
Twenty years of rest
General conclusions. Judges 17-21
I will give more notes in the weeks to come...
