Overview: Judges
Read Through the Bible, 2019: Overview • Sermon • Submitted
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Authorship and Time of Writing
Authorship and Time of Writing
6 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
1 In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for itself to dwell in; for until that day their inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them.
1 And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote mountains of Ephraim. He took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
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25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
This phrase indicates that the book was written when there was a King of Israel. Most Scholars believe Samuel wrote the book.
The Word of God is Sufficient
The Word of God is Sufficient
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Tim
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
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1 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the Lord, saying, “Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?”
2 And the Lord said, “Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand.”
Question: Why did Joshua not appoint a leader like Moses had?
Notice that ever after Josua’s death the people had access to the Lord. They were able to consult God and receive instruction from Him. God was the Leader at this point. God did not command them to choose a leader, because they did not need one.
God used Moses to lead the people out of Egypt.
God used Joshua to lead the people in battle.
Once the people had entered the Promised Land, they were to obey God. God promised to provide for them if they would obey:
deut 28 1-
1 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.
2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:
3 “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.
4 “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.
5 “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
6 “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
7 “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
8 “The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
God had provided them with:
His Word
Priests to atone for their sin
Levites to offer daily intercessory prayer and sacrifices, and to keep God’s word before the people
The word of God is enough. It is sufficient.
We too are a holy nation before the Lord.
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
God has preserved His word for us. He has given us His Word.
God proved Jesus, our high priest to atone for our sin
God has provided the Holy Spirit to continue to keep God’s word before us.
We also still have access to the Lord through the Holy Spirit and the Word to ask for instruction.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The Disobedience of Israel
The Disobedience of Israel
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19 So the Lord was with Judah. And they drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowland, because they had chariots of iron.
20 And they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said. Then he expelled from there the three sons of Anak.
21 But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
22 And the house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them.
23 So the house of Joseph sent men to spy out Bethel. (The name of the city was formerly Luz.)
24 And when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, “Please show us the entrance to the city, and we will show you mercy.”
25 So he showed them the entrance to the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man and all his family go.
26 And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day.
judges 1 19-
19 So the Lord was with Judah. And they drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowland, because they had chariots of iron.
20 And they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said. Then he expelled from there the three sons of Anak.
Judah was the only tribe who obeyed the Lord by driving out the people of the Land.
judges 1 21-
21 But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
22 And the house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them.
23 So the house of Joseph sent men to spy out Bethel. (The name of the city was formerly Luz.)
24 And when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, “Please show us the entrance to the city, and we will show you mercy.”
25 So he showed them the entrance to the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man and all his family go.
26 And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day.
27 However, Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; for the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land.
28 And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites under tribute, but did not completely drive them out.
29 Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; so the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
30 Nor did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or the inhabitants of Nahalol; so the Canaanites dwelt among them, and were put under tribute.
31 Nor did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Acco or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob.
32 So the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.
33 Nor did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh or the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but they dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were put under tribute to them.
34 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountains, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley;
35 and the Amorites were determined to dwell in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim; yet when the strength of the house of Joseph became greater, they were put under tribute.
36 Now the boundary of the Amorites was from the Ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela, and upward.
The other tribes did not successfully drive out the peoples of the land.
Notice that only in , did the people consult God by asking for instruction
What does it mean that they did not drive out the people of the land?
What does it mean that they did not drive out the people of the land?
judges 2 1-
1 Then the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you.
2 And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?
Notice that the Angel of the Lord cam to them.
They made covenants with the inhabitants of the land
They did not tear down their altars.
SIDE NOTE:
seems out of place. Didn’t say that Joshua had already died?
Understand that the Hebrews are not linear thinkers like us
Understand that this is why studying Chronologically helps us.
Understand that the Chronology is just the editor’s opinion.
This verse should actually be grouped with . Just know that you will find many places where you will disagree with the editors with respect to chronology.
Why had God told them to destroy the altars of the people? Why was He so angry with them for not completely destroying the people and destroying their altars? Someone might say that the Israelites were being merciful.
10 When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.
11 Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals;
12 and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger.
13 They forsook the Lord and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
God wanted them to destroy the altars, because the worship practices of the nations around them would seep in and ultimately consume God’s people.
Man always has wanted to construct a God according to their preference.
God Provides Leaders for the People
God Provides Leaders for the People
The Sin Cycle
The people rebelled against the Lord.
The Lord allows them to suffer by the hand of their enemies
The people repent
The Lord raises up a Judge to deliver the people.
The people experience rest.
judges 2 16-
16 Nevertheless, the Lord raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them.
17 Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, and bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do so.
18 And when the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge and delivered them out of 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 them and harassed them.
19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they reverted and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, by following other gods, to serve them and bow down to them. They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.
20 Then the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not heeded My voice,
21 I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died,
22 so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the Lord, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not.”
23 Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out immediately; nor did He deliver them into the hand of Joshua.
The Lord would raise up a leader, but the people would not listen to the Judges.
In anger God decided not to drive out the nations which were left when Joshua died. The people do not experience rest from their enemies until the end of David’s reign. 400 years.
God left the other nations to test them. We see that later that very few families chose to serve the Lord. The least likely: Rehab, Ruth…ultimately David is rewarded the seed of Promise. Those who ordered their lives according to the word of God were rewarded and blessed.