Judges: Book outline.

Title: Judges: Book outline.  

 

Announcements / opening prayer:

 

PSA 5:1 For the choir director; for flute accompaniment. A Psalm of David.

 

PSA 5:1 Give ear to my words, O Lord, Consider my groaning.

 

PSA 5:2 Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, For to Thee do I pray.

 

PSA 5:3 In the morning, O Lord, Thou wilt hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to Thee and eagerly watch.

 

PSA 5:4 For Thou art not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with Thee.

 

PSA 5:5 The boastful shall not stand before Thine eyes; Thou dost hate all who do iniquity.

 

PSA 5:6 Thou dost destroy those who speak falsehood; The Lord abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.

 

PSA 5:7 But as for me, by Thine abundant lovingkindness I will enter Thy house, At Thy holy temple I will bow in reverence for Thee.

 

PSA 5:8 O Lord, lead me in Thy righteousness because of my foes; Make Thy way straight before me.

 

PSA 5:9 There is nothing reliable in what they say; Their inward part is destruction itself; Their throat is an open grave; They flatter with their tongue.

 

PSA 5:10 Hold them guilty, O God; By their own devices let them fall! In the multitude of their transgressions thrust them out, For they are rebellious against Thee.

 

PSA 5:11 But let all who take refuge in Thee be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And mayest Thou shelter them, That those who love Thy name may exult in Thee.

 

PSA 5:12 For it is Thou who dost bless the righteous man, O Lord, Thou dost surround him with favor as with a shield.

 

Judges - Hebrew title - Shophtim. Root word has three basic meanings: to judge, to govern, and to exercise leadership.

 

In the book of Judges we see them in a double meaning. First they are deliverers from outside oppressors and this refers to their judging in external affairs. Secondly they are judges which deals with their ability to lead in internal affairs.

 

Judges have two capacities: delivering from outside forces and judging internal affairs. Their period runs from Joshua to King Saul.

 

The judge was to stand by the side of the high priest as the supreme judge and leader in Israel. However, during this time we hear just about nothing of the work or influence of the high priest, or the priesthood for that matter. This is a result of their apostasy.

 

The judge's function included much more than just civil services. It also included the responsibility of leadership, in both military and religious affairs.

 

The judge was not elected by the people but was summoned directly for his work by divine appointment.

 

In fact, none of Israel's leaders were elected. The same is true in the church-age. The people of the church don’t choose their church leaders, God does.

 

1CO 12:28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.

 

1CO 12:31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way [agape love].

 

Even the kings, though requested by the people that there be a king, did not choose the king, but God did. Even in the north, when the throne was taken by military coup, as it often was, it was not an election, and God makes clear that He alone allowed the usurpation.

 

The judge would first serve as a military leader and deliver Israel from some foreign occupation. Only after the military deliverance would the judge then serve as the civil leader.

 

In the book, a total of thirteen judges are mentioned.

 

We can deduce from the narratives that the transition from life in the desert to the agrarian way of life in Palestine was drastic. While wandering in the desert the Israelites who worshiped Jehovah did so without much outside influence. In Palestine they suddenly found themselves in an agrarian community where gods and goddesses of fertility were honored. A highly developed cult of Baal and Asherah existed that was based on the change of seasons and appealed to primitive human instincts.

 

 

 

1CO 15:33 Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."

 

1CO 15:34 Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning [accepting false doctrines]; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.

 

In the worship of Baal women were cultic prostitutes. They were to remove this community, but instead, living amongst them, the charm of this form of adultery and the enticements of this cult of nature and of fertility made Baal worship tempting to the ordinary man, especially to the ordinary Israelite who stood under the strict laws of Moses. The seductive joys of a higher culture and the death of religious leaders after the death of Joshua, making them feel like no one was watching anymore, were causes of Israel's infidelity to the law of God.

 

The actual author of the book is unknown. It was very likely written during the early days of David (approx. 1000 B.C.).

 

This date can be deduced very easily. Joshua was written a few years after Joshua's death and at the time of David, about 350 years later, Judges is written, making seven books so far.

 

The book covers a period from 1380 [Bronze Age] to 1043 B.C. [Iron Age].

 

The Israelites came into Palestine as seminomads. After the destruction of various towns and cities the reoccupation was slow. This reoccupation marks the change from Late Bronze to Iron I. The Israelites settled down in the hill country first, for they could not conquer the plains on account of the strong chariot force of the Canaanites.

 

1JO 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.

 

1JO 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.

 

1JO 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

 

1JO 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world —  our faith.

 

The history described in the book of Judges shows the progressively chaotic state of the national life of Israel. Moreover, it makes a contrast between the political organization of Israel and its pagan neighbors. Israel was organized on the basis of tribes that descended from Jacob. These tribes held together by loyalty to the covenant tradition given at Sinai as well as the existence of a central tabernacle at Shiloh. Israel was a loose confederation without a central government.