Judges: Book outline.

Title: Judges: Book outline.  

 

Announcements / opening prayer:

 

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.

 

Only with Israel could such a system work, where there would be freedom with chaos. This is because they are a theocracy. God is their King and their unity is not found in a central government or central leader, but in the knowledge of the promises and the Mosaic Law. However, their apostasy would make it necessary for them to have an earthly king, but even that did not stop them from falling into civil war over the kingship.  

 

Authority was in the tribal council of elders within each tribe. There was also the high priest descended from Aaron from the tribe of Levi. He possessed a religious authority and the Mosaic law held the free tribes together. The judge at the time also possessed a religious authority as well as a military authority. This type of government is unique to the world.

 

But where is the mention of the priesthood or Shiloh in the book? They are only found in the appendix in a negative light.

 

EZE 22:26 "Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them."

 

When the people seek out Deborah to judge matters and to receive divine answers it shows that they have lost confidence in the priesthood.

 

Structure of the book:

1. Prelude: 1:1-3:6. It is a summary record of the incomplete conquest of the land.

 

Initially Judah will fight the Canaanites on behalf of all the people who seem to afraid to fight, however, they will not be strong enough to remove Canaanites from the valleys and this will become a problem. The valleys are more fertile and easier to cultivate while the mountainous regions where Israel is settled is more difficult. The Canaanites in the valleys, stronger than Israel due to their chariots, but only because Israel becomes without faith, will claim that Baal is stronger than Jehovah because they possess the valleys while Israel had the mountains.

 

2. Cycles of oppression and deliverance. There are seven recorded.

a. Rest: a period when Israel is obedient.

b. Rebellion: apostasy of a new generation.

 

It would seem that rest and prosperity are not always the best things for mankind. Because of our fallen condition, we need trials and adversities.

 

c. Retribution: divine judgment by oppression by enemies.

d. Repentance: Israel's cry to the Lord.

e. Restoration: God raises up a judge who delivers.

 

This occurs seven times in the book. While some Judges are written about in detail some others are briefly mentioned. The pattern is clear and instructional.

 

The whole book is pervaded and ruled by the idea distinctly expressed in the introduction, that the Lord left those Canaanites who had not been exterminated by Joshua still in the land, to provetest Israel through them in order to determine whether she would obey His commandments. God also chastised and punished His people through them for their disobedience and idolatry; but that as soon as they recognized His chastening hand in the punishment, and returned to Him with penitence and implored His help, He had compassion upon them again in His gracious love, and helped them to victory over their foes, so that, notwithstanding the repeated acts of faithlessness on the part of His people, the Lord remained ever faithful in His deeds, and steadfastly maintained His covenant.

 

3. Appendices: there are two from chp. 17-21; the migration of the tribe of Dan and the war with the tribe of Benjamin. These are not chronological.

 

We must not look to the book of Judges, therefore, for a complete history of the period of the judges, or one which throws light upon the development of the Israelites on every side. All of this information is not given. We can try to piece some of the history together with the help of archeology, but so little has been excavated and so few discoveries made that the science only gives us a lot of conjecture, and we must avoid that when studying the Bible. So you may have questions which as of yet cannot be answered.

 

Judges is a transition period in which the nation tried to take root in the land. The monarchy, 350 years later, will start a new period.

 

The time of the judges did not form a new stage in the development of the nation of God. It was not till the time of Samuel and David, when this period was ended, that a new stage began. It was rather a transition period, the time of free, unfettered development, in which the nation was to take root in the land presented to it by God as its inheritance.

 

We do find a lot of theology in Judges:

Theology Proper: As in Joshua, God is the only hero in this book.

 

Theology Proper is the science that contemplates only the person of God in each member of the Trinity. God is the only hero in the Bible. All believers who became heroes did so by faith alone.

 

HEB 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

 

HEB 11:2 For by it the men of old gained approval.

 

HEB 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

 

HEB 11:4 By faith Abel

 

HEB 11:5 By faith Enoch

 

HEB 11:7  By faith Noah,

 

HEB 11:17 By faith Abraham

 

The same is true of all NT saints.

 

Christology: Malach YHVH (angel of Jehovah) appears 19 times.

Malach Ha-Elohim (angel of God) appears 3 times.

 

Christology is the doctrine concerning the person of Christ. It differs from Theology Proper in that it deals with His humanity as well as His deity. The second person of the Trinity is the only one who appears to man. The angel of Jehovah is a theophany - a visible manifestation of God. Christ in this form is not an angel but a means of conveying a message in person.

 

Pneumatology: The Holy Spirit comes upon four people to accomplish various specific tasks. He always did so to empower physical activity. It was never a reference to salvation or the spiritual condition of the person.

 

Pneuma is the Greek word for spirit. Pneumatology is the specific study of the person of the Holy Spirit, who is truly God and the third member of the Trinity, being co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son.

 

Demonology: one time God sends an evil spirit to bring about death, 9:23-24.

 

The study of demons, these amazing creatures that God allows to continue the work of Satan on the earth. Those who reject the Bible argue from the premise that man can know everything about the world around him. This is nothing more than man's arrogance and ignorance.

 

Hamartiology: six times the book states that Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord which was followed by judgment. Mosaic covenant: curses for disobedience.

 

Harmatia is the Greek word for sin. This is the doctrine of sin.

 

The basic themes are first, Israel's struggle both militarily and spiritually in attempting to settle the Promised Land. Secondly, we see the Canaanization of Israel. They became less and less like Israelites and more and more like Canaanites. And finally, we see the theme of God's incredible faithfulness in the face of Israel's unfaithfulness to His covenant with them.

 

Israel does not need a ruler other than the Lord. They had to walk in His commandments and:

A. Root out remaining Canaanites.

 

DEU 20:16 Only in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes.

 

DEU 20:17 But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has commanded you,

 

DEU 20:18 in order that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the Lord your God.

 

The first thing which the tribes had to do was to root out such Canaanites as remained in the land, that they might not only establish themselves in the unrestricted and undisputed possession and enjoyment of the land and its productions, but also avert the danger which threatened them on the part of these tribes of being led away to idolatry and immorality. The Lord had promised them His help in this conflict, if they would only walk in His commandments.

 

B. Let the heads of the tribes maintain civil order.

C. Let the priesthood maintain spiritual instruction.

D. Let High Priest inquire of God.