Lesson 1

I. GENERAL AND BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE ERA OF THE JUDGES:

A. Jesus divided the Old Testament into 3 major divisions: Luke 24:44 speaks of:

1. The Law of Moses.

2. The prophets.

3. The Psalms The books of Judges, Ruth, and I Samuel would fall into "the prophets" division, as would all of the historical books of the Old Testament.

B. The book of Judges, where the bulk of information on the Judges is found, as well as the era of the judges forms a connecting link between the great era of law and victory under Moses and Joshua and the era of the great kings:

1. The first five books of the Bible, called the Pentateuch, put the focus on God. These books, known as "the law", emphasize divine plans, creation, order, and miraculous intervention.

2. With Joshua, and particularly in the era of the judges, the emphasis shifts to man. Yes; God is still the center and power for all success and victory; but in this era, "the ball is clearly in man's corner" to carry out (in God's strength) the plans of God according to the blueprints he had given.

C. The entire era is characterized by a very pronounced cycle:

1. Dependence upon God, Spiritual strength, victory, and prosperity. Security, pride, contentment, self-will,

2. Spiritual decline.

3. Defeat and bondage.

4. Repentance and a return to the Lord.

5. Deliverance, and spiritual strength.

6. This cycle is one of the great Old Testament foreshadows: it is summarized in Deut. 28:

1. This cycle continues to be true of God's people in any age: with individuals, families, churches, businesses, and even nations to a great degree.
2. What a tremendous warning to each of us! Every one of us would do well to pause here and locate ourselves on the cycle. Wherever we are, as II Chron. 7:14 so aptly puts it, repentance and turning to God is the sure way out of spiritual decline and bondage.
3. There is a striking parallel between this era of the judges and the seven churches discussed in Rev. 2-3.

D. The period of the judges is covered mostly in the book of JUDGES. The little book of RUTH also falls into this era, as does the first 12 chapters if I Samuel:

1. Acts 13:21 says the time of the judges was "about the space of four hundred fifty years until Samuel the prophet." Notice the word "about". I Kings 6:1 says that from the date of the Exodus from Egypt, to the fourth year of King Solomon's reign, was 480 years. That would have been 1462 B.C. (date of the Exodus) to 982 B.C. (Solomon's 4th year). Adding four years of Solomon's reign to 40 years of reigning by King David, plus a 40 year reign by King Saul, the total comes to 84 years. Subtracting 84 years from the 480 years from the Exodus to Solomon's 4th year, the remaining years are 396. So, apparently God's general reckoning of the time of the judges in Acts 13:20, began with the Exodus and continued to the days of King Saul, a period of "about" 450 years. Most scholars say there were 14 judges of Israel during this era. Fourteen are named in the book of Judges and I Samuel:

a. 1st - Othniel

b. 2nd - Ehud

c. 3rd - Shamgar

d. 4th - Deborah

e. 5th - Barak

f. 6th - Gideon

g. 7th - Tola

h. 8th - Jair

i. 9th - Eli

j. 10th - Jephthah

k. 11th - Samson

l. 12th - Ibzan

m. 13th - Elon

n. 14th - Abdon

2. I have left Abimelech out as not being a legitimate deliverer or judge. Also, Eli has been added from I Samuel. (Some commentators omit Eli.) If Moses, Joshua, and Samuel are added, the list of judges is 17.

3. The Bible at this point, particularly the book of JUDGES, is not chronologically arranged

a. The approach of this series of "SURVEY OF BIBLE HISTORY" lessons is to follow the chronological flow of events. This we shall do as we proceed through the era of the judges.

b. The overview of chronology for this era is as follows:

• Judges 2:6-9 - the death of Joshua and those who outlived him.
• Judges 1 Incomplete victories
• Judges 2:10-13 - Israel 's backsliding & early Judges.
• Judges 17-21 - Lawlessness and anarchy.
• Judges 2:14-16 - The cycle of strength to bondage and back to repentance repeated often.

E. The name "Judges":

1. The name is taken from the role of the leaders of this era. Judges 2:16-19 records those words, "Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so. And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way. These were not judges in only a legal sense, but were primarily deliverers. During each one's time, he (or she) was regarded as the central leader of the people. The Hebrew word is "SOPETIM", meaning "deliverer' or "savior".

2. The Hebrew noun "SOPET" is never once used directly of either of the men or the lady who judged Israel. Only the associated verb form is used. Only the LORD, as in Judges 11:27 is described as a "SOPET"

The truth at hand is that God was the real: judge of Israel. These judges only judged or delivered in and by the power of the real judge, or deliverer, who is the LORD. (This gives insight into why the Lord was wroth when the people later desired a king to rule over them. Their desire for a king was a repudiation of the rule of the Lord as their Judge. And, they found to their sorrow that they gained nothing, but lost much in the change, as we shall later consider.)

3. Many people think Samuel was the writer of the book of Judges. From the closing statement, "in those days there was no King in Israel" Judges 21:25, it appears the book was written either just before or just after the establishment of the monarchy in Israel.

F. It is not by accident that the book of JUDGES is not laid out in chronological form. When taken as it is written, a major outline of truth emerges, showing the purpose of the book to be a great lesson from God to man:

1. Judges 1:1-2:5 shows man's "DEPENDENCE" upon the LORD.

2. Judges 2:6-16:31 shows man "FORSAKING" the LORD

3. Judges 17:1-21:25 shows the "ANARCHY" which is the inevitable result of such a path.

QUESTIONS ON BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE ERA OF THE JUDGES

1. Into how many divisions did Jesus divide the Old Testament?

2. Name the three divisions of the Old Testament.

3. In what books of the Bible is the era of the judges mainly recorded?

4. How is the era of the judges a linking era of time?

5. Contrast the emphasis on God or man in the Pentateuch verses, with the era of the judges.

6. Name the books of the Pentateuch.

7. Name in order the 5 elements of the cycle seen and repeated in the era of the Judges.

8. What does this cycle say to believers today?

9. Is the book of Ruth a pre, post, or inter judges book? Which is it?

10. Roughly how long was the era of the judges?

11. Who - you think God used to pen the book of Judges?

12. How many judges were there during this era? Explain why you answered as you did.

13. If the book of Judges is not chronologically arranged, then arrange it chronologically for your own study purposes.

14. Why is the book of Judges called Judges? Explain your answer.

15. Who only is called a judge in Israel?

16. What is the lesson and message surrounding the use of the word "judge" in Israel?

17. Since God is not a God of accidents, what is his purpose in not writing the history of the Judges chronologically?

18. What is the main lesson of Judges 1:1-2:5?

19. What is the main lesson of Judges 2:6-16:31?