Author: Unknown; some suggest the prophet
Samuel.
Date: Approximately 1050 BC, covering events
that occurred as far back as 1375 BC.
Ten Words or Less: Israel goes through cycles of sin,
suffering, and salvation.
Details, Please: After Joshua's death, the Israelites lose
momentum in driving Pagan people out of the Promised Land. "The
children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that
inhabited Jerusalem" (1:21) is a statement characteristic of
many tribes, which allow idol worshippers to stay in their midst
- with tragic results. "Ye have not obeyed my voice" God says to
His people. "They shall be as thorns in your sides, and their
gods shall be a snare unto you" (2:2-3). That's exactly what
happens, as Israelites begin a cycle of worshipping idols,
suffering punishment by attackers, crying to God for help, and
receiving God's aid in the form of a human judge (or
"deliverer") who restores order. Lesser-known judges include
Othniel, Ehud, Tola, Jair, and Jephthah, while more familiar
figures are Deborah, the only female judge, who led a military
victory against the Canaanites; Gideon, who tested God's will
with a fleece and defeated the armies of MIdian; and the
amazingly strong Samson, who defeated the Philistines. Samson's
great weakness - his love for unsavory women such as Delilah -
led to his downfall and death in a Philistine temple.
Key Verses: They forsook the LORD God of their
fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and
followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round
about them. (2:12) | The LORD raised up judges, which delivered
them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. (2:16) | The
LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too
many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel
vault themselves against me saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
(7:2)
Unique and Unusual: Several judges had unusual families by
today's standards: Jair had thirty sons (10:4), Abdon had forty
sons (12:14), and Ibzan had thirty sons and thirty daughters
(12:9). Jephthah had only one child, a daughter, whom he
foolishly vowed to sacrifice to God in exchange for a military
victory (11:30-40).
So What?: The ancient Israelites got into trouble
when they "did that which was right in [their] own eyes" (17:6;
21:25) rather than what God wanted them to do. Don't make the
same mistake yourself!.
