To Judge is usually is considered to compare facts and determine to between right and wrong. To hand out praise or punishment.
· Psalm 43:1, 10:18 with 82:3, 72:4 Plead with their enemies
We must assume the judges, beginning with Othneil, were given wisdom by God to govern His people after they delivered them.
· V3:12, 4:1,6:1,10:6,13:1 children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD
· Under the leadership of the judges Israel as a nation must have refrained from worshipping the gods of their enemies during the life of the judges.
Othniel 3:5-11 [40 years peace] [younger “brother” of Caleb 1:13]
· Chosen as the first judge
Ø Tribe of Judah,
Ø He actually learned war [1:13] so he could teach the 2:10 generation the art of war.
Ehud 3:15-30 [80 years peace] delivered from Moab
Shagmar 3:31 delivered Israel by killing 600 Philistines with an ox goad: and according to Deborah V5:6 he made the highways safe. He must have stopped the Philistines from controlling the highways and byways in Israel.
Deborah 4:1-5:31 [40 years peace] delivered from Canaan
In her song of praise to the LORD in Ch 5 Deborah acknowledged what the LORD had done for Israel. [See Gideon in 6:8]
· In V5:6 Deborah mentions another women, Jael, who killed Sisera the captain of the army of Jabin the king of Canaan and the highways were made safe again. Compare V4:9 with V5:24
*Through Othneil the 2:10 generation learned the art of war
*Through Deborah they learned the LORD’s righteous acts [V5:11]
Gideon 6:1-8:32 [40 years peace]
· 6:1 ¶ LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
· Ch 6 The angel of the LORD calls Gideon to his first task is to discredit Baal. When the altar to Baal falls down the men of the city want to kill Gideon. Gideon’s father tells them to let Baal plead for himself and called his son Jerubbaal [6:32] {Baal contends} {Let Baal plead against him.}
· 6:34 The Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon The LORD gave Israel a great victory over the Midianites
· 8:22-23 The men of Israel wanted to make Gideon ruler over Israel. His son would have followed him as ruler. They wanted Gideon and his seed to be the royal family of Israel.
· Gideon declined saying, “the LORD shall rule over you.”
· 8:24-27 Gideon requested and was given gold by the people to make himself an ephod. He put this ephod in his city of Ophrah and the people went a whoring after it. Gideon’s self pride led the people into idolatry and the ephod [associated with th epriests] become as snare unto him and his family.
· 8:30 Gideon he had 70 sons 8:31 and also Abimelech a son by a concubine
· V35 Jerubbaal did not receive the honor he deserved for the people. The lack of honor was tied to his contending with Baal.
· Proverbs 16:18 ¶Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. [1Timothy 3:6 to pastors]
Ch 9 Abimelech: The snare unto Gideon and his family
After the death of Gideon, Abimelech son of Jerubbaal which was Gideon [V8:35] with the help of his mother’s family was made king of Israel. V6
· V4-5 The snare unto Gideon Abimelech hired men to kill Gideon’s 70 sons. 69 died, only Jotham the youngest escaped.
· Vs 7-21 Jotham’s speech from Mt. Gerizim condemning the choice of Abimelech and the way his father was treated.
· Vs8-15 Jotham’s “parable” about how the Trees {the men of Israel} wanted the olive tree {Gideon} to rule over them, then his sons {fig tree and the vine}when they declined to rule the trees chose the bramble {Abimelech} and he became king.
· V23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem and Abimelech was killed.
· Vs 56-57 Another curse spoken from Gerizim over Shechem
Tola [10:1-2] 22 years of peace * Jair [10:3-5] 23 years of peace
After Jair Israel fell once fell into gross idolatry with many gods [10:6
· 10:7 the Lord sold them into the hands of the Philistines
· It seems that as those who led Israel in serving the LORD died, leaders would rise up who believed serving the gods of their enemies would keep the peace going.
· 10:13-14 The LORD said “I will deliver you no more”.
· 10:15-16 The people repented and put away the gods and served the LORD. Repentance brings peace from God. The LORD gave them peace {peace among the Philistines} for 51 years.
Jephthah [6 years ] defended Israel from the Ammonites.
Ibzan [7 years ] * Elon [10 years] Abdon [8 years]
Samson [20 years]: Ch13 The unique calling: was chosen by the angel of the LORD before he was born and V5 Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver {not deliver} Israel.
· It seemed as if it was a private war between Sampson and the Philistines. Vs14:1-4 It started with Sampson’s marriage to a Philistine women. {Note: “of the LORD”. His providence.}
· Israel became comfortable living under their rule that Judah bound Sampson and turned him to over to the Philistines to be killed. Vs15:10-16 Sampson killed 1000 of the Philistines with the jawbone of and ass.