Judges

In those days there is no king in Israel everyone did that which was right in his own eyes, Judges 21:25

Meet the Judge

• Deut 16:18-20  establish justice / no bribes

• Military deliverers leading Israel to war

– Judges 2:16

• Tribal or regional Chieftan:  ruled for 40 years

Participation of each Generation

• Joshua took the all the land (Jos 21:43-45)

• Tension with Judges:--not really  (Jud 1:19; cf. 1:21)

• Conditionality of the covenant (Jud 2:20-22), some left to test Israel

• Cross generational communication (Jud 2:10f)—teach each generation warfare (3:1f)

Main Themes

• Need for a king (Judg 17:6)—Judah pushed (northern tribes negative)

• Main theme:  everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judg 21:25)

Judges cycle: ROC DR

• Rebellion:       people did evil in eyes…

• Oppression:    sold into the hands of ...

• Cry:                  people cry to the LORD

• Deliverance:    God raises up a judge

• Rest:                 judge ruled for x years

Ehud:  mini cycle

• Rebellion 3:12 “once again Israel did evil in eyes of Lord”

• Retribution 3:12b-14 sold into hands of Eglon fat king of Moab (geography)

• Relents:   Ehud’s left-handed weirdness is God’s opportunity

– Escape 3:23f—NLT—latrine escape

• Rest:  3:30

Deborah:  women in leadership?

• Jud 4:4:  she’s married, she’s a leader, she tells men what to do, she’s approved by God. 

• How do you explain that?

• How do you fit that with 1 Cor 14:33f and 1 Tim 2:11-15

Answers?

• God uses women when there are no good men.  --Barak whimpish

• Deborah is an exception.  Exceptions prove the rule

• Progressive revelation:  Paul’s statements tell the way it should be

• Gal. 3:28 principle; Eph. 5:21—Scriptural dissonance-cultural issue

• Competence and gifts not gender (Huldah, Philip’s prophesying daughters)

Woman with a hammer

• Sisera (Jabin of Hazor’s general) - Jael

Gideon and Midian:  Judg 6

• Threshing in the wine press?  (6:11)

• Call of Gideon:  (6:12f)—Jeru-Baal 6:31f

• Gideon’s fleece and determining God’s will à testing (6:36ff)

How does one determine God’s will?

• Guidelines:  with moral/divine will?—good?, 

• Pursue passions, gifts/calling,

• Wisdom (self, culture, opportunities, risks, potential);

• Open/closed doors,

• Open/closed hands—divine guidance,

• Family/friend’s advice, needs

Gideon and Midian:  Judg 7

• God’s getting the victory

– Too many warriors (7:2)

– Eliminating fearful (7:3)

– Drinking separation (7:5f à 300): 

– few good warriors?

– 7:19ff Sword of the Lord and Gideon

Are there fables in the Bible? (Jud 9)

• Jotham’s fable to Abimelech (killed 70 brothers):  love it (9:6ff) trees elect a king

• Thornbush rule: On power’s ability to corrupt

• First Kingship attempt—Abi-melech?

Jephthah

• Does God ever say the opposite of what He means?  Jud 10:14

– On using context to interpret

• On making great vows to God (11:30f; cf. Eccl 5:2-6)

• Does Jephthah smoke his daughter?

– –virgin, mourn not marrying, ”or”, Num. 8:11 dedicating (Rom. 12:1f), Heb 11/1 Sam. 12:11

• Shibboleth // sibboleth--Ephraimites versus Gileadites (12:6)

Samson (Σαμψων)

• Rebellion (13:1) -- retribution (13:1)

• Three women in Samson’s life

Wife from Timnah (Jud 14)

• Parents inability to say “no”

• Samson’s riddle

• Why are tears so powerful?

• How not to treat a woman 14:16, 18

• What is the relation of the Spirit to people in the OT?  (Jud 14:19)