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)