Old Testament Survey

The Time of the JudgesOld Testament SurveyThe Time of the JudgesThe time of the judges is a time of Israels moral failureThe period is marked by occasional delivers instead of a succession of governorsKey phrasesEveryone did what was right in their own eyesMoral relativismWhen Israel had no KingGod was not their kingThis is also the beginning of a prophetic voice beginning to arise in IsraelBefore it was only Moses/Joshua and some of the elders

Israels OppressionJudgeyears of restOppressor# of yearsOthaniel40Ehud80Deborah40Gideon40JephthahNo RestSampsonNo Rest

Total200 yearsMesopotamia8Moabites18Canaanites20Midianites7Ammonites18Philistines 40

Total111How this period came aboutThe individual tribes did not conquer their land and drive out the inhabitants The next generation arose and fell into the same sins as the nations they were suppose to drive outThe sins they fell intoIncomplete obedienceWent after other godsGod viewed this as prostitution throughout the bookIntermarriagesLost their identity Unholy alliances

List of JudgesName Tribe AssociationOthniel --------------------------------Ehud ----------------------------------Shamgar ------------------------------Deborah with Barak ------------------Gideon --------------------------------Tola ------------------------------------Jair -------------------------------------Jephthah -------------------------------Ibzan -----------------------------------Elon -----------------------------------Abdon ---------------------------------Samson --------------------------------

JudahBenjamin? Son of AnathIssachar? Ephraim? ManassehIssacharGileadite East Manasseh?Gileadite East Manasseh?Bethlehem: Judah?ZebulunEphraimDan

The Cycle of JudgesThe people sin and go after other idolsGod would then judge them and send an oppressive nation against them The people would cry out to GodGod would send a delivererThen God would deliver themSometimes He would require that they repent other times not

Othniel (Judges 3:7-11)Othniel was the nephew of CalebName means Powerful Man of GodThe people sinned against God and worshipped Baals and Asheroth Cushan King of Mesopotamia came down and oppressed them 8 yearsIsrael cried out to God and He used Othniel to deliver themIsrael follows God till he dies

EhudName means UnionMoab oppresses Israel for 18 yearsEhud takes a sword that he made and shoves the sword into the King of Moab and leaves it in himHe then rallies the tribe Ephraim to fight against the Moabites and they winIsrael follows God until he dies

Deborah and Barak (Judges 4-5)Deborah was the Judge and also a prophetessOne of 3 prophetesses in the Old TestamentMiriam (Ex 15:20) and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14)Barak was the commander of the armyThe Canaanites ruling from Hazor were oppressing IsraelHazor was burned to the ground by Joshua. So the Israelites let them rebuild itCruelly oppressed Israel for 18 yearsWith Gods help they repented and defeated the CanaanitesThe king of the Canaanites ran from battle and was killed by a woman who hid him and then drove a tent peg through his head

Gideon (Judges 6-9)Name means One who cuts downIsraelites were being brutally oppressed by the MidianitesWas very scared in the beginningGod comes to visit Gideon and calls him to be a deliver for Israel. God gives him a new Identity by calling him a mighty warriorGideon presents an offering before God which is then consumed by fireHe then cuts down and destroys the Baal and Asheroth polesThe people want to kill him for this but his father steps in

GideonJudges 633Now all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East came together, and they crossed the Jordan and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him. 35And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they too were called out to follow him. And he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet them. The Spirit of the Lord clothed himself with GideonThe result was the people rallied to Gideon even those who were about to kill himThis is one of the biggest miracles in the book of Judges

GideonGod then whittles down the army from 22,000 to 10,000 and then from 10,000 to 300The first cut was because of fearThe second cut was over how they drank water at streamThe end result was that only the people who were ready to goGod throws the Midianite Army into a panic and Gideons 300 men destroy the Midianite armyThe land has rest for 40 yearsGideon choose not to set up a dynastyJudges 8: 22Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian. 23Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you. Gideon made and Ephod and the people worshiped it and it became a snare to Gideons family

Gideons SonsAs soon as Gideon died the Israelites went back to worshiping idolsGideon had 70 sonsOne was named AbimelechHe became power hungry and killed all but 1 of his brothersHe ended up ruling over Israel for 3 years until he is killed Jephthah (Judges 10-12)Was born of prostituteWas called a mighty warriorHe was driven out by his family because they didnt want to share their inheritance with themWhen Israel gets oppressed by the Ammonites they cry out to God for help and He eventfully listensThe same people who drive out Jephthah call him back to lead them against the ammonites and he doesHe also leads the people of Gilead against Ephraim in a civil war

Samson (Judges 13-16)Called to be Nazirite since birthHe was the first born of a barren womanSamson was to start the deliverance of Israel from the PhilistinesHe was given supernatural strengthHe used this strength to kill a lot peopleMarries a Philistine He broke his Nazirite vow and was capturedHe is brutally oppressed which cause him to repentHe kills a lot of Philistines when he diesDoes not deliver Israel

Other stuff in JudgesDan leaves their land of inheritance and goes northwardThe people of Benjamin become very evilStarts a civil war that almost destroys all of the tribeOnly 600 men are left

America in the Book of JudgesAmerica has had many cycles of repentance and revivalAmerica is currently in its most depraved stateMany Christians seek a political/religious leader instead of GodMany Christians want to hold on to their own idols but still want God to save them from their afflictionsGod sends judgment upon our nation for the sins of our nationGod will raise up people to call the people of God to repent and to follow God