Judges

Judges


What do you see in this book that tells you about the original reader? From several references, the original people were those who currently were under the reign of a King. "In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes." Judges 21:25. The natural conclusion is that the people in Israel under the reign of either King Saul or King David were reading or hearing these accounts.

What do you see in this book that tells you about the author? Jewish tradition states that Samuel was the author and he is the most likely as he would probably have access to the oral and written stories of these times. In other words, his time of life was a natural link between the period of the Judges and the period of the Kings.

Main themes, repeated ideas, main idea: The main idea would be God’s infinite grace in the face of such rebellion and idolatry his people were involved in. Seven cycles of apostasy, oppression, and cries for deliverance are recorded in Judges. The Israelites failure to conquer all the people in Canaan was a repeated event, as well. "You were not to make any covenants . . you were to destroy their altars . . . they (people of Canaan) will be thorns in your sides . . . and their gods will be a constant temptation to you." Judges 2:1-3. And this is exactly what happened.

What was the primary reason the book was written? These 350 years prior to the time Israel became a nation was to recount the stories of Israel’s heroes, called judges. SourceView. It was to have been "The Golden Age" of the Israelite nation. This was a theocracy and their chance to obey all God’s commands to be blessed. But sadly, the stories do not confirm that in Chapters 17-21. There were a few victories in battle, and peace in the land for periods of time, but most of the laws God set in place were disobeyed even to the point of degradation. This book can be looked at as "pro-king" literature which could very well be the case if Samuel was the author of the book. The book shows the Israelites who are reading this manuscript, that they cannot make it . . .

What does the book show about the nature and character of God? God shows his gracious love to Israel in His many deliverances: "Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!" "Go with the strength you have . . . I am sending you!" "I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man." "I will stay until you return." "Do not be afraid. You will not die" Judges 6:11-23. He Keeps His covenant in the face of forgetfulness and failure. He honors man’s freedom and will redeem even less than noble motives. (Samson and his final defeat of the Philistines). Judges 17.


What does this book show you about God’s redemptive plan for mankind?
Oddly enough, there seems to a Christofany in the book of Judges. One is God’s conversation with both Manoah and his wife Hannah about the birth of a son who would be Samuel. Manoah asks the angel of the Lord His name. God replies; "Why do you ask my name? It is too wonderful for you to understand." Judges 13:18.

Personal application: More times than I want to admit, I have asked myself, "How many times will I go around this mountain?" In other words, how many time will it take to learn the lesson God wants me to learn? We are so "prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love." And then cry; Take my heart Lord, take and heal it, seal it for Thy courts above." These stories are not so shocking. The AOL home page is filled with them everyday as I sign in to read my email. We are a fallen human race. The miracle is that God strives with us. Yes, there will be an end, but for us who have embraced the second Covenant, there is hope, glorious hope!

Point of Passion: With God, nothing is impossible. We can pray in any place at any time and in situations and circumstances that seem to us impossible. But God was present during these times of Israel’s apostasy. If He is present in times such as those, His presence is with us now in this generation. Indeed, He ". . . is too wonderful to understand."