October 25, 2025
According to 1 Kings 6:1 – in the 480th year after leaving Egypt and in the 4th year of his reign, Solomon began to build the Temple in Jerusalem. The date universally agreed upon: 967 BC.
Many things occurred in those 480 years, including the desert wandering, the conquest, the death of Joshua, the judge years (which include years of oppression and years of peace), the years of Eli and Samuel and the reigns of Saul and David and the first 4 years of Solomon’s reign. A period, if added together, far exceeds 480 years.
The natural explanation is that there is some degree of overlap in the stories and Judges 10:6-7 bears this out – revealing that the Ammonite oppression (Ch. 10-12) and the Philistine oppression (Ch. 13-16) occurred at the same time, with the Philistine oppression only coming to an end during the judgeship of Samuel (1 Samuel 7:6-14).
There is also evidence that some events were not written down in chronological order. Judges 1 opens with the death of Joshua, but Joshua 2:6-9 speaks to Joshua’s final act of dismissing the people, his death at 110 and his place of burial. In Judges 20, Phinehas, the son of Eleazer is mentioned as being active in the events described (20:28). This is the same Phinehas who killed the Israelite man and Midianite woman in Numbers 25:7 and who is mentioned at the end of the book of Jushua (24:33). If the book runs chronologically, Phinehas would be well into his 300’s…..
The time of the Judges is a complex period in Israel’s history. It begins with the death of Joshua and ends with the establishment of the monarchy under Saul.
The covenant relationship God established with Israel ensured her safety and security. However, the book of Judges diverges dramatically from the relative faithfulness of the people in the book of Joshua.
Through obedience and trust in the power of God, the initial conquest of Canaan was successful. After Joshua died, however, Israel’s connection to Yahweh went on life support.
Judges is a history not a commentary and it tells a sad tale as God's people slipped further into disobedience and apostasy.
It is a no-holds-barred, unapologetic, ugly and graphic tale of what happens when the Law of God and God Himself are cast aside in favor of “self- government” as His people chose to do “what felt right in their own eyes.”
Judges starts off well enough….
After Joshua died the people consulted God, “Who should be the first to go and fight the Canaanites?”
The answer…. Judah, “I have given the land into their hands.”
The men of Judah attacked and burned Jerusalem (Jebus), but we know that they were not successful in completely dislodging the Jebusites (Joshua 15:63).
This would prove to be the recurring theme in chapter 1 as Israel began to inhabit the land.
The Benjamites failed to dislodge the Jebusites….
Manasseh did not drive out the people…
Neither did Ephraim….
Neither did Zebulun….
Neither did Asher….
Neither did Naphtali….
And the Amorites confined the Danites to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain….
They chose not to completely remove the inhabitants of the land as Yahweh had clearly told them to do (see Exodus 23:31-33 and Deut. 7:16). As a result of this failure, Yahweh had some things to say:
Judges 2:1-3 - "I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers. I said, 'I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.' Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you."
The conditional judgment of Joshua 23:11-13 came to pass and the rest of “Judges” is characterized by a spin cycle of sin, oppression, crying and deliverance and it didn’t take long for the people to jump full throttle into the spin:
Judges 2:10-16 - After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither Yahweh nor what he had done for Israel (see Deut. 4:7-10 and Deut. 6:1-12). Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of Yahweh and served the Baals. They forsook Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked Yahweh to anger because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. In his anger against Israel Yahweh handed them over to raiders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of Yahweh was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress. Then Yahweh raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders.
As long as the judge lived, the people worshipped God (sort-of), however, after the judge died, it didn’t take long for the people to fall back into idol worship and rebellion – “They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.” – and back into the spin they would go.
Years later, Asaph would write of this time:
Psalm 78:52–61 (LEB)
Then he led out his people like sheep and guided them like a herd in the wilderness.
And he led them safely and they were not afraid, but the sea covered their enemies.
So he brought them to his holy territory, this mountain his right hand acquired.
And he drove out nations before them and allocated them for an inheritance by boundary line, and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.
But they tested and rebelled against God Most High and did not keep his statutes.
And they turned and were treacherous like their ancestors. They twisted like a crooked bow.
For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and made him jealous with their images.
God heard and he was very angry and rejected Israel utterly.
So he abandoned the dwelling place at Shiloh, the tent he had placed among humankind.
And he gave his strength into captivity and his splendor into the hand of the enemy.
That brings us to Othniel “Lion of God” (3:5-11)
Tribe: Judah
Enemy: Aram (Mitanni)
Othniel was the nephew and son-in-law of Caleb and he fought alongside Caleb during the early days of Judah’s fight against the Canaanites.
Here’s how the story goes:
The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
The Israelites did evil and they forgot Yahweh their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
The anger of Yahweh burned against Israel so he sold them into the hands of Chushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim (Mitanni), to whom the Israelites were subject for 8 years.
When they cried, Yahweh raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel, who saved them.
The Spirit of Yahweh came upon him. He became Israel's judge and went to war against Chushan-Rishathaim. Yahweh gave the king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him.
The land had peace for 40 years, until Othniel died.
That brings us to Ehud “united or joined together” (3:12-30)
Tribe: Benjamin
Enemy: Moab
Ehud was left-handed which will become an important detail in the story:
Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of Yahweh.
Yahweh strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel because of their evil. Eglon gathered the sons of Ammon and Amalek and defeated Israel and took possession of the city of the palm trees (Jericho). The sons of Israel served the king of Moab 18 years.
When the sons of Israel cried to Yahweh, he raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera.
Ehud was sent to present to Eglon the annual tribute. He made himself a short, two-edged sword, a cubit (18-20 inch) long and he bound it on his right thigh under his cloak.
Now Eglon was a very fat man.
After Ehud finished presenting the tribute, he left with the rest of the Israelite representatives, but he turned back at the Gilgal. He said to Eglon, “I have a secret message for you, O king." So, all the kings attendants left. Eglon was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber and when he rose from his chair, Ehud stretched out his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into Eglon’s belly. Thwoop… the sword was gone, blade and hilt, as the fat closed over the weapon. Ehud could not withdraw the sword – it refused to come out.
Ehud left locking the doors of the roof chamber behind him. When Eglon’s servants returned, they noticed the doors were locked and said, “He must be using the restroom,” so they waited. Finally, they became anxious and unlocked the doors. And there they found Eglon, on the floor, dead as a doornail.
Ehud escaped and passed by the idols at the Gilgal and went to the town of Seirah. When he arrived, he blew the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel joined Ehud and he said to them, "Pursue them, for Yahweh has given your enemies the Moabites into your hands."
The men went with Ehud and seized the fords of the Jordan opposite Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross.
They struck down about 10,000 Moabites, all robust and valiant men; and no one escaped.
So, Moab was subdued and the land was undisturbed for 80 years.
Honorable Mention = Shamgar son of Anath (tribe unknown).
Other than, “he also rescued Israel,” little is known about Shamgar, who exists in the Bible mostly as a footnote to the story of Ehud. His claim to fame is striking down 600 Philistines with an animal prod.
That brings us to Deborah “bee” and Barak “lightning or thunderbolt” (Judges 4:1-5:31)
Tribe: Naphtali
Enemy: Canaanite King Jabin who had 900 iron chariots
Deborah was the only female judge and the only named in the active role of judging the people. Barak was the general of her army. His hesitation to go to war against King Jabin will create an interesting twist in the story:
After Ehud died the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of Yahweh.
Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; and the commander of his army was Sisera.
The sons of Israel cried to Yahweh because King Jabin severely oppressed them for 20 years.
Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, used to sit under the palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment.
She sent for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, "Behold, Yahweh has commanded that you go and march to Mount Tabor, taking with you 10,000 men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun. Yahweh will draw out Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his many troops to the river Kishon; and will give him into your hand.'"
Barak: "If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go."
Deborah: "I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take. Yahweh will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman."
Deborah went with Barak to Kadesh and 10,000 men from Zebulun and Naphtali went up with him.
Verse 11 of chapter 4 seems to provide us with an irrelevant piece of information – “Heber,” the Kenite, a descendent of Moses’ father-in-law, separated himself from the Kenites and pitched his tent near the oak in Zaanannim, near Kadesh.
Let’s keep this tid-bit in the back of our minds for use at a later time………
Now ---- the rest of the story.
When Sisera was told that Barak had gone up to Mount Tabor, he called his 900 chariots and his army to the river Kishon.
Deborah said to Barak, "Arise! For this is the day in which Yahweh has given Sisera into your hands; behold, Yahweh has gone out before you."
Barak and his 10,000 men went down from Mount Tabor and met Sisera’s army and his 900 chariots. Yahweh routed Sisera, his chariots and his entire army before Barak had a chance to do much.
In Deborah’s song, found in chapter 5 (v.4-5), we get a hint of what happened: An earthquake, a sudden and torrential rain storm, followed by a flash flood that swept down the wadi of Kishon, immobilizing Sisera’s chariots, making them useless in battle.
Barak chased the army of Sisera and they fell by the edge of the sword; not one was left. Meanwhile, Sisera, realizing all was lost, jumped off his chariot and fled on foot, finally coming to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, “for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.”
Jael came out to meet Sisera. “Come in, my lord and don’t be afraid,” she said.
Sisera came into Jael’s tent and she made him comfortable – giving him a glass of milk and covering him with a blanket.
Before falling asleep, Sisera asked Jael to stand guard at the door.
Sisera was now fast asleep. Jael, instead of standing guard, crept to the shed and retrieved a tent peg and a hammer……
Tiptoeing back into the tent, she knelt beside Sisera, took the tent peg, and drove it into his temple – clear through his head and into the ground.
Barak, who had been in hot pursuit of Sisera came screeching into camp - Jael went out to meet him.
Jael: “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.”
There was Sisera lying quite dead on the floor – his head literally nailed to the ground – slain by the hand of a woman.
So, Yahweh subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the sons of Israel. The hand of the sons of Israel pressed heavier and heavier upon Jabin until they had destroyed him.
And the land was at rest for 40 years.
Until Next Time…………..
