The Book Of Judges - (1 Of 5) The History

The list of Judges that we will be looking at includes:

• Othniel – Judges 3:7-11– he served for 40 years

• Ehudin – Judges 3:12-30 – he served for 80 years

• Shamgar – Judges 3:31

• Deborah – Judges 4:1-5:31 – she served for 40 years

• Gideon – Judges 6:1-9:57 – he served for 40 years

• Tola – Judges 10:1-2 – he served for 23 years

• Jair – Judges 10:3-5 – he served for 22 years

• Jephthah – Judges 10:6-12:7 – he served for 6 years

• Ibzam – Judges 12:8-10 – he served for 7 years

• Elon – Judges 12:11-12 – he served for 10 years

• Abdon – Judges 12:13-15 – he served for 8 years

• Samson – Judges 13:1-16:31 – he served 20 years

This is a total of 296 years that these twelve Judges served. In this series, dealing with these Judges, we want to know WHO THEY WERE and WHY GOD PUT THEM IN THIS POSITION.

Actually the Book of Judges is a history book in the Old Testament of the Bible. However, it is more than a history book, it also teaches us many valuable lessons in the Christian life about our need to trust God more.

The English title "Judges" is misleading. The Hebrew word “Shofet” more often means “champion, deliverer, or military leader.” Only Deborah is represented as "judging" in the modern sense.

When many of us hear the word “Judge” we have a negative thought. Why?

Illus: The question that is being asked by many today is, “Can a person truly get justice in the courts of the United States by our judges?” It appears many times that justice today is for sale.

One thing is for sure; there can be little debate that America’s judiciary system is plagued with PREJUDICE, CORRUPTION AND GREED.

Sometimes it seems that getting a fair shake in court these days depends on who’s representing you and what kind of strings your lawyer can pull. What the lawyer knows seems to be less important than WHO THEY KNOW. Today, the lawyer with the right connections always holds the upper hand over the lawyer that doesn’t have those connections.

From top to bottom and everywhere in between, the legal community is a tight knit conglomeration of cliques and inner circles. If your lawyer is not part of the "in" crowd - the good old boy network where glad handing and behind the scenes dealing rule the day - you may find yourself in a whole heap of trouble if and when you land in court.

What is sad is that as corrupted as our judiciary system might be, other countries are in a lot worse shape than we are. I am not trying to be unkind by saying these things, they are something that many believe to be true and need to be said.

We all have seen people that should have gone to jail or to death row, walk out of our court rooms with their lawyers, smiling. And when this happens we never know what took place behind closed doors.

But many people are really turned off with judges, and when they hear the word “Judge,” bad thoughts enter their minds.

But the Judges we will look at did not sit behind a desk in a black robe; they played a different role.

The Book of Judges covers a period of almost 300 years when Israel had no king. Instead, God appointed special people called “Judges” to lead His people.

WHAT WAS THEIR MISSION?

They were holy men (and one woman), whom God called.

• They led the people in battles

• They helped the people to serve God

When there was a judge before the people of God, the people obeyed God. And God helped the people in their battles against their enemies.

But, when there was no judge, the people forgot God.

Some of the famous judges that we are most familiar with are:

• Deborah (Judges chapters 4-5),

• Gideon (Judges chapters 6-8)

• Samson (Judges chapters 13-16).

In Deuteronomy chapters 27 and 28, we can read what would happen in Israel’s future.

If Israel’s people were:

• Loyal to God, He would bless them

• Not loyal to God, He would curse them

Look at Deut. 28:15-26, we read, “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store. Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out. The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me. The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it. The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish. And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed. The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth. And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away.”