The Word of God - A Discussion: Judges and Ruth
3/13/22 Sunday Evening Study

What do we learn in Judges 1 and 2 that will set up the next several hundred years of Isrealite history?

• Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan did not complete the conquest
• Did not break down the altars to other Gods
• As soon as Joshua died - as soon as - they start worshiping the Baals and Ashtaroth

God’s provision for them?

• Raises up judges to lead them and keep them out of trouble
• Judges 3:4 - “They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.”

Judges:

Othniel - Calebs brother - peace for 40 years.

Ehud - Left handed warrior - when they checked him for weapons, they check where a right-handed warrior would hide a weapon, slays Eglon on the toilet

Deborah - King of Canaan, defeats army with Barak, a third party Jael betrays the leader of the Canaanite army and kills him with a tent peg through His temple. Song of praise, peace 40 years.

Gideon - tests God multiple times - with the Angel to wait for his offering, and then the fleece on the ground. 

• Known as Jerubaal - enemy or foe of Baal
• Attracted fighting men to him because “the Spirit of the Lord clothed him.”
• Defeated 135,000 Midianite troops with 300 men  -pursuing them until they captured everyone
• Those who refused them help were oun ished as well
• Makes an ephod that becomes like an idol and is a “snare” to Gideon’s family
• Gideon dies and immediately Israel rebels and sins - abandoning Gideon completely

Abimelech/Jotham - Abe kills all of his brothers to be King, Jotha, calls on God to judge

• Abe has conflict with leaders for 3 years, eventually killed by a millstone to the head

Tola/Jair - 45 years between them, very little news

• After Jair the folks break bad again, and go to God who lets them suffer the consequences of their actions until they repent, and he saves them again

Jephthah - Son of a prostitute with pure-born brothers - sent away

• Asked back to rescue them and rule them
• He tries to reason with the Ammonites, to no avail
• Makes promise to give as burnt offering the first thing to come out of hios house if they defeat the Ammonites, which they do
• His daughter greets him, and to honor his promise he sacrifices her

Ibzan/Elon/Abdon - Ruled 25 years between them - no news.

Samson - Heralded before birth - announced by an angel, meant to be Nazirite - dedicated

• There is no mention of Samson being abnormally strong
• When he kills the lion, “the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him”
• Marries a Philistine - against God’s commands
• When he killed the 30 men for their clothes - “the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him”
• His wife is given to someone else, in response he burns the fields of the Philistines with foxes and torches
• Allows himself to be taken to the Philistines and then kills 1000 men with the jawbone of a donkey
• This again when “the Spirit of the Lord had rushed upon him”
• Given a drink supernaturally from a cleft in the ground
• Ruled for 20 years
• Meets Delilah, totally duped - lies to her multiple times before telling the truth and being captured
• Kills 3000 Philistine leaders and himself by collapsing a building
• This 1 feat is said to be done by his own strength

Micah - household Gods and a levite priest - loses everything to Danites

Levite and Concubine - repeat of Sodom and Gomorrah tale among his own people

• Chops her up and sends her to the 12 tribes as evidence of sin
• Israel woops on Benjamin, nearly wipes out the entire tribe
• Restores them with access to wives after all of their women are wiped out

EVERYONE DID WHAT WAS RIGHT IN THEIR OWN EYES!!!

Ruth - stark contrast to the story just discussed

• Lays the path for Christ as redeemer
• Shows the reality of integrity, both from Ruth and from Boaz
• Establishes genealogy of David, placing Ruth and Boaz in the line of Christ