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INTRODUCTION
This is a history of the chosen people during the 400 or 450 years which intervened between the death of Joshua and the time of Eli, Act_13:20. It is not a connected history, but a collection of outstanding incidents, which determined the fortunes of the chosen people, and gave special illustrations of the power of faith in God. The chief lesson of the book is the intimate connection between loyalty or disloyalty to God and the corresponding results in well-being or misery. This is distinctly stated in Jdg_2:11-23.
The judges were extraordinary agents of the divine pity and helpfulness, raised up as the urgency of the people’s need demanded, to deliver Israel from their oppressors, to reform religion, and to administer justice. Their administration was generally local, as Barak among the northern tribes, Samson in the extreme south, and Jephthah across the Jordan in Gilead.
It must not be supposed that Israel perpetrated an unbroken series of apostasies. Though these and their special deliverances occupy the major part of the book, there were evidently long interspaces of fidelity and prosperity. And in the darkest hours, there were probably large numbers who, amid the abominations, sighed and cried for a better day.
There are two appendices, relating events which took place not long after Joshua’s death, and therefore preceding the greater part of the history. We may almost consider the book of Ruth as the third. The touches of human characteristics are very vivid and instinctive, and the book deserves much more attention than it receives from the ordinary reader.
Israel's Disobedience
Jdg 2:1 Now the Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, "I brought you up from Egypt and led you to the land which I swore [to give] to your fathers; and I said, 'I will never break My covenant with you, [Exo_20:2; Exo_23:32]
Jdg 2:2 and as for you, you shall not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.' But you have not obeyed Me; what is this that you have done?
Jdg 2:3 So I also said, 'I will not drive your enemies out before you; but they will be like thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.'"
Jdg 2:4 When the Angel of the LORD had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people raised their voices and wept.
Jdg 2:5 So they named that place Bochim (weepers); and there they offered sacrifices to the LORD.
Judges 1:16-2:5
FLAGGING IN THEIR GREAT TASK
The conquest of Canaan was very partial. Israel dwelled among the ancient inhabitants of the land, much as the Normans did among the Anglo-Saxons, whom they found in England; and the mixture of the two peoples was the beginning of moral degeneracy and decline in the chosen race. Wherever there was the old-time faith in God, as in the case of Caleb, the land was cleared of the Canaanite; but where God was out, the Canaanite was in.
So it is in the life of the soul. It is intended that the whole should be yielded to Christ, that no evil passion should reign, that no besetting sin should enthrall. But how often Christian people give up the fight! They say that the old Adam is too strong for them, and settle down to a joint-occupation. Let us not yield to reasoning like this! The Lion of Judah can break every chain. By faith in Him we can be more than conquerors! The Holy Spirit strives with the flesh, so that we may not do as otherwise we would. Only give Him the right of way! Sin shall not reign in your mortal body!
Judges 2:6-15
A GENERATION THAT KNEW NOT JEHOVAH
What a thrilling experience it must have been to hear Joshua and Caleb talk of Egypt, the Red Sea, and Sinai! The younger men would stand awestruck as the veterans narrated their experiences of God. Open your diaries of the past, ye older saints, and tell what the Lord hath done for you. It will hearten us for the fight, Mal_3:16.
Joshua was carried to his last resting-place in his inheritance-“the portion of the sun”-amid the respect and affection of the entire people. Like Moses, he had deserved to be known as “the servant of the Lord.” The elders, who had witnessed the conquest of Canaan, took up his testimony and told of Jericho and the valley of Ajalon. But these also were “gathered unto their fathers,” which implies more than burial. They joined the great throng of holy ones who are gathering around our Lord, awaiting the hour when, as a radiant throng, they shall issue forth with Him to take up the kingdom of the world. What a gathering that will be! Whatever else we miss, let us see to it that we stand in our lot, “at the end of the days,” Gen_49:33; Gen_50:14; Dan_12:13.
Judges 2
Overview
Jdg_2:1, An angel rebukes the people at Bochim; Jdg_2:6, The wickedness of the new generation after Joshua; Jdg_2:14, God’s anger and pity towards them; Jdg_2:20, The Canaanites left to prove Israel
REVIEW QUESTIONS ON JUDGES
Outline
(a) By what title may the book be described?
(b) How many special deliverances are recorded?
(c) What incidents are related in the Appendix?
Introduction
(d) What period of Hebrew history is covered by this book?
(e) Who were the Judges?
(f) What is the chief lesson of the book?
Judges 1-16
Each question applies to the paragraph of corresponding number in the Comments.
1. What did God require the Israelites to do with the land He had given them?
2. What great mistake did the Israelites make in occupying their new land?
3. Why did the people forget Jehovah after, the death of Joshua and Caleb?
4. How did God discipline His people when they forsook him?
5. What were the Israelites taught by God’s discipline?
6. How could Ehud’s act be called’ a “message from God” to Eglon?
7. Compare the faith of Deborah with that of Barak.
8. What prompted Jael’s deed?
9. How did Deborah celebrate the victory over Sisera?
10. How had the forces of nature fought on the side of Israel? Why was Meroz cursed?
11. Why were the Midianites able to oppress the conquerors of Sisera?
12. How did God call Gideon to deliver His people from the Midianites?
13. How did the messenger convince Gideon that he was the Angel of the Lord? What was Gideon’s first act?
14. What assurance did Gideon ask of God?
15. How was Gideon’s army selected?
16. Describe the defeat of the Midianites.
17. What was Gideon’s attitude toward the men of Ephraim?
18. What act of Gideon tended to lead the people astray?
19. By what crime did Abimelech seek to become king of Israel?
20. What was Jotham’s parable?
21. Why and how was Abimelech opposed?
22. How was Abimelech punished?
23. What was Israel’s besetting sin?
24. How did Jephthah overcome the handicap of sinful parents? What pledge did he demand from the elders of Gilead?
25. What attempts did Jephthah make to effect a peaceful settlement with his enemies?
26. What was Jephthah’s mistaken vow?
27. How had the tribe of Ephraim shown itself unwilling to help the Gileadites?
28. What evidence is there that Samson’s parents were true to Jehovah?
29. What was the promise of Samson’s youth?
30. What mistakes did Samson make in seeking a wife?
31. How was Samson’s first wife untrue to him?
32. Why did the men of Judah deliver Samson to the Philistines?
33. Wherein lay the secret of Samson’s strength?
34. How did Samson meet death?
This is a history of the chosen people during the 400 or 450 years which intervened between the death of Joshua and the time of Eli, Act_13:20. It is not a connected history, but a collection of outstanding incidents, which determined the fortunes of the chosen people, and gave special illustrations of the power of faith in God. The chief lesson of the book is the intimate connection between loyalty or disloyalty to God and the corresponding results in well-being or misery. This is distinctly stated in Jdg_2:11-23.
The judges were extraordinary agents of the divine pity and helpfulness, raised up as the urgency of the people’s need demanded, to deliver Israel from their oppressors, to reform religion, and to administer justice. Their administration was generally local, as Barak among the northern tribes, Samson in the extreme south, and Jephthah across the Jordan in Gilead.
It must not be supposed that Israel perpetrated an unbroken series of apostasies. Though these and their special deliverances occupy the major part of the book, there were evidently long interspaces of fidelity and prosperity. And in the darkest hours, there were probably large numbers who, amid the abominations, sighed and cried for a better day.
There are two appendices, relating events which took place not long after Joshua’s death, and therefore preceding the greater part of the history. We may almost consider the book of Ruth as the third. The touches of human characteristics are very vivid and instinctive, and the book deserves much more attention than it receives from the ordinary reader.
Israel's Disobedience
Jdg 2:1 Now the Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, "I brought you up from Egypt and led you to the land which I swore [to give] to your fathers; and I said, 'I will never break My covenant with you, [Exo_20:2; Exo_23:32]
Jdg 2:2 and as for you, you shall not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.' But you have not obeyed Me; what is this that you have done?
Jdg 2:3 So I also said, 'I will not drive your enemies out before you; but they will be like thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.'"
Jdg 2:4 When the Angel of the LORD had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people raised their voices and wept.
Jdg 2:5 So they named that place Bochim (weepers); and there they offered sacrifices to the LORD.
Judges 1:16-2:5
FLAGGING IN THEIR GREAT TASK
The conquest of Canaan was very partial. Israel dwelled among the ancient inhabitants of the land, much as the Normans did among the Anglo-Saxons, whom they found in England; and the mixture of the two peoples was the beginning of moral degeneracy and decline in the chosen race. Wherever there was the old-time faith in God, as in the case of Caleb, the land was cleared of the Canaanite; but where God was out, the Canaanite was in.
So it is in the life of the soul. It is intended that the whole should be yielded to Christ, that no evil passion should reign, that no besetting sin should enthrall. But how often Christian people give up the fight! They say that the old Adam is too strong for them, and settle down to a joint-occupation. Let us not yield to reasoning like this! The Lion of Judah can break every chain. By faith in Him we can be more than conquerors! The Holy Spirit strives with the flesh, so that we may not do as otherwise we would. Only give Him the right of way! Sin shall not reign in your mortal body!
Judges 2:6-15
A GENERATION THAT KNEW NOT JEHOVAH
What a thrilling experience it must have been to hear Joshua and Caleb talk of Egypt, the Red Sea, and Sinai! The younger men would stand awestruck as the veterans narrated their experiences of God. Open your diaries of the past, ye older saints, and tell what the Lord hath done for you. It will hearten us for the fight, Mal_3:16.
Joshua was carried to his last resting-place in his inheritance-“the portion of the sun”-amid the respect and affection of the entire people. Like Moses, he had deserved to be known as “the servant of the Lord.” The elders, who had witnessed the conquest of Canaan, took up his testimony and told of Jericho and the valley of Ajalon. But these also were “gathered unto their fathers,” which implies more than burial. They joined the great throng of holy ones who are gathering around our Lord, awaiting the hour when, as a radiant throng, they shall issue forth with Him to take up the kingdom of the world. What a gathering that will be! Whatever else we miss, let us see to it that we stand in our lot, “at the end of the days,” Gen_49:33; Gen_50:14; Dan_12:13.
Judges 2
Overview
Jdg_2:1, An angel rebukes the people at Bochim; Jdg_2:6, The wickedness of the new generation after Joshua; Jdg_2:14, God’s anger and pity towards them; Jdg_2:20, The Canaanites left to prove Israel
REVIEW QUESTIONS ON JUDGES
Outline
(a) By what title may the book be described?
(b) How many special deliverances are recorded?
(c) What incidents are related in the Appendix?
Introduction
(d) What period of Hebrew history is covered by this book?
(e) Who were the Judges?
(f) What is the chief lesson of the book?
Judges 1-16
Each question applies to the paragraph of corresponding number in the Comments.
1. What did God require the Israelites to do with the land He had given them?
2. What great mistake did the Israelites make in occupying their new land?
3. Why did the people forget Jehovah after, the death of Joshua and Caleb?
4. How did God discipline His people when they forsook him?
5. What were the Israelites taught by God’s discipline?
6. How could Ehud’s act be called’ a “message from God” to Eglon?
7. Compare the faith of Deborah with that of Barak.
8. What prompted Jael’s deed?
9. How did Deborah celebrate the victory over Sisera?
10. How had the forces of nature fought on the side of Israel? Why was Meroz cursed?
11. Why were the Midianites able to oppress the conquerors of Sisera?
12. How did God call Gideon to deliver His people from the Midianites?
13. How did the messenger convince Gideon that he was the Angel of the Lord? What was Gideon’s first act?
14. What assurance did Gideon ask of God?
15. How was Gideon’s army selected?
16. Describe the defeat of the Midianites.
17. What was Gideon’s attitude toward the men of Ephraim?
18. What act of Gideon tended to lead the people astray?
19. By what crime did Abimelech seek to become king of Israel?
20. What was Jotham’s parable?
21. Why and how was Abimelech opposed?
22. How was Abimelech punished?
23. What was Israel’s besetting sin?
24. How did Jephthah overcome the handicap of sinful parents? What pledge did he demand from the elders of Gilead?
25. What attempts did Jephthah make to effect a peaceful settlement with his enemies?
26. What was Jephthah’s mistaken vow?
27. How had the tribe of Ephraim shown itself unwilling to help the Gileadites?
28. What evidence is there that Samson’s parents were true to Jehovah?
29. What was the promise of Samson’s youth?
30. What mistakes did Samson make in seeking a wife?
31. How was Samson’s first wife untrue to him?
32. Why did the men of Judah deliver Samson to the Philistines?
33. Wherein lay the secret of Samson’s strength?
34. How did Samson meet death?
