The book is called ‘Judges’ because it contains the history of what passed under The Government of Judges who ruled Israel before they had Kings.
1. Israel fights the remaining Canaanites. Judges 1:1-36.
2. The Angel of the Lord at Bokim. The Israelites had not been destroying the pagan
altars. God demands perfect obedience to his commands. Judges 2:1-5.
3. A generation later, the Lord, and all he has done for them, has been forgotten.
Therefore they were plundered by raiders and they were no longer able to resist. Judges
2:6-15.
4 .The Lord raised up Judges who, if the people would heed their advice, would save them
out of the hands of raiders. Judges 2:16-23.
5. The nations fortunes now follow a monotonous and repetitive cycle: Israel deserts God
for heathen gods. In consequence God allows them to suffer at the hands of the Canaanites.
Israel cries out for help from God. God sends a deliverer. All is well until the
deliverer’s death then the cycle repeats. The wonder is God’s constant love
and faithfulness. Following are the list of Judges and some dates and victories.
6. Othniel. Victory against Cushan-rishathaim. Judges 3:1-11.
7. Ehud. Victory against Eglon of Moab. Judges 3:12-30.
8. Shamgar. Victory against the Philistines. Judges 3:31.
9. Deborah & Barak. Victory over Jabin & Sisera at Kishon River. Judges 4 & 5.
10. Gideon. Victory against the Midianites and Amalekites. Judges 6;
7 & 8.
11. Gideon’s son, Abimelech, uses brutal means to gain power but is badly injured
when a woman drops a millstone onto his head. Proud to the last he gets his armour-bearer
to run him through with a sword so that it cannot be said that he was killed by a woman!
Judges 9:1-57.B.C.
12. Tola led Israel for twenty three years. Judges 10:1-2.
13. Jair led Israel for twenty two years. Judges 10:3-5.
14. Jephthah Victory over the Ammonites. Judges 10:6-18; 11:1-40
& 12:1-7.
15. Ibzan led Israel for seven years. Judges 12:8-10.
16. Elon led Israel for ten years. Judges 12:11-12.
17. Abdon led Israel for eight years. Judges 12:13-15.
18. (Samson is the most famous of the Judges. His story requires separate paragraphs
below.)
19. The Birth of Samson. After doing evil in the eyes of the Lord the Israelites were
delivered into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. A man named Manoah from the
tribe of Dan had a childless wife. An angel appeared to her and told her she was to
conceive. She was also told that he was to be a Nazerite (see Numbers 6:1-21.) so he must
not have his hair cut. She gave birth to a son and called him Samson. Judges 13:1-25.
20. When Samson had grown up he chose a Philistine woman for his bride and asked his
parents to arrange the marriage. His parents were dismayed, they did not realise that this
choice was of God’s doing. Judges 14:1-4.
21. On their way to arrange the marriage Samson was attacked by a young lion though his
parents did not witness it. With his great strength he tore the lion apart. Some time
later when he passed that way again he went to see the lion and found it was being used by
a swarm of bees. He scooped out some of the honey and ate it and gave some to his parents
to eat. Judges 14:5-9.
22. Samson uses the honey from the lion as a riddle to thirty guests who will be invited
to the wedding:- ‘Out of the eater, something to eat; Out of the strong something
sweet.’ They have seven days to find the answer or each will have to give Samson
thirty linen garments. After four days they entice the bride to coax the answer from
Samson. She does this and tells the guests. Judges 14:10-17.
23. The guests are able to answer the riddle:- What is sweeter than honey? What is
stronger than a lion? Samson knows that his bride-to-be has betrayed his trust. In his
anger he struck down thirty men and gave their clothes to the men who had answered the
riddle. To save her disgrace the bride is married to the best-man. Judges 14:18-20.
24. Samson’s Vengeance on the Philistines. He destroys the crops of the Philistines.
They encourage his own people to tie him up and hand him over to them. At the moment of
being handed over he frees himself by tearing the ropes and, using his great strength,
kills one thousand Philistines. Judges 15:1-20. B.C.
25. Samson and Delilah. Samson falls in love with a woman called Delilah. The Philistines
bribe her to find out the secret of his strength. After much nagging she obtains the
truth, that his hair must not be cut. While he is asleep his head is shaved and when he
awakes his strength has gone. The Philistines gouge out his eyes and take him prisoner.
Judges 16:1-21.
26. The Philistines assemble to offer sacrifice to their pagan god. Samson is brought into
the temple to entertain the people. Some three thousand were present. Samson, whose hair
had grown again, asked a servant to place him near pillars so that he could lean on them.
Samson prayed to God for strength and pressed against two pillars of the temple which
collapsed killing himself and all the people. Judges 16:22-30.
27. Samson is buried. He had led Israel for twenty years. Judges 16:31. (The final
chapters of the Book of Judges differ from the rest of the book. They tell of two
incidents which illustrate the low state of religion and morality. Both stories state that
‘at that time there were no kings in Israel, so everyone did that which seemed right
to him’.)
28. A man named Michas makes a silver idol and sets it in a shrine in his house along with
religious garments for a priest to wear. A passing Levite is offered a place to stay so
that he can be a priest for the shrine. Judges 17:1-13.
29. Some men of the tribe of Dan were looking for somewhere to dwell when they came across
Michas’ house. They saw the shrine and later returned to take both idol and priest to
help them conquer the land of Lais. The story finishes with the words’In those days
there was no king in Israel.’ Judges 18:1-31.
30. A Levite, with his wife, is returning from Bethlehem to his home at Mount Epraim. They
stop the night at Gabba which is in the tribe of Benjamin. The Only person who would give
them lodging was not of the tribe of Benjamin. While they were eating the men of the town
came knocking on the door saying ‘bring out the man who came to your house so that we
can have sex with him’. The owner of the house did not agree to their request but
instead the Levite’s wife is sent out to them. They rape her and abuse her throughout
the night then let her go. She reaches the door where her husband is staying and dies. The
next day her husband finds her, takes her home, and cuts up her body into twelve pieces
and sends them to all the tribe areas of Israel. Those who saw were shocked and asked:
‘Tell us what to do?’ Judges 19:1-30.
31.The leaders of the tribes assemble before the Lord and the Levite told his story. A
deputation is sent to the Benjamites telling them to surrender the men who did this vile
act. The Benjamites refuse. They do battle with the Benjamites and on the third attempt,
after praying and offering sacrifice, their prayer is heard and they put the Benjamites to
the sword. Only a few men escape into the desert. Judges 20:1-48. B.C.
32. After the battle the Israelites met at Mizpah and make a oath that none of their
daughters will be given in marriage to a Benjamite. But having made this oath they are
distressed because the surviving Benjamites have no wives. They are distressed at the
apparent loss of one of the twelve tribes. Then they realise that the people of Jabesh
Gilead had failed to attend the assembly. For this they can be put to death. The
Israelites go to Jabesh Gilead and put to death all the men, women and children leaving
only the virgins who are taken as a peace offering to the Benjamites. Judges 21:1-14.
33. There were not enough virgins of Jabesh Gilead for all the surviving Benjamites. So
they are told to hide in a vineyard at Shilol on the day of the annual festival. When the
girls of Shilol come out to dance they must rush out
and seize a wife each. Once again the reading finishes with the words:- ‘In those
days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.’ Judges 21-15-25.