Judges Timeline

Cycle of the Judges

Judges: Where Christ is found

Christ in Judges:

SAVIORS, PROPHETS, JUDGES: The judges were called “saviors” (2:16; 3:9, 15; verbal forms 3:31; 8:22; 10:1), the same root as the name Joshua (yashua). The term connotes a sudden and supernatural intervention. The judges were also called “prophets” (4:4; 6:8; 1 Samuel 3:20; 7:6, 15-17), anointed, led, and empowered by God’s Spirit. Judges were both statesmen and saviors, that is, both political and spiritual deliverers. Everywhere in Judges is the need for a Righteous King. The perfect Judge, therefore, would be both a Savior and a Prophet. In fact, Jephthah calls YHWH the Ultimate Judge (11:27).

GIDEON: Many scholars see Gideon as the focus of Judges. Samson is his anti-type. Gideon begins in weakness, goes to great victory, and ends in failure. Samson begins with strength, goes to great failure, and ends in victory. Gideon is the warrior who overcomes with the ram’s horn (trumpet), a light, and a shout, in a clear reminder of Joshua at Jericho (Joshua 6:5, 20), but also a foreshadowing of the Messiah to come (Matthew 24:31; 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-21). With Gideon, at the shout and trump the living die. With Christ, at the shout and trump, the dead live first (Samson is the anti-type). D.W. Gooding sees it this way.

A: Introduction I (1:1-2:5)

B: Introduction II (2:6-3:6)

C: Othniel (3:7-11)

D: Ehud-Shamgar (3:12-31)

E: Deborah-Barak-Jael (4:1-5:31)

F: GIDEON (6:1-8:32)

E’: Abimelech-Tola-Jair (8:33-10:5)

D’: Jephthah-Ibzan-Elon-Abdon (10:6-12:15)

C’: Samson (13:1-16:31)

B’: Epilogue I (17:1-18:31)

A’: Epilogue II (19:1-21:25)

Judges: Outline

Outline:

In Judges we see seven apostasies, seven servitudes to seven heathen nations with seven deliverances under fourteen judges. The book of Joshua begins with the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, and Joshua, the minister to Moses (Joshua 1:1). It ends with the death of Joshua, the servant of the Lord (24:29). Judges begins with the death of Joshua (1:1), servant of the Lord (2:8). Judges is sectioned by the phrase, “Israel did evil” (2:11; 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1) up to Samson’s end (16:31). Then the sectional phrase becomes, “Israel had no king” (18:1; 19:1; 21:25).

1. JUDGES 1-3:6 – END OF AN ERA

a. Judges 1:1-2:10: Condition of Nation after Joshua’s Death

b. Judges 2:11-3:6: Preview of the Israel’s Cycle of History

(Serve God ->Forsake God -> Slavery -> Repent -> Serve God)

2. JUDGES 3:7-16:31 – ERA OF JUDGES

Scripture	Oppressions	Sin	Punishment	Instrument	Deliverer Judge
Judges 3:7-11	1st Apostasy	Idolatry	8 years	Mesopotamia	OTHNIEL
Judges 3:12-31	2nd Apostasy	Immorality, Idolatry	18 years	Moab & Philistines	EHUD & SHAMGAR
Judges 4:1-5:31	3rd Apostasy	Departed from God	20 years	Jabin of Canaan	DEBORAH & BARAK
Judges 6:1-8:32	4th Apostasy	Departed from God	7 years	Midian	GIDEON
Judges 8:33-10:5	5th Apostasy	Departed from God	Civil War	Other Tribes of Israel	TOLA, JAIR, (ABIMELECH)
Judges 10:6-12:15	6th Apostasy	Idolatry increased	18 years	Philistines & Ammon	JEPHTHAH, IBZAN, ELON, ABDON
Judges 13:16	7th Apostasy	Departed from God	40 years	Philistines	SAMSON

3. JUDGES 17-21: RESULTS OF ERA – CONFUSION

a. Judges 17-18: Religious Apostasy: Confusion over Worship

b. Judges 19: Moral Awfulness: Confusion in the Home

c. Judges 20-21: Political Anarchy: Confusion in the State

Judges begins in compromise and ends in confusion – the same as in every unsurrendered life.

Judges: Key Message / Verses

The Book of Judges

Key Message / Verse: Judges 2:16-19; 21:25

In stark contrast to Joshua’s victorious message, Judges is the story of repeated failure and oppression. These were Israel’s Dark Ages, when the people forsook God (Judges 2:12-13) and God forsook His people (2:20-23). Everyone did what was right in his own eyes (21:25).

MORAL RELATIVISM: Results of doing your own thing: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 17:6; 21:25)

Backsliding & Recovery; History & Moral of the Story: Judges shows us the terrible reality of backsliding and the amazing grace of the Lord in recovering and restoring us. Isaiah presents this view of history years later in introducing his prophetic work, describing the same fatal steps downward to the captivity of Israel (Isaiah 1).

Wickedness of the Human Heart: Judges 2:11-13, 17, 19; 8:33-35; 10:6; 13:1) There was no region of Israel that was free of wickedness. It happened in the South (3:7-31), the North/Central region (Judges 6:1-10:5), the East (10:6-12:15) and the West (13:1-16:31). “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23).

God’s Delight in using Weak Things: (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

Ehud: assassin with homemade knife (Judges 3)

Deborah: woman, considered weak in ancient culture (Judges 4; 9:53)

Gideon: from an obscure family in smallest tribe (Judges 6)

Shamgar: a redneck with a pointed stick (Judges 3:31)

Gideon’s Army: Little group armed with horns & pitchers (Judges 7)

Jawbone used by Samson (Judges 15:14-19)

Holy Spirit in Judges: (Zechariah 4:6) The Holy Spirit is active in Judges, coming upon the leaders of Israel. Othniel (Judges 3:10), Gideon (Judges 6:34), Jephthah (Judges 11:29), and Samson (Judges 13:25; 14:6; 15:14).

THREE TYPES OF JUDGES Warrior Judges: Gideon, Samson Priest Judge: Eli National Leaders: Othniel, Deborah Prophet Judge: Samuel Administrators, Mediators: Tola, Ehud, Jair Local Leaders: Shamgar, Ibzan Hardworking, unsung Judges: Elon, Abdon Rude, petty Dictator: Jephthah THE CHIEF JUDGES Deborah, Gideon, Samson, Samuel THE OTHER TEN JUDGES Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Eli. Abimilech who was not called by God to judge.

Basic Problem: Lack of Leadership (Judges 1:1; 20:18)

Philosophy of History: Proverbs 14:34: “Righteousness exalts a nation / But sin is a disgrace to any people.”

Judges: Location and Date

Location & Date: “Dark Ages of Israel”

Judges tells the history of the nearly powerless Israelite tribes during their first 350 years (1415 -- 1065 BC) in the hill country of Canaan. Judges (Hebrew: Shophetim, “judges,”) measures time from the end of Joshua’s Wars (1415 BC) to the Coronation of Saul (1065 BC). It records the history of Israel from Joshua to Samuel, the last of the judges and first of the prophets. It bridges the gap between Joshua and the rise of the monarchy.

The text of Judges was compiled while the Jebusites were still in control of Jerusalem (1:21), meaning that David had not yet overtaken that city (1018 BC) (2 Samuel 5:6-9). Also, Judges 1:29 refers to Canaanites living in Gezer, which did not come under Israelite sovereignty until the reign of Solomon (1 Kings 9:16f; 1 Chronicles 6:67). If one takes the reference to ‘captivity’ in Judges 18:30-31 to indicate the Philistine captivity of the Ark of the Covenant (and Psalm 78:61 supports it), one demonstrates that Judges was written after the Ark of the Covenant was removed from Shiloh (1 Samuel 4:3-11, 21) and during the period of the monarchy (Saul’s reign: 1065-1025 BC) because it mentions four times “in those days there was no king in Israel” (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25).

Some judgeships were not nationwide and overlapped; therefore the total of years served by the judges of 410 years could fit into 350. Judges mentions long periods of rest and servitude (3:11, 14, 30; 5:31; 8:28, etc.) Jephthah refers to 300 years of Israelite settlement in the Transjordan (Heshbon and Aroer – 11:26), so it covers a long period of history. Based on all this information, it seems likely that Judges was written between Saul’s coronation (1065 BC) and David’s capture of Jerusalem (1018 BC).

Judges: Authorship

Author of Judges: Probably Samuel.

The Talmud (Baba Bathra 15a) claims Samuel’s authorship of Judges.

The text was compiled after Joshua’s death (Judges 2:7) and during the monarchy because it says four times “in those days there was no king in Israel” (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25).

Judges is a philosophy of history (Proverbs 14:34). Its philosophy falls in line with Samuel’s emphasis on the Word of God or lack of it informing a culture (1 Samuel 3:1, 4, 7-10, 17 – 4:1) and the importance of consistent, steady obedience over a long period and the consequences of its absence (1 Samuel 12:1-7).