Judges - Introduction

Introduction

Author

THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK OF Judges is unknown. The date of composition is also uncertain. The most we can say is that it was probably composed after the rise of Israel’s monarchy, given the book’s repeated refrain, “In those days, there was no king in Israel” (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25).

Historical Background

Judges covers a period of about three hundred years, explaining what happened in the promised land between its conquest under Joshua and the rise of the monarchy under Saul and David. The title of the book comes from the title given to the leaders who arose during this period to give Israel deliverance from their enemies (2:16). These were dark years of religious compromise and moral decay for the descendants of Jacob. There was no divine standard operating in the nation because the people had quickly forgotten the rules of the covenant they had made with God in Moses’s day and reaffirmed in his successor’s. Thus, “Everyone did whatever seemed right to him” (17:6; 21:25). And that caused countless problems. (It always does.)

Message and Purpose

The book of Judges is about cycles—cycles of disobedience, discipline, repentance, and deliverance. The Israelites’ disobedience brought God’s discipline. But in each instance that the people repented, God raised up a judge to bring about deliverance.

The generation after Joshua did not remain faithful to God, which led to cultural decline and horrific sin. Judges shows what happens to a society when it drifts away from following God and living in respect of his moral standards. Yet Judges also offers hope: it shows how even in the darkest days God can use men and women to accomplish his plan—even though they are flawed themselves. The book serves as a warning that disaster will ultimately befall a people who reject God’s kingdom rule over them, and it emphasizes the necessity of repentance before God will intervene to deliver and restore them to a place of blessing.

VIDEO INTRO

Outline

1. Victory and Compromise (1:1-36)
2. The Cycle of Judgment (2:1–3:6)
3. The Judges (3:7–16:31)
   1. Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar (3:7-31)
   2. Deborah and Barak (4:1–5:31)
   3. Gideon and Abimelech (6:1–9:57)
   4. Tola, Jair, and Jephthah (10:1–12:7)
   5. Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson (12:8–16:31)
4. The Corruption of the Levites (17:1–21:25)
   1. Micah’s Priest (17:1–18:31)
   2. Outrage in Benjamin (19:1–21:25)