Notes
Slide Show
Outline
1
The Book of
  • Judges
2
The Judges
  • Why were they necessary?


  • Pattern of Israel’s behavior
    • The people sin
    • God sends a leader (judge)
    • The judge dies
    • The people fall into even greater sin
  • Book tells how people continue to fall into idolatry, anarchy, civil war
  • The God raises up a judge: soldier/prophet
3
Why
  • Why did Israel so easily fall into sin?
  • Could not drive out the Canaanites
  • Easier to ignore them
  • Canaanites: city dwellers, brick homes,
  • Israelites were drawn to Canaanite civilization and religion


  • Problems in Israel:
  • Tribes acted as separate units
  • Fell into civil war
  • Infighting made them easy prey for stronger powers
  • God would send a judge ……
4
The judges
  • Othniel
  • Ehud
  • Shamgar
  • Deborah – only woman
  • Gideon
  • Tola
  • Jair
  • Jephthah
  • Ibzan
  • Elon
  • Abdon
  • Samson
  • Samuel: last judge, first prophet
5
Deborah
  • Only female judge
  • Defeated the Canaanites
  • Kept the Israelites free from attack for 40 years