442 – The History of Israel Under the Judges

BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE

COURSE: BIBLE SURVEY III LESSON # 42

THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL UNDER THE JUDGES

INTRODUCTION:

1. I have assigned a large portion of Scripture for this lesson, but if you neglect it you will miss a significant segment of Israel’s history.
2. The precise date of this era is a matter of some discussion and Scripture does not tell us precisely as to beginning, end, or duration.
3. The best information I can get leads me to place it from about 1380 to 1050 B.C., thus a period of about 330 years.
4. Instead of an outline of this lesson, I will simply enumerate the judges in their proper order and give some brief facts about them, where they are available.

I. OTHNIEL:

He was the nephew of Caleb. He judged forty years and delivered Israel from Chushanrishathaim, the king of Mesopotamia. (Jud. 3:5-11

)

II. EHUD:

He was of the tribe of Benjamin, and was known best for killing Eglon, the fat king of Moah. (Jud. 3:12-30

)

III. SHAMGAR:

IV. DEBORAH:

Her conflict was with Jabin, king of Canaan, his captain was Sisera, who was slain by Jael, a woman who killed him with a tent peg. The history of the prophetess Deborah and her victories through Barak, the son of Abinoam are recorded in Jud. 4:1

through Jud. 5:31

V. GIDEON:

This judge is remembered for two things: his 300 and his putting out a fleece. His courage in destroying the groves in Israel should be quite as notable. He delivered Israel from the Midianites, yet not he, but God. Sadly, a shrine was built to him which became a snare to Israel. (Jud. 6:11

–Jud. 8:35

)

VI. ABIMELECH:

This was a wicked man, the son of Jerubbaal, who killed all his brothers. Any victories he experienced were really victories for evil, not good. (Jud. 9:1-57

)

VII. TOLA:

Nothing is known of him except his parentage and tribe, and that he judged Israel twenty-three years. (Jud. 10:1-2

)

VIII. JAIR:

This man seems to have delegated some authority to his thirty sons. He judged Israel twenty-two years.

IX. JEPHTHAH:

This was the judge who sacrificed his daughter as a result of a hasty and needless vow. His conception, birth and life were all tragic and the joy of Israel’s deliverance under him was marred by it. It is probably all a figure of the progressive religious frustration that flows out of the spiritual adultery of idolatry. He judged only 6 years. (Jud. 11:1-40

)

X. IBZAN:

Had thirty sons for whom he took wives from “abroad.” (Gentiles??) He judged 7 years. (Jud. 12:8-10

)

XI. ELON:

We only know 2 things of him. He was of the tribe of Zebulon and he judged Israel 10 years. (Jud. 12:11-12

)

XII. ABDON:

Again, it seems he may have delegated authority through sons and nephews. He judged 8 years. (Jud. 12:13-15

)

XIII. SAMSON:

Perhaps the best known of all the judges because of his personal exploits with the lion, the jawbone, etc., but he is best known for his most shameful defeat at the hands of Delilah. Even though God’s Spirit came upon him many times, his tragic epitaph is that he slew more enemies at death, than during his twenty years of judging Israel. (Jud. 13:1

through Jud. 16:31

)

XIV. ELI:

It has been questioned whether or not Eli was a judge. He was a priest, but several things in the book of First Samuel, including the position of Samuel when he superseded Eli’s house, indicate that he was a judge. However, I Sam. 4:18

clearly states “he judged Israel forty years.”

XV. SAMUEL:

He was the last of the judges. He began to judge while very young. I do not know just when he began to judge, nor how long he judged. His sons, Joel and Abiah were judges, but only temporarily and only under Samuel, and they were wicked and dishonest. Samuel anointed both Saul and David, and died shortly before the death of Saul.

Berean Baptist Church