Judges: Hope For Troubled Times

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JudgesHope For Troubled Times

• Chapters 26-331
• Oppression and Deliverance
• 21 Dec 11

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Announcements
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Judges and Ruth Winter Quarter
Week Date Topic
1 07 Dec 11 Overview Judges and Ruth
2 14 Dec 11 Israels Success and Failure Judges 11-25
3 21 Dec 11 Oppression and Deliverance Judges 26-331
4 28 Dec 11 Deborah, Gideon Judges 4-6
5 04 Jan 12 Gideons Success and Failure Judges 71-105
6 11 Jan 12 Jephthah the Judge Judges 106-1215
7 18 Jan 12 Samson and His Exploits Judges 13-14
8 25 Jan 12 Samson and Delilah Judges 15-16
9 01 Feb 12 A Levite and His Concubine Judges 17-19
10 08 Feb 12 The War with Benjamin Judges 20-21
11 15 Feb 12 Ruth and Naomi Return to Bethlehem Ruth 1-2
12 22 Feb 12 Ruth and Boaz are Married Ruth 3-4
13 29 Feb 12 Review Judges and Ruth
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Todays Objectives

• Review last weeks lesson from Judges 11-25
• Provide an historical background and timeline for
  this weeks lesson
• Review historical maps of Israel and the region
• Read Judges 26-331
• Recognize why God raised up judges to deliver
  the Israelites from their oppressors
• Sense the love and compassion of God for His
  people when they continually failed to obey Him
• Examine our own lives to make sure no idols are
  vying to be worshiped alongside God

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Historical Background

• Jewish traditions states Samuel wrote Judges
• Written around 1050 B.C. and covered the period
  from 1375 B.C. to 1050 B.C.
• Death of Joshua to the beginning of the monarchy
• Israels form of government was a theocracy
• God alone was their King
• God raises up a series of judges between Joshuas
  death and the coronation of Saul
• Major and minor judges most did not rule over
  all
• Depressing period in Israels history
• Cycle of sin, oppression, repentance, and
  deliverance
• Spiritual compromise was the norm of Israel
• God sends powerful oppressors to counter
  spiritual compromise

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Historical Background

• Judges 26-331
• Israel shared the land with Canaanites, Hittites,
  Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites
• All descendents of Noah through Ham with the
  exception of the Perizzites (Gen 1015)
• Includes the judges Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar
• 1370 B.C. to 1330 B.C.
• Phinehas led civil war against Benjamites (Josh
  22)
• 18th and 19th Egyptian Dynasties
• Tutankhamen
• Eye
• Horemhab (Last king of the 18th Dynasty)
• Ramses I ( 1st king of 19th Dynasty)
• Seti I and II (Ramses the Great)

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Key People in Todays Lesson

• Othniel
• First of the judges
• Raised up to lead Israel after the Israelites
  fell under the subjection of the king of
  Mesopotamia for 8 years.
• Ehud
• Descendant of Benjamin
• Killed Moabite king Eglon with a two-edged dagger
• Routed the Moabites at the fords of the Jordan,
  putting 10,000 of them to death.
• Shamgar
• Repelled the Philistine invasion, slaying 600 men
  with an "ox goad"

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Israel Follows Other Gods (26-15)

• Campaign to establish Israel
• 26-9 similar to Josh 2429-31
• Campaign to establish Israel in the promised land
  was complete
• Joshua allowed the fighting forces to return and
  take possession of the land (vs. 26)
• Israel remained faithful to God during the
  lifetime of Joshua and the elders who followed
  him why?
• People had witnessed the power of God (vs. 27)
• Succeeding generations largely ignores God
• Did evil in the eyes of the Lord (vs. 211)

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Israel Follows Other Gods (26-15)

• Canaanites and Phoenicians lead Israel astray
• Began worshiping Baal and the Ashtoreths (vss.
  212-13)
• The true God worshiped along side the pagan gods
• God does not yield His glory to another (Isa.
  4811)
• The same principle holds true today
• Jesus will not share His glory with anyone or
  anything
• Cycle of Sin, Oppression, Repentance, Deliverance
• God oppressed Israel through aggressors (214)
• Israelites unable to defend themselves (215)
• Gods goal was to urge Israel to change

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The Lord Raises Up Judges (216-36)

• God uses tribal chiefs to rescue the Israelites
• Judges or Shaphat were raised (217)
• Meaning to judge or, by extension, to govern
• Most were virtuous and honest, some were corrupt
• God continues to have compassion for Israel
• Judges were raised to rescue (218)
• Israels unfaithfulness was kept in check until
  the judge passed
• Progressively more sinful with each passing judge
• Despite repeated violations of the Mosaic
  covenant (vs. 20)

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The Lord Raises Up Judges (216-36)

• God no longer defeat and expel nations left in
  Canaan
• God would use them to test the faithfulness of
  His people (221-22)
• God allowed idolatrous groups to remain in the
  land
• Presence would test the seriousness of Israels
  commitment to God (222)
• Would also test the Israelites whod did not have
  battle experience
• Philistines, Cananites, Sidonians, and Hivites
  were to test Israel

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Othniel Defeats the Arameans (37-11)

• Israel continued to serve the Baals and Asherahs
• Cycle of Sin
• Mesopotamian oppression
• Cycle of Opression
• Cushan-Rishathaim of Aram Naharaim chosen as the
  leader of Gods oppression against Israel
• Arameans inhabited the land between the Tigris
  and Euphrates rivers
• Also known as Syrians
• Israel had endured eight years of oppression
  under the Arameans (38)

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Othniel Defeats the Arameans (37-11)

• God raises Othniel
• Israel cries out (repentence)
• God provides deliverance for Israel
• God enables Othniel to rescue Israel
• Son of Kenaz and Calebs younger brother
• Othniel defeats Aram
• Othniel judged Israel for forty years in peace
  (310-11)

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Baal
Asherah
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Ehud Plots Against Eglon (312-23)

• Israel once again returns to sin
• God calls upon Eglon, the Moabite, to punish
  Israel (vs. 312)
• Joined by the Ammonite and Amalekite people
• Three groups attack Israel and capture Jericho.
• Israel suffered for 18 years under the Moabite
  rule
• Israel cries out for Gods help
• God raises Ehud to rescue Israel
• Ehud visits Eglon to bring a payment of tribute
  (315)
• Ehud devises a way to kill Eglon with a hidden
  sword (316)
• Ehud claims to have a secret message (317-19)

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Ehud Plots Against Eglon (312-23)

• Ehud kills Eglon (320-23)
• Ehud then left the chamber
• Decisive
• Man of action
• Brought relief to Gods people

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Ehud Begins the Battle (324-31)

• Death of the king discovered (324-25)
• Ehud escapes to Seirah
• Ehud signals to his fellow Israelites to battle
  in the hill country of Ephraim (327)
• Ehud carefully acknowledges that God had enable
  the people to defeat the Moabites
• Israelite strike down Moabites fleeing from
  Jericho
• 10,000 Moabites killed
• Israel enjoyed 80 years of peace (329-30)

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Shamgar Delivers Gods People (331)

• God raises Shamgar
• God uses the Philistines to oppress Israel
• Shamgar was likely a farmer
• Shamgar leads the Israelites and slaughters 600
  Philistines with an ox goad
• Shamgar also mention in Judges 56

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Review

• Reviewed last weeks lesson
• Provided an historical background and timeline
  for this weeks lesson
• Reviewed historical maps of Israel and the region
• Read Judges 26-331
• Recognized why God raised up judges to deliver
  the Israelites from their oppressors
• Sensed the love and compassion of God for His
  people when they continually failed to obey Him
• Examined our own lives to make sure no idols
  are vying to be worshiped alongside God
• Next class on 28 Dec 11, Judges 4-6