Overview Of The Old Testament: Judges

Judges 1-12 God commanded His people to ‘drive out’ His enemies. Again and again, they failed (1:19,21,27-33). In Isaiah 30:21, God says, ‘This is the way, walk in it’. Here, in the sin and shame of Israel, He warns us, ‘This is not the way, do not walk in it’ (2:11-15). Barak is an example …

Bad news about our sin, good news about God’s salvation (Travelling Through God’s Word: Judges)

"Everyone did what was right in their own eyes" (Judges 21:25). These are the final words of the book of Judges. It's very depressing, but it's, also, very realistic. Has anything really changed? Have we forgotten the words of the Lord's Prayer: "your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10)? …

Responding to God’s Word (7): I am listening, Lord, for thee. What hast thou to say to me?

When the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of Midian, he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them …

Judges

JUDGES 1:1-2:5  –  ‘You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? (Galatians 5:7).  Everything seems to be going well – ‘From victory to victory His army He shall lead till every foe is vanquished and Christ is Lord indeed’ (1-18; Church Hymnary, 481).  Things went badly wrong.  God commanded His people to ‘drive …

What kind of person are you becoming?

Things were going from bad to worse!  The people of Israel had forgotten ‘the Lord their God’ (Judges 8:34).  ‘The enemy’ was ready to ‘come in like a flood’ (Isaiah 59:19).  Abimelech - Gideon’s son by ‘his concubine who was in Shechem’ (Judges 8:31) - was very unlike his father.  Gideon had pointed away from …

Deliver me from my enemies.

Judges 10:1-11:40; John 6:25-29; Psalm 59:1-8 “Deliver me from my enemies” (Psalm 59:1). The Psalmist had enemies. The people of Israel had enemies. Jesus had enemies. We have enemies. There will, however, be a Day of God’s judgment. There will be deliverance for the Lord’s people. No mercy will be shown to wicked traitors. The …

Many servants, one Saviour

Judges 2:6-3:31; John 4:27-42; Psalm 56:1-13 “The Lord raised up judges who saved them out of the hands of these raiders” (Judges 2:16). “This man really is the Saviour of the world” (John 4:42). God sends His servants to revive His people. God sent His Son to redeem His people. Revival comes “by the Spirit of the Lord” …

People were doing what suited themselves.

Judges 17:1-18:13 Things are not going well - 'every man did that which was right in his own eyes' (17:6). People were doing what suited themselves. Micah was trying to 'get the best of both worlds'. He was worshipping idols (17:4-5). He was trying to keep on the right side of the Lord - 'Now …

Jesus will save His people from their sins.

Judges 2:6-3:31 What sadness there is in the words of 2:10 - 'there arose another generation... who did not know the Lord... '! As the generations pass, we must pass on the Gospel of Christ, praying that those who follow after us will 'know the Lord'. In Isaiah 30:21, God says, 'This is the way, …

The Lord is with you.

Judges 6:1-7:8a; John 5:16-30; Psalm 57:7-11 The source of Gideon’s spiritual strength lay in the Lord – “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12). The source of Jesus’ strength lay in God the Father – “the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can only do what He sees the Father doing” (John …

Rise up, O Church of God awake!

Judges 4:1-5:11 Barak is an example of 'faith' (Hebrews 11:32-34). Faith involves believing God's promise - 'I will give... ' and obeying His command - 'Go' (4:6-7). God still says, 'Go...I am with you always... ' (Matthew 28:19-20). Barak needed Deborah's help (4:8-10). Both needed God's help - 'Our sufficiency comes from God' (2 Corinthians …

March on, my soul, with strength, but not thine own. The conquest thou shalt gain through Christ the Lord alone.

Judges 5:12-6:10 'The people of the Lord marched down for Him against the mighty (13) - God is still calling His people to march for Him: 'March on, my soul, with strength, with strength, but not thine own; The conquest thou shalt gain, through Christ the Lord alone' (Church Hymnary, 614). This is not 'marching' for ourselves, …

Bless the Lord.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits" (Psalm 103:1). "Bless the Lord... To the Lord I will sing... Bless the Lord" (Judges 5:2,3,9). We have many good reasons to praise the Lord. Let us think of …

Words that encourage us and enable us

"The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valour" (Judges 6:12). These words were spoken to Gideon. For us, as well as Gideon, they are words of encouragement, and they are words of enabling. We are encouraged by the words, "The Lord is with you." How can we be described as "mighty men of …

The idolater and the prophet

In Judges 17-18, the chief character is Micah. This was not the prophet, Micah. This man was a worshipper of idols! He did what he wanted - not what God wanted (Judges 17:6). What a contrast to the prophet, Micah (Micah 6:8)! This worshipper of idols tried to keep on the right side of God: …

Everything changes when we start listening to God.

After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel (Judges 2:10).  There are some very sad verses in the Word of God. When we read them, they make us feel sad. This is one of these verses. These words are …

When things don’t work out well, and we wonder, “Why?”

"If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?" (Judges 6:13). God has spoken words of encouragement: "the Lord is with you, brave man" (Judges 6:12). Things were not going well. Gideon was having doubts about God: "now the Lord has abandoned us" (Judges 6:13). God was quick to reassure Gideon: …

God’s Will – Not My Will

“Every man did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). This sad situation is with us still. May God give us grace to pray, “Not my will, but Thine be done” (Matthew 26:42).

Strong in the Lord, let us tread all the powers of darkness down and stand complete at last.

Judges 1:1-2:5 'You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? (Galatians 5:7). Everything seems to be going well - 'From victory to victory His army He shall lead till every foe is vanquished and Christ is Lord indeed' (1-18; Church Hymnary, 481). Things went badly wrong. God commanded His people to 'drive …

The need for revival and the way to revival

Judges 20:29-21:25 Judges ends on such a sad note: 'every man did what was right in his own eyes' (21:25). This situation is not merely political - 'no king'. It is moral and spiritual. The people had no regard for the authority of God and His Word. In Romans 5:20, we have Good News: 'where …

At life’s low points

“The people of Israel again did what the Lord considered evil... The Lord became angry with the people of Israel... Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help” (Judges 10:6-7,10). We don’t deserve to be blessed by the Lord. In mercy, He blesses us, far more than we could ever deserve. …

We must pray for the triumph of God’s grace over human sin.

The sinful and shameful times, described in the book of Judges, are summed up in the book’s final verses of chapters 19, 20 & 21. “Never has such a thing happened or been seen from the time the people of Israel came out of Egypt until today” (Judges 19:30). “Then the men of Israel went …

The problems are great. The Lord is greater.

Judges 18:1-19:30; John 8:12-30; Psalm 60:5-12 In Judges, we read of idolatry and adultery. Into this kind of situation comes the Lord’s warning – “if you do not believe that I am He, you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24). There is much resistance to the Gospel. There will, however, be those who …

Some words of encouragement – for the times when we feel discouraged

Two Bible verses are running through my mind. One of the verses is very discouraging. The other verse is very encouraging. The first verse would make us feel like giving up in despair. The second verse makes us want to keep on going with the Lord and for the Lord. The first of these verses …

The story of Samson is a story of divine grace, triumphing over human sin.

In the story of Jephthah (Judges 11-12), we learn that we need wisdom as well as sincerity. We need to have knowledge of God’s will as well as a desire to do His will. Samson was to “dedicated to God from his birth” (Judges 13:5). His early life is described in terms of God’s blessing …

The Spirit of the Lord empowers our very human words …

"Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him" (Judges 6:34) Real spiritual power is more than human eloquence. It's the Spirit of the Lord who empowers our very human words. It's the Spirit of the Lord who calls our hearers to follow Jesus. It's the Spirit of the …

People still need to hear the Word of the Lord.

'Keep quiet' - There is a guilty silence which comes from disobedience (Judges 18:18-20). When God's people remain silent, things go from bad to worse - 'Where there is no prophecy the people cast off restraint'. We must not be 'disobedient to the heavenly vision' (Judges 18:30; Proverbs 29:18; Acts 26:19). Chapter 19 warns us: …

Praying Through God’s Word: Judges

Judges 1:1-2:5 When things are going well, help us, Lord, to thank You. When things are going badly, help us to trust You. Judges 2:6-3:11 Sometimes, Lord, You say to us, “This is the way, walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21). Sometimes, You say to us, “This is not the way. Do not walk in it.” …

God uses a sinful and shameful situation to call His people back to Himself.

Judges 20:1-28 God uses a sinful and shameful situation - 'Such a thing has never happened or been seen from the day that the people of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day' (19:30) - to call His people back to Himself - 'all the people of Israel...assembled as one …

Lord, we thank You that our lives are not controlled by what we are. They are transformed by who You are.

Praying through God's Word - Judges 14:10-16:3 Lord, we thank You that our lives are not controlled by what we are. They are transformed by who You are. We are sinners. You are the God of grace, Shall our sin triumph over Your grace? - "God forbid!" (Romans 6:1-2). "Sin shall not have dominion over us" (Romans 6:14). Your …

Some Simple Thoughts From The Scriptures

Genesis When I was writing these words, I was thinking of some of the stories in the book of Genesis (the book of beginnings). I was thinking about Adam, Abraham and Joseph - and I was thinking about Jesus!___________________________________________ It was the genesis of my life.Things were looking so good.Then, it all went badly wrong.What …

The Downward Slope (Learning From The Book Of Judges)

The book of Joshua speaks of a high-point in the history of God’s people, Israel. By faith, they took possession of the land which the Lord had provided for them. The book of Judges tells of the downward slope - “... The people of Israel did what the Lord considered evil... “ (Judges 2:10-15). Although …

God’s faithful love

Judges 4:1-5:31; John 4:43-5:15; Psalm 57:1-6 “God sends His love and faithfulness” (Psalm 57:3). When we’re reading a book like Judges, we must remember the faithful love of God. When we remember God’s faithful love, we will look beyond the events recorded in Judges. We will catch a glimpse of God’s presence and purpose. Whatever …

Judges 11:12-12:15

Israel was not looking for trouble - 'Let us pass...through your land to our country'. The Amorites insisted on fighting with them. They had to be faced and defeated (19-21). The Christian life is like an 'obstacle race'. We do not go out looking for problems. Sometimes, we cannot avoid them. Obstacles can become opportunities …

Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost: Judges 4:1-7; Psalm 123 or Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18; Psalm 90:1-8, (9-11), 12; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30

Our help comes from the Lord. The glory goes to the Lord. Barak is an example of ‘faith’ (Hebrews 11:32-34). Faith involves believing God’s promise - ‘I will give...’and obeying His command - ‘Go’ (Judges 4:6-7). God still says, ‘Go... I am with you always...’ (Matthew 28:19-20). Barak needed Deborah’s help (Judges 4:8-10). Both needed …

When the Gospel of God’s love reaches our hearts

Judges 1:1-2:5; John 4:1-26; Proverbs 11:9-18 In John 4, we read about the overcoming of our enemies through the Gospel. “Jews do not associate with the Samaritans” (John 4:9). Jesus did associate with the Samaritan woman. The woman believed in Jesus. Many others believed in Him. By breaking down the barrier between Jews and Samaritans, Jesus was not …

Judges 16:4-31

The story of Samson is a story of tragedy and triumph. We see Samson's tragedy - '"I will go out at other times, and shake myself free". But he did not know that the Lord had left him' (20). There is a warning for us here. Yesterday's triumphs do not guarantee today's victory. Today's challenge …

Judges 14:10-16:3

'This man receives sinners' (Luke 15:2). These are the words of legalistic Pharisees. They were intended as an insult. They are also words of divine grace: 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners' (1 Timothy 1:15). Samson was a sinner. There is no question about that. Is he any different from the rest …

Judges 13: 1-14:9

Samson's birth was announced by an angel. Jesus' birth was announced by angels (13:3; Luke 1:30-33; 2:8-14). Samson's death was a great triumph over the Philistines. Jesus' death brought the greatest triumph of all - victory over Satan (16:30; Hebrews 2:14-15). The story of Samson points us to the greater Story of Jesus. There is, …

How important it is not to settle for a superficial religion

Judges 7:8b-8:35; John 5:31-47; Proverbs 11:19-28 “No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals” (Judges 8:33). “John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light” (John 5:35) – “For a time”, but note their response to Jesus -”I have …

The story of Gideon is the story of the Lord at work.

The story of Gideon is the story of the Lord at work. This is summed up in (a) Gideon’s call - “The Lord is with you, brave man... You will rescue Israel from Midian with the strength you have. I am sending you” (Judges 6:12,14). (b) Gideon’s victory over the Midianites - “Attack! The Lord …

Lord, we thank You that our lives are not controlled by what we are. They are transformed by what You are.

Judges 14:10-16:3 Lord, we thank You that our lives are not controlled by what we are. They are transformed by what You are. We are sinners. You are the God of grace, Shall our sin triumph over Your grace? - "God forbid!" (Romans 6:1-2). "Sin shall not have dominion over us" (Romans 6:14). Your grace …

Judges

JUDGES 1:1-2:5  -  ‘You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? (Galatians 5:7).  Everything seems to be going well - ‘From victory to victory His army He shall lead till every foe is vanquished and Christ is Lord indeed’ (1-18; Church Hymnary, 481).  Things went badly wrong.  God commanded His people to …

In love, God is calling us to return to Him.

Judges 9:1-57; John 6:1-24; Psalm 58:1-11 “Surely there is a God who judges the earth” (Psalm 58:11). “God repaid the wickedness… ” (Judges 9:54). The Holy God speaks to us of His judgment upon sinners. He speaks to us His Word of warning, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the …

We are weak. The Lord is strong.

Judges 6:11-7:14 'We are weak but He is strong' (Church Hymnary, 418). In himself, Gideon was weak (15). In the Lord, he was 'a mighty warrior'. Gideon was full of questions. God said to him, 'Go ... I will be with you' (6:12-16). Our true strength does not come from ourselves. It comes from the …

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

Judges 12:1-13:25; John 6:60-7:13; Psalm 59:9-17 Judges tells us of Samson, a man of great strength. The Psalmist teaches us that true strength comes from the Lord. Samson’s true strength was God-given. Our true strength is God-given. True strength is more than physical strength. It’s spiritual strength. The Psalmist says to God, “O my Strength, …

In the bad times, there is still some encouragement.

The book of Joshua speaks of a high-point in the history of God’s people, Israel. By faith, they took possession of the land which the Lord had provided for them. The book of Judges tells of the downward slope - “... The people of Israel did what the Lord considered evil...“ (Judges 2:10-15). Although this …

The Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power.

Judges 14:1-15:20; John 7:14-44; Proverbs 11:29-12:7 True strength comes from the Spirit of the Lord – “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him (Samson) in power” (Judges 14:19); “Whoever believes in Me (Jesus), as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within him. By this He meant the Spirit, whom those …

Raised up by the Lord

"Then the Lord raised up judges, who delivered them ... " (Judges 2:16). In difficult times, the Lord raises up his servants. The Lord raised them up - this is the important thing. What are we to say about the Lord's faithful servants? - They were raised up by the Lord. We must not come …

Have we forgotten about God?

"In those days, Israel had no king; everyone did what what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). Let's move forward from Israel's sad situation - no king, people doing whatever they liked. Let's move forward to today's world. We have kings and queens, prime ministers and presidents Is there not someone else that …

Even when His people are at a very low ebb, God does not abandon them.

Judges 16:1-17:13; John 7:45-8:11; Psalm 60:1-4 Samson “killed many more when he died than while he lived” (Judges 16:30). The chief priests and Pharisees were anxious to bring Jesus in – to destroy Him. Little did they realize that His death was to be His greatest victory. Even when His people are at a very …

Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Judges 20:1-21:25; John 8:31-59; Psalm 61:1-8 The Book of Judges ends on a very sad note: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit (or “everyone did what was right in his own eyes”)” (Judges 21:25). The sadness doesn’t come from the political situation – “no king”. It comes from …

God’s love for us remains constant, even when our love for Him has grown very weak.

In the book of Judges, we see both sin and salvation - “The people of Israel did what the Lord considered evil” (Judges 3:7,12); “Then the people of Israel dried out to the Lord for help” (Judges 3:9,15); “The Lord sent a saviour to rescue them” (Judges 3:9,15). Viewed from the point of view of …

When we worship the Lord, we are strengthened to go on, living for Him.

As we read of Israel’s military exploits, we must recognize the spiritual dimension. This is brought out well in the song of victory in Judges 5. It begins with the words, “Praise the Lord!” (Judges 5:2). It is a song of praise to God - “I will sing a song to the Lord. I will …

Could things get any worse than this?

Judges “Everyone did what was right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Could things get any worse than this? Who are we to judge? What are we to say when we read a verse like this? There’s only one thing we can say, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”