The Book of Judges

Purpose of The Book of Judges:
To support the monarchy and give reasons why they needed a king (a king described in Deut 17). To inspire God’s people to resist their selfish impulses and trust God as their need for a king becomes apparent.

Major Characters of The Book of Judges:
God, Angel of the Lord, Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Abimelech, Jepthah, Samson, and Levites.

Summary of The Book of Judges:
The book of Judges is a fascinating collection of stories containing humor, tragedy, and irony. Following the successful endeavors of Joshua, the next generations are faced with the challenge of continuing the acquisition of the Promised Land. But in contrast to the faithfulness that marked Joshua’s generation, the present Israelites proved far more fickle. Several narratives are strung together with a rich diversity of characters.

Each story is comical and tragic. Despite God’s abiding presence and faithfulness, the Israelites choose to abandon God’s ways and seek their own desires. Each narrative records the great consequences of their actions and their plea to God for help. Revealing their folly and faithlessness, God continually rescued Israel from their self-afflicted plight.

Two central lessons are found in the book of Judges: First, the welfare of the nation depended directly on a knowledge of God’s will, the Torah; Second, God would punish his people for their unfaithfulness to his covenant.

Author and Dates of The Book of Judges:
The book of Joshua is named for its leading character. The book's author, however, is not explicitly mentioned. A number of features point to a date of origin in the late second millennium B.C.

Outline of The Book of Judges:

1. Faltering conquest (ch. 1:1 - 2:5)
• Joshua’s victory was only partial (Josh. 15:63, 16:10, 17:13, 24:16-20)
• The conquest was incomplete and idolatry increased (Judges 2:12,14)
2. Cycles under the rule of “the Judges” (ch. 2:6 - 16:31)
• Cycle of oppression, retribution, mercy, deliverance, sin…
• Samson (ch. 13 - 16)
3. Anarchy was rampant under Levites: religious and moral disorder (ch. 17 - 21).

Themes of The Book of Judges:
The Nature of Humanity - humanity is capable of great goodness as well as the greatest shame.
The Abiding Presence of God - God is always with his people, despite the appearance of his absence.
Consequences - Acts of infidelity do render consequences despite God’s grace and forgiveness.
God’s Constant Rescue of his people.