Judges - 1
Introduction
If I use the word ‘judge’ then immediately you will think of a courtroom and the passing of a sentence or the pronouncing of an acquittal. In the Bible the judges of Israel in far off times were more than that, though they did pass judgement in law cases.
The book of Judges in the Old Testament of the Bible gets its name from outstanding characters raised up by God to bring deliverance to His people Israel, and to deal out righteous judgement from God on their enemies. It is interesting to note that the work of the judges as judicial figures is rarely mentioned.
This book of Judges that we are going to study contains many warnings against turning away from God and following the ways of the people around them. Time and again in the book we see the Jewish nation severely punished for its idolatry and treachery. Are we to imagine that such warnings are not needed among God’s people today? Is there no idolatry and spiritual treachery to be found among those professing to be Christians? Is there no love of money and material things? Is there no worship of men in positions of prominence that dishonours God? Is there no going after the life-styles and the morality of the world? Look around you and see that the answers are plain.
There is idolatry in the form of covetousness, the worship of possessions and money. For some people and some churches it would be better for them spiritually if they were less well off. They could learn some valuable lessons from Christians in the developing world who are faithful and thankful without having many of this world’s goods.
There can be spiritual treachery among those who profess to be Christians when they do not believe fully what the Bible says; when they have their own conception of God: what He is like, what He expects, what He knows and what He can do. They have made a god in their own image as it were, a being who is like themselves and who does not demand any more of them than they would of themselves.
There is treachery or disloyalty when people fail to acknowledge God as the true Creator. Instead they try to make God’s Word fit in with the latest theories of science so-called and are bewitched by evolutionary theories.
There is spiritual treachery, too, when people imagine that they can save themselves from the righteous judgement of God for their sins by their own efforts or their own merit. Yet the Scriptures are clear that we are saved only by the power and mercy of God based on the redeeming death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. It is by God’s grace that we are saved, through faith in Christ, and not by our good works, so that no-one can boast.
So, let us now take a look at that period of Bible history which is covered by the book of Judges. The story runs from the death of Joshua almost to the time of Israel’s first king, Saul. That would put it covering the period from approximately 1200 to 1050 BC.
These judges of whom we read do not appear to have followed one another in close succession. Some may have ruled at the same time as each other in different parts of the land. At times there may have been gaps between the time of one judge and another, such as in the years when no enemies oppressed Israel because God restrained them.
As you read through Judges you can see that the whole period covered by the book was one of disorganisation, tribal discord and defeat. Thankfully, in the midst of that grim period were some merciful deliverances by God when He raised up outstanding leaders. He did this in response to the repentance and heartfelt cries of His people.
How we need to re-learn that lesson in our own day. The trouble is that often we don’t have enough sense of our own need. How well attended are the prayer meetings in the churches you know? How much earnest crying to God is heard in them? How much longing to be freed from deadness and spiritual enemies is there found in our praying? How often do we really lay hold on God and plead for his mercy and the outpouring of his Holy Spirit on our lives and witness? Where are the heartfelt cries and pleading such as we discover in the Book of Judges?
So now let us look at these judges who were raised up by God for the help of His people. What were they like? Were they all the same as each other? What kind of work did they do for God? The first thing to make clear is that they all experienced something in common. Every one of them was empowered by God for the task he or she was given. Yes, there was one woman among them, called Deborah. Hers is a most interesting story, but more of that later.
Now, among the Jewish people there might well have been others who hoped or wished to act nobly in bringing deliverance to their people. Yet only each particular judge was marked out by God to do something special. This spiritual authority is what gave them that qualification for leadership that was recognised by those around them.
Remember, their office did not depend on popular choice by a vote, nor by family succession like a tribal chief. In a lesser sense even today in a church fellowship you can look at someone busy in the Lord’s work and you can see that is just the right person for that responsibility. That person is marked out for it and is blessed in the work he or she does.
The next thing to observe about the biblical judges is that there were features of their work and service that were almost identical in each case. The first is that they were all avengers of God’s enemies. That is to say they dealt out judgement on them, acting as the divinely appointed instrument of punishment.
The second feature is that they were often military campaigners, or heroes who could command allegiance from others. The third feature is that to one degree or another they were judges in the accepted sense, that is, they all had a judicial function as civil governors, overseeing domestic arbitration among the tribes of Israel.
We must remember that the book of Judges is more than a simple recounting of events in the life of Israel’s people. It is not just an account of part of their long history. Get beneath the surface and you will see one great lesson coming through over and over again. It is just this - cause and effect belong together in the movement of world events.
You see, the book of Judges is the story of God’s dealings with His people and the surrounding nations. That unfolding of events is there to illustrate and reveal the character of the Lord God, Sovereign of the universe. It shows that He is righteous and holy, punishing sin even among his own people. But it also shows his great pity when they repented of their wrongdoing and cried to Him for help.
In the book of Judges we are going to see how such lessons need to be learned by us in our day. If we walk humbly with God, He will bless us and make us strong in the face of our enemies. But if we disobey and flirt with the world or turn aside to other gods or other religions, then we shall know sorrow and defeat.
It is not an easy pathway, but remember that earlier, God had encouraged his servant Joshua with this promise concerning obedience to his law: “Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous….for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” The path of obedience is the way to victory and peace. Will you not walk in it?