Dark Ages

Judges cover the period after the death of Israel’s great leader, Joshua, to the ascension of Saul to the throne. During this time, the people were ruled by Judges whom God raised up to deliver his oppressed people (Judges 17:6). There were 14 judges – Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Samson, Eli and Samuel.

In Judges 1:1, we see the death of Joshua. Due to their disobedience to God, troubles started and continued in Israel. They did not exterminate the enemies in the land, but rather worshiped the idols of the people and became corrupted in their morals. In Chapter 1 we see a series of disobediences and Chapter 2 we see their defeat and failure. God gave them up to their own will. The children of Israel brought on their own judgement upon themselves and became their own executioners.

God wanted the chosen people to realize that they were a holy people. They must not mix with the wicked nations about them. They must continually separate themselves. God knew that separation makes a people strong. Believers today must remember that they cannot mix with the world. They must keep close to God and war against sin and unrighteousness. God wants every believer to be warriors (Ephesians 6:10-18).

The children of Israel intermarried with the surrounding idolatrous peoples, worshipped at their shrines and practised their values. They went through 7 failures (Judges 3:5 – 16:31). God used Judges to deliver them from these failures.

Last chapters give us a picture of anarchy and confusion. First we see confusion in the religious life of the nation (Judges 17:18). Second we see confusion in the moral life of the nation (Judges 19). Third we see confusion in the political life (Judges 21). The last chapter proves that the children of Israel had lost the way to God’s home, so low that they sunk.

The history of church through the ages has been like this with Martin Luther (1483 – 1546, leader of the Protestant reformation); John Knox (1513 – 1572, Scottish Reformer) and John Wesley (1703 – 1791, Methodist founder) as deliverers.

After reading Judges we may think that the whole of these three of four hundred years was spent in rebellion and sin. But if you read it carefully, you will see that only about one hundred out of these possible 30 years were spent in disloyalty to God.

One thing we learn in this book of Judges is that a people who spend much of their time in disobedience to God make little progress during their life time.

May God enable you to understand the spiritual meaning about this book and help you to be obedient to him to be victorious and prosperous in life.

The BOOK – Apostasy

In the book of Judges, we have a picture of seven failures and seven deliverances. The Israelites intermarried with the surrounding idolatrous people, worshipped their shrines and practiced their values and laws, which God told them not to do. There was no unity of action, except in the time of danger when the tribes combined for their own good. When the people sinned against God, their enemies defeated them and ruled over them. One of the best known nations whom the Lord used to test Israel was the Philistines. The Israelites feared the Philistines and did not mix freely with them. They only met in war.

First Apostasy (Judges 3:7-11)

Sin – Idolatry, Punishment – 8 years, Deliverer and Judge – Othniel

For trying to live in peace with the Syrian nations, Israelites intermarried and started trading with Amorites, Hivites and Perizzites. Next they accepted their neighbour’s religion, and then their bad customs. But soon the Mesopotamians began to oppress them and then they realized that they had a God who took them from slavery and placed them here. God send a deliverer, Othniel, who was Caleb’s nephew. “Spirit of God came upon him, so that be became Israel’s Judge and went to war” – Judges 3:10. First he prayed and then he went to battle. He threw away the idolatries of Israel and taught them the law of the Lord and reminds them of their calling as a nation. Soon success and victory was theirs. (Judges 3:10-11). He was the first of the Judges. 

Second Apostasy (Judges 3:12-31)

Sin – Immorality and Idolatry, Punishment - 18 years, Deliverer and Judge – Ehud and Shamgar

Israel did go back to their old ways, as they went after immorality and idolatry. They got the punishment from God and Moabites attacked them and they were under Moabites for 18 years. Again people cried unto God and God gave them a deliverer, Ehud, with whom Shamgar’s name is associated. They defeated Moabite King and because of them peace was there for 80 years.

Third Apostasy (Judges 4-5)

Sin – Departed from God, Punishment – 20 years, Deliverer and Judge – Deborah and Barak

Sisera took over Israel for 20 years because of the punishment they got from God. They cried unto God and this time God chosed a prophetess called Deborah. Deborah called Barak to help her and together they delivered Israel from oppression. After that the land rested for 40 years.

Fourth Apostasy (Judges 6 – 8:32)

Sin – Departed from God, Punishment – 7 years, Deliverer and Judge - Gideon

Midianites held Israel for 7 years and God gave them Gideon as deliverer. He broke the alter of Baal and restored the worship of God. Gideon, with a band of 300 defeated the enemy, which can be seen in the scripture as a supernatural hand of God. 

Fifth Apostasy (Judges 8:33 – 10:5)

Sin - Departed from God, Punishment – Civil war, Deliverer and Judge – Tola and Jair

People fail once again and worshiped Baalim as soon as Gideon died. There came a civil war in which Gideon’s son Abimelech was involved. But he was slain by a woman and a period of 45 years of quietness followed under the judgement of Tola and Jair.

Sixth Apostasy (Judges 10:6 – 12:15)

Sin – Idolatry increased, Punishment – Philistines and Ammonites, Deliverer – Jephthah

Here we see people almost entirely given over to idolatry. God sent judgement this time from the Philistines for 18 years. When they cried, God refused to hear them. But God can’t bear his children suffer, and so deliverance came through Jephthah. He judged Israel for 6 years.

Seventh Apostasy (Judges 13 -16)

Sin – Departed from God, Punishment – Philistines, Deliverer - Samson

Once again Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord. This time they were disciplined by Philistines under whose oppression they lived 40 years. God called Samson and his life is filled with opportunity and failure. Everything should have being in Samson’s favour, but he entered into an unholy alliance, which meant his downfall. But he delivered Israel and died along with it.

These are history which God wanted us to read and understand how Israel, the chosen people have gone away from God and how he disciplined them. Since we are the chosen Israel presently, you can just replace the enemies Israel faced with your friends and weaknesses. God delivers you from your bad habits and friends and then when everything is fine, once again you are forced to go back with your habits by your flesh. We need to understand that God gave this book as a warning symbol so that we will walk close with God, and be holy as he is Holy.

I pray that you understand the importance of being separated from the world to see and know how good our God is, and walk along with him to live a testimonial life, Amen