Content Essay: Judges
OBST 515: Old Testament Orientation 1
October 11, 2023
Contents
Introduction............................................................................................................................1
Recurring Cycle.......................................................................................................................1
Prophetic Significance.............................................................................................................2
The Central Message...............................................................................................................3
Conclusion..............................................................................................................................3
Bibliography............................................................................................................................4
1
Introduction
The book of Judges is the seventh book in the Old Testament. Judges has many unique
themes and messages that make it a unique and interesting story involving the Israelites and
their relationship to God. After the death of Joshua and the rest of the Elders, it is stated that
“another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had
done for
Israel (Judges 2:10, NKJV).” This passage lays the groundwork for the Judges and hints at what
Israel will go through because of their lack of knowledge and faithfulness to the Lord who
brought them out of Egypt.
Recurring Cycle
One of the main recurring cycles in the book of Judges is how the Israelites continuously turn
away from God to worship other gods like Baal and the Ashtoreths (Judges 2:13) There were a
very diverse group of people that lived in the land of Canaan which included the Perizzites,
Jebusites, Amorites, Philistines, Sidonians, Hivites and Hittites.1 As the Israelites intermingled
with these different groups, it became increasingly difficult for them to stay faithful to Yahweh.
Because of this, God becomes increasingly angry with the Israelites and decides to allow the
raiders and plunderers to have victory over them. God would then decide to raise Judges over
them that would give them victory over the raiders who had oppressed them. These Judges
included Tola, Jephthah and Deborah. After these Judges had passed away, the Israelites would
revert to their sinful ways and would become more corrupt than they were previously (Judges
2:19). This is the main recurring theme in Judges. The Israelites essentially go back and forth as
they struggle with their own sinful desires while God gives them up to their enemies and then
feeling compassion for them, sends Judges to deliver them from their enemies. This is a very
good example of the entire theology of the book of Judges. The Israelites were delivered from
1 Barry G. Webb, The Book of Judges. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William
B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2012), 12.
2
their enemies by God, and they then forget who God is and what He has done for them, they
then fall into bondage and God rescues them time and time again. The Central theme of Judges
is that of mercy and forgiveness from God. As one commentator says, “all of God’s disciplinary
measures toward Israel were for our instruction in righteousness.”2
Prophetic Significance
There is prophetic significance in the book of Judges. As mentioned in the assignment, Judges
21:5 tells us that “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in their
own eyes.” In essence, the Israelites did what was right in their own eyes which included
worshipping Baal and other foreign gods. As they worshipped the Gods of the Canaanite’s, they
became more and more like the Canaanites in their character and conduct.”34 The Israelites
moved further and further away from God as they continued to do this. They did not concern
themselves with living holy and righteous lives in the eyes of God. This is the main reason why
God put the Israelites in the hands of their enemies’ time and time again. This can perhaps be a
look into the current time now. If countries who consider themselves “Christian” nations move
further away from God, it can be a sign that they can be given over to their enemies and not
just physically like we see throughout Judges.
The Central Message
As stated earlier, the book of Judges is a fascinating book with many different thematical
elements. However, the main theme of the book of Judges is God’s mercy and grace that He
shows to the Israelites time and time again. The book of Judges shows us how the Israelites
abandon God in favor of the gods of the Canaanites which leads to them becoming more
wicked and sinful as time goes on. Even though God punishes the Israelites by giving them into
2 Lee Roy Martin “A Pentecostal Reception History of the Book of Judges.” Old Testament Essays 35, no.
3 (2023)
4 David Beldman; Craig G. Bartholomew, Deserting the King: the book of
Judges (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2017), 15.
3
the hands of their enemies, each time, God ends up rescuing them again in the form of several
Judges. One of the main themes of the Old Testament is God’s special covenant with the people
of Israel and his faithfulness to that covenant. The book of Judges is a good example of God’s
mercy and faithfulness to His people, especially when they are faithful to him. The Old
Testament is full of unique stories of the Israelites being faithful to God and then reverting to
their previous ways. The book of Judges is a good reminder of the covenant that God made with
Abraham which plays into the theme of the Old Testament as a whole.
Conclusion
The Old Testament is a unique telling of how God set the Israelites go through His servant
Moses and how Israel becomes a nation under God. Israel struggles greatly because of their
unfaithfulness to God and their willingness to serve other gods such as Baal who is the god that
the Canaanites worshipped. Israel’s constant struggle as seen in Judges is a reminder that if we
are willing to repent, God is willing to forgive us and welcome us back into His arms. Judges is a
very important book in the Old Testament which tells us to remain faithful to God and his
promises above all else.
Bibliography
Beldman, David J. H. and Craig G. Bartholomew. Deserting the King: The Book of Judges.
Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2017.
Martin, Lee Roy. "A Pentecostal Reception History of the Book of Judges." Old Testament Essays
35, no. 3 (2023)
Webb, Barry G. The Book of Judges. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company, 2012.Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
