Overview Of The Book Of Judges
- 21 chapters, 618 verses, 18976 words.
- Author = Samuel
- Historical time = 1425 BC to 1120 BC
- Judges shows the law of human collapse.
- Man isn’t getting better and better. He actually gets worse and worse.
- This goes against EVOLUTION
2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
- Historical Israel failed to eliminate the enemies of God in chapter 1. The consequence is that their enemies will be thorns in their side.
- Israel goes into sin, God raises up an enemy, Israel cries to the LORD, GOD sends a deliverer.
- DEVOTIONAL – If we stray from the LORD he will allow men to raise up against us.
Jdg 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
Jdg 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
This pictures AMERICA…
- AMERICA DOESNT HAVE THE BOOK
- CHURCHES DONT HAVE THE BOOK
- THEY THINK THEY ARE MAKING PROGRESS
- Doctrinal – You will see pictures of things that happen in the tribulation and second coming.
- The book of Judges has 21 chapters but ends with chapter 16. Chapters 17-21 take place sometime within those first 16 chapters. The book of Ruth also takes place during the first 16 chapters of Judges.
In the book of Judges you see the law of human collapse. Man doesn’t get better, he gets worse and worse and worse with time. In this book you have Israel repeatedly going into apostasy and then being taken over by their enemies as a judgment from God. Each time Israel finally cries unto the LORD and each time the LORD raises up a deliverer to save them from the enemy. These deliverers are the judges. These judges or deliverers picture the LORD Jesus Christ.
The LORD is referred to as a judge.
2Ti 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
He is also referred to as a deliverer.
2Co 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
2Co 1:10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;
1Th 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Isa 19:19 In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD.
Isa 19:20 And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them.
Look at judges 2:15-16
Jdg 2:15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
Jdg 2:16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
Let’s look at these judges and learn some things from them.
After Israel’s first apostasy they were conquered by Mesopotamia. Othniel is the judge or deliverer. In Judges 1 you see where Othniel is given a bride after a great victory.
Jdg 1:12 And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah(aksah) my daughter to wife.
Jdg 1:13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, (kuhnaz) Caleb’s younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.
This shadows the LORD Jesus Christ because he got his bride after a great victory on the cross.
2Co 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
We are the bride!
Also Othniels name means “Lion Of God.” Jesus Christ is referred to as a Lion himself.
Rev 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
The next time Israel does evil again in the sight of the LORD, they are taken over by the Moabites for judgment against their apostasy.
Jdg 3:12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.
Jdg 3:13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.
Jdg 3:14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
Jdg 3:15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.
Notice the longsuffering of God and the forgiveness of God. He raises them up a deliverer yet again!
Jdg 3:16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
This dagger would represent the sharp two edged sword of Hebrews 4:12.
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Also in Revelation 2:12 Jesus Christ is referred to as the one who has “the sharp sword with two edges” just like Ehud.
Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
This is the LORD coming back at the second advent to deliver Israel just like Ehud does here in this story.
Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Now, let’s continue with the story…
Jdg 3:17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.
Jdg 3:18 And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.
Jdg 3:19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.
Jdg 3:20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.
Notice Eglon and his men think that EHUD has something good and pleasant for them…similar to how the devil and devils thought they were accomplishing something when Jesus died on the cross…
But THEN…
Jdg 3:21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
Jdg 3:22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.
So here you have Ehud killing the head of the enemy and by doing this it results in the defeat of the enemies.
That dagger represents the word of God and it went right into Eglons belly and he met his BITTER END.
The word of God is bitter on your belly.
Rev 10:10 And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
Next you have Shamgar who delivers Israel.
Jdg 3:31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.
This is a mighty man if he kills 600 men with an Ox Goad. Who doesn’t love to see one man fight hundreds of men? This is portrayed in all the martial arts movies. There is just something about seeing a guy so tough that he can beat everyone up at once.
But something about shamgar is that he defeated the enemy with an unlikely and unique weapon. An OX GOAD!
Jesus Christ defeated the enemy with a weapon they didn’t see coming, the cross!
Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Col 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
The LORD triumphed over innumerable devils and the devil when he was on the cross!
Next you have Deborah and Barak
Jdg 4:2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
Jdg 4:3 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
Jdg 4:4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
Many will say that since Deborah was a judge and a prophetess that this means we can have women preachers and pastors. But realize the book of Judges shows the law of human collapse and it was a time when men did that which was right in their own eyes. And the apostle Paul also tells us in his epistles for the church that women aren’t to be in authority.
1Ti 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
Also notice at the time of Deborah that men were acting like WOMEN! They were weak and afraid. Look what Barak says to Deborah
Jdg 4:6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
Jdg 4:7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.
Jdg 4:8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.
He says, listen Deborah, if you go, than I will go!
Since Barak said that Sissera would be sold into the hand of a woman!
Jdg 4:9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
And that woman was Jael, who ended up stabbing sissera in the head with a tent peg. This pictures the head wound of the antichrist. It also pictures how the bride will have Satan crushed under her feet.
Rom 16:20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Then next you have GIDEON
Notice a great similarity between Jesus and Gideon. Before Gideon starts his work for the LORD a prophet shows up first!
Jdg 6:7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,
Jdg 6:8 That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;
Now just like a prophet came before the work of Gideon, John the Baptist comes before the LORD begins his earthly ministry. Gideon illustrates Jesus Christ in many ways.
The spirit was on Gideon just like he was on Jesus Christ.
Jdg 6:34 But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet;
Next look at verse…
Jdg 6:36 And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,
Notice that God saves Israel BY HIS HAND…who does that remind you of?
Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Also notice the phrase there in judges 6 “by mine HAND…”
Zec 13:6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.
When Jesus was Crucified his hands were pierced.
Next your going to see miracles happen for Gideon just like Jesus himself performed miracles…
Jdg 6:37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it bedry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.
Jdg 6:38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
Jdg 6:39 And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.
Jdg 6:40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
So just like a miracle was performed during Gideons work for the LORD, the LORDS ministry was accompanied by miracles
In Judges chapter 9 you have a man named “Abimilech” who they make king…however this is a bad dude. He is a type of the anti christ.
Jdg 9:52 And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
Jdg 9:53 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and all to brake his skull.
Jdg 9:54 Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
Jdg 9:55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.
Jdg 9:56 Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:
Just like Abimelech gets a head wound, the anti christ also has a head that is “wounded to death.”
Now, we move on to the next judge. A man named “Tola.”
Jdg 10:1 And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.
Jdg 10:2 And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.
The Bible doesn’t say much about him
But if you look up the meaning of his name…it means “worm.” And do you know what the LORD describes Jesus Christ as on the cross?
Psa 22:6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
Psa 22:7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
So Tola, a judge, a deliverer, shows us Jesus Christ through his name….
Jdg 10:3 And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years.
Jdg 10:4 And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
Jdg 10:5 And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.
It also doesn’t say much about “jair” but his name means “he shines.” And you know good and well “who really shines.”
Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
Moving on to chapters 11-12 we see Jepthah. Another great type of christ. He is a judge. He is a deliverer.
Jdg 11:1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.
Jdg 11:2 And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and his wife’s sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.
Just like Jephthah was rejected by his brethren, so was the LORD Jesus Christ.
And just like they rejected Jephthah because he was born of fornication…
They also rejected Christ saying that he was “born of fornication”…even though he WAS NOT. He was virgin born. Mary was with child of the Holy Ghost before Joseph laid with Mary.
But look what they said to Jesus in their rejection of him.
Joh 8:41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
Jdg 11:3 Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.
The same kind of people that gathered around Jephthah is the same kind of ones that gathered around Jesus Christ.
Luk 5:30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
Luk 5:31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
Luk 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Now Jephthah makes a vow…
Jdg 11:29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.
Jdg 11:30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
Jdg 11:31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
Jdg 11:32 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.
And the first one to walk out of the door was Jephthahs daughter.
Jdg 11:34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
This puts you in mind of the THE FATHER sending his only begotten son to offer up himself on the cross to get us the victory. Just as Jephthah vowed a vow that he would offer whatever came out of the door first if he could get the victory.
1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now with that being said, it wasn’t a good vow. But this is the book of judges where “every man does what is right in his own eyes.”
Now finally we get to Samson who is the judge and deliverer for Israel who are now conquered by the philistines.
Samson is probably the greatest type of Christ out of all the judges. As you know Samson is the STRONGEST MAN in the Bible…however he had a weakness and his weakness was women. A sinful weakness is something the LORD didn’t have. He was sinless so no type is a perfect match to the LORD Jesus Christ.
But the similarities are still there.
Jdg 13:3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
Jdg 13:4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
Jdg 13:5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
Notice how Samson reminds us of Jesus Christ because both of them had an angel foretell their birth.
Luk 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
Luk 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
Luk 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
Jesus Christ and Samson both had a miracle birth. You saw where Samson’s mother was barren. She couldn’t have children but the LORD performed a miracle. You know that Jesus mother Mary was a VIRGIN and yet a virgin conceived.
Both Samson and The LORD Jesus Christ have something on their shoulders.
Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Jdg 16:3 And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.
The LORD Jesus Christ has strong shoulders. Much stronger than Samson. He can carry all of his saints through anything all at the same time. He also had a cross on his shoulder that he carried for you.
Both have a Gentile Bride, Samson has a gentile bride named Delilah.
Jdg 16:4 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
Jdg 16:5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.
Also notice she will sale out Samson for SILVER. Jesus Christ has a gentile bride, the church and he also gets sold out for pieces of silver.
2Co 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Mat 26:15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
Both Make Israel Jealous
Jdg 14:3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
Rom 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
Lions are no match for either of them
Jdg 14:5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.
Jdg 14:6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
Mat 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Mat 4:11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
Both prepare a marriage feast
Jdg 14:10 So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.
Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
Samson was definitely a character that really stuck out to me in the Bible. He killed a thousand men with the jawbone of an ass. Much more deadly than Jet li, Jackie Chan, or Tony Yaa, Donnie Yen, Or Steven Segal, Jean Claude van damme, Sylvester Stallone, or any of those guys.
Samson tied like 300 foxes tails together, lit them on fire and burned up the corn fields of the philistines.
At his death he put his hand on one pillar, his other hand on another pillar and the men that he killed in his death was more than all throughout his time on earth.
Just like Jesus Christ stretches out both arms on the cross and triumphed over innumerable principalities and powers.
God Uses Little Things:
1 – A Left Hand (3:21)
2 – Ox Goad (3:31)
3 – A Woman (4:4)
4 – A Nail (4:21)
5 – piece of millstone (9:53)
6 – Pitcher and Trumpet (7:20)
7 – Jawbone of an ass (15:16)
- Chronologically the book ends with chapter 16.
- 17-21 takes place sometime in the first 16 chapters
- The book of Ruth takes place sometime in the first 16 chapters
