Faith & Reason Nexus

Background: After Joshua’s death, Israel lacked a strong central government. Israel formed a confederacy of 12 independent tribes or states. Following a seven-year conquest, Israel settled into five regions.
Challenges Faced by Israel:

• People neglected God, leading to idolatry.
• Anarchy ensued.
• Two major obstacles:
  1. Civil war from within.
  2. Oppressions from external nations.
• Judges 21:25: “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

Period of the Judges: Lasted about 300-350 years. Included cumulative periods of oppressions and rest in the land.
Judges Listed in the Book of Judges:
1. Othniel
2. Ehud
3. Shamgar
4. Deborah & Barak
5. Gideon
6. Abimelech
7. Ibzan
8. Tola
9. Elon
10. Jair
11. Abdon
12. Jephthah
13. Samson
Additional Judges in I Samuel: Eli, Samuel, Joel, Abijah
Book of Judges Overview: Describes 7 apostasies, 7 servitudes, and 7 deliverances.
Each cycle has five steps: Sin, Servitude, Supplication, Salvation, Deliverance.
Duration of the Judges Period:

• 111 years of servitude.
• 299 years of rest.
• Total: 410 years (with some overlapping).

Timeline and Oppressors: Judges covers 1400-1100 B.C. Oppressors included Mesopotamians, Moabites, Philistines, Amalekites, Canaanites, Sidonians, Midianites, Ammonites, Maonites.
Judges’ Cycles: Rebellion, Retribution, Repentance, Restoration, Rest. Notably, times of rest and peace are longer than periods of bondage.
Role of Judges According to Torah: “Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.” (Judges 2:16)