Daily Meditation - The Word of God

64th Issue

THE BOOK OF  JUDGES

"But you have forsaken me and served other Gods, so I will no longer save you.  Go and cry out to the God's you have chosen.  Let them save you when you are in trouble.........." (Judges 10:13-16)

By Patriarch John Williams (President of IICM)
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I. THE MAIN THEMES IN THE BOOK OF JUDGES

1. The Children of God repeatedly reverting back to Idolatry and facing Severe Punishments
2. The period of Seven Apostasies and Six Servitudes and Civil War
3. The period of Confusion and Anarchy
4. Some of the important Bible Characters who lived during this time: and their role mentioned in this book are:
    Deborah, Gideon, Jeptha, Samson etc
5. The Judges God raised to deliver Israelites when they sincerely repented
II. THE CONTENT OF THE BOOK OF  JUDGES
1. The Form of Government in the days of Judges may be described as "Theocracy".  God Himself ruled His people.
2. The Severe Punishments that people had during this period are:
  • Thumbs and Toes being cut off
  • Being smitten with the edge of the Sword
  • Cities being Set on Fire
  • Being delivered into the hands of the Spoilers
  • Being sold to the Enemies
  • Being Oppressed for Years
  • The House falling upon the people

3. The Angel of the Lord appeared several times
4. The Children of Israel forsook the Lord and served Baal
5. The Lord raised up several Judges to deal with the people when they sinned
6. During the period covered by the book of Judges, spanning 300 years the oppressions that took place and the Judges whom God raised during those times are mentioned below:
 
OPPRESSOR (S) YEAR OF OPPRESSION

JUDGES

 YEARS OF REST
Mesopotamians 8 Othniel, of Debir in Judah 40
Moabities Ammonites Amalekites 18 Ehud, of Benjamin 80
Philistines   Shamgar  
Canaanites 20 Deborah, of Ephraim; Barak, of Naphtali 40
Midianites Amalekites 7 Gideon, of Manasseh 40
    Abimelech (usurper), of Manasseh 3
    Tola, of Issachar 23
    Jair, of Gilead, in E Manasseh 22
Ammonites 18 Jephthah, of Gilead, in E Manasseh 6
    Ibzan, of Bethlehem, in Judah (?) 7
    Elon, of Zebulun 10
    Abdon of Ephraim 8
Philistines 40 Samson, of Dan 20
TOTAL 111   299
 
IV. CONCLUSION
1. It is important to realize that we are living in a time and age in which we are able to enjoy
   the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, without being punished instantaneously and severely, as
   and when we violate or disobey God's Laws.
2. It is only by the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that, we do not go through the persecution
   that the people who lived during the period covered in the Book of Judges, went through.
3. We can have direct access to the Lord Jesus Christ to make our petitions known to Him,
    and to get His answers right away, when we Love, Obey and Trust God.
4. Even though the Final Judgment will be severe, now that we are living in the Period of
   Grace, we are given repeated opportunities to forsake Sins and to Restore our Relationship
    back with God. 
 
                                                                         THE END    

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