Judges Introduction: Life Without a King Date: The death of Joshua to Samuel/King Saul (1381-1050 BC) Judges explains how and why Israel failed to possess the promised land. Key: “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.” Judges 21:25 (NLT) Judges graphically illustrates the corrupting power of sin and idolatry. The 12 judges are Spirit-endowed deliverers, sent by a just and merciful of God, to rescue God’s people from sin/oppression. The 12 Judges of Israel did not carry a gavel. They were instruments of God’s judgment. The Southern Campaign led by Judah: PARTIAL VICTORY Judges 1:1-4 (NLT) After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Which tribe should go first to attack the Canaanites?” 2 The Lord answered, “Judah, for I have given them victory over the land.” 3 The men of Judah said to their relatives from the tribe of Simeon, “Join with us to fight against the Canaanites living in the territory allotted to us. Then we will help you conquer your territory.” So the men of Simeon went with Judah. 4 When the men of Judah attacked, the Lord gave them victory over the Canaanites and Perizzites, and they killed 10,000 enemy warriors at the town of Bezek. Q - Is the conquest of the Canaanites just? A - Judges 1:7 (NLT), Adoni-bezek said, “I once had seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off, eating scraps from under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them.” They took him to Jerusalem, and he died there. Judges 1:19-21 (NLT) The Lord was with the people of Judah, and they took possession of the hill country. But they failed to drive out the people living in the plains, who had iron chariots. 20 The town of Hebron was given to Caleb as Moses had promised. And Caleb drove out the people living there, who were descendants of the three sons of Anak. 21 The tribe of Benjamin, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live in Jerusalem among the people of Benjamin. Caleb’s family is the example of a whole-hearted family that fought the good fight of faith. The Northern Campaign led by Joseph’s house: FAILURE Judges 1:22-26 (NLT) “The descendants of Joseph attacked the town of Bethel, and the Lord was with them. 23 They sent men to scout out Bethel (formerly known as Luz). 24 They confronted a man coming out of the town and said to him, “Show us a way into the town, and we will have mercy on you.” 25 So he showed them a way in, and they killed everyone in the town except that man and his family. 26 Later the man moved to the land of the Hittites, where he built a town. He named it Luz, which is its name to this day. Judges 1:27-29, 32 (NLT) The tribe of Manasseh failed to drive out the people… because the Canaanites were determined to stay in that region. 28 When the Israelites grew stronger, they forced the Canaanites to work as slaves, but they never did drive them completely out of the land. 29 The tribe of Ephraim failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, so the Canaanites continued to live there among them ...32 the people of Asher moved in among the Canaanites, who controlled the land, for they failed to drive them out. Judah failed, v19 Simeon Benjamin failed, v20 Manasseh failed, v27 Ephraim failed, v29 Zebulun failed v30 Asher failed v31 Naphtali failed v31 Dan forced back v34 Issachar EVALUATION: Why did you do this? Judges 2:1-5 (NLT), The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said to the Israelites, “I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors, and I said I would never break my covenant with you. 2 For your part, you were not to make any covenants with the people living in this land; instead, you were to destroy their altars. But you disobeyed my command. Why did you do this? 3 So now I declare that I will no longer drive out the people living in your land. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a constant temptation to you.” 4 When the angel of the Lord finished speaking to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly. 5 So they called the place Bokim (which means “weeping”), and they offered sacrifices there to the Lord. CONCLUSION: Judges is a great lesson in half-hearted discipleship! Lewis, “Christ says ‘Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half -measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don’t want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.’”