Judges

 
THE BOOK OF
JUDGES
 
                 
 
O U T L I N E
– The Rebellion of the Chosen People Judges 1 – 3:7
– Mingling with the Nations to be Dispossessed Judges 1 – 2:5
– The Breach with Jehovah Judges 2:6 – 3:7
– Bondage and Deliverances Judges 3:8 – 16
– Cycle #1: Oppressed by Mesopotamia – Delivered by Othniel Judges 3:8-11
– Cycle #2: Oppressed by Moab – Delivered by Ehud Judges 3:12-30
– Cycle #3: Oppressed by Philistia – Delivered by Shamgar Judges 3:31
– Cycle #4: Oppressed by Canaan – Delivered by Deborah Judges 4 – 5
– Cycle #5: Oppressed by Midian – Delivered by Gideon Judges 6 – 9
– Judgeships of Tola and Jair Judges 10:1-5
– Cycle #6: Oppressed by Ammon – Delivered by Jephthah Judges 10:6 – 12:7
– Judgeships of Ibzan, Elon, Abdon Judges 12:8-15
– Cycle #7: Oppressed by Philistia – Delivered by Samson Judges 13 – 16
– Appendix: The Corruption at Heart Manifest Judges 17 – 21
– Sin Against God: Will-worship in Dan Judges 17 – 18
– Sin Against Man: the Man from Ephraim
Judges 19
– Man’s View of Sin Corrected by God: The Benjamite War
Judges 20
– Israel Restored: A Loving Care for Benjamin Judges 21
 
Typical teaching in Judges. Joshua is a type of the Spirit of Christ in power. The elders who outlived Joshua speak of the Apostles who continued on after the Day of Pentecost. Judges outlines the steady path of declension that followed the death of Joshua. This is typical of the declension of the Church as outlined in Revelation 2-3. However, the overcomers – then in Israel’s day, as now in Laodicean times – shine brightly in a day of ruin.
 
Chronology. Chapters 17-21 describe events which historically precede Chapter 1. We can see this by looking at the chronology of Moses’ family. Those chapters are an appendix to the book, showing just how dark the day and how morally fallen the testimony was at that time.