2. The Hebrew title is Shophetim, meaning “judges, rulers, deliverers, or saviors.” Shophet not only carries the idea of maintaining justice and settling disputes, but it is also used to mean “liberating and delivering.” First the judges deliver the people; then they rule and administer justice

3. When Joshua died God did not appoint a man to succeed him as the military leader of the entire nation of Israel. Instead each tribe was to proceed to conquer and occupy its allotted territory. As the need arose God raised up several different individuals who were judges in various parts of Israel at various times to lead segments of the Israelites against local enemies. These judges were similar to our state governors. God endowed them with certain qualities and identified them in various ways as being those He had chosen to lead His people. This leadership sometimes involved military command. Thus, the judges were God's agents in Israel who judged under Him at this period in the nation's history.

4. Though the judge enjoyed great prestige, he was in no sense a king. His authority was neither absolute, nor permanent, nor in any case hereditary; it rested solely on God’s election for the appointed time. The book of Judges specifically lists twelve men and one woman who served as judges over Israel. In addition, in 1 Samuel both Eli and Samuel are considered to be the last judges of Israel. The judgeships of some of the individual judges apparently overlapped. Some ruled in one area of Israel while one or more others ruled elsewhere in some cases

5. Christ as Seen in Judges: Since each judge functioned as a ruler- deliverer, they served as pictures of the Savior in His work as Savior and Lord, the Righteous Deliverer King.

6. OUTLINE Many scholars divide Judges into three sections involving the apostasy of Israel: I. Deterioration—The reason for Israel's apostasy (1:1-3:6) II. Deliverance—The repeated cycle of Israel's apostasy (3:7-16:31) III. Depravity—The results of Israel's apostasy: two illustrations of Anarchy (17:1-21:25)

7. THEME The repeated theme of the book is stated first in Judges 2:18-19: And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way. the primary purpose was to show that Israel's spiritual condition determined its political and material situation Judges illustrates the consequences of forsaking Yahweh and His covenant (Judges 2:11-15). The nation had violated the Mosaic covenant (Judges 2:20), and as a result God made it difficult for Israel to drive out the inhabitants of Canaan (Judges 2:21-23).

8. HISTORICAL SCOPE Historically, Judges bridges the gap from the time of Joshua to the time of the prophet Samuel and the beginning of the monarchy under Saul and David (about 300-350 years). It records the history of seven cycles of decline, oppression, supplication, and deliverance.

9. Deterioration: The reason for Israel's apostasy Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand. (Joshua 1:1-2) The book of Judges begins where the book of Joshua leaves off; with the death of Joshua. Under Joshua, Israel had entered the Promised Land and found great success driving out the inhabitants of the land (1:1-26). Under Joshua, Israel had broken the back of the Canaanite's military strength; yet it remained for each individual tribe to actually go in and possess what God had given them The Lord's appointment of Judah as the first tribe to initiate hostility was in harmony with Jacob's prophecy that Judah would be the leader of the tribes (Gen. 49:8-12).

10. Judah (with the tribe of Simeon) defeats Bezek and their king (his title was Adoni-Bezek, which means "Lord of Lightning”) “But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.” (Judges 1:6), which is the same punishment the king claimed to have done to seventy of his rivals (1:7).

11. Next, we are introduced to Caleb's younger brother (or perhaps nephew), Othniel, who is given Caleb’s daughter in marriage for defeating the Canaanites at Debir The incident related here is also in Joshua (Josh. 15:15-19) and took place before Joshua died.

12. But the nation did not complete its job of driving out the nations, leaving large sections of land under the control of the Canaanites (1:27-36). Six times in succession the Bible records the failure of the tribes to obey God: “Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites” “Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron…” “Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho…” and so forth..

13. Due to the persistent disobedience of the tribes in chapter 1, chapter 2 is a record of defeat and failure. Because of their failure to complete the conquest, these nations would “serve as a snare” to Israel, leading them away from obedience to God's covenant with them and into idolatry (2:1-5 also ref Numbers 33:55).

14. “And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.” (2:10) Israel began worshipping the God's of their unconquered neighbors (2:11-13) and the nation plunged into huge periods of political and moral chaos. As a result, God would no longer give the nation an easy conquest of those nations (2:20-21) and would instead raise up foreign oppressors.

15. The body of the book of Judges falls into a predicable cyclical pattern. This cycle is outlined in the chapter 2. 1. The sons of Israel do evil in the sight of the Lord (2:11-13). 2. The anger of the Lord is kindled. The Lord sells them to their enemies (2:14). 3. Israel is distressed & cries out to the Lord (2:15). 4. God raises a judge to deliver (2:16). 5. The judge delivers (2:16-18). 6. The people serve the Lord and the land rests until the judge dies (2:19).

16. Deliverance— The repeated cycle of Israel's apostasy (3:7-16:31) The writer identified each of these periods with the phrase "the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD" (3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1). There are three trends as this pattern is repeated. First, the narratives get progressively longer. The story of Othniel is 5 verses long. The story of Samson is several chapters long. Secondly, as the nation went from one cycle of discipline to the next, there was a continual deterioration. Thirdly, there was a shift in the 'quality' of the judges themselves as the book advances. The judges become more corrupt and farther from God.

17. First Apostasy (3:7-11) Sin: Idolatry Punishment: 8 years Deliverer and Judge: Othniel Period of rest: 40 years And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves. Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years. (3:7-8)

18. The cycle begins within a generation after the death of Joshua. The sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and began worshipping Baal and Asheroth, the Canaanite fertility god and goddess. Thus, The nation was first oppressed by the king from Syria, to the north God raised up Othniel as the first judge and he led the forces of Israel against Syria and drove them from the land. For 40 years he ruled as the first judge of Israel and the land had peace during that time.

19. Second Apostasy (3:12-31) Sin: Immorality and Idolatry Punishment: 18 years Deliverer and Judge: Ehud and Shamgar Period of rest: 80 years “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. And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees. So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.” (3:12-14)

20. After the death of Othniel, the cycle repeats again. Israel again does what is evil in the sight of the Lord. This time the Lord gives the nation over to Eglon, the king of Moab. After 18 years of oppression, Israel cries out to the Lord. God raises a left handed Benjamite named Ehud to deliver the nation. Israel had been paying tribute to Eglon for 18 years. Ehud brought the tribute to the king and told the king he had a message for him from God. As he got close to the king, he took out a concealed sword and plunged it into Eglon's belly. But Eglon was so obese that sword was completely swallowed up in his fat. Eglon escaped the kings throne room and then led all of Israel against the Moabite army, killing 10,000 men. The land remained at rest for 80 years under Ehud's leadership

21. The book of Judges then tells us of another judge, Shamgar, who defeated 600 Philistines and also saved Israel. (3:31) From the text it is difficult to tell if Shamgar was a judge ruling either at the same time as Ehud or after Ehud. Several factors suggest that Shamgar's victory took place sometime during the 98 years described in the previous section (vv. 12-30). First, the first verse of the next narrative (4:1) refers to Ehud, not Shamgar. Second, there is no reference to Israel doing evil in Yahweh's sight in this verse. Third, the writer did not mention a number of years that the land enjoyed rest.

22. Third Apostasy (Ch 4-5) Sin: Departed from God Punishment: 20 years Deliverer and Judge: Deborah and Barak Period of rest: 40 years “And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead. 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. 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.” (4:1-3)

23. After the death of Ehud, the cycle repeats. Israel does evil in the sight of the Lord. The Lord sells them into the hand of the Canaanite king, Jabin, and his general, Sisera. After 20 years of oppression at by Jabin's 900 iron chariots, Israel cries out to the Lord. This time God raises up a female judge named Deborah. Deborah was already a judge (4:5), settling disputes among the Israelites. But Deborah was also a prophetess of God. She spoke on behalf of the Lord to the nation of Israel. The Bible tells of several other prophetesses: Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Huldah (2 Kings 22:14), Anna (Luke 2:36), and Philip's four daughters (Acts 21:8-9)

24. Through Deborah, God sent a command to Barak in the tribe of Naphtali, who mobilized 10,000 men and led them against King Jabin. Barak refused to go to battle with Jabin unless Deborah went with him. When she consented, 10,000 men assembled on the slopes of Mount Tabor and prepared to assault the armies of Jabin, led by his general Sisera. God caused great rains to overswell the banks of the River Kishon, bringing a flash flood (Judges 5:4-5, 21). The muddy conditions made the chariots of iron a hindrance, not a help in the battle When the Canaanite armies panicked before Israel, Sisera fled on foot and found what he thought to be a refuge in the tent of a woman named Jael. While Sisera slept in the tent, Jael took an iron tent peg and a hammer and drove the long spike through Sisera's head, ending his life and the power of the northern Canaanite tribes.

25. The account is followed by the singing of a great song of triumph known as the "Song of Deborah," which recounts in poetic detail the story of the triumph of Deborah and Barak, giving credit to the God of Israel rather than the might of her armies.

26. Fourth Apostasy (Ch 6-8:32) Sin: Departed from God Punishment: 7 years Deliverer and Judge: Gideon Period of rest: 40 years “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.” (6:1)

27. The Spirit of the Lord comes upon Gideon and directs him to battle with the Midianites. However, Gideon is not sure of God's call. So, just to be sure, he lays out a fleece of wool at night and asks God to confirm his calling by making the fleece wet with dew while leaving the ground dry. God obliges. But Gideon is still not convinced, so he repeats the test, this time asking God to make the fleece dry while the ground is wet. Once again God does just as Gideon asks. Many Bible scholars and pastors have often harshly criticized Gideon for his lack of faith. But we must remember that Gideon is included in the "hall of faith" (Hebrews 11:32)

28. Gideon's army totaled 32,000 men while the Midianites and their allies fielded about 135,000 warriors (8:10). But this is too many for God's plan! So Gideon tells all those who are afraid to go home, thereby reducing his army down to 10,000 men. Then the Lord has Gideon further reduce his army. He leads them to water, and those who lap the water like a dog are sent home, while those who cup it in their hands are allowed to remain. This reduces the army to 300 men. This must have concerned Gideon. His army less than 1/100th the size it was when he began his campaign. But God assures Gideon through a dream that the battle will be his.

29. Gideon leads his army at night to surround the Midianites. Each man is given a torch covered by an empty pitcher and a trumpet. Upon Gideon's signal, the men all blow their trumpets, break their pitchers hiding the light from the torch, and yell out “for the Lord and for Gideon.” In the subsequent confusion and panic the Midianites could not tell a friend from an enemy and they began battling each other. The waiting troops of Naphtali, Asher and Manasseh then joined the fight, chasing the retreating Midianites to the Jordan River and capturing and killing their two generals, Oreb and Zeeb.

30. After the great victory, the nation of Israel is ready to make Gideon their king. They say, “rule over us, both you, and your son, and your son's son.” Because of Gideon's victory over Midian, the nation wanted to establish the house of Gideon as their royal family and monarchy. However, Gideon refuses this, “I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.” (8:23)

31. However, on the heals of this great demonstration of humility, Gideon makes a very poor choice which leads both him and the nation into idolatry. In a move reminiscent of Aaron in Exodus 32, he asks Israel to bring him gold earrings obtained from the spoils of the battle. He collected 1,700 shekels of gold (between 35 and 75 pounds depending upon the weight of a shekel at the time), which he then melted down and turned into an ephod. An ephod is an apron like garment usually worn by the priest. The ephod included lots which were cast to determine the will of God. In making the ephod, Gideon was assuming the role of the priesthood. Over time this ephod became an idol which the nation would come to worship; even Gideon himself was caught up with the ephod: “and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.” (8:27)

32. Fifth Apostasy (Ch 8:33-10:5 ) Sin: Departed from God Punishment: 3-4 years Deliverer and Judge: Tola and Jair Period of rest: 45 years “And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god. And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side” (8:33-34)

33. While Gideon had refused to establish a monarchy, his son Abimelech did. In fact, the very name Abimelech means “father of the king.” Abimelech conspired with the men of Shechem to kill all 70 of his half brothers, except for the youngest, Jotham, who escaped (9: 1-6) and to become king. When Abimelech was proclaimed king by the men of Shechem, Jotham stood on Mount Gerizim and recited to the men of Shechem the fable of the trees. The olive, the fig and the vine all refused to reign over the other trees. When they turned to the thornbush, it consented to be their king and warned them of a fiery destruction if they refused (9:7-20). By this Jotham indicated that Abimelech would destroy the leaders of Shechem and they in turn would destroy Abimelech. Subsequent events proved the accuracy of this prophecy.

34. Abimelech ruled as king for 3 years before God created division between Shechem and the king, so that the king took his army out to recapture the city. However while attacking the citadel in the city, a woman threw down a millstone and crushed Abimelech's head. Thus, God punished both Abimelech and Shechem for the slaughter of Gideon's sons.

35. “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. And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir. And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years”(10:1-2) After the reign of Abimelech, there were two more judges. Tola ruled for 23 years, and Jair for 22 years.

36. Sixth Apostasy (Ch 10:6-12:15) Sin: Departed from God Punishment: 18 years Deliverer and Judge: Jephthah (and his successors) Period of rest: 31 years “And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him. And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon. And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.”(10:6-8)

37. As before, the people of Israel turned away from the Lord to worship pagan gods, and this time it is added that they ceased worshipping Jehovah at all God delivered them over to the Philistines and to Ammon. Jephthah was from Gilead, a hilly region east of the Jordan. However Jephthah was the son of a harlot and so was not allowed his father's inheritance and had to flee from Gilead. But Jephthah was a brave warrior and so he was called by the people to lead the army against Ammon.

38. After the Spirit of the Lord comes upon Jephthah, he traveled from Gilead to Ammon to fight against the Ammonites. As the battle is to begin he makes a vow unto the Lord that if God gives him victory, he would offer as a burnt sacrifice the first thing that comes out of the door of his house. God gives victory to Jephthah, delivering Israel from the oppression of the Ammonites. But when Jephthah returns home, his daughter, who is an only child, runs out the door of his house with tambourines and dancing to celebrate the victory. This grieves Jephthah, for he must fulfill his vow to the Lord and now offer her as a burnt sacrifice. This strange story (focus on 11:30-31) has been the subject of much debate among Bible scholars. Did he actually sacrifice her, or not?

39. According to the most Hebrew scholars, the best translation is I will consecrate it to the Lord, or I will offer it for a burnt-offering; that is, "If it be a thing fit for a burnt-offering, it shall be made one; if fit for the service of God, it shall be consecrated to him" Human sacrifice was strictly forbidden by the Mosaic law in Leviticus 18:21 and Deuteronomy 12:31; Jephthah, in his negotiations with the Ammonites, has already demonstrated that he is a man who knows God's Word. Additionally, Leviticus 27:1-8 told the Israelites that if they vowed someone or something to God and then wanted it back they could pay a stated ransom price and buy it back.

40. Thus, there are primarily two possible interpretations of the fate of Jephthah's daughter in relation to Jephthah's fulfilling his vow #1: Jephthah offered her as a human sacrifice (burnt offering) to Yahweh Scholars who support this contend that Judges continues the pattern of relating the national victories and then the personal failures of the judges (i.e. the narrative of Gideon and Samson) Thus, this story serves to illustrate the failure of the judges and the depths of evil to which Israel has fallen. #2: Jephthah dedicated her to the service of Yahweh at the tabernacle where she ministered from then on as a virgin. Scholars point out that the two-month reprieve would have been appropriate if she left his home from then on for a life of perpetual service at the tabernacle. She mourned because she would live as a virgin, not die a virgin. They also claim that this is the best explanation, because Jephthah is listed as a hero of the faith (Hebrews 11:32)

41. Jephthah judges for 6 years. Following him there are a series of judges mentioned in chapter 12. Ibzan of Bethlehem judged for 7 years, Elon the Zebulunite judged for 10 years, and Abdon judged for 8 years.

42. Seventh Apostasy (Ch 13-16) Sin: Departed from God Punishment: 40 years Deliverer and Judge: Samson Period of rest: years “And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years. And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. 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.” (13:1-3)

43. The final cycle begins in chapter 13 as Israel does evil in the sight of the Lord. The Lord gives them over to the Philistines for 40 years of oppression. However, here the cycle breaks down in a number of ways. First we don't see the nation cry out to the Lord. Secondly, this judge does not actually ever deliver Israel from her oppressors.

44. Samson is called by God before he is even born. The angel of the Lord appears to a barren Danite woman and tells her that she is about to give birth to a son. This son is to fulfill the Nazirite vow (Numbers 6:2-6). When he grew to manhood, he manifested the presence of the Spirit of the Lord upon him in great deeds of physical strength. For example, Samson killed a lion that attempted to attack him with his bare hands. (14:5-6). While Samson had the Spirit of God within him, Samson turns out to have very little regard for the Law of God. His moral weakness seemed to be an attraction to the daughters of the Philistines. Samson falls in love with Timnah, a Philistine girl and desires to marry her. The Law strictly forbid marriage with foreigners. To make matters worse, the Philistines are the very people Samson should be defeating to deliver Israel. But Samson does not seem at all interested in his call as a deliverer for the nation. All his decisions seem to be to satisfy his own desires. Furthermore, Samson seems to have very little regard for his Nazarite vow. He touches the carcass of a dead lion and a dead donkey.

45. Despite—or because of—his relationships with Philistine women, Samson is in continual conflict with his in-laws. It starts when he comes to claim his wife. On the way he saw that the body of the lion that he had killed had been inhabited by a swarm of bees and was filled with honey. While Samson waited, with 30 Philistine companions, for the marriage negotiations to be completed, he put to them a riddle, promising each of them a new garment if they could solve it. The riddle was: "Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet," referring to the honey in the lion (14:10). For seven days they tried in vain to solve the riddle and finally resorted to bribing Samson's new wife to extract the answer from him. When Samson told her, she repeated it to the Philistines. Samson paid his debt to them by killing 30 men of Ashkelon and giving their garments to his 30 Philistine companions. But angered at their deceit, he returned to his father's house and his wife was given instead to the best man (14:20).

46. When Samson went later to visit his wife, he learned that she had been given away. He caught 300 foxes, tied them together in pairs by the tails with torches between and set fire to the Philistines' fields of grain. When the Philistines in revenge, burned Samson's wife and her father, Samson retaliated by killing many of them, and then went down to the rock of Etam (15:1-8). The Philistines demanded his return, and 3,000 men of Judah went to Samson and convinced him to allow them to deliver him bound with ropes into the Philistines' hands. When the Philistines came to take him, Samson broke the ropes and, seizing the jawbone of a donkey, he slew a thousand of the Philistines (15:9-17).

47. Then Samson became involved with a Philistine harlot. The Philistine men heard he was in Gaza and laid in wait for him. He arose at midnight, took hold of the doors of the city's gate and, pulling them up tear end all, he carried them on his shoulders to the top of the hill that is before Hebron (16:1- 3).

48. In chapter 16, Samson falls in love with another Philistine woman named Delilah. The Philistines decide to use Delilah to extract revenge against Samson, and they ask her to trick him into giving away the secret of his tremendous strength. Three times he gave her false clues and three times the Philistines came upon him and he repulsed them. Despite her obvious disloyalty, he remained with her and when she nagged him unceasingly he finally told her the truth. Then, while he slept in her lap, she called a servant to shave off all of Samson's hair. When he awoke it is recorded that "he did not know that the Lord had departed from him" (16:20).

49. After cutting his hair, the Philistines are able to subdue Samson. They gouge out his eyes and put him in prison in Gaza, forcing him to grind at the prison mill. As the sightless Samson ground at the prison mill, his hair began to grow, and when after several months the Philistine lords gathered for a great sacrifice to their god Dagon, they called Samson before them to make sport of him. Samson asked the boy who led him to put him between the two great pillars that supported the house, and praying with earnestness to the Lord, he bowed himself mightily, pushed the pillars apart and the house fell upon the princes, crushing about 3,000 men and women to death. Samson, too, perished in the ruins (Judg. 16:28-30). The narrative ends with Samson's failure as a judge: “So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.” (16:30b)

50. Depravity—The results of Israel's apostasy: two illustrations of Anarchy (17:1-21:25) Following the cycles of the Judges are two stories which further illustrate the terrible moral and civil decline taking place in Israel during this time. The phrase running through the last five chapters is “In those days there was no king in Israel….” (17:6, 18:1, 21:25; also 19:1)

51. Tale of Micah's Priest (17– 18) The first illustration is about a man named Micah in the hill country of Ephraim, who apparently stole 1100 shekels of silver from his mother. When he confessed and restored the money, his mother took 200 pieces of silver and made two idols, which Micah took and put into his own private temple. Next, he “made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.” (17:5)

52. Soon, however, a Levite priest from Bethlehem visits Micah. Micah retains this Levite as his own personal priest because Micah thought “Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.” (17:13)

53. At that time, the tribe of Dan had been given a small inheritance near Judah's land, but recognizing its inadequacy, they sent five of their men toward the north to find new territory which they could subjugate and claim for themselves. On the way they stopped by the house of Micah. Finding the young Levite there, they urged him to inquire of the Lord whether their journey would be successful. Upon receiving his encouragement, they traveled north to the city of Laish, which is located near the foot of Mount Hermon. There they found people from the coastal city of Sidon, so isolated from their brethren they would be unable to defend themselves successfully. When they reported this to the Danites in Judah, 600 armed men went out to take the new land. When these came to the house of Micah, they enticed the young Levite to steal the two silver images, the ephod and the seraph, and to go with them to their new country as their official priest.

54. Though Micah followed them to protest, he was unable to recover his lost treasures, and the Danites went on to capture the city of Laish and renamed it Dan. There they set up their graven images, and the young Levite, who turns out to be the grandson of Moses, becomes the head of a line of priests who served the city of Dan until the time of the Assyrian captivity.

55. The Annihilation of Benjamin (20-21) The final story of the book of Judges is a flashback to the earlier days of conquest when Phinehas, grandson of Aaron, is still priest within the nation. The second narrative tells of a Levite from Bethlehem who was living in the hill country of Ephraim (may or may not be same Levite as previous narrative). This Levite had taken a young woman as his concubine/wife, but she left him and “played the whore against him” (19:2), and returned to her father’s home in Bethlehem.

56. The Levite went to Bethlehem to win her back. His father-in-law received him warmly, and despite his repeated attempts to return home, persuaded him to stay for six days of feasting and drinking. He finally headed north back to Ephraim with his concubine. On the way, he spent the night in a city of the tribe of Benjamin. While there some Benjamite men attack the house in which he is staying asking the host to deliver the Levite to them so they can sodomize him. The host offers a compromise and suggest that instead they take his own virgin daughter and the man's concubine. The men aren't happy with this, but nonetheless they take the concubine and rape her all night long.

57. At daybreak when the Levite prepared to go on his way, he opened the door and found his wife lying dead on the threshold He took her body to his home, and there with a knife he divided the body into 12 pieces and sent a piece to each of the tribes of Israel. This shocking deed so stunned the chiefs of the people that, in response, they gathered an army of 400,000 men and marched against Benjamin. They demanded that the guilty men within the tribe be given them for punishment, but the Benjaminites refused. Instead they mustered an army of 26,000 men from the cities of Benjamin. The two armies met for battle before the city of Gibeon.

58. The tribe of Benjamin, though outnumbered heavily, was at first able to defend themselves, killing 22,000 men the first day and 18,000 the second day. As in the battle of Ai, the Israelites resorted to ambush, and when they drew the men of Benjamin out of the city of Gibeon by feigning retreat, the men in ambush set the city afire. As the Benjaminites turned and fled the men of Israel fell upon them and a total of 25,000 Benjaminites were slain. A remnant of 600 fled through the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon for refuge.

59. The civil war had taken a dreadful toll, for now the Israelites recognized that they had virtually eliminated one of the 12 tribes. Yet, they had vowed before the Lord at Mizpah that they would not allow any of their daughters to marry Benjaminites. So the rest of the tribes of Israel got together and sought a plan to ensure the survival of Benjamin. Learning that the city of Jabesh in Gilead had not sent any armed men to the conflict, they sent 12,000 of their men against that city and slew with the sword every male and every married woman in the city. They brought back with them 400 young virgins, and these they offered to the remaining 600 men of Benjamin for wives. To find additional wives for the remaining 200 men, they encouraged the men of Benjamin to lie in wait at the city of Shiloh and when the young women of the city came out to celebrate one of the annual festivals they were to fall upon them and take them for wives. The tribe of Benjamin will be sufficiently restored to provide Israel with its first king (Saul)

60. Just so we don’t miss the main point.. The course of Israel's decline progressed in a descending series of cycles. Her deterioration grew out of spiritual apostasy and manifested itself in moral degeneracy, political disorganization, and social disintegration. This kind of moral, political, social, and spiritual chaos could only reign where people had forgotten about God as their King. The book closes with the reminder that this was all the result of " every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” The only standard left was the standard of "if it feels good, do it" - much like modern America