The Book of Judges Series – Revival in the Land 3/21/21 “In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did
what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 17:6; 21:25 (NASB)
Introduction-“Who will go up for us…” (1:1-3)
I. Background of the period of the judges-The reason for Israel’s apostasy (1:4-3:6)
A. The political background-Hostilities between Israel and the Canaanites (1:4-36)
B. The spiritual background – Israel’s conduct and God’s response (2:1-3:6)
II. History of the period of the judges-The record of Israel’s apostasy (3:7-16:31)
A. 1st apostasy-Mesopotamian oppression-Othniel’s deliverance (3:7-14) B. 2nd apostasy-Moabite oppression-Ehud’s deliverance (3:12-30)
C. 3rd apostasy-Canaanite oppression-Deborah/Barak (4:1-5:31)
D. 4th Apostasy-Midianite oppression-Gideon’s deliverance (6:1-8:35)
Addendum: This “cycle” is different – “The Enemy Within”- Conspiracy (9:1-10:5)
E. 5th apostasy-Ammonite oppression-Jephthah’s deliverance (10:6-12:15) 1. Ammonite oppression – Jephthah’s deliverance (10:6-12:7)
Part 1: The prelude to conflict – True repentance? (10:6-11:11)
Part 2: The battlefield and beyond – Think before we speak! (11:12-12:7) c. Jephthah delivers Israel from the Ammonites (11:12-33)
(1) Jephthah’s attempt at diplomacy is rejected —> war (vv.12-28) (2) Jephthah’s tragic vow – What was he thinking?! (vv.29-31)
(3) The Ammonites defeated by Jephthah (vv.32-33)
d. The painful aftermath of the battle Jephthah’s quandry (11:34-40) (1) The terrible cost of Jephthah’s rash vow – His daughter (vv.34-35) (2) Jephthah’s daughter’s remarkable response and legacy (vv.36-40)
e. Ephraim’s always late to the battle- and fighting about it! (12:1-7; cf. 8:1) Addendum: Less well-known judges served between cycles of spiritual decline (8-15)
- Ibzan’s Judgeship – Children married “outside” the tribe – 7 years (12:8-10) 3. Elon’s Judgeship – 10 years (12:11-12)
- Abdon’s judgeship – 8 years (12:13-15)
Key Verse(s) *Jephthah’s tragic vow and the rash promises we make!
Judges 11:30-32 (cf. vv.34-35) (NASB) *Avoid making rash vows or promises! “Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, ‘If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand, then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.’ So Jephthah crossed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD gave them into his hand.”
“…if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)
Judges 11:12-12:7 “Think Before You Speak!”
“Now the angel of the LORD…said…’I will never break My covenant…’”
Judges 2:1 (NASB)
Key Verses – The connection between Jephthah’s vow and God’s blood sacrifice
Judges 11:34-35 (NASB) *Be careful to think before we speak!
“When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. Now she was his one and only child; besides her he had no son or daughter. When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, ‘Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have given my word to the LORD, and I cannot take it back.’”
Key x-References – The history of votive offerings – or vows – in the Old Testament Numbers 30:1-2 (NASB) *If we make a vow or promise God expects us to keep it “Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying, ‘This is the word which the LORD has commanded. If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.’”
Deuteronomy 18:10-12; cf, 12:29-32 (NASB) *Child sacrifice is an abomination to God “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire…For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD.”
Psalm 106:34-41 (NASB) *Why God commanded the destruction of the Canaanites “They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them, but they mingled with the nations and learned their practices, and served their idols, which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons, and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with the blood.
Thus they became unclean in their practices, and played the harlot in their deeds. Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against His people and He abhorred His inheritance. Then He gave them into the hand of the nations, and those who hated them ruled over them.”
Leviticus 17:11 (excerpts NASB) *Nevertheless there IS a necessary blood sacrifice “’For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.” *Note: The blood sacrifice is required because “the wages of sin is death” Ro- mans 6:23, it is a debt that must be paid because God is a God of justice
Hebrews 9:22 (excerpts NASB) *God paid the price for our sins through His Son’s death “And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
Ephesians 5:1-2 (NASB) *God calls believers to be a LIVING sacrifice for Him “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” *Note: See what “living sacrifice” means in Romans 12:1-2
Key Terms (most words have a ‘field of meaning’ —> various translations)
“vow” (v.30) Hebrew #5088 (56x), NASB neder : a vow:– votive (3), votive offering (1), votive offerings (5), vow (26), vows (24)
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”
2 Timothy 2:13 (NASB)