Judges & Kings

The journey began in Egypt, with the story of Moses. Why there? First of all, we have to realize that Moses wrote the first five
books of the Bible - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, which are also known as the Torah and the
Penateuch. Secondly, Moses lived during the time of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy; he wasn't around during
any of Genesis. The story of Moses is an excellent backdrop for how God orchestrates time, human behavior, and circumstance
to bring about His glorious outcome. Another notable sidepiece is that the genealogy of the Hebrew people (Abraham's
children) has been passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth, not in written text.

Now the Israelite community has gone through their desert wanderings, conquered the land that God has given them; and now
are embarking on the task of living in the land. This part of the study will take in Judges, Ruth, 1st & 2nd Samuels, Kings, and
Chronicles, with excerpts from the Books of Prophets.

Before we get to far into this study, let's review some things; God chose Abram, Issac, and Jacob to be the initial patriarchs of
the Israelite community, the founding fathers were the 12 sons of Jacob. This family grew into a community while staying in
Egypt for 400 years (some of those years they were subjugated); God rescued them and delivered them from their bondage; God
then lead, provided, and protected them through their 'wilderness' period; and gave to them a 'promised' land of abundance for
them to inhabit.

Abram lied, relied on his own resources several times (one in which has serious repercussions even to this day - Arab vs Jews
stigma); Issac didn't fall to far from the tree of Abram's example; Jacob's manipulations and deceptions followed him
everywhere. The twelve sons by four different mothers, sold a brother into slavery, who turned out to be their salvation several
years later, setting the stage for the whole family to move to and live in Egypt.

During their 'wilderness' period, this Israelite community failed to trust and believe in God - to the point of being exterminated
in the desert; and another miracle of God's was His replacing their number with the same number that died in the desert. They
tested, tried, and complained to and about God's provision and leadership continually; and when God brought them to the
'promised' land, the Israelites rebelled totally against God.

With a whole 'new' community, the Israelites entered the land - but once again failed to completely adhere to God's plan, and
disobeyed His commandments. Taking sacred items from Jericho, the community let sin into the house. Failing to destroy all
the inhabitance of the land that was 'promised' them, now they have to contend with the consequences of those left behind,
living together with them. All of this has pertinent bearing on the issues at hand with the remaining study; these Israelites with
a consistent adherence to disbelief and disobedience are now having to either make a change in their behavior, or they are
doomed to the meet the same challenges with the same failed results.

In my simplicity of thinking, I see the whole salvation scenario right there! Jesus draws us to the Father by showing us how
sinful, wrong, disobedient, and selfish we are just by revealing his relationship (showing us the light) with his Father, and the
rightness thereof by living an obedient life. God made the Israelites a family, saved them, protected them, and gave to them a
land flowing with milk and honey! All they had to do (as with us) was be obedient, and follow God's plan.

The lesson opens with the book of Joshua telling of the victories of obedient people, but the book of Judges depicts a
disobedient and idolatrous people, living defeated lives time and time again because of their rebellion against God. It depicts
the harrowing life when one substitute and abandons God's love and His laws with 'what's right in our own eyes'. 'The
Benjamites, however, failed to dislodge the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the
Benjamites. But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their
surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land. Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites
living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them. Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in
Kitron or Nahalol, who remained among them; but they did subject them to forced labor. Nor did Asher drive out those living in
Acco or Sidon or Ahlab or Aczib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob, and because of this the people of Asher lived among the
Canaanite inhabitants of the land. Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath; but the
Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and those living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became
forced laborers for them. The Amorites confined the Danites to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain.
And the Amorites were determined also to hold out in Mount Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim' Judg 1:21, 27, 29 - 35

'After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor
what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. They forsook the LORD,
the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around
them. They provoked the LORD to anger because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. In his anger against
Israel the LORD handed them over to raiders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around, whom they were no
longer able to resist.' Judg 2:10-14

'Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as
long as the judge lived; for the LORD had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them.
But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and
serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways. Therefore the LORD was very
angry with Israel and said, "Because this nation has violated the covenant that I laid down for their forefathers and has not
listened to me, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. I will use them to test Israel
and see whether they will keep the way of the LORD and walk in it as their forefathers did." Judg 2:18-22

From here, there is a long list of judges and rebellion - back and forth; Ehud in Judges 3, Deborah in Judges 5, Gideon in Judges
6-8, Tola and Jair in Judges 10, Jephthah in Judges 11, then Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon. *(Somewhere here, the Book of Ruth was
written; a man from Judah, named Salmon, married the harlot Rahab after the battle of Jericho. They had a son by the name of
Boaz, who became the husband of Ruth, the daughter-in-law of Naomi) 'In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in
the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of
Moab. The man's name was Elimelech, his wife's name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They
were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. Now Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and
she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth.' Ruth 1:1-4

The story of Samson; his life, trials, and death; are recalled in Judges 13-16. To show their utter contempt, the next story in
Judges offers up some really strange conjecture, and pertaining to whom they concern, almost blasphemous allegations. It's about
a young man who has stolen money from his mother (who cursed the action, not knowing it was her son), and his returning to his
mom, who then spends the monies on making an idol to worship in her house. Her son 'buys' a priest (who just happens to be
Moses' grandson), so that he would have a priestly father over him and his house. The tribe of Dan comes along and 'steals' this
mans priest to be their tribes priest. WOW! And the last story in Judges deals with the tribe of Benjamin in the village of Gibeah;
'While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they
shouted to the old man who owned the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him."'
Judges 19:22 This tribe was the descendants of Israel's most precious son Benjamin (when Israel had thought he had lost Joseph,
when his other sons sold him into slavery in Egypt); sounds more like Sodom and Gomorah wickedness than God's righteous
right arm and 'priests to the nations'. In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. Judg 21:25

Confusing - yes, but tell me, did God ever promise you that it would be easy? Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide
is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road
that leads to life, and only a few find it." I know that this is not what He promised, but as His word keeps repeating through the
book of Judges, 'Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so the LORD delivered them into the hands of �..'. I see a
written history of repeated disobedience towards God; and what we sow in disobedience, we reap as God allows the enemy to have
his way with us. How then should we act (Paul's great deliberation in Romans 6 & 7) - in love and obedience!