Chapter 1: Why did Israel need judges?
Before the judges, there was great strength in Israel and then gradual spiritual weakening in Israel. And that's when God instituted the office of the judges to help the people in their spiritually declining and compromised state.
Have you read the book of Judges lately? If you're using a Bible in a year plan, you'll likely be reaching it soon. But spending time in Old Testament books can sometimes be a challenge, because we might be less familiar with the context. It's worth the study though, because the Old Testament is not only the inspired Word of God, it has much to say for God's people today.
Welcome to the Saturday edition of Renewing Your Mind. I'm Nathan W. Bingham. Today we continue our time with W. Robert Godfrey as he introduces us to Samson.
Chapter 2: What is the significance of the book of Judges for today?
You've probably heard of Samson and Delilah. But who was Samson? The messages you're hearing on Saturdays are from Dr. Godfrey's 10-part study on the life of Samson. So go beyond the introduction and request the entire series on DVD with digital access to the messages and study guide when you donate before midnight tonight at RenewingYourMind.org. Samson was the last of the 12 judges.
But have you ever asked, why did Israel need judges? Here's Dr. Godfrey.
Only when we see what the book of Judges is about as a whole and Samson's role in that book are we really going to be able to achieve the maximum profit out of Samson. He's one of the 12 judges. He's the last judge, and he's the judge about whom we're told the most. So clearly there's a kind of building up to Samson in the book, and so Samson is a kind of culmination of the book.
But again, when we stand back from the book of Judges as a whole, we discover something kind of intriguing, I think. And that is that the book of Judges is not just about judges. You'd think if you're going to name a book the book of Judges, it ought to be about judges from beginning to end, but it's not. Probably 25% of the book is not about judges.
So the first chapter and a half of the book of Judges, there are no judges. The institution of the office of the judge is established by God only in the middle of chapter 2 of Judges. And then even more intriguingly, after the death of Samson at the end of chapter 16 of Judges, there are four more chapters about the history of Israel when there are no judges.
And so we have to recognize that while the book of Judges is 75% about judges, the judges are only part of the story. And that story is important, as we'll see, in that before the judges, there was great strength in Israel and then gradual spiritual weakening in Israel.
And that's when God instituted the office of the judges to help the people in their spiritually declining and compromised state. And then, when things have declined even further through the judges, so that by the end Samson is no better than the people, even though he's a judge, then we really see the mess that Israel is in after Samson dies.
The stories in the last chapter of Judges may be the most disturbing in the whole Bible. It is the kind of Bible text you're not sure you want to read to your grandchildren after dinner. It's horrifying and hideous what happens. And the text itself makes very clear the big point it's making.
And the big point is this, everyone did what was right in their own eyes because there was no king in Israel. And that's a real key to the whole meaning of the book of Judges. The whole meaning of the book of Judges, if we want to summarize it very briefly, is the people of God need a faithful leader. And the judges failed in that leadership.
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Chapter 3: Who was Samson and what role did he play?
And so God, in the need of his people, institutes the office of judge. Now the word judge is perhaps not the happiest translation. The Hebrew word is a kind of common word and sort of means decider. It's not a technical term. It's nothing really like a judge in a court as we understand a judge today. It's just kind of a leader. and a leader who makes the decisions for the people.
It's a rather common Hebrew word, and so we have to get out of our minds that this is some judicial activity. It's a leader who's going to lead the people against their sins, but usually also against their enemies. Because what's been happening in Israel is that when Israel sins, God punishes his people by bringing enemies to oppress them.
And it's as if God is saying to his people, if you will ignore me, if you are going to violate my law, if you're going to embrace sin, then I'm going to show you what it's like to be controlled by sin. And I'm going to do that by bringing in pagan enemies to oppress you. And so the judges are regularly described as deliverers. They're deliverers from sin and deliverers from enemies.
That's their important function. In a real sense, they are saviors of Israel. They're not the savior, they're not the perfect savior, the complete savior, but they are pointing to the people's need of salvation. That's what's happening over and over again in the book. In particular, this book is showing us the need of a deliverer, a leader, a savior in the great period between Joshua and Saul.
Because that's the period at which there is no common leadership. Now, the ending of the book of Joshua is particularly important for setting the scene for the book of Judges. And one of the most intriguing things that Joshua says near the end of his life, and he says a number of things that sound very much like Moses at the end of his life.
is basically calling the people to faithfulness, to law keeping, warning them about the dangers of breaking the law. He particularly warns them against idolatry, the besetting sin of Israel, which is spiritual adultery against the Lord.
He warns them against intermarriage with the nations, and that will be an important warning for us to keep in mind when we come to Samson, because Samson himself fails to remember that warning. But he makes a particularly interesting statement, Joshua does, in chapter 24 of Joshua, verses 19 and 20. And Joshua says to the people, "'You are not able to serve the Lord.'"
Now, that's a really intriguing statement, isn't it? He's been laboring for chapters on how they need to serve the Lord and how to serve the Lord. And then he says, you are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.
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Chapter 4: How does the book of Judges illustrate Israel's spiritual decline?
If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you after having done you good. That's a very solemn warning. Very solemn warning. Now, what does he mean when he says, you are not able to serve the Lord? Well, he may be functioning just as a Calvinist and saying you're all totally depraved. That's perfectly possible.
It may be part of what's going on here. But I think there's something more going on here. I think he's saying, after my death, you will not be able to serve the Lord because you will not have a leader. you've had Moses, and you haven't served the Lord perfectly under Moses, but Moses kept after you. And then you've had me, Joshua is the successor of Moses, and I've kept after you.
And now the Lord's taking me away, and he's not establishing someone to rule the whole nation. He's not establishing someone to rule the whole nation, but he's going to raise up judges, one here, one there, one now, one another time. But you're not going to be able to serve the Lord because you're not going to have a leader.
And so right from these last words of Joshua, the people of God are being prepared for the need of a king. And that's why this book is so important transitionally. from the days of Moses and Joshua to the days of Saul and David, when a whole new unity and deliverance is being given to the people of God. And for all of David's sin, we're constantly told he's the man after God's own heart.
He's the man God put on the throne to lead the people. He's the sweet singer of Israel who gave to Israel her songs about God and deliverance. He's the one who is held up as the model from whom Messiah would come. Who is Messiah? He's David's son. He's great David's greater son. That's Messiah.
And so this role of kingship is being highlighted through the book of Judges, and we need to always keep that in mind. We need a king.
Now, we're going to develop this a little more in the last lecture, and I don't want to give it all away, but having taught for 43 years now, I know that by the time I get to the last lecture, you'll all have forgotten this lecture, so I can mention it briefly here. Israel not only needs a king, but it needs a king from the tribe of Judah. Now, what does that say to you?
What alarms does that set off? It should remind you that a bozo from Benjamin can never be a good king. That's Saul. Saul is the bozo from Benjamin. I'm How does Judges begin? It begins showing the leadership of the tribe of Judah in faithfulness, opposing the enemies of God. So Judah is highlighted as the faithful leader at the beginning of the book of Judges.
And then, after the death of Samson, we find the spotlight turning to the tribe of Benjamin. And what we see is the growing sinfulness, horror, gross behavior of the people of Benjamin, particularly the people of Benjamin from the city of Gibeah. Never in the whole history of Israel has anything so vile happened as what happened in the city of Gibeah. And who was born in Gibeah? Saul.
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Chapter 5: What is the relationship between judges and Israel's need for a king?
And so this altar calls us to that. And then the wonderful promise, steadfast love and faithfulness meet, verse 10 of Psalm 85. Righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs up from the ground and righteousness looks down from the sky. That's what's promised. Peace is going to come. Faithfulness is going to come and it's going to be linked to righteousness.
God's going to accomplish that for his people. And And how does he accomplish that? Well, I think we're told that over in Psalm 80, which is a very similar psalm to Psalm 85 in terms of the pattern of ups and downs. But in verse 15, God speaks very personally to Israel. He says this Psalm 80, 14 and 15. Turn again, O Lord of hosts. Look down from heaven and see.
Have regard for this vine, the stock that your right hand planted. He's talked about how Israel was a vine dug up in Egypt and brought to the promised land and planted there. Have regard for this vine, the stock that your right hand planted for the son whom you made strong. for yourself. Israel is God's son. Israel is God's firstborn. He's concerned about that people as his child.
And then he goes on intriguingly, verse 17, but let your right hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself. So the Son, Israel the Son, is only going to be saved when God raises up the Son of Man, the man of his right hand, the man who will be strong. This is the pattern.
God raises up strong men throughout the Old Testament, but none of them strong enough. It's only Jesus as he comes who is strong enough to bind the strong man who's been the ruler of this world. And so the Psalter is showing us this pattern, this hope, this direction, and who is the strong man that we're going to look at?
Who is the strong man that God is raising up here at the end of the list of judges in the book of Judges? It's Samson. Samson we usually think of in the first place as what? As a strong man.
That was W. Robert Godfrey, the chairman of Ligonier Ministries, introducing us to the concept of judges and the arrival of Samson on today's episode of Renewing Your Mind. Hearing judges describe their time as everyone doing what was right in their own eyes sadly sounds like a fitting description of today as well.
So I appreciate Dr. Godfrey's reminder that in response, we should become prayerful, loving, and concerned people that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ may be known far and wide. If you'd like to go deeper in your study of Samson, you can request this series from Dr. Godfrey when you donate at renewingyourmind.org before midnight tonight.
To thank you for your donation in support of Renewing Your Mind and the global outreach of Ligonier Ministries, we'll send you the complete series on DVD. and we'll give you lifetime digital access to all 10 messages and the study guide. This series will not only introduce you to Samson, but it will also help you better understand the book of Judges and some of the history of Israel.
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