The Need for Judges
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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.
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. The judges could not provide the leadership the people needed. The people didn't need just regional judges. The people needed a king. And of course, if we were to extend this study into 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, what we discover is the kings didn't always do such a hot job either. And so again, when we get into the life of the kings, the people needed a king, a judge wasn't enough, then they get a king, and what do they discover with a king?
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
Why did Israel need judges?
0:00–0:59
2
What is the significance of the book of Judges for today?
0:59–6:00
3
Who was Samson and what role did he play?
6:00–9:28
4
How does the book of Judges illustrate Israel's spiritual decline?
9:28–22:04
5
What is the relationship between judges and Israel's need for a king?
22:04–26:13