OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF JUDGES

By Gene McCarty

    During the period of judges the people of Israel are under the rule of God himself. He often appoints a special man to correct a problem or provide necessary leadership.    
   The book is written so that we may know the trials of Israel and that we may learn to be faithful to God. The book of Ruth, and I Samuel include history of the same period of time. 
    The men listed in this book were first deliverers and after that worked to administer justice. They were the only presence of what we might think of as government. Samuel as judge and prophet was able to establish a more permanent form of government than those before him. 
    The book appears to have been written by at least two writers or scribes. The book of Judges records 7 apostasies, 7 periods of bondage, and 7 times that God delivered his people. 

1. Israel is successful in taking the remainder of the land from many of the sinful people who lived in Canaan, however as we study chapter 2 we learn that God has determined to use a remnant of the peoples of the land to test Israel. Agreements had been made with some of the people of the land without God's approval, and now these people will be as thorns in their side.
    

2. In chapters 3 thru 5 we are told of Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, and Deborah as they lead Israel.
    

3. The account of Gideon's life is given to us in chapters 6 thru 8. The people had involved themselves in sin so God had given them to the Midianites. Worship of the Baals (idols) was the great sin. Gdeon is given the job of leading them back to righteousness and freedom. 
    

4. In chapter 9 Abimelech seeks to make himself king at all cost, and in chapter 10 Tola rose to save Israel. Then comes Jair and Jephthah whose work takes us thru chapter 12.
    

5. The next 4 chapters (13-16) give us the account of the service that Samson gave to God in Israel. His life is one of the most colorful and unusual of the judges. He also shows us something of the power of one man and God as a team.
    

6. In Chapter 17 we see one of the evil men that Israel had left in this land. His name is Micah and he was involved in idolatry. In chapter 18 the people of Dan take his priest and idols and go on to settle into a new life of idolatry.
    

7. In chapters 19 thru 21 we are introduced to the Benjamites, a tribe of Israel that is so sinful that God causes most of this tribe to be destroyed.