The Judges

After Joshua led the twelve tribes of the descendants of the sons of Jacob (Israel) and distributed the land allotments to each tribe, the people settled into their own lands, built up each of their land allotments and mostly operated independently among their own tribes (people - families).

Judah was selected as the leading Tribe, however, there was not an overall leader or King as one large group of people as is typical today.

After Joshua and Caleb died, the last two leaders that also walked with Moses, their was not another leader such as these men that followed God as devoutly.

About 30 years after Joshua died, the people of surrounding lands, and also, those that the tribes fought to take control of their current land, came under attack and occupation.

Then the Lord raised up Judges to rescue the people of Israel (12 Tribes of the descendants of Jacobs sons.)

Timeline Period - 1350 BC - 1014 BC - 336 Years

The Judges of the Tribes of Israel

Othniel - The 1st Judge - The Son of Kenaz - The Son of Caleb's younger brother, Kenaz. Caleb's Nephew - Caleb and Joshua led the Twelve Tribes of Israel to take possession of the Land of Israel after Moses died. Othniel made a name for himself as a warrior when he fought with Joshua in taking possession of the land.
- Conquered the town of Debir (kiriath-sepher). Was given Caleb's daughter, Acsah, as his wife for the achievement.
- The tribes of Israel came under control of King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram. The people of Israel served him for 8 years.
- The Spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel and he went to war against King Cushan of Aram and the Lord gave Othniel victory.
- There was peace in the land for forty years.
- Othniel Died after serving as Judge for forty years.
Ehud - The 2nd Judge - The Son of Gera from the Tribe of Benjamin
- Israel did evil in the Lord's sight and the Lord gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel because of their evil.
- The Israelites were forced to pay tribute money / tax to King Eglon and Ehud was selected to bring the money to Eglon of Moab.
- After bringing the money to pay King Eglon, Ehud left to go home, but then he stopped and turned around, so that he could kill King Eglon instead.
- Ehud said he had a message to give Eglon, so he was allowed for another visit, but Ehud stabbed King Eglon with a dagger in his stomach and killed him.
- After Ehud escaped, he gathered the fighting men of Israel at the shallow crossings of the Jordan River, directly across from Moab, so nobody could cross.
- Ehud and his men attacked the Moabites and killed 10,000 of their strongest men, conquering them.
- There was peace in the land for eighty years.
Shamgar - The 3rd Judge - He rescued Israel after Ehud and he once killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad, which is a farm tool used to prod or poke working animals. It has a long wooden handle with sharp metal point at one end.
Deborah - The 4th Judge - A Judge and Prophet of Israel
- Israel did evil in the Lord's sight and gave them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Caaninite King. Sisera was the Commander of his army and he had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressing the Israelites for twenty years.
- Deborah was a prophet and a Judge that the citizens would come to for judgement on matters.
- Deborah sent for Barak - Son of Abinoam, who lived in Kadesh, and delivered to him a message from and instruction from God.
- She told Barak that the Lord commands you to call out 10,000 warriors from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun and he will give you victory over Sisera.
- Barak agreed, but only if Deborah went with him, for which Deborah let Barak know that he would receive no credit for the victory.
- Deborah commanded Barak to lead his troops into battle and the Lord threw Sisera into a panic allowing Barak and his troops to kill every single one of Sisera's warriors. However, Sisera escaped on foot.
- Sisera ran to a location where he thought he had a friend. This friend was Heber, a Kenite, a descendant of Moses' brother-in-law Hobab, who had moved his tribe and tent away from the other members of the tribe.
- Sisera found Jael - the wife of Heber, because he thought they were friendly. Jael welcomed Sisera into their tent, provided him some milk and Sisera fell asleep due to being exhausted.
- Jael grabbed a tent peg and hammer and drove it through Sisera temple and into the ground, killing him.
- There was peace in the land for forty years.
Gideon - The 5th Judge - The Son of Joash
- Israel did evil in the Lord's sight and gave them over to the Midianites for seven years.
- The Angel of the Lord came and sat beneath a tree at Ophrah. Gideon was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites.
- The Lord said to Gideon, "Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!"
- Gideon asked for a sign to prove that what he was experiencing with the Lord was true. Over the course of the next two days, The Lord showed Gideon the answers and understanding for what he needed, so that he would have confidence in the task he was asked to do.
- The Lord whittled down the army Gideon would fight with from 22,000 to only 300, so that the people of Israel would not boast about the victory, but rather, they would know that the victory was from the Lord.
- Gideon and his men attacked the Midianites in the middle of the night and defeated them.
- Midian never recovered after Gideon destroyed them.
- There was peace in the land for the rest of Gideons life, about forty years.
Tola - The 6th Judge - The Son of Dodo
- Tola was from the Tribe of Issachar and lived in the town of Shamir in Ephraim.
- Tola judged Israel for twenty-three years.
Jair - The 7th Judge - From Gilead
- Jair had thirty sons that rode around on thirty donkeys and they owned thirty towns, called the Towns of Jair, in Gilead.
- Jair judged Israel for twenty-two years.
Jephthah - The 8th Judge - The Son of Gilead from Gilead was a great warrior
- He was chased off his land by his half-brothers.
- After the Ammonites began their war against Israel, the leaders of Gilead sent for Jephthah to lead them in battle and to be their leader.
- The Spirit of The Lord came upon Jephthah and he led an army against the Ammonites.
- The Lord gave him victory over the Ammonites.
- The people of Ephraim mobilized an army against Jephthah because he didn't ask them to fight with him against the Ammonites.
- Jephthah defeated the men of Ephraim, killing about 42,000 of them.
- He Judged Israel for six years.
Ibzan - The 9th Judge - From Bethlehem
- He had thirty sons and thirty daughters.
- He judged Israel for seven years.
Elon - The 10th Judge - From the Tribe of Zebulun.
- He judged Israel for ten years.
Abdon - The 11th Judge - Son of Hillel from Pirathon
- He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkeys.
- He judged Israel for eight years.
Samson - The 12th Judge - The Son of Manoah from the Tribe of Dan
- Israel did evil in the Lord's sight and gave them over to the Philistines who oppressed them for forty years.
- The Angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah's wife and told her she would become pregnant, even though she had previously been unable to.
- The Lord told her that his hair must never be cut and that he would rescue Israel from the Philistines.
- Manoah's wife gave birth to Samson and the Lord blessed him and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him.
- The Philistines tried to arrest him, but the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he killed 1,000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey.
- Samson judged Israel for twenty years during the period when the Philistines dominated the land.
- Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah.
- The rulers of the Philistines paid Delilah to entice Samson the secret to his strength and she accepted for 1,100 pieces of silver.
- After a short period of time, Delilah tricked Samson into telling her his secret and lulled him to sleep. She called in a man to cut off his hair and his power left him.
- Samson was captured, had his eyes gouged out and thrown in prison.
- His hair quickly began to grow back and the Philistine ruler threw a giant party in celebration of the victory over Samson. They brought out Samson as amusement to them.
- Samson put both hands on a pillar of the temple and he toppled the entire temple, killing about 3,000 Philistines. He killed more Philistines when he died than he had during his entire life.
Samuel - The 13th Judge - Samuel was a Prophet and Judge - The Son of Elkanah - Who lived in Ramah in the Region of Zuph - The Son of Jeroham - The Son of Elihu - Son of Tohu - Son of Zuph from Ephraim.
- Elkanah had two wives - Hannah and Peninnah - Hannah had no children. Peninnah had children.
- During this period - those that worshiped the Lord had to travel to Shiloh - where the ARK was located at the Tabernacle.
- The corrupt sons of Eli - Hophni and Phineas were the Priests that oversaw the gifts and animal sacrifices that people brought in hopes of getting a Word from God.
- Each year, Elkanah would bring his family to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the Lord.
- One year, Hannah, who was childless, made this vow, "O Lord of Heaven's Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut."
- After returning home to Ramah, the Lord remembered Hannah's prayer and she became pregnant and gave birth to Samuel.
- Several years later, after Samuel was weaned from his mother, Hannah brought him to the Tabernacle to remain there with the Lord.
- The boy Samuel served Eli the priest at the Tabernacle in Shiloh.
- Samuel grew taller and in favor with the Lord and with the people.
- Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable.
- All Israel knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord and the Lord continued to appear at Shiloh and gave messages to Samuel there at the tabernacle.