Judges: Hope For Troubled Times Chapters 4-6 “Deborah and Gideon”

Announcements

Judges and Ruth – Winter Quarter WeekDateTopic 107 Dec 11Overview – Judges and Ruth 214 Dec 11Israel’s Success and Failure: Judges 1:1-2:5 321 Dec 11Oppression and Deliverance: Judges 2:6-3: Dec 11Deborah, Gideon: Judges Jan 12Gideon’s Success and Failure: Judges 7:1-10:5 611 Jan 12Jephthah the Judge: Judges 10:6-12: Jan 12Samson and His Exploits: Judges Jan 12Samson and Delilah: Judges Feb 12A Levite and His Concubine: Judges Feb 12The War with Benjamin: Judges Feb 12Ruth and Naomi Return to Bethlehem: Ruth Feb 12Ruth and Boaz are Married: Ruth Feb 12Review – Judges and Ruth

Today’s Objectives Review past lesson, Judges 2:6-3:31 Provide an historical background and timeline for this weeks lesson Review historical maps of Israel and the region Read Judges 4, review Judges 5, and read Judges 6 Understand Deborah’s role in Israel Learn how God defeated the Canaanites Learn how God raised up Gideon to be a judge As Christians, sense the need to trust and rely more upon God and less upon our own strength

Review From Last Week Provided an historical background and timeline for Judges 2:6-3:31 Reviewed historical maps of Israel and the region Recognized why God raised up “judges” to deliver the Israelites from their oppressors Sensed the love and compassion of God for His people when they continually failed to obey Him Examined our own lives to make sure no “idols” are vying to be worshiped alongside, or ahead of, God

Historical Background Jewish traditions states Samuel wrote Judges Written around 1050 B.C. and covered the period from 1375 B.C. to 1050 B.C. –Death of Joshua to the beginning of the monarchy –Israel’s form of government was a theocracy –God alone was their King –God raises up a series of judges between Joshua’s death and the coronation of Saul –Major and minor judges; most did not rule over all Depressing period in Israel’s history –Cycle of sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance –Spiritual compromise was the norm of Israel –God sends powerful oppressors to counter spiritual compromise

Historical Background Judges 4-6 (1209 B.C. to 1122 B.C. ) –Deborah ruled B.C. –Eli born 1173 B.C. –Gideon B.C. –Ruth’s story occurred around 1130 B.C. –Collapse of the Hittite empire 1180 B.C.Hittite –Migration of the “Sea People” –20th Egyptian Dynasties Ramses III ( 1 st king of 20 th Dynasty)Ramses III Called the “last great Pharaoh” B.C. Period of large scale crop failures possibly caused by eruption of Hekla III volcano in Iceland Invasions by Libyans and “Sea People”

Key People in Today’s Lesson Deborah –Judge raised to defeat Jabin Barak –Directed by Deborah to make war with Jabin Jabin –King of HazorHazor Sisera –Leader of Jabin’s army –Defeated by Barak –Killed by Jael

Hazor

Key People in Today’s Lesson Gideon –Called directly by God to defeat the Midianites and Amalekites –Family of Baal worshippers –Army of 300 defeated the Midianites300 Midianites –Children of Midian, son of Abraham through a concubine –Generically called Ishmaelites (Gen 37:28) Amalekites –Thought to be descendents of Esau

Deborah Agrees to Help Barak (4:1-10) Another generation of Israelites begins the cycle –Sin, Oppression, Repentance, Deliverance –Jabin, of Hazor, defeated and oppressed Israel (4:2)Hazor –Sisera, Jabin’s military commander, headquartered at Harosheth Haggoyim (4:2) Harosheth Haggoyim –Canaanite’s became the only oppressor from within Israel during the time of the judges Israelites were no match for Sisera –900 iron-plated chariots (4:3)chariots –Oppressed Israel for 20 years God raises Deborah to free Israel (4:4)

Deborah as judge –Calls for Barak, from the land of Naphtali (4:6) –Tells Barak to lead 10,000 men against Sisera at Mt. Tabor (4:6) God enables Deborah and Barak fight the Canaanites in the Jezreel ValleyJezreel Valley –Barak’s initial timidity (4:8) –Prophecy concerning the death of Sisera (4:9) –Other tribes join the fight (Ephraim, Benjamin, Makir) while others refused (Reuben, Gad, Dan, and Asher) (4:13-15, 18 and 5:15-17) Deborah Agrees to Help Barak (4:1-10)

Heber the Kenite –Nomadic tribe, skilled in metalworking –Descended from Hobab –Heber forms and alliance with Jabin and Sisera –Informs Sisera of Barak’s location (4:12) Sisera relocates his forces to the Kishon RiverKishon River –Tactically sound, except God got involved –Armies clash in the Valley of Jezreel, Israel is successful in defeating Sisera –God causes the Kishon River to flood (5:21) Barak Defeats Canaanites (4:11-16)

Sisera flees (4:17) –Travels by foot to the tent of Jael’s tent, wife of Heber –Relying upon the relationship between Heber and Jabin –While Heber sided with Jabin, Jael sided with God Jael kills Sisera –Sisera hides in Jael’s tent, then falls asleep (4:19) –Jael drives tent peg into Sisera’s skull (4:21)tent peg Barak finds Sisera dead (4:22) Israel continues to fight Jabin until he is destroyed (4:24) Jael Kills Sisera (4:17-24)

Memorializes God’s victory over Sisera –Praises God for His leadership –Review God’s actions on behalf of the Israelites from Egypt, through the Sinai, and into the promised land –Recalls the crucial role that Deborah and Barak played in defeating Sisera –Song ends by asking God to cause all of His enemies to perish and bless those who truly love Him Song of Deborah (Ch 5)

Israel Cries Out (6:1-10) Midianites oppress Israel –Seven years (6:1) –Forced the Israelites to evacuate low-lying regions (6:2) –Midianites banded with the Amalekites and other nomadic people from Moab and Ammon (6:3) –Invaders stripped the land (6:4-5) Israel again calls out to God –God first sends a prophet (6:7-9) –Israel fear the Amorite God but not their own God (6:10)

The Lord Calls Gideon (6:11-24) Angel of the Lord calls upon Gideon –In Ophrah, west of the Jordan River, territory of Manasseh –God appoints Gideon to free Israel from the Midianites Gideon begins to doubt –Asks why God would do all these bad things (6:13) –The angel tells Gideon that God will deliver His people –Gideon would carry out the task (6:14) –Gideon doubted he could rescue Israel (6:15) Gideon asks for a sign from God –Burning of food (6:18-22)

Gideon Challenges Idolatry (6:25-32) God commissions Gideon to remove presence of idolatry –Destroy the alters to Baal and Asherah at night –Build an alter to God at a higher point –Wood from the sacred pole of Asherah would serve as fuel for the burnt offering to God (4:25-26) –Feared the townspeople would kill him (4:27) –Townspeople call for Gideon’s execution (4:30) Gideon’s father, Joash, sides with Gideon –Wrong to worship Baal (4:31) –Baal could defend himself –Gideon then called “Jerub-Baal”

Gideon Tests God (6:33-40) Coalition of invaders return –Midianites, Amalekites camp in Jezreel Valley (6:33) –Jezreel Valley was a major agricultural area and trade route Spirit of the Lord comes upon Gideon –Gideon empowered by God to fight the invaders –Gideon signals men from his hometown to battle –Also from Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, Naphtali (6:35) –Gideon asks God for two more signs of His power (6:38-40)

Review Reviewed last weeks lesson, Judges 2:6-3:31 Provided an historical background and timeline for Judges 4-6 Reviewed historical maps of Israel and the region Read Judges 4, reviewed Judges 5, read Judges 6 Understood Deborah’s role in Israel Learned how God defeated the Canaanites Learned how God raised up Gideon to be a judge As Christians, sensed the need to trust and rely more upon God and less upon our own strength Next Class: Judges 7:1-10:5