The utter failure of Israel in maintaining their conquests in Canaan; their wickedness and idolatry through association with the heathen and their general unfaithfulness to Jehovah; their misery, captivities, and tears make up a painful and exceedingly humbling history. The story of Israel's declension from God and His testimony is here broadly noted on every page of the inspired record. The energy of faith characteristic of the first part of the book of Joshua present a sorrowful contrast to the history recorded in this book. Here all is changed; the atmosphere you breathe is heavy; Israel is under a dark cloud. Why all this? Has God failed them? No; "He abideth faithful—He cannot deny Himself," while everything entrusted to man and the church has proved a signal failure. Man is a leaking vessel, and cannot hold the blessing, be it ever so fully and preciously freighted. But the counsels of God, whether as they respect Israel, the world, or the church, will be infallibly secured, because the divine purposes are lodged for their accomplishment in Christ, the second man. This book, however, is not one only of failure, for it records many and sovereign acts of deliverance wrought for the people when they cried to Jehovah. The evil in Israel waxed worse and worse, until it culminated in the rejection of the theocracy, or the divine government of Jehovah (1 Sam. 8).
"The misery into which their unfaithfulness brought them moving the compassion of God, His mighty grace raised up deliverers by His Spirit in the midst of the fallen and wretched people. ‘For His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel’. But Israel was unchanged. ‘And yet they would not hearken unto their judges. And it came to pass when the judge was dead, that they returned and corrupted themselves more than their fathers in following other gods, to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings nor from their stubborn way’. This is the sorrowful history of the people of God; but it is also the history of the grace of God and of His compassion towards His people."
This book gives the dark period of Israelitish history under thirteen judges (which gives its name to the book)—from the death of Joshua till the death of Samson, adding some supplementary matter which presents an awful picture of Israel's idolatry and wickedness. The judges here specified did not administer the affairs of all Israel, but exercised their sovereignty only over a limited district or part of the country. The judgeship of Samuel was an exception (1 Sam. 7:15-17). Although Eli the priest, and Samuel the prophet, both in succession judged Israel, yet they are wisely omitted from the history of the judges as recorded in that book, as that was not what characterized them in the mind of the Spirit of God. It is the mission of the first book of Samuel to develope and show the connection of the three great institutions designed for the blessing of man and creation, namely, Priesthood, Prophecy, and Kingly Government; hence Eli the priest, Samuel the prophet, and Saul the king, are the prominent personages in the first book of Samuel. Abimelech amongst the Judges sought to forestall the purposes of God by reigning over Israel (Judg. 9) as king, but the attempt ended in utter failure and disgrace to all connected with it.
The whole period of time covered by the Judges was 450 years (Acts 13:20). Their several oppressions in all amounted to 111 years, not counted in Divine history.
The Reformation and recovery at certain seasons of truths long buried beneath the rubbish of centuries, find a certain analogy in the book of Judges; thus the principles herein developed are of great importance to the Church of God. "Revivals," in the true sense of the word, are the answer to the "deliverances" here accorded to Israel. The first verse of the second chapter, "from Gilgal to Bochim," gives the key to the understanding of the book. After the death of Joshua the internal condition of the people rapidly declined, until they sunk so low as to form alliances with the very people whom they should have utterly exterminated, and, forgetful of Jehovah, gave themselves up to the worship of "Balaam and the groves." "Unfaithful within, the Israelites fall into the hands of the enemy without." The first of Israel's deliverers was Othniel, Caleb's younger brother, who judged Israel forty years (Judg. 3:8-11); the last was Samson, whose interesting history occupies Judg. 13 to Judg. 16.
The names of the thirteen Judges and the several periods of rest granted to the people consequent on the various deliverances wrought on their behalf, are as follows:-
80 years, Judg. 3: 12-30.
40 years, Judg. 6.- Judg. 8.
6 years, Judg. 11, Judg. 12: 7.
10 years, Judg. 12:11- 12.
8 years, Judg. 12: 13-15.
20 years, Judg. 13.- Judg. 16.
GENERAL DIVISIONS.
1.-The utter failure of the people after the death of Joshua in not rooting out the Canaanites according to Divine command, and in turning to the idolatry of the heathen. Judg. 1.- Judg. 3:7.
2.-Israel oppressed by the surrounding nations, and the sovereign character of the deliverances vouchsafed—from Othniel to Samson. Judg. 3:8- Judg. 16.
3.-A chapter of idolatry and wickedness. Judg. 17.—Judg. 21.