Part 1: The roots of Israel’s apostasy (Judges 1:1-3:6), continued

The unfolding and consequences of apostasy (Judges 2:6-3:6), continued

Joshua’s death and the coming apostasy (Judges 2:6-10)

• There are ancient monuments and reliefs that reference Israel in the land of Canaan in roughly 1400 B.C.

The recurring pattern of Israel’s apostasy, God’s grace, and God’s anger (Judges 2:11-23)

• Deuteronomy 12:29-32 – Baal was a storm God.


• God told them clearly that worshiping idols was abhorrent to Him.


• Judges 2:19 – Israel’s downward spiral. When they relapsed, they did even worse than before.

The testing of Israel (Judges 3:1-6)

• Judges 3:5-6 – Israel fails to remove the Canaanites.

Part 2: The downward spiral of Israel’s apostasy (Judges 3:7-16:31 )

Othniel (Judges 3:7-11)

• Othniel was either the younger brother or nephew of Caleb and was married to Caleb’s daughter.

Ehud (Judges 3:12-30)

• Ehud was left-handed, or “restricted in the right hand” as the Hebrew says literally.


• Eglon’s name means, “little calf.”

Shamgar (Judges 3:31 )

• Shamgar is mentioned again in Judges 5:6, but not much is known about him.


• An ox goad is not normally a particularly lethal instrument.

Takeaways

• The pattern in Judges – described in Judges 2 and oft-repeated throughout the book – demonstrates God’s steadfast love. He listens to the cries of his oppressed people and arranges for their deliverance.


• God responds in like manner today to those who cry out for his help out of sincere repentance. He has sent the perfect judge-deliverer, Jesus, to save us from the bondage of sin (Romans 5:6-8).