One of the darkest books in the Bible is the Book of Judges. It was a time when the children of Israel squandered away the promises that the Lord gave them, fell into worshipping gods of other countries, and did what was right in their own eyes.
They forgot their history and continued to be conquered by their surrounding neighbors.
The children of Israel would then call upon the Lord, and he would send a Judge to rescue them. Each Judge had a different background and different style of leadership. Some Judges we know much about, such as Samson or Gideon, while others, the Bible only mentions them in a few verses. Each of these Judges came at a unique time in Hebrew history, as this was before Israel had a King. Who were the Judges in the Bible? There were twelve Judges that served Israel before the Monarchy came to power:
Othniel: The first Judge of Israel and the nephew of Caleb. He rose up and defeated the King of Mesopotamia. After pushing the Mesopotamians back, the nation of Israel lived in peace for 40 years.
Othniel: The first Judge of Israel and the nephew of Caleb. He rose up and defeated the King of Mesopotamia. After pushing the Mesopotamians back, the nation of Israel lived in peace for 40 years.
Ehud: The second Judge of Israel from the tribe of Benjamin and a left-handed man. The Moabites had conquered Israel and controlled it for 18 years until Ehud rose up as a Judge. Ehud, being left-handed, allowed him to get past security to see the King of Moab. After telling the Moabite king that he had a secret message, the obese King dismissed security. Ehud then pulled a dagger from his right side and proceeded to jam it into him so far that he could not pull it out due to the King's size. He then escaped out the window and rallied the army to drive the Moabites away. This would lead to 80 years of peace.
Shamgar: He is listed as the third Judge but served during the time of multiple Judges, such as Deborah and Jair. There is little said of him, except that God raised him up, and he slayed 600 Philistines with an oxgoad. It does not specify if it was in one or multiple battles. However, many assume it was one battle.
Deborah: The fourth Judge of Israel. She was known as a prophetess but also settled disputes like modern judges do today, which took place under a palm tree. She, along with Barak, led 10,000 soldiers against the army of Sisera. After being routed, Sisera fled and took a rest in the tent of the woman Jael. While sleeping, Jael took a spike and drove it through his skull. After Sisera's death, the Israelites were free again. This peace lasted for 40 years.
Gideon: He became the fifth judge of Israel and is considered to be the greatest judge who rose up during this period. He grew up in a pagan environment, which made it even more impressive when he destroyed the idols of Baal within in community after God called him to be a Judge. During his time as a Judge, he proved himself to be a mighty warrior, diplomat, and excellent leader. He followed the Lord's advice despite his reluctance. He began with an army of 32,000 men, which God whittled down to 10,000. Afterwards, God asked him to release another 9,700, which left him with 300 men to fight what is called an army "thick as locusts." He followed the Lord's advice and won a great victory over his enemy. The Israelites, impressed with his success, asked that he become king, to which he declined and said that the Lord should remain their leader.
Tola: Came to power at the time of Abimelech and freed them. He led Israel for 23 years until his death. There is little else said about him except that he came from Ephraim.
Jair: He followed Tola and led Israel for twenty-two years. The Bible does not speak of a military victory. However, he did have much influence due to the size of his family and his apparent wealth.
Jephthah: Born of a prostitute, Jephthah became known as a mighty warrior. However, he was shunned as illegitimate and lived in the land of Tob. The Ammonites rose up against Israel, and the people called for Jephthah's aid. He came to their defense and won a significant victory to free the Israelites. However, before going to battle, he made a foolish vow to the Lord that he would sacrifice the first thing that came out of his house to meet him. He apparently thought it would be an animal. Instead, his daughter ran out to greet her father, and at that moment, he tore his close and told his daughter what he had done. The Bible says that Jephthah did what he had vowed. His daughter was willing but asked for 2 months to mourn. It is clear that human sacrifice is forbidden in the Bible, so it is not known if Jephthah actually sacrificed her as a burnt offering or gave her to the temple
Ibzan: He came to power after Jephthah. He had 30 sons and 30 daughters. His 30 daughters were given to men outside of his clan, and his 30 sons married women outside of his clan. This would create much influence and strength during his lifetime and also secured much influence for his children after his death. He died and was buried in Bethlehem. The Bible does not say if he defeated a nation to free Israel, but it does say he led Israel for seven years.
Elon: He is described in one verse in the book of Judges. he led the Israelites for 10 years until his death.
Abdon: Similar to Ibzan and Jair, Abdon was a wealthy man who had 40 sons and 30 grandsons. He was very influential. God used him to lead Israel for eight years.
Samson: The most recognized name in the book of Judges, Samson's name is still well known throughout the modern world. Samson was born and put under the Nazarite vow and told to never cut his hair. This would become the secret of his amazing strength. Samson became extremely confident in his strength in which he would put himself in unwise situations. He married a Philistine wife, and when she betrayed him, he killed 30 Philistines. Also, in an act of revenge, he tied foxes together by their tales and proceeded to light their tails on fire, which resulted in burning the Philistine crops. Another incident took place in which he killed 1,000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey, and in another event, he even picked up an entire gate of a city and carried it on his back. His downfall was his arrogance and his love of Philistine women. He met and fell for Delilah, who would eventually betray him by sharing his secret with the Philistines. As a result, Samson lost his eyesight and was thrown into prison. In one last act of heroism, Samson was led to the two pillars of the temple that bore the most weight. He prayed that the Lord forgive him and give him strength one last time. The Lord granted his request and pushed the pillars over, which killed over 3,000 Philistines, which was more than he had killed his entire life. Samson died with them.
Conclusion
The Judges in the book of Judges show that God can use anyone and in any fashion. Many get the idea that the Book of Judges is filled with conquest or re-conquest, but that is only what is remembered because war often brings glory to those who win. We tend to remember Gideon or Samson with their amazing victories but fail to consider why the Lord used men such as Ibzan, Jair, or Abdon, who were apparently godly men who had much influence because they married their many children within the tribe of Israel rather than giving their sons and daughter to marriage outside of their culture which God had forbidden. God used men of wealth, great warriors, skilled diplomats, and even a woman to free Israel despite their disobedience.