Lawrence Boadt provides this introduction to the book of
Judges:
The Book of Judges continues the story of Israel’s
conquest and gradual occupation of the whole land. It tells the stories and
legends of Israel’s time of tribal life in Palestine which lasted about two
hundred years, from 1250 down to a little after 1050 B.C.
Altogether, the book follows the exploits of twelve
judges during this period. Six are hardly more than names attached to a single
incident only barely remembered: Shamgar, Tola, Jair, Ibzan, Elon and Abdon. As
a result these are usually called the “Minor Judges.” The other six are the
“Major Judges”: Othniel, Ehud, Barak (with Deborah), Gideon, Jephthah and
Samson. They were renowned for their brave exploits in battle and were really
not legal judges primarily but warlords. They were leaders who arose in times
of great need and led the tribes to victory in one or more battles. Because God
had marked them out charismatically, they stayed on to guide the tribes during
the rest of their lifetimes. Because of their recognized authority as war
leaders, they also exercised power in legal disputes between tribes and in
political squabbles.
The Book of Judges can be divided into three major parts.
Chapters 1-2 set the stage by describing the situation of Israel after Joshua
dies. Chapters 3-16 tell the stories of the twelve judges. Chapters 17-21 give
some extra legends about the two tribes of Dan and Benjamin. All three sections
illustrate the same lesson for Israel, namely that God stood by them when they
were faithful and obedient to him, but allowed them to fall into disaster and
the results of their own sins when they turned from his covenant and disobeyed.
The opening two chapters make clear what we have already
suspected from the Book of Joshua—that the tribes did indeed fail to conquer
many of the cities and people who dwelt in Palestine. They settled down instead
to a long period of co-existence and only very gradually gained control over
the Canaanites. In fact, it was not until the days of Saul and David, after the
Book of Judges ends, that Israel began making really significant gains again as
they had under Joshua.[1]
The one verse that stood out to me most from
reading these four chapters today was Judges 2:10…. “Moreover, that whole
generation was gathered to their ancestors, and another generation grew up after
them, who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.”
C. S. Lewis had this to say about transmitting
the faith to the next generation….
This very obvious fact—that each generation is taught by
an earlier generation—must be kept very firmly in mind…. None can give to
another what he does not possess himself. No generation can bequeath to its
successor what it has not got. You may frame the syllabus as you please. But
when you have planned and reported ad
nauseum, if we are skeptical we shall teach only skepticism to our pupils,
if fools only folly, if vulgar only vulgarity, if saints sanctity, if heroes
heroism. Education is only the most fully conscious of the channels whereby
each generation influences the next. It is not a closed system. Nothing which
was not in the teachers can flow from them into the pupils. We shall all admit
that a man who knows no Greek himself cannot teach Greek to his form; but it is
equally certain that a man whose mind was formed in a period of cynicism and disillusion,
cannot teach hope or fortitude.
A society which is predominantly Christian will propagate
Christianity through its schools: one which is not, will not.[2]
What are we passing on to the next generation?
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