Judges (3:7-16:31), arranged in six groups of events (3:7-11; 3:12-31; 4, 5; 6-10:5; 10:6-12:15; 13-16), and a

double Appendix (17-21). The two series of events, recorded in the latter, evidently took place at the

commencement of the period of the Judges. This appears fro m a comparison of Judges 18:1 with 1:34, and

again of Judges 20:28 with Joshua 22:13 and 24:33. The first of the two narratives is mainly intended to

describe the religious, the second the moral decadence among the tribes of Israel. In these respects they

throw light upon the whole period. We see how soon, after the death of Joshua and of his contemporaries,

Israel declined - spiritually, in combining with the heathen around, and mingling their idolatrous rites with

the service of Jehovah; and nationally, t he war with the Canaanites being neglected, and the tribes heeding

on every great occasion only their private interests and jealousies, irrespective of the common weal (5:15-l7,

23; 8:1-9), until "the men of Ephraim" actually levy war against Jephthah (12:1-6), and Israel sinks so low as

to deliver its Samson into the hands of the Philistines (15:9-13)!

Side by side with this decay of Israel we notice a similar decline in the spiritual character of the Judges from

an Othniel and a Deborah down to Samson. The mission of these Judges was, as we have seen, chiefly local

and always temporary, God raising up a special deliverer in a time of special need. It is quite evident that

such special instruments were not necessarily always under the influence of spiritual motives. God has at all

periods of history used what instruments He pleased for the deliverance of His people - a Darius, a Cyrus, a

Gamaliel, and in more modern times often what appeared the most unlikely, to effect His own purposes. Yet

in the history of the Judges it seems always the best and most religious whom the locality or period affords

who is chosen, so that the character of the Judges affords also an index of the state of a district or period.

And in each of them we mark the presence of real faith (Hebrews 11), acting as the lever-power in their

achievements, although their faith is too often mingled with the corruptions of the period. The Judges were

Israel's representative men -representatives of its faith and its hope, but also of its sin and decay. Whatever

they achieved was "by faith." Even in the case of Samson, all his great deeds were achieved in the faith of

God's gift to him as a Nazarite, and when "the Spirit of the Lord came upon him." Hence the Judges deserved

to be enrolled in the catalogue of Old Testament "worthies." Besides, we must not forget the necessary

influence upon them of the spirit of their age. For we mark in the Bible a progressive development, as the

light grew brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. In truth, if this were not the case, one of two inferences

would follow. Either we would be tempted to regard its narratives as partial, or else be driven to the

conclusion that these men could not have been of the period in which they are placed, since they had

nothing in common with it, and hence could neither have been leaders of public opinion, nor even been

understood by it.

From these brief preliminary observations we turn to notice, that there were altogether twelve, or rather,

including Deborah (Judges 4:4), t hirteen Judges over Israel. Of only eight of these are any special deeds

recorded. The term Judge must not, however, be regarded as primarily referring to the ordinary judicial

functions, which were discharged by the elders and officers of every tribe and city. Rather do we regard it as

equivalent to leader or ruler. The period of the Judges closes with Samson. Eli was mainly high priest, and

only in a secondary sense "Judge," while Samuel formed the transition from the Judges to royalty. With

Samson the period of the Judges reached at the same time its highest and its lowest point. It is as a Nazarite,

devoted to God before his birth, that he is "Judge," and achieves his great feats - and it is as a Nazarite that

he falls and fails through selfishness and sin. In both respects he is the representative of Israel - God-

devoted, a Nazarite people, and as such able to do all things, yet falling and failing through spiritual

adultery. And thus the period of the Judges ends as every other period. It contains the g erm of, and points

to something better; but it is imperfect, incomplete, and fails, though even in its failure it points forward.

Judges must be succeeded by kings, and kings by the King - the true Nazarite, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The period between the death of Joshua and the first "Judge" is summarized in Judges 1-3:6. It appears, that

under the influence of Joshua's last address, deepened no doubt by his death, which followed soon

afterwards, the "holy war" was resumed. In this instance it was purely aggressive on the part of Israel,

whereas formerly, as a matter of fact, the attack always came from the Canaanites (except in the case of

Jericho and of Ai). But the measure of the sin of the nations who occupied Palestine was now full (Genesis

15:13-16), and the storm of judgment was to sweep them away. For this purpose Israel, to whom God in His