Who are the Judges of the Old Testament

Welcome to the Rapid Bull, daily edition, where we provide a quick biblical interpretations and applications. This is a ministry of striving for eternity.

The Book of Judges as a Pattern for Christianity Today

We want to start a study in the book of Judges, looking at each of the Judges, because I think this will be helpful for us to see some patterns that we have even in American Christianity and elsewhere.

Judges as Civil Leaders Raised Up by God

When we look at the book of Judges, first off, it is entitled Judges. People often remember their military conquests, but these are civic leaders. They could also be military, but they're often civic leaders who God raised up for the purpose of delivering Israel from its oppressors.

The Judges were not arbitrators of law cases the way we would think of them today, but rather they were leaders chosen by God for a specific task, and the Judges of Israel were for justice over the oppressed.

Though many were military leaders, the Judges were a civil role, and it's important to note they were a civil role, not a religious one. That's going to be important when we look at Deborah, but it was a civil role, not a religious one, and it was not necessarily a military one.

The Number of Judges and Samuel's Role in Writing

We often think of the 13 Judges mentioned in the book of Judges, but there are actually more when we include Eli and Samuel. There would actually be about 15, and for many people, at least the Jewish tradition, would believe that Samuel is the one to have written the book of Judges.

Why the Book of Judges Matters for Understanding Patterns

This book is going to be very helpful in understanding patterns, even for Christianity today.

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