As a result of their relapse, the Lord sent their enemies in to raid their camps and villages. They soon found that they were no longer a match for their enemies in battle.

Realizing that the Lord had forsaken them, the people now cried out to Yahweh for help against their enemies.

The Lord would raise up a single man - a Judge to right the wrong and to defeat the enemy of Israel.

Now the people would enjoy a period of rest and prosperity under the leadership of the judge as they worshiped Yahweh. But all too soon, the judge would die and the people would return to worshiping the false gods of the Canaanites.

The Moabites and the Ammonites were descendants of Lot. The Israelites had in the past deliberately avoided military conflict with Moab and Ammon for this reason. But this did not stop these two kingdoms from invading Israel. Eglon, the king of Moab, formed an alliance in order to invade Israel. It involved three kingdoms:

a. Moab.

b. Ammon.

c. Amalekites.

The "city of the palm trees" is a designation for Jericho (Deuteronomy 34:3). Though the city had been destroyed by Joshua and remained uninhabited, the site remained an important one due to its control of the important trade route through the center of Canaan.

The site of the Old Testament city is a mound rising up 50 feet above the surrounding bedrock of the southern Jordan valley (Jericho is 825 feet below sea level). It is located about 10 miles to the NNW of the mouth of the Dead Sea and directly west of fords which make it possible to cross the Jordan except during the rainy season.

Judges 3:15-26 tells the story of Ehud and his premeditated murder of Eglon, king of Moab (perhaps "assassination" is a better word).

Ehud is the hero of the story. It was the Lord who raised him up to be a deliverer for the Israelites (3:15). This act would serve as an impetus for an uprising against Moab.

Ehud was a "left-handed man," literally, "a man bound in his right hand." There is a play on words here. He was a "left handed man" but he was also a Benjamite - a "son of the right hand." The fact that Ehud was left-handed was significant.

The very thing that made him a social outcast was utilized by Ehud in carrying out his execution of the king.

Ehud makes his escape while the servants wait outside the king's room, thinking that he is merely taking his time in matters of personal hygiene ("he is only relieving himself in the cool room" - 3:24).

Ancient Hazor has been identified with Tell el-Qeday. It is located nine miles north of the Sea of Galilee.

Throughout most of antiquity, women had a fairly low standing in society. And yet, this woman was known as a prophetess and a judge. She was a housewife and a mother (Judges 5:7 mentions that she was a mother in Israel). But that did not stop the Lord from speaking through her.

As the battle commenced, the forces of Sisera consisted of a large chariot corps mobilized "from Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon" (Judges 4:13).

We know the location of the river Kishon - it runs in a northwesterly direction along the southern part of the Valley of Jezreel, emptying out into the Mediterranean just north of Mount Carmel.

What is interesting is the other plan-name mentioned. It is Harosheth-hagoyim. As near as I can make out, it seems to mean "the cutting of the nations." The key city of this valley, although not mentioned in this text, is the ancient walled city of Megiddo. It is from this that we get the Hebrew "Armageddon" (HAR-MEGIDDO - "Mount of Megiddo" - the problem being is that Megiddo is not on a mountain, it is in the middle of the valley).

In the historical account of the passage, we read that "the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army" (4:15). The passage makes it quite clear that the instrument which the Lord used to accomplish this was Barak and the Israelites.

Judges 5 follows up the battle with a song of victory. In this song, Deborah says that "the torrent of Kishon swept them away"(5:21) - seemingly a reference to the Kishon River overflowing its banks, although whether this is simply poetic imagery or whether it actually happened in the course of the battle is difficult to tell.

As I read this account, I am struck by the "coincidence" of its echoing repetition in the book of Revelation.

How did Barak and his 10,000 under-equipped foot soldiers manage to defeat a chariot corps of 900 war chariots? This was like having a bunch of Indians defeat a modern mechanized armor division. And what is more, they did it in open terrain. They were on the valley of Megiddo. This was perfect territory for chariot warfare. The Israelites had no right to win.

But God was bigger than Sisera's chariot corps. In her song of victory, Deborah says that "the earth quaked, the heavens also dripped, even the clouds dripped water" (Judges 5:4). Furthermore, she says that "the torrent of Kishon swept them away, the ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon" (Judges 5:21 - this torrent of Kishon is also mentioned in Psalm 83:9).

If this is not merely figurative language, then it is possible that the Lord brought about a rainstorm and a flooding of the Kishon River to turn the valley floor into mud, thereby immobilizing Sisera's chariot force. The Israelites were unaffected by this adverse weather and attacked their enemies, routing them.

As Sisera flees on foot, he will come into contact with another woman who will be used of the Lord. It is noteworthy that this woman was married to a man who had rejected the Lord.

Heber had come from a distinguished family. He was a descendant of the father-in-law of Moses. But he had long since disassociated himself from his fellow Israelites. Instead of living with them, he had parted from their company and had pitched his tent in the area of Kedesh Naphtali on the southwest shore of the Sea of Galilee.

He had also made an alliance with the Canaanite city of Hazor and the enemies of the people of God.

This man had made peace at a time where there ought to have been no peace. But his wife remained faithful to the Lord. When Sisera sought refuge within her tent, she at first acquiesced, feeding him and hiding him under a rug within her tent.

In such a way, the prophecy was fulfilled. It was by the hand of a woman that Sisera met his end. This was the original battle of Armageddon.

This battle was to become the pattern for the victory of the Lord against the powers of darkness. As Deborah describes the slaying of Sisera (5:23-27), there is a picture of the spiritual war that was introduced in Genesis 3:15.

The Midianites were descendants of Abraham and Keturah (Genesis 25:1-4). They settled in the lands of Arabia to the east of the Gulf of Aqaba where they adopted a nomadic lifestyle. But now they invaded the land of Canaan.

This period lasted for seven years. For seven years, the Midianites made successive raids into Canaan. They always came at the time of the harvest. They would wait until the Israelites had done all the work of planting and cultivating, and then they would swarm over the land, taking the crops at will.

In verses 11 and 12 He is called the "angel of the Lord." When we come to verse 14 He is simply called "the Lord." This should not confuse us. The angel of the Lord always represents the very presence and message of God.

Gideon did not look much like a valiant warrior. He looked more like the "before" picture on a "before & after" poster. He was here in hiding doing "woman's work" (the grinding of grain was considered to be the work of women - Exodus 11:5). But God declared him to be a "valiant warrior."

Gideon didn't make only one request for a sign. He made three such requests (though he acted in faith and obedience prior to making the last two requests).

The Midianites had a camel corps. These would have been the desert version of cavalry and, as such, would be more suited to warfare on the open plains as opposed to mountain terrain.

With this in mind, they had moved their forces into the Valley of Jezreel and had encamped near the village of Endor on the north side of the Hill of Moreh.

Gideon and his forces encamped to the south of the Midianites with only the ridge of Moreh separating the two forces. It was a time of tension with battle in the air. And it was now that the Lord instructed Gideon to whittle down his forces.

When we get to Judges 8:10, we shall see that the entire force of the Midianites numbered 135,000 men. The Israelites at the outset were outnumbered nearly four to one.

Gideon did not let his victory go to his head. In this he is to be commended. He gave the glory and the credit of his victory to the Lord.

The people agree to this request and a total of 1700 shekels (about 42 pounds) of gold along with other ornaments are gathered and given to Gideon.

An "Ephod" was an apron-looking garment. It was worn by the high priest. It was the badge of priesthood (Judges 17:5). It was held in place by a waistband and associated with the urim and thummim which were kept within a breastplate.

What caused Gideon to do such a thing? Was it pride? Or the sudden wealth that was awarded him? He had faced the hoards of Midian and won. He faced the temptation of sudden wealth and lost.

Following the death of his father, Abimelech goes to Shechem and raises support to build for himself a throne and to establish himself as king.

They supply him with funds by which he hires a band of "worthless and reckless fellows" - bad and wanton men. 70 pieces of silver are used to hire these men who help to murder 70 brothers.

There is an interesting play on words as the men of Shechem "made king Abimelech as king."

Jotham, the youngest and only surviving son of Gideon, goes to Mount Gerazim and pronounces a curse upon the city of Shechem.

It begins with a parable in which the trees embark upon a quest for a king. Nobler trees refuse such a position. But the bramble bush agrees.

The picture is obvious. The bramble bush has no shade by which it is able to shade the mighty cedars.

Shechem lies on the saddle ridge between the twin peaks of Gerizim and Ebal. This is significant as these were the two mountains upon which Joshua had all of the Israelites stand and recite the blessings and the cursings of the law.

The rest of this chapter deals with the fulfillment of this curse. Following a three year reign, "God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem" (Judges 9:23).

Abimelech captures a rebellious Shechem and burns its tower fortress to the ground, sowing the city with salt. This is possibly related to the concept of a "covenant of salt." The idea was that salt would preclude anything from growing in that location in the future.

Abimelech then goes on to attack Thebez. This is another city within the realm of Manasseh and located some 6 miles to the northeast of Shechem. It is here that Abimelech is killed.

Abimelech's death is an ignoble one - he is killed by a lowly weapon (the millstone) and at the hands of a woman. This is reminiscent of the death of Sisera.

Once again the Israelites turned away from the Lord and indulged in the pagan practices of the nations around them. This time, judgment came from two separate directions.

a. The Philistines.

b. The Ammonites.

It is the second of these two groups that is of foremost interest in this passage. The Philistines become a major concern as we examine Samson. Thus, Jephthah will be to the eastern tribes what Samson will be to the tribes of the west.

Jephthah was illegitimate. As such, he was a social outcast and was stripped of any rights to inheritance. This was no fault of his own. He was being persecuted for the sins of his parents.

Jephthah was forced to live in exile in "the land of Tob." This was the area to the southeast of the Sea of Galilee. Here he became the leader of a group who are described as "worthless fellows" ("empty men"). The same term was used of the men who followed Abimelech (Judges 9:4).

Before seeking a military resolve, Jephthah sends messengers to the king of the Ammonites in an attempt to negotiate a peaceful resolve. Several arguments are given.

This is only the second time up to this point that it had been said of one of the judges that "the Spirit of the Lord came upon" him. It is an indication that Jephthah was trusting in the Lord for this victory. Indeed, Hebrews 11:32 lists Jephthah as one of those who "by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight" (Hebrews 11:33-34).

We are not told the specific strategy used - only that it was the Lord who gave the victory. The result was not only that the Ammonites were pushed back into their own land, but that the entire line of fortresses which divided the lands of Israel from those of Ammon now fell to the Israelites.

We have already made mention of the advent of the five cities of the Philistines upon the shores of southwest Canaan.

a. Their name.

b. Their origins.

c. Their cities.

The requirements of the Nazarite Vow had been set forth in Numbers 6:2-5. It was a "vow of dedication." Indeed, the word "Nazarite" comes from the Hebrew word meaning "to separate."

The name "Samson" seems to be taken from the Hebrew word , "sun." Perhaps this was because he was born only a few miles away from Beth-Shemesh ("House of the Sun"). As such, it was a Canaanite name, for they worshipped the sun.

At some point in his life, the Spirit of God "began to stir" within Samson. Perhaps this stirring was with reference to his great strength. We should not think of Samson as a great muscleman. Rather, he seems to have been an ordinary man gifted with extraordinary strength.

Samson lived in a cross-cultural community. The Sorek Valley hosted both Israelite, Canaanite and Philistine towns. And as Samson came of marital age, his eye fell upon a Philistine woman.

Samson was a He-Man with a "she-weakness." He had a tendency toward lust that was to conquer him. But the real point of this story is how God used Samson in spite of his failures. It is a story of the sovereignty of God.

Wedding feasts were no short affair. They customarily lasted as long as a week (14:17). The groom would throw a great party to which he would invite all of his friends. Since the wedding was taking place in a Philistine town, it was a group of Philistines who came to attend the feast.

In the midst of the feast, Samson proposes a riddle and a very expensive wager.

After three days, the Philistine guests have not discovered the answer, so they threaten his bride with death and with the destruction of her father's home. She, in turn, solicites the answer from Samson and betrays him.

Samson's attack on the Philistines was motivated, not from spiritual reasons, but merely of revenge. Remember that the Lord was using his strength in spite of his impure motivations. This is the first of several escalating conflicts with the Philistines.

The anger of his vengeance temporarily cooled, Samson returns to take his wife, only to find that she has been given to another man. Samson takes this as a further insult and takes up a career as an arsonist, burning up a great number of the fields of the Philistines. The Philistines respond by burning the home of his would-be bride and her father. They die in the flames, she suffering the very death she had sought to avoid in initially betraying Samson.

Following this, Samson escapes to a refuge in a cave near the town of Etam (a mere 2 miles from Bethlehem) in the territory of Judah.

Samson's actions had already brought retribution upon his bride and father-in-law. Now the Philistines invade the territory of Judah, putting pressure upon the Israelites to turn Samson over to them. They agree and Samson is bound and made a captive of the Philistines.

The name "Lehi" means "jawbone." It seems likely that it was given this designation following this event.

This is the second time a woman became the source of trouble for Samson. Perhaps as many as 20 years had passed since his last encounter with the Philistines (Judges 15:20).

While they lie in wait for him, he literally breaks out of the city, carrying the city gates with him. It should be realized that this was no easy feat. These gates would have been of such a size that a normal man would be unable to move them.

Hebron is located nearly 40 miles to the east of Gaza. Furthermore, it is uphill all the way, rising to a height of 3000 feet above sea level. Apparently, Samson took these gates there as a trophy of the strength of the God of Israel.

Though Delilah is not described as a Philistine, her name does not seem to be Semitic in origin and so it is likely that she was a Philistine. The lords of the Philistines offer her a large bribe if she will discover the secret of Samson's great strength. Samson is at first evasive, telling her lie after lie. But ultimately he relents.

Delilah is quick to make use of this information and, while he is sleeping, she has his head shaved.

The gouging of the eyes of a hated prisoner was common in the ancient world. It assured him a fate of servitude. He is brought to Gaza, the city which he had humiliated by carrying away the gates.

Thrown into prison, he is assigned the duty of grinding mill by hand (the large animal-powered mills were not yet in use).

"Dagon" was the god of the Philistines. Though the name is similar to the Hebrew word for "fish," more recent archaeological studies have identified Dagon as a Canaanite deity which had been borrowed by the Philistines.

In Ugaritic literature he is the father of Baal. Dagon was the god of grain. Perhaps this was why Samson had been given the task of grinding grain in the prison.

They attributed this victory, not to Samson's disobedience, but to the power of their own god.

In the midst of their celebration, they have Samson brought out for their amusement. In the midst of this entertainment, Samson prays one last time to the Lord.

Two Philistine temples have been uncovered by archaeologists. One at Tel Qasile, in northern Tel Aviv, and one in Tel Miqne, ancient Ekron, 21 miles south of Tel Aviv. Both temples share a unique design -- the roof was supported by two central pillars. The pillars were made of wood and rested on stone support bases six feet apart from one another.