Running head: THE ROLE OF
The Role of the Judges In Israel
Cheryl Neale
GCU BIB 113
Matthew Drumheller
December 02, 2009
The Role of the Judges in Israel
In the Old Testament the children of Israel wanted someone to lead them after Moses and Joshua. The Israelites need some one who would lead them out of sinning and idolatry. They cried out to God for help even though they would slide right back into sin. Let’s discover why the children of Israel went through twelve judges and how effected they were to them. The first Judge was Othniel who took them into battle and won against Cush-Rishathain of Aram after being oppressed for 8 years. They had peace under the first judge for 40 years. The second Judge was Ehud’s who had a great advantage he was left handed. Ehud hid his sword on his right thigh because being left handed was rare. He went to pay tribute to King Englon and he easily drew the sword with his left hand, stabbed the King and the Moabities. The children were oppressed for 18 years and had peace for 80 years. The Third Judge Shamgar was knowed to use an ox goad, a farming implement during battle. He was able to kill 600 men single handed. In the book of Judges they did not have much information on him. The fourth Judge was Deborah who was the only female and she reign for 40 years. She was a resident of Ephraim. She had select Barak to assist her in her quest to lead her armies. Barak had asked her to go with them to fight the Canaanites, but told him them glory is not his it goes to the women. He only wanted her to go because he wanted God presence to be there. The Canaanites had to leave their chariots because it got stuck in the mud and run for their lives as for their leader Sisera had the nerve to fall asleep in his hiding place in the Kenite, among the lady of the house who he thought he could trust drove a tent peg through his temple. Jabin and his armies could not believe that women divinely empowered to...