The First Judges

After the death of Joshua the people carried on without a leader. But when it became necessary to make war on the Canaanites, Judah was appointed general for the war. Under his leadership things went well. There was the greatest calm both at home and abroad, and the people ruled over the nations that had either been conquered or taken in on terms of surrender. Then, as almost always happens in times of prosperity, they forgot good conduct and discipline. They began to marry among the conquered, and by and by to take up foreign customs, and even, in sacrilege, to offer sacrifice to idols, so ruinous is every alliance with foreigners. God had foreseen these things long before, and by a wholesome command had ordered the Hebrews to give the conquered nations over to utter destruction. But the people, out of lust for power, preferred, to their own ruin, to rule over the conquered. [a]

So when they abandoned God and worshiped idols, they lost God’s help. They were conquered and subdued by the king of Mesopotamia and paid the penalty of eight years of captivity, until Othniel led them and they were restored to freedom, and they enjoyed independence for fifty years. Then, corrupted again by the bad effects of a long peace, they began to sacrifice to idols, and punishment came quickly on them for that sin. Conquered by Eglon, king of the Moabites, they served him eighteen years, until Ehud, moved by God, killed the enemy king by a trick, gathered an army in haste, and won back their freedom by force of arms. The same man ruled the Hebrews in peace for forty years. Shamgar succeeded him, and he fought the Philistines and won a decisive victory. But once again, when the Hebrews were serving idols, the king of the Canaanites, Jabin by name, subdued them and ruled them with harsh tyranny for twenty years, until Deborah, a woman, restored them to their former condition. They had lost confidence in their generals to such a degree that they were now protected by a woman. But it is worth noticing that this form of deliverance was arranged beforehand as a type of the church, by whose help captivity to the devil is escaped. The Hebrews were under this leader, or judge, for forty years.

Handed over once again to the Midianites for their sins, they were kept under harsh rule, and, afflicted by the miseries of slavery, they begged for God’s help. It was always so: in prosperity they forgot the kindnesses of heaven and prayed to idols, but in adversity they cried out to God. So I often reflect on this. Here was a people bound to the goodness of God by so many favors. When they sinned they were punished with so many disasters, and they experienced both the mercy and the severity of God, yet they were not made any better by it. They always obtained pardon for their offenses, and yet, once pardoned, they just as constantly sinned again. When I reflect on all this, it seems nothing to wonder at that Christ was not received by them when he came, since from the very beginning they were found rebelling against the Lord so often. In fact, it is far more to be wondered at that God’s mercy never failed them when they sinned, if only they called on his name.