Joshua, Judges, and Ruth

Judges

military leaders and decision makers

Pattern in Judges

Each story of the Judges follows the same pattern...this pattern is repeated in the major and minor stories of the Judges

Pattern as Follows

1.) The Israelites sin (usually idolatry)

2.) They are conquered by the Canaanites

3.) Repent

4.) God sends a Judge to help them

5.) The Israelites are freed

Barak

Israelite general

Jabin

the Canaanite king

Sisera

Canaanite general

Jael

a Canaanite woman who is related to Moses

Gideon

He is a teenage Judge whose dad worships false gods which God asks Gideon to stop

Gideon Tests God

Gideon tries to get out of doing what God asks with a test: if the sheep skin is dry but ground wet then vice versa

God Tests Gideon

takes away the number of soldiers Gideon has

Gideon's End

He will be a good judge for many years but falls to idol worship

Samson

strongest man in the Bible...he was a Nazarite

Nazrites

a person especially dedicated to God...never drank alcohol, said special prayers, never cut their hair (dedication)

Philistines

Fierce tribe of Canaanites

Delilah

Philistine woman who Samson makes the center of his life

Why Samson Loses His Strength

breaks Covenant with God by making Delilah center of his life---> why he lost his strength

Message in Samson

Even though samson sins, when he repents, God forgives him and helps him

Important Points in Book of Joshua

--Joshua becomes leader after Moses

--Israelites see God's presence in the crossing of the Jordan

Ark of the Covenant

Is seen as the visual reminder of God with the people: contained 10 commandments, a jar of manna, and Aaron's staff

War Back Then

-they killed all enemies including women in children

-destroyed their cities and took or burned their crops and animals

Rahab

Canaanite woman who helps the Jews conquer the city of Jericho

Canaanites

Tribes of people who were living in the Holy Land but weren't Jewish

Idolatry

worshiping other (false) gods

Conquering Jericho

--Joshua sends spies into the city

--Rahab keeps them safe in return for the safety of her family

--come through by putting the Ark of the Covenant ahead of them while crossing the river (like Moses and Red Sea)

--they ran around walls 7 times, blew horns, shouted, walls fall...war

Why Naomi's Family Immigrated and Where?

Moab because there was a famine in Bethlehem

Naomi's Husband

Elimelech

Naomi and Elimelech's Sons

Mahlon and Kilion

Who Mahlon and Kilion Married

Orpah and Ruth

Tragedy that Hit Naomi's Family

Elimelech, Mahlon, and Kilion die

Naomi's Plan

Famine is over so return to Bethlehem, daughters-in-law wanted to go with her but she said go back home---Orpah did but Ruth was loyal

How Ruth Met Boaz

Gleaning the left over barley in his field--heard of her loyalty and was really nice to her---turns out they were related

Naomi's Reaction to Boaz

tells Ruth to lie at feet of his bed and ask to marry him---says yes but must see if closer relative will marry because he has more right

Ruth Marries Boaz

Closer relative didn't want to marry her (I think cause she was from Moab) so Boaz did

Child of Ruth and Boaz

Obed---father of Jesse---father of David