From the death of Josh"u-a to the coronation of Saul the Twelve Tribes of Is"ra-el were without a central government, except as from time to time men of ability rose up among them. It was not, as some have supposed, an "age of anarchy," for anarchy is confusion; and during most of the time there were peace and order in Is"ra-el. It was rather an "age of heroes," for its rulers were neither hereditary nor elective, but men called forth by the needs of the hour and their own qualities of leadership.
I. =The Condition of Is"ra-el during This Period.= This was partly favorable and partly unfavorable. The _favorable_ elements were:
1. =The Mountain Location= of Is"ra-el. The tribes were perched like Switzerland in the Alps. There was a desert on the south and on the east, while on the west lay the plain by the sea, the great route of travel between E"gypt and the Eu-phra"tes. Great armies pa.s.sed and repa.s.sed over this plain, and great battles were fought by E-gyp"tians, Hit"t.i.tes, and As-syr"i-ans, while Is"ra-el on her mountain peaks was unmolested. This mountain home left Is"ra-el generally unnoticed, and, when attacked, almost inaccessible.
2. =The Racial Unity= of Is"ra-el. The two finest races of the world, the Greek and the Is"ra-el-ite, were both of pure blood. The Is"rael-ites were one in origin, in language, in traditions, in aspirations. This national unity often brought the tribes together in times of distress, though not always when the union was needed.
3. =The Religious Inst.i.tutions.= In Greece every town had its own G.o.d and its own religion; hence the many parties and petty nationalities.
But in Is"ra-el there was in theory but one altar, one house of G.o.d, one system of worship, with its annual pilgrimage to the religious capital (1 Sam. 1. 3). Just to the measure in which these inst.i.tutions were observed Is"ra-el was strong against all foes, and as they were neglected the land became the prey of oppressors (Judg. 2. 7-14; 1 Sam.
7. 3).
But there were also _unfavorable_ elements in the condition of Is"ra-el, which threatened its very existence. These were:
1. =The Native Races.= These were of two kinds: the subject people left on the soil, more or less under the domination of the conquerors; and the surrounding nations, Am"mon, Mo"ab, Syr"i-a, and the Phi-lis"tines.
There was danger from their enmity, a rebellion of the subject tribes, allied with the enemies around, for the destruction of Is"ra-el. And there was far greater danger from their friendship, which would lead to intermarriage, to idolatry, to corruption of morals, and to ruin (Judg.
3. 1-7).
2. =Lack of a Central Government.= Is"ra-el was in the condition of the United States at the close of the Revolution, from 1783 to 1789, a loose confederation with no central authority. There were twelve tribes, but each governed itself. Only under some great chieftain like Gid"e-on or Sam"u-el were all the twelve tribes united. Most of the judges ruled only over their own district of a few adjoining tribes. Often the northern tribes were in peril, but we never read of Ju"dah going to their a.s.sistance; and in Ju"dah"s wars with the Phi-lis"tines the northern tribes stood aloof.
3. =Tribal Jealousy.= Until the establishment of the American republic the world never saw, for any length of time, a league of states on an equal footing. In Greece the strongest state claimed the _hegemony_, or leadership, and oppressed its allies. In Italy the Ro"mans reduced all their neighbors to subjection. In Europe it now requires an army of more than a million men to maintain the "balance of power." So in Is"ra-el there was a constant struggle for the leadership between the two great tribes of Ju"dah and E"phra-im. During the period of the judges E"phra-im was constantly a.s.serting its rights to rule the other tribes (Judg. 8. 1-3; 12. 1-6). We trace this rivalry through all the reign of Da"vid; and at last it led to the division of the empire under Re-ho-bo"am.
4. =Idolatrous Tendencies.= We note constantly "the two Is"ra-els"--a spiritual minority and an irreligious, idolatrous ma.s.s. For many centuries the greatest evil of Is"ra-el-ite history was the tendency to the worship of idols. Causes which operated to promote it were: 1.) The natural craving for a visible object of worship, not altogether eradicated from even the Christian heart; for example, Ro"mish images and the use of the crucifix. 2.) The a.s.sociation of Is"ra-el with idolaters on the soil or as neighbors. 3.) The opportunity which idol worship gives to gratify l.u.s.t under the guise of religion. As a result of these forces we find idol worship the crying sin of the Is"ra-el-ites down to the captivity in Bab"y-lon.
II. =The Judges of Is"ra-el.= These were the heroes of that age, the men who in turn led the tribes, freed them from their enemies, and restored them to the service of G.o.d.
1. =Their Office.= It was not generally to try legal cases between man and man or between tribe and tribe. It might be regarded as a military dictatorship blended with a religious authority. The judge was a union of the warrior and the religious reformer.
2. =Their Appointment=, not by election, nor the votes of the people.
The Orientals have never chosen their rulers by suffrage. The judges were men whom the people recognized as called of G.o.d to their office (Judg. 2. 16; 3. 9; 6. 11-13).
3. =Their authority= rested not on law, nor on armies, but on the personal elements of integrity and leadership in the men, and on the general belief in their inspiration. They spoke to the people with the authority of a messenger from G.o.d. They arose in some hour of great need, and after the immediate danger was over held their power until the end of their lives.
4. =The Extent of Their Rule= was generally local, over a few tribes in one section. Deb"o-rah ruled in the north (Judg. 5. 14-18); Jeph"thah governed only the east of the Jor"dan (Judg. 11. 29). Often more than one judge was ruling at the same time; probably Sam"son and E"li were contemporaneous. Gid"e-on and Sam"u-el alone ruled all the twelve tribes.
Blackboard Outline
I. =Cond. Isr.= _Fav._ 1. Mtn. Loc. 2. Rac. Un. 3. Rel. Inst.
_Unfav._ 1. Nat. Rac. 2. Lac. Cent. Gov. 3. Tri. Jeal.
4. Idol. Ten.
II. =Jud. Isr.= 1. Off. 2. App. 3. Auth. 4. Ex. Ru.
Review Questions
Between what events was this period? What were its traits? What were the conditions favorable to Is"ra-el during this period? How did their location aid the Is"ra-el-ites? Wherein were the Is"ra-el-ites one people? How did their religious inst.i.tutions keep them together? What were the unfavorable and dangerous elements in the condition of Is"ra-el? How were they in danger from the native races? What was lacking in the government of Is"ra-el? What two tribes were in rivalry? What was the effect of this jealousy? What a.n.a.logy is found in ancient history? How was the same principle ill.u.s.trated in modern times? What evil tendency was manifested in Is"ra-el through nearly all its history? What causes are a.s.signed for this tendency? What was the office of a judge in Is"ra-el?
How were the judges appointed? What was their authority? How widely did their rule extend?
III. =The Oppressions and Deliverers.= During these centuries the influences already named brought Is"ra-el many times under the domination of foreign power. The story was always the same: forsaking G.o.d, following idols, subjection, reformation, victory, and temporary prosperity. We notice the seven oppressions. Some of these were undoubtedly contemporaneous.
1. =The Mes-o-po-ta"mi-an Oppression= (Judg. 3. 7-11). Probably this was over the southern portion, and the invaders came by the east and around the Dead Sea, as earlier invaders from the same land had come (Gen. 14.
1-7). The deliverer was Oth"ni-el, the first judge, and the only judge of the tribe of Ju"dah.
2. =The Mo"ab-ite Oppression= (Judg. 3. 12-30). Over the eastern and central section, including E"phra-im (verse 27); deliverer, E"hud, the second judge; battle fought at the ford of the river Jor"dan (verse 28).
3. =The Early Phi-lis"tine Oppression= (Judg. 3. 31). Over the southwest, on the frontier of Ju"dah; deliverer, Sham"gar.
4. =The Ca"naan-ite Oppression= (Judg. 4). Over the northern tribes; deliverer, Deb"o-rah, the woman judge; battle at Mount Ta"bor.
5. =The Mid"i-an-ite Oppression= (Judg. 6. 1-6). Over the northern center, especially Ma-nas"seh, east; the most severe of all; deliverer, Gid"e-on, the greatest of the judges (Judg. 6. 11, 12); battle, on Mount Gil-bo"a (Judg. 7), followed by other victories (Judg. 8).
6. THE AM"MON-ITE OPPRESSION (Judg. 10. 7-9). Note an alliance between the Am"o-rites and Phi-lis"tines, which is suggestive; mainly over the tribes on the east of Jor"dan; deliverer, Jeph"thah[11] (Judg. 11); victory at A-ro"er (verse 33).
7. THE PHI-LIS"TINE OPPRESSION (Judg. 13). This was the most protracted of all, for it extended, with intervals of freedom, for a hundred years; embraced all the land, but was most heavily felt south of Mounts Car"mel and Gil-bo"a. The liberation was begun by Sam"son (Judg. 13. 5), but he was led astray by sensual l.u.s.ts and became a failure. Freedom was later won by Sam"u-el at the battle of Eb-en-e"zer (1 Sam. 7. 7-14); but the oppression was renewed in the time of Saul, and became heavier than ever (1 Sam. 13. 17-20). Finally the yoke was broken by Da"vid, in a succession of victories, ending with the capture of Gath, the Phi-lis"tine capital (2 Sam. 5. 17-25; 1 Chron. 18. 1).
Note with each oppression: 1.) The oppressor. 2.) The section oppressed.
3.) The deliverer. 4.) The battlefield.
IV. =The General Aspects of the Period.=
1. It was an age of =individuality=. There was no strong government to oppress the people, to concentrate all the life of the nation at the court, and to repress individuality. Contrast Per"sia with Greece; Rome under the emperors with Rome as a republic. As men were needed they were raised up, for there was opportunity for character. Hence it was an age of heroes--Oth"ni-el, E"hud, Sham"gar, Gid"e-on, Jeph"thah, Sam"son, Sam"u-el, etc. Free inst.i.tutions bring strong men to the front.
2. It was an age of =neglect of the law=. During all this period there is no allusion to the law of Mo"ses. Its regulations were ignored, except so far as they belonged to the common law of conscience and right. The laws of Mo"ses were not deliberately disobeyed, but were ignorantly neglected. Even good men, as Gid"e-on and Sam"u-el, built altars and offered sacrifices (Judg. 6. 24; 1 Sam. 7. 9) contrary to the letter of the law of Mo"ses, but obeying its spirit.
3. Nevertheless, it was an age of =progress=. There were alternate advancements and retrogressions; yet we see a people with energy, rising in spite of their hindrances. By degrees government became more settled (1 Sam. 7. 15-17), foreign relations arose (1 Sam. 7. 14; Ruth 1. 1), and the people began to look toward a more stable system (1 Sam. 8.
4-6).
Hints to the Teacher
1. See that the outline is thoroughly committed to memory, and test the pupil"s knowledge by calling upon him to read at sight the Blackboard Outline below.
2. Draw on the board an outline map of Pal"es-tine, and indicate upon it in succession the portions occupied in each of the oppressions.
Blackboard Outline
I. =Cond. Isr.= _Fav._ 1. Mtn. Loc. 2. Rac. Un. 3. Rel. Ins.
_Unfav._ 1. Nat. Rac. 2. Lac. Cent. Gov.
3. Tri. Jeal. 4. Idol. Ten.
II. =Jud. Isr.= 1. Off. 2. App. 3. Auth. 4. Ext. Ru.
III. =Opp. and Deliv.= _Opp._ _Sec._ _Deliv._ _Batt.-fie._ 1. Mes. Sou. Oth.
2. Moab. Ea. cen. Ehu. For. Jor.
3. Ea. Phil. So.-wes. Sham.
4. Can. Nor. Deb. Mt. Tab.
5. Mid. Nor. cen. Gid. Mt. Gil.
6. Amm. East. Jeph. Aro.
7. Phil. All. Sams. Saml. Eben.