Who Are the Judges in the Bible?
The bible tells several stories about the judges. The shortest one is the Othniel narrative, which spans five verses. It sets the stage for the rest of the major judge narratives. The story begins with Israel doing evil in the sight of the Lord, and then proceeds to the Lord selling Israel to the enemy. Israel’s repentance, the judge’s death, and the land’s rest are all parts of the narrative.
Samson
The story of Samson is a great story for many reasons. It illustrates the danger of being a loner in leadership. Samson spent 20 years as a judge, but he never sought the help of others. As a result, he wasted his potential.
Samson possessed incredible physical strength. However, his strength was limited due to his Nazirite vow, which led to his downfall. His enemies, the Philistines, were his mortal enemies. While he was the strongest man in the world, his strength made him vulnerable. He was also beguiled by Delilah, who beguiled him into revealing the secret to his strength.
The Bible also describes Samson’s background. His mother, Manoah, was unable to conceive. When she did, an angel appeared to her and instructed her to raise Samson as a Nazarite, and to not cut his hair. His hair became both the secret of his strength and his Achilles’ heel. As a result, Samson became impulsive and lustful. However, he believed the Lord was seeking him out to battle the Philistines.
Ehud
In the Bible, Ehud was the second judge of Israel, serving after Othniel. The people of Israel were under the rule of the king of Moab for eighteen years, and Ehud was sent by God to save them. He was a left-handed man who served the nation with distinction. He was also a noted military commander and political governor.
When the Israelites were under the oppression of the Moabites, they cried out to God and sought his help. The Israelites cried out to God for deliverance from the Moabites and kings, and God sent a judge to help them. During this time, the people were freed, but when the judge left, they were tempted to worship other gods and serve other gods.
The Israelites had done many evil things. The Lord granted Eglon power over the Israelites, and he made an agreement with the Ammonites and Amalekites. Eglon conquered the city of Jericho and kept the Israelites under his rule for 18 years. Ehud was the son of Gera, a man of Benjamin’s tribe. He had a strong hand and was able to bring peace to Israel. The Israelites lived in peace for 80 years after Eglon’s death.
Gideon
One of the most interesting characters in the Bible is Gideon, the firstborn son of Abimelech. Although his father was willing to execute his enemies, he wished to evade the honor of “warrior’s death” and relegate his vengeance to his firstborn son. In some interpretations, this kind of delegacy is considered “blooding” a warrior. Gideon’s decision to hand over the power to his firstborn son is a final insult and humiliation to the Midianite kings. In this case, he is arrogant and cruel, forgetting his duty to God.
The story of Gideon contains two interrelated themes. One is his assignment to rescue Israel from the Midianites, who had been oppressing the Israelites. The other involves the conflict between the two religions. The Israelites sought the help of God, and Gideon was called to do it. However, the story is not just about his mission to save Israel, but also about Gideon’s own struggles in life. Despite his personal weakness, God’s intervention in Gideon’s life saved Israel.
Gideon is one of the most important judges in the Bible. He serves as a role model for others. His father, Yahweh, commands him to fight against the Canaanite cult of Baal, which is worshipped by the Israelites. As a result, Gideon is faced with the difficult decision of pleasing his physical father and pleasing his divine father.
Tola
Tola was one of the judges of Israel, whose career is summarized in Judges 10:1-2. His name means “crimson worm” or “scarlet stuff.” Tola was a descendant of the tribe of Issachar, and his name is also the name of one of the sons of Issachar who migrated to Egypt in Genesis 46:13.
Tola was a great ruler and hero in the Bible. He was also a great military leader. He helped free the nation from foreign occupation and repression. Though most of the Bible’s judges were godfearing, there were some who did not. As such, he is sometimes referred to as a minor judge.
Tola is also named after the color of his hair. This characteristic is particularly popular in the Issachar tribe. The Bible states that he served for a total of 23 years before dying. He is buried in Shamir.
Ehud’s attack on the Moabites
Ehud had been raised to be the deliverer of Israel and had been given the mission of attacking the Moabites. He thrust a sword into the oversized intestines of Moab King Eglon. King Eglon was so bloated that he could not fight back, and the sword hilt went straight through his body.
The details of Eglon’s death are not clear, but the word parshadon (meaning to scatter) suggests that he died from a massive injury to his stomach. Afterwards, his body was emptied of its contents. However, there is no sound of him dying.
The Moabites were a nomadic people, but Ehud persuaded the Israelites to attack. Though they were a well-supplied people, they were no match for the resolute Army of God. As they advanced to the strategic fords of the River Jordan, they cut off their escape route. This victory cost the Moabites their independence.
Ehud’s secret message
King Eglon is the target of Ehud’s secret message. The king is slow-witted, but Ehud is able to gain a private audience with him. Nevertheless, Eglon has no idea what Ehud’s secret is about to reveal.
Eglon had oppressed Israel for eighteen years, and the Israelites had become accustomed to paying a large amount of tribute to him. Therefore, God commanded Ehud, the servant of the king, to deliver them from Eglon. As Eglon’s servants were not aware of his mission, Ehud stabbed Eglon in the belly.
Ehud is left-handed, so he had a very unique advantage over other warriors. He could hide his weapon on his left side. This made it easier to take down the Moabite king. In addition, his left-handedness allowed him to avoid the trap of being wrong-handed.
King Eglon likes to hide his identity, and Ehud used it to his advantage. He told King Eglon that he had received a secret message from God. The king then dismissed his servants and went to the upper chamber of his palace. Sitting in the cool roof-chamber, the king heard Ehud’s voice and reached for his dagger. As the blade penetrated the king’s belly, it was covered in the king’s fat.
Tola’s attack on the Moabites
The combined armies of Israel, Judah, and Edom had to travel a great distance to invade Moab from the south. Jehoram, the king of Moab, thought that the calamity was punishment from God, but the godly Jehoshaphat sought to know what the LORD had to say about the matter.
The Moabites were originally a group of people who lived in the highlands east of the Dead Sea. They were driven south by the Amorites, whose leader was Sihon. The Moabites were eventually confined to the country south of the river Arnon.
The Moabites and the Ammonites resisted the Israelites’ invasion of Canaan, and therefore were excluded from the congregation. According to Jewish tradition, the Moabites were barred from the congregation for ten generations, although this is now considered an idiom. Egyptian converts could marry Moabites, but only to the third or fourth generation.
After the death of Abimelech, Tola ruled over Israel for three years. However, he fought many Israelis, and died there in a battle against his own people. In a way, Tola may have saved Israel from themselves.
Ehud’s attack on Eglon
Ehud’s attack on Eglan was an unexpected surprise. The servants of Eglon noticed that the upper room door was locked, so they thought that Ehud was relieving himself in this well-ventilated space. They waited for Eglon to come out and unlock the door, and they used the key to enter the room and find Eglon dead on the floor.
The people of Israel had done many evil things, which the Lord considered to be evil in his sight. This was one of the reasons why the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab power over the people of Israel. After he had convinced the Ammonites and Amalekites to join his army, Eglon attacked Israel and captured Jericho. For eighteen years, the Israelites were under Eglon’s control.
Ehud had made a special sword to kill Eglon. It was shorter than a normal sword and sharp on both edges. It was small enough to carry on his leg or hide beneath his cloak. Ehud had an ulterior motive for attacking Eglon, as Eglon was known to be greedy. He needed a way to get close to Eglon’s palace.
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