I. THE CAUSE OF OPPRESSION.

1. Unsubdued Enemies.— Great as had been the conquests of Joshua the enemies were not wholly conquered. The duty of driving out the Canaanites was solemnly enjoined upon them by Joshua, and during the days of the elders who had lived with Joshua the nation prospered and many of the Canaanites were driven out. But when the second generation of elders ruled in Israel disorder, idolatry and lawlessness prevailed. The people made leagues with the Canaanites and at length intermarried with them and began to worship their idols. These unsubdued tribes made Israel weak to resist the invasion of the nations, who also threatened rebellion and oppression whenever they grew strong Enough to assert their authority.

2. Lack of National Unity.— The tribes were disorganized and without central authority after the death of Joshua. Each tribe looked after its own welfare, and when one tribe was oppressed the other tribes suddenly joined to expel the oppressors. Had the tribes been a united nation the heathen tribes would not have invaded their land.

3. Idolatry of Israel.— Contrary to the express commands of the law, the people of Israel did worship the idols, and joined in the abomination of the feasts. They forsook Jehovah, and hence forfeited his protection and blessing. God withdrew his presence from them and sold them into the hands of their enemies. It was God's purpose to bring these erring people to repentance and a sense of their dependence upon him. As soon as they repented of their sin he raised up deliverers who saved them from their enemies. Sin, oppression, repentance, deliverance describe the history of these periods, repeated at least seven times.

II. THE SEVEN OPPRESSIONS.

1. The Mesopotamian Oppression (Judges 3:7-1 1).— The first of the oppressions was by Chushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia. He pushed his conquests southward and grievously oppressed the tribes east of the Jordan for eight years. Othniel, son-in-law of Caleb, was the first judge raised up to deliver Israel from the hand of her oppressor. He drove back the Mesopotamians and Israel had rest from her enemies forty years.

2. The Moabite Oppression (Judges 3:12-30).— After the death of Othniel the children of Israel again fell into idolatry. The Moabites under king Eglon, in league with the Ammonites and the Amalekites, crossed the Jordan, captured Jericho and made it their headquarters. He put the tribes of central and southern Palestine under tribute, and for eighteen years they sent an annual present to Eglon at Jericho. Ehud, a Benjamite, was raised up to deliver Israel. He carried the tribute to Eglon one year, and went on his way as far as Gilgal. Then he turned back on the pretense of having a secret message for the king. All the servants were sent out. Ehud slew the king and then hastened to collect the Israelites for battle. The Moabites were panic-stricken at the death of their leader and the unexpected appearance of the Israelite army. They fled towards the fords of the Jordan. But the Israelites were awaiting them and permitted none to cross. Ten thousand were slain, and the tribes of Israel had rest eighty years.

3. The Early Philistine Oppression (Judges 3:31).— The southwest borders of Judah were ravaged by the Philistines, but Shamgar, the son of Anath, armed with an ox-goad, slew six hundred men, and drove back the Philistines for a time.

4. The Canaanite Oppression (Judges 4:1 - 5:31). — After the death of Ehud, Israel again fell into idolatry, and God sent Jabin, king of the Canaanites, to oppress them. Sisera was captain for the host, and with nine hundred chariots of iron he overran the northern tribes of Asher, Naphtali and Zebulon and oppressed them mightily for twenty years. The land was without a deliverer until finally Deborah, a prophetess of God and the fourth judge in Israel, was fired with indignation at the unrelieved sufferings of her people. She summoned Barak to gather an army from these tribes of the north, but he refused to undertake the enterprise unless she would accompany him. She marched with him to Mt. Tabor. Sisera, the Canaanite captain, encamped near by the Plain of Jezreel. At Deborah's signal the tribes of Israel descended suddenly upon the hosts of Sisera and threw them into wild confusion. A furious storm of hail and rain burst upon them and swelled the stream Kishon into such a torrent that it swept away many of the enemies. Sisera himself fled to Jael's tent where he thought he was safe; but Jael took a tent pin and drove it through his temples. When Barak came Jael showed him his foe, and that day Deborah and Barak returned to their homes, chanting the triumphal hymn to celebrate the victory that gave the land rest forty years.

5. The Oppression of the Midianites (Judges 6:1-10:18).

(1) The Invasion of the Midianites.—Agzui Israel relapsed into idolatry and indulged in the abominations of Baal, thus bringing upon themselves an oppression more severe than any they had endured. The Midianites joined the Amalekites and Arabians and ravaged the country of Israel. For seven years they destroyed the crops and reduced the children of Israel to such a condition that they fled for refuge among the dens and caves of the mountains.

(2) The Call of Gideon. — The deliverer of Israel came from the tribe of Manasseh. Gideon was threshing wheat behind the winepress to hide it from the Midianites, when the Lord called him to deliver his people. Gideon requested a sign to assure him of the truth of this announcement, and the angel directed him to offer a kid and some cakes on the rock and pour broth over them. Gideon did so, and when the angel touched the sacrifice fire rose from the rock, consumed the offering and the angel disappeared.

(3) Gideon's Destruction of the Altar.— The Lord bade Gideon begin his work at home and throw down the altars that his father had erected to Baal. In the night Gideon with his servants did so, and the people were angry, demanding Gideon's father to slay him, but he refused to do so.

(4) Gideon's Army.— Gideon gathered about him his own clan and sent them to invite the other tribes to join them. He then asked another sign to encourage him in his arduous undertaking. The double sign of the fleece of wool was granted him. Meanwhile an army of 32,000 gathered about him on Mt. Gilboa. The army was too large, for the Lord knew that if they gained the victory they might boast of their own strength. Gideon was directed to tell them that if any were afraid they might return home, and immediately 22,000 left. Still the army was too large. Gideon took the remaining 10,000 to a stream, and all who bowed on their knees and drank greedily were sent away. Three hundred lapped of the water, and they were the chosen ones to resist the Midianites. To confirm Gideon's faith, God told him on the night previous to battle to go near the Midianite camp. Gideon went, and heard a Midianite tell his dream of the cake of barley bread tumbling into the host of Midian and smiting the tent, and his fellow said that it was the sword of Gideon into whose hand the Lord had delivered them.

(5) Gideon's Victory. — Full of hope Gideon returned and divided his little army into three companies, giving to each man a pitcher, torch and trumpet. Then, bidding them follow him, they stole down to the camp of Midian in the middle watch of the night and silently took their places around the camp. At Gideon's signal they blew their trumpets, broke their pitchers and the light of three hundred torches burst suddenly upon the sleeping Midianites. Thinking they were attacked by a vast host they were thrown into great confusion and began to slay each other and flee towards the Jordan. The Ephraimites intercepted them and captured two of their princes. Two of the Midianite kings with large forces crossed the river, but Gideon pursued them and finally overtook and slew them. Gideon returned to his home at Ophrah and the land had rest forty years. Gideon ruled as judge, but refused the title of king. He gathered the ornaments which they had taken as booty and made an ephod to set up in Ophrah, and all Israel fell into the snare of idolatry and worshiped this ephod after Gideon's death. His seventy sons apparently ruled over some portion of the country, and one of them, Abimelech, ambitious for supreme power, slew all his brethren save Jotham. His relatives at Shechem set him up as king. Abimelech maintained his position nearly three years, when the men of Shechem rebelled, and in his struggle with them he lost his life by the hand of a woman. Other judges succeeded him:Tola, of the tribe Issachar, ruled twenty-three years, and Jair of Gilead twentytwo years.

6. The Ammonite Oppression (Judges 10:7-11:40).— The judgment of God did not restrain Israel from idolatry of even a worse form than before. Judgment fell upon them from two sources. The Philistines invading them on the southwest and the Ammonites ravaging the territory on the east of the Jordan invaded the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim. At length Israel repented of her sin, turned to Jehovah and cried for deliverance. Jephthah, an outcast from his father's house, who was leading a band of men against the neighboring countries, was called to be the deliverer. The tribes east of the Jordan promised that he should be chief over them if he would lead them against the Ammonites. Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonites, urging the right of Israel to possess the land. But the Ammonites would not withdraw, and Jephthah collected his warriors and attacked them in the forests of Gilead. They were completely defeated and twenty of their cities were captured. Jephthah, in accordance with his vow that he would offer whatsoever came first out of his house to meet him on his return from victory, sacrificed his only daughter as a burnt offering. Jephthah ruled as judge six years; after him Ibzan of Zebulun judged seven years and Elon of the same tribe ten years. Then Abdon of Ephraim judged in the south eight years.

7. The Philistine Oppression (Judges 13:1 - 16:31).— This was the longest of all the oppressions, lasting for a hundred years, with intervals of rest. The oppression embraced all the land; but was the most severe in the tribe of Dan. From this tribe the first deliverer appeared in the person of Samson, speciallyset apart for this work from his birth. He was a man distinguished for his supernatural strength, and might have been a great deliverer had he been true to Jehovah. But he married among the Philistines, and though he at different times inflicted severe blows upon them, he never freed Israel from the Philistine yoke. Delilah, another Philistine woman, discovered the secret of his strength and betrayed him into the hands of his enemies. They thrust out his eyes and made him grind corn in prison at Gaza. The Philistines held a great feast to Dagon, their god, in honor of their deliverance from Samson. They brought out Samson to make sport of his blindness and helplessness; but having recovered his strength he pulled down the temple, killing himself and many of the Philistines.

During Samson's judgeship, Eli was high priest at Shiloh. At Aphek the Philistines defeated Israel, and in a second battle the wicked sons of Eli were slain and the Ark of God was taken. The Philistines carried the Ark to Ashdod and put it in the temple of Dagon; but the idol fell down and was destroyed. They took it to different cities, but everywhere it brought pestilence and ill luck, so they placed it on a cart and sent it to Bethshemesh in Israel. Fifty thousand of that place were punished with death for looking into it. It was taken to Kirjath-jearim, where it remained until David removed it to Jerusalem.

During this dark period Samuel appeared as an acknowledged prophet of God. He had been brought up in the Tabernacle with the high priest Eli. Convening the people at Mizpah, he urged them to forsake their idols, and the people heeded his advice, acknowledging their guilt and pouring water upon the ground. Alarmed at this assembly, the Philistines gathered their forces for battle, but the Lord thundered upon them and they fled. The Israelites pursued them and slew great numbers of them. The Philistines and also the Amorites made peace with Israel, and Samuel was confirmed as judge over Israel. He organized the Prophetic Schools where young men studied the Scriptures under teachers. Year after year Samuel was Superintendent of the four prophetic schools located at Raman, his home, Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpah and he administered justice to the people.

QUESTIONS.

• Give the time of the chapter.

• Name the causes of the oppressions.

• Who were the unsubdued enemies?

• Why did God forsake Israel?

• Name the seven oppressions.

• Who delivered Israel from the first, and how long was it?

• Who slew the king of the Moabites?

• Who was Shamgar and what did he do?

• Describe the deliverance from the Canaanite oppression.

• What is said about the Midianite oppression?

• Who called Gideon and how did it affect him?

• What name was given him and what does it mean?

• Describe Gideon's army.

• What signs were given him for confirmation?

• Describe the battle.

• Where was the Ammonite oppression the worst?

• What promises were made to Jephthah?

• What rash vow did Jephthah make?

• Who met him on return from the victory?

• How long did the Philistine oppression continue?

• For what was Samson distinguished?

• What influence had the heathen women on him?

• How was his strength made manifest?

• Where did Samson die and how?

• Who was the high priest at this time?

• What was the character of his sons?

• Where were the sons slain and the Ark taken?

• Give history of the Ark.

• Who was the prophet that spoke at this time?

• Where did he convene the people?

• What institutions did he establish for Bible study?

• Name the places where they were located.

REVIEW.

I. The Cause of the Oppression.

1. Unsubdued Enemies.

2. Lack of National Unity.

3. Idolatry of Israel.

II. The Seven Oppressions.

1. The Mesopotamian Oppression,— eight years; Othniel deliverer.

2. The Moabite Oppression, — eighteen years; Ehud deliverer.

3. The Early Philistine Oppression, — Shamgar deliverer.

4. The Canaanite Oppression, — twenty years; Deborah and Barak deliverers.

5. The Midianite Oppression, — seven years; Gideon deliverer:

(1) Invasion of Midianites,

(2) The Call of Gideon,

(3) Gideon Destroys the Altar,

(4) Gideon's Army,

(5) Gideon's Victory, — Pitcher, Torch, Trumpet.

6. The Ammonite Oppression, — eighteen years; Jephthah deliverer.

7. The Philistine Oppression, — one hundred years; Samson and Samuel deliverers.