1. The unseen King, Jehovah
   • 1Samuel 8:7 -- "Rejected Me, that I should not reign over them"
   • 1Samuel 12:12 -- "The Lord your God was your King"
2. The unseen King reigned through judges
   • Judges 2:16 -- "The Lord raised up judges"
   • Judges 2:18 -- "The Lord was with the judge"

   The judges were tribesmen in Israel upon whom Jehovah laid the burden of Israel's apostate (unfaithful) and oppressed state. They were the spiritual ancestors of the prophets -- men raised up of Jehovah, the unseen King, to represent Him in the nation. Their strength came entirely from the Holy Spirit.

3. The apostates and judges
   1. The first apostasy and the first judge - Othniel
      • Judges 3:5-7 -- "The children of Israel did evil... served Baalim"
      • Judges 3:9 -- "The Lord raised up... Othniel"
      • Judges 3:10,11 -- "Land had rest... Othniel... died"
   2. The second apostasy and the second judge - Ehud
      • Judges 3:12 -- "And the children of Israel did evil again"
      • Judges 3:15 -- "The Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud"
      • Judges 3:30 -- "The land had rest"
   3. The third judge - Shamgar
      • Judges 3:31 -- "Shamgar... he also delivered Israel"
   4. The third apostasy, and the fourth and fifth judges - Deborah and Barak
      • Judges 4:1 -- "And the children of Israel again did evil"
      • Judges 4:4 -- "Deborah, a prophetess... judged Israel"
      • Judges 4:6 -- "And she sent and called Barak"
      • Judges 4:7-24 -- "So God subdued on that day Jabin... Israel prospered"
   5. The fourth apostasy, and the sixth judge - Gideon
      • Judges 6:1 -- "And the children of Israel did evil"
      • Judges 6:11 -- "Gideon threshed wheat... to hide it from the Midianites"
      • Judges 6:12-33 -- "The Lord appeared unto him"
      • Judges 6:34 -- "The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon"
      • Judges 8:28 -- "And the country was in quietness"
   6. The fifth apostasy, and a time of confusion
      • Judges 8:33 -- "As soon as Gideon was dead... made Baal-berith their god"

      The time of confusion occurs in Judges 8:33 - 10:5. It is not said that Tola and Jair were raised up of Jehovah. The monotonous history proceeds through the entire book of Judges: apostasy and idolatry on the part of the people, oppression and servitude, the mercy of the unseen King in raising up judges Jephtha, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Samson, and the evil and confusion in which the book ends.

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