Spiraling Downward
After a judge delivers the Israelites, they experience this as long as the judge lives.
What is rest / peace?
Who is Deborah?
The first of the judges, this man establishes the pattern other judges will follow, and this judge's name is Karson's middle name.
This theme in Judges, which is one of the big three themes we have focused on, is represented in Judges 1 when the tribes of Israelites go to God in prayer to decide how they should jointly act.
What is "what unites a people?"
God uses this method to decrease Gideon's forces down to 300 men.
What is how the soldiers drink from a spring?
After being oppressed because of their sins, the Israelites sometimes take decades before they take this action.
What is crying out to God?
This judge had to use cunning to overcome Israel's lack of military strength to defeat the incredibly fat King Eglon of Moab.
Who is Ehud?
This judge is also known as "Let Baal Contend" for his actions of faith and dependence on God, which involved overcoming his fear and destroying the altar of Baal his family constructed.
This theme in Judges, which is one of the big three themes we have focused on, is represented when Naphtali and Zebulun answer Deborah and Barak's call for aid, but some of the other tribes drag their feet.
What is "volunteers v. mercenaries?"
This is the name of the Canaanite general who fled the battlefield after being defeated by Deborah and Barak only to be killed by Jael in her tent.
Who is Sisera?
At the beginning of Judges, God says that he will leave foreign nations in and around Israel for this reason.
What is to be a snare for the Israelites?
Jotham tells the story of this "king" as a prophetic curse against his brother.
Who is the Bramble King?
Although his father was only a judge, his name literally means "My Father is King," and attempted to consolidate power through great acts of violence against his family and fellow Israelites.
Who is Abimelech?
This theme in Judges, which is one of the big three themes we have focused on, is represented by Abimelech desperately seeking to avoid having been killed by a woman dropping a millstone on his head.
What is "the status of women and vulnerable people?"
This leader's death occurs at the beginning of the book of Judges.
Who is Joshua?
As an example of the Israelites sinning worse than before, following Gideon's death, Abimelech uses this city, where Abram first set up an altar to God and Joshua said his family to serve the Lord, to launch his brutal campaign to become king.
What is Shecem?
God told this judge that his hesitancy to follow his commands would still result in Israelite victory but not in this judge's personal glory.
Who is Barak?
This woman courageously harbored a Canaanite general in her tent before unceremoniously killing him with a tent peg.
In the literary structure of Judges, Gideon plays this role relative to the other major judges.
What is the transition or fulcrum from good to bad judges?
This judge is famously left-handed.
Who is Ehud?
The name of Othniel's wife, who bravely jumped off her donkey and confronted her father about his wedding gifts.
Who is Acsah?
Both Ehud and Gideon call on this tribe to hold the fords of the Jordan to help secure victory against Israel's oppressors.
Who is Ephraim?
This tribe was the first tribe that God asks to fight against the Canaanites in Judges 1.
Who is Judah?
What is viewing yourself as God sees you rather than how you or world sees you?
This minor judge killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad.
Who is Shamgar?