Learn about the time of judges when the Israelites return to a cycle of rebellion, repentance and redemption in this visual printable of the book of Judges in the Bible .
THE BOOK OF JUDGES
I have to admit–Judges was a tough one to get through. I don’t remember it being so…dark.
Sometimes a deep dive into the history in the Bible will take you into some strange and scary places. I mean, these are the people of God. He has delivered them over and over again. And still they turn away.
The time of judges is after Joshua’s leadership. The people are told to finish taking over the territories that have been promised to them. But God warns them not to intermarry because they will turn to pagan practices and idolatry.
At first they listen, but over time, they make treaties and bargain with the people instead of following what God has instructed them to do. And so a vicious cycle begins.
The Israelites become so corrupt and violent that the next generation doesn’t even know God. Over and over in the book of Judges, you see the following pattern:
- Disobedience of Israelites
- Oppression from other kingdoms
- Israelites cry out to God
- God appoints a judge (leader)
- Deliverance from enemies
- Peace in the land
- REPEAT
It’s cringe-worthy. And each time their sin and oppression seem to worsen.
There’s something about reading the Bible in order in a study like this one that really makes the characters come back to life. They aren’t stories in a book–these people are real historical figures. And they’re failing. Badly.
THE 12 LEADERS
God raises up 12 Judges (aka leaders) during this time that lead the people out of bondage. We finally get to see a glimpse of the Israelites returning back to their God.
- Othniel
- Ehud
- Shamgar
- Deborah
- Gideon
- Tola
- Jair
- Jephthah
- Ibzan
- Elon
- Abdon
- Samson
The Bible is a love story of a father who refuses to give up on his children. And while they fail time and time again, a Savior is coming! I can’t wait to read those pages especially after we see how much more these Israelites will continue to fail throughout the Old Testament.
JUDGES PRINTABLE OUTLINE
To simplify the book of Judges for you, I created this printable to help breakdown the basic storyline as you study the Bible. Use it in your studies today!
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So a few years ago, I made this Old and New Testament Summary Printable, and now I’m working my way through each book of the Bible! To get the rest of the printables, check out my Timeline Bundles for the best deal:
Timeline Bundles
For the background of events leading up to the book of Judges, read these:
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