Judges 10 - 16: From Tola to Samson
INTRODUCTION.
A. In our last study, we studied Deborah and Gideon. We saw rebellion, courage, and faithfulness.
B. In this lesson, we will study the following judges: Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson.
D. Let us begin our study with Tola and Jair.
I. JUDGES: TOLA AND JAIR. (10:1 - 10:5)
A. After the rampage of Abimelech, a man of the tribe of Issachar became the next judge over Israel. This man’s name was Tola. Tola judged Israel for 23 years. (10:1-2)
B. After Tola, Jair became the next judge over Israel. Jair was a Gileadite. He judged Israel for 22 years.
II. JUDGE: JEPHTHAH. (10:6 - 12:7)
A. After Jair died, the children of Israel returned to doing evil in the sight of the Lord. (10:6-18)
1. Israel “served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the people of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook the Lord and did not serve Him.” (NKJV) As a result, the Lord sold Israel into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites for 18 years. (vs 6-9)
2. The Israelites cried out to the Lord, confessing their sins. The Lord reminded Israel of the number of times He had delivered them from their enemies. Yet they still chose to serve other gods. The Lord told Israel to let their other gods deliver them from their enemies. (vs 10-14)
3. Again the Israelites confessed their sins. This time the Israelites changed from their pagan practices, serving only the Lord. As a result, the Lord could no longer endure their misery. (vs 15-18)
B. The people of Gilead called upon Jephthah to be their commander against the Ammonites. (11:1-11)
1. Jephthah was the son of a harlot. Because of this, the men of Gilead drove Jephthah out of Gilead. (vs 1-3)
2. When the Ammonites made war against Israel, the men of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. They asked Jephthah to be their commander. (vs 4-6)
3. Jephthah agreed to lead the men of Gilead only if they would agree to appoint him head over the people. The elders of Gilead agreed to Jephthah’s conditions. (vs 7-11)
C. Jephthah tried reasoning with the people of Ammon. (11:12-28)
1. The Ammonites explained that they were attacking Israel because Israel had taken land from the Ammonites when they had come up from Egypt. (vs 12-13)
2. Jephthah told the king of Ammon that the Lord had given Israel the land. Therefore, the king of Ammon had wronged Israel by fighting against them. The king of Ammon did not heed the words of Jephthah. (vs 14-28)
D. Before going up against the Ammonites, Jephthah vowed to offer to the Lord whatever greeted him at the door upon his victorious return home. Jephthah’s daughter met him at the door when he returned home from battle. (11:29-40)
E. The men of Ephraim threatened to burn Jephthah and his house because Jephthah had not called the Ephraimites into battle. Jephthah told the men of Ephraim that he did call, but that they did not come to his aid. Jephthah and the men of Gilead fought against the men of Ephraim. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed. Jephthah judged Israel for six years and then died. (12:1-7)
III. JUDGES: IBZAN, ELON, AND ABDON. (12:8-15)
A. Ibzan judged Israel for seven years. (12:8-10)
B. Elon judged Israel for ten years. (12:11-12)
C. Abdon judged Israel for eight years. (12:13-15)
IV. JUDGE: SAMSON. (13:1 - 16:31)
A. Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. As a result, the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years. (13:1)
B. An angel of the Lord told Manoah’s wife that she would conceive a child. The wife of Manoah conceived and gave birth to a boy. She called his name Samson. (13:2-24)
1. Manoah was from the tribe of Dan. His wife was barren. The angel of the Lord told the wife of Manoah that she would give birth to a child. She was to neither drink wine nor to eat anything unclean. Once the child was born, the mother was to never cut his hair. The child would be a Nazirite and would deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines. (vs 2-5)
2. Manoah’s wife told Manoah what had taken place. Manoah then prayed to God, asking God to send again the man of God so that he might teach them what they should do for the child. God heeded the words of Manoah and sent again the angel of God. When the angel arrived, Manoah’s wife ran and found Manoah. She told him that the “man” had appeared to her again. (vs 6-10)
3. Manoah returned with his wife. After questioning the angel and being told the rule of life for the baby, Manoah asked the angel to eat with them. The angel declined, telling Manaoh to offer a burnt offering to the Lord. (Manoah did not know the man was an angel of the Lord.) (vs 11-18)
4. Manoah offered the young goat with the grain offering. He offered it to the Lord. When the flame went up toward heaven, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. Manoah, realizing the man was an angel of the Lord, was afraid that he and his wife would die. However, his wife made the point that had the Lord intended to kill them, then the Lord would not have accepted the offering. (vs 19-23)
5. Manoah’s wife bore the child. She called his name Samson. The Spirit of the Lord began to move upon Samson. (vs 24-25)
C. Samson decided to take a wife from the daughters of the Philistines. This greatly displeased Samson’s parents. (Samson’s parents did not know that the Lord was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines.) Samson went down to Timnah. (14:1-9)
1. While on his way to Timnah, Samson was attacked by a young lion. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson and Samson killed the lion with his bare hands. (vs 5-6)
2. After talking with the young woman, Samson returned home. On the way home, Samson saw a swarm of bees in the carcass of the lion. Samson took some honey from the bees and returned home. (vs 7-9)
D. Samson’s father returned with Samson to see the woman. While there, Samson held a feast. At the start of the feast, Samson posed a riddle to the men. He promised to give them thirty linen garments if they could guess the riddle. If not, then each of them would have to give Samson linen garments. By threatening Samson’s wife, the men learned the answer to the riddle. Samson killed thirty men of Ashkelon and gave their garments to those who had answered his riddle. Samson went home and his wife was given to his companion. (14:10-20)
E. During the time of the wheat harvest, Samson returned to his wife, only to discover that she had been given to his companion. (15:1-8)
1. Out of anger, Samson tied three hundred foxes’ tails together with a torch between each pair of tails. Samson lit the torches and let the foxes run through the grain of the Philistines. (vs 3-5)
2. The anger of the Philistines was aroused against Samson. The Philistines burned Samson’s wife and her father. (vs 6)
3. Samson retaliated by attacking the Philistines. He attacked them “hip and thigh with a great slaughter.” (vs 7-8)
F. The Philistines went up against Judah. The Philistines demanded that the men of Judah arrest Samson and turn Samson over to them. The men of Judah arrested Samson and turned him over to the Philistines. Samson then killed one thousand Philistines with a jawbone of a donkey. (15:9-17)
G. Samson was thirsty and prayed to God. God provided water for Samson. Samson judged Israel for 20 years in the days of the Philistines. (15:18-20)
H. Some time later, Samson went to Gaza to see a harlot. When the men of Gaza heard that Samson was in their city, they set a trap for Samson. When midnight came, Samson carried off the doors of the gate of the city and the two gateposts. (16:1-3)
I. After a certain period of time, Samson began to love a woman named Delilah. The lords of the Philistines came to Delilah and made a deal with her to find out the secret to Samson’s strength. After repeated attempts, Delilah finally pestered Samson enough so that he revealed the secret to his strength. (16:4-17)
1. The Philistines agreed to give Delilah eleven hundred pieces of silver. Delilah agreed. (vs 4-6)
2. Upon Delilah’s first attempt to find out the secret to Samson’s great strength, Samson told Delilah that if he was bound with seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, he would then become weak. (vs 7-9)
3. Upon the second attempt, Samson told Delilah that if he was bound with new ropes that had never been used, then he would become weak. (vs 10-12)
4. Upon the third attempt, Samson told Delilah that if she would weave the seven locks of his head in the web of the loom, he would be weakened. (vs 13-14)
5. On the final attempt, Delilah wept and continued to question Samson regarding the secret of this strength. Samson finally gave in and told Delilah that if his hair was to be cut, he would then be weakened. (vs 15-17)
6. Delilah arranged for Samson’s hair to be cut and for the Philistines to capture Samson. This they did, putting out Samson’s eyes and taking him to Gaza. After a period of time, Samson’s hair began to grow again. (vs 18-22)
J. The lords of the Philistines came together to offer a great sacrifice to their god, Dagon. During this great feast, the lords called for Samson so that they could mock him, standing him between the pillars supporting the temple. Samson prayed to God for the return of his strength. He then pushed on both of the pillars. The temple fell, killing three thousand people. (16:19-30)
K. Samson’s brothers and his father’s house went and buried Samson between Zorah and Eshtaol. Samson judged Israel twenty years. (16:31)
V. LESSONS LEARNED:
A. When the king of Ammon challenged Israel, Jephthah sent a message explaining all that God had done for Israel. The king of Ammon refused to heed Jephthah’s words. (Judges 11:14-28)
1. Just as Jephthah was able to tell the king of Ammon about all that God had done for His people, we too must be able to tell the world about all that God has done for us.
2. We must be ready to give a defense. (I Peter 3:13-17)
3. Consider the example of Paul in Acts 17:16-31. Paul seized an opportunity to declare to the people the Truth about the one true God.
B. Samson should not have lowered his guard, revealing his vulnerability. He trusted in Delilah and was betrayed. (Judges 16:4-21)
1. In the story of Samson and Delilah, Delilah’s betrayal of Samson seems to have been the Lord’s will. This betrayal put Samson in a position to kill 3000 Philistines.
2. The lesson for us is simple: Our enemy is not the Philistines, but Satan. Just as the Philistines sought Samson’s weakness, so too does Satan seek our weaknesses. Unlike Samson, we must not give in to deceit. We must always be aware of the devices of Satan. We must resist the devil and draw near unto God. Then and only then will we be equipped to quench his fiery darts. Let us remember the following verses:
a. Hebrews 3:12-15 - Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” (NKJV)
b. I Peter 5:8-10 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. (NKJV)
c. James 4:7-10 - Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (NKJV)
d. I Corinthians 10:12-13 - Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (NKJV)
e. Ephesians 6:16 - above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. (NKJV)
C. Samson found himself in the heart of enemy territory. He was presented with one opportunity to destroy the enemy. He seized that opportunity and struck with all of his might. He defeated his enemy, but lost his life in the process. (Judges 16:23-31)
1. Unlike Samson’s battle, our battle is not with flesh and blood. Our battle is against Satan and all that is ungodly and unholy. As Paul wrote, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12, NKJV)
2. Just like Samson, we, in a matter of speaking, have found ourselves within the heart of enemy territory. While we are to live in the world, we are not to be a part of the world’s ungodly behavior.
a. Colossians 1:12-14 - giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. (NKJV)
b. I Peter 2:9 - But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
3. Just as Samson gave his life in service unto God, so too must we give our lives in service to God.
a. Romans 12:1 - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (NKJV)
b. Revelation 2:10 - Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (NKJV) {Said to the church in Smyrna.}
CONCLUSION.
A. In this lesson, we covered the stories of Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon and Samson.
B. In our next lesson, we will close out our study of the book of Judges
C As we close this lesson, let us remember the lessons learned from our study.
1. Seize every opportunity to tell people about Jesus.
2. In regards to sin, we must never be deceived. We must always be aware of Satan’s devices.
3. While we are living in the heart of enemy territory, we must do all that we can to overcome sin, to defeat the efforts of our enemy, and to serve the Lord with all of our might.
D. If you are not a Christian, then follow Jesus today. If you will follow Jesus, then you will have victory, defeating sin and death. You too can then proclaim God to a lost world.
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Judges 10 - 16: From Tola to Samson -- October 21, 2001 -- File # 670
by John M. Duvall – Lawton, OK