Mobile Ed: OT317 Book Study: Judges (18 hour course)

by Daniel I. Block; Logos Mobile Education

Publisher:

Lexham Press

, 2016

Overview

View background information and a clear exposition of Judges demonstrating its relevance to a modern setting. Pastors and teachers will benefit from lessons on the consequence of apostasy, deliverance, and the character of each Judge. Professors and students will appreciate a scholarly focus on the literary context in which Israel’s spiritual and moral disintegration took place. God rescuing Israel through the Judges is presented in an intellectually enriching and a highly accessible format that will transform your study and deepen understanding.

 

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion you should be able to:

• Articulate a clear understanding of the historical and social context of the book of Judges
• Compare various episodes in the book to biblical and extrabiblical parallels
• Discuss the portrayal of various women in Judges, including Deborah, Jael, and Jephthah’s daughter
• Explain the process of Israel’s “Canaanization” and how the church today must heed warning signs of moral and spiritual apostasy
• Describe the exploits and flaws of major leaders in Judges, including Gideon, Samson, and Barak
• Outline the general structure of Judges and explain how to understand the book’s later chapters

Course Outline

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker and the Course

Unit 1: Introduction to the Book

• Considering the Title “Judges”
• The Date of Judges
• The Purpose of the Book
• The History of Interpretation
• How to Read Judges
• Extrabiblical Sources
• Historical and Religious Issues
• Read as Great Literature
• Unit 1 Quiz

Unit 2: The Canaanization of Israel: Background (Judg 1:1–36)

• Background and Purpose of Judges 1
• Overview: The Report of Israel’s Performance (Judg 1:12–36)
• Introduction to the Book (Judg 1:1–2)
• The Successes of Judah (Judg 1:3–20)
• Adoni-Bezek
• Jerusalem and the Upland Campaign (Judg 1:4–8)
• Conquest of Hebron (Judg 1:10)
• Conquest of Debir (Judg 1:11–15)
• Caleb and Acsah (Judg 1:11–15)
• Settling in Arad (Judg 1:16)
• Sacking of Hormah (Judg 1:17)
• The Southwest Coastal Lowlands (Judg 1:18)
• Summary of Judah’s Campaigns (Judg 1:19–20)
• The Remaining Tribes (Judg 1:21–29)
• The Northern Tribes (Judg 1:30–36)
• Unit 2 Quiz

Unit 3: What’s Wrong in Israel (Judg 2:1–3:6)

• Overview of Judges 2
• The Structure of Judges 2
• The Envoy of YHWH and the People’s Response (Judg 2:1–5)
• Interpretations of Israel’s Behavior (Judg 2:1–20a)
• The Roots of Israel’s Apostasy (Judg 2:6–10)
• The Expression of Apostasy (Judg 2:11–13)
• God’s Reaction to Israel’s Apostasy (Judg 2:14–20a)
• God’s Interpretation of Israel’s Behavior (Judg 2:20b–22)
• Consequences of Apostasy
• More about Domestic Consequences of Apostasy (Judg 3:1–6)
• Unit 3 Quiz

Unit 4: Introduction to the Book of Deliverers (Judg 3:7–31)

• Structure of Deliverer Accounts
• Preliminary Observations (Judg 3–16)
• Othniel and Aram-Naharaim: A Paradigmatic Account (Judg 3:7–11)
• Ehud and Moab (Judg 3:12–30)
• Ehud’s Left-Handedness
• Ehud’s Preparation
• Ehud’s Deliverance of Israel
• Ehud: Theological and Practical Implications
• Shamgar the Judge (Judg 3:31)
• Unit 4 Quiz

Unit 5: Barak and the Canaanites (Judg 4–5)

• Literary Observations on the Barak Cycle
• Structure of Judges 4–5
• Jabin and Sisera
• The Oppression of Sisera (Judg 4:1–3)
• God Raises a Deliverer (Judg 4:4–10)
• Who Was Deborah?
• Deborah’s Role in Israel (Judg 4:4–5)
• Deborah and Barak (Judg 4:6–9)
• Summary of Events in Judges 4
• Barak’s Victory (Judg 4:11–22)
• The Battle’s End (Judg 4:15–22)
• Jael the Assassin (Judg 4:17–22)
• Evaluating Barak and Jael
• Unit 5 Quiz

Unit 6: Celebrating the Victory (Judg 5:1–31)

• Song of Celebration
• Ancient Near Eastern Victory Hymns
• Authorship of the Song
• The Historical Representation of Israel in Judges 5
• The Purpose of Judges 5
• Reading the Hymn, Part 1 (Judg 5:1–27)
• Reading the Hymn, Part 2 (Judg 5:28–31)
• Chariots and Sun Gods
• Theological and Practical Implications of Judges 5
• Unit 6 Quiz

Unit 7: The Gideon Cycle: Overview and Early Events (Judg 6–9)

• Overview of the Gideon Cycle
• Oppression in the Gideon Cycle (Judg 6:1–5)
• The Prophet’s Message (Judg 6:7–10)
• Gideon’s Call (Judg 6:11–24)
• Gideon Cleans House (Judg 6:25–32)
• Gideon’s Piety
• Gideon’s Problems
• Unit 7 Quiz

Unit 8: Gideon’s Big Test (Judg 6:33–8:3)

• Preparing for Battle and Second-Guessing
• Reducing the Troops (Judg 7:1–8)
• Gideon’s Third Thoughts (Judg 7:9–15)
• An Unlikely Battle Plan (Judg 7:16–23)
• After the Battle (Judg 7:24–25)
• Postscript of the Battle (Judg 8:1–3)
• Unit 8 Quiz

Unit 9: Aftermath of Battle (Judg 8:4–28)

• Structure and Themes of the Section
• Gideon and the Succothites (Judg 8:4–9)
• Capture and Cruelty (Judg 8:10–17)
• Gideon’s Personal Vendetta (Judg 8:18–21)
• Gideon Becomes a Problem (Judg 8:22–27)
• Gideon’s Legacy
• Unit 9 Quiz

Unit 10: Gideon’s Legacy (Judg 8:28–35)

• Personal and Spiritual Legacy
• Marks of Israel’s Spiritual Decline
• Theological Significance of the Gideon Narrative
• Unit 10 Quiz

Unit 11: Gideon’s Dynastic Legacy: Abimelech (Judg 9:1–57)

• Overview of the Abimelech Account
• Abimelech Seizes the Throne (Judg 9:1–6)
• Jotham’s Preamble (Judg 9:7)
• Jotham’s Fable (Judg 9:8–15)
• The Evil Spirit (Judg 9:22–25)
• Conspiracy of Gaal (Judg 9:26–29)
• Defeat of Shechem (Judg 9:42–49)
• Death of Abimelech (Judg 9:50–55)
• The Epilogue (Judg 9:56—57)
• Unit 11 Quiz

Unit 12: The Minor Governors (Judg 10:1–5)

• The Significance of the Minor Governors
• Five Minor Judges (Judg 10:1–5)
• Unit 12 Quiz

Midterm Exam

Unit 13: Jephthah (Judg 10:6–12:7)

• Overview of the Jephthah Account
• Connections with Earlier Judges
• Israel’s Canaanization and God’s Anger (Judg 10:6–9)
• Israel’s Cry and God’s Response (Judg 10:10–14)
• The People’s Response (Judg 10:15–16)
• Israel’s Agent of Deliverance (Judg 10:17–18)
• A Candidate Emerges (Judg 11:1–3)
• Jephthah’s Response (Judg 11:4–11)
• Unit 13 Quiz

Unit 14: Jephthah’s Victory and Vow (Judg 11:12–12:7)

• Negotiations (Judg 11:12–28)
• Jephthah’s Masterful Speech (Judg 11:14–28)
• Tarnished Victory (Judg 11:29–33)
• Jephthah’s Vow (Judg 11:30–31)
• Ancient Child Sacrifice
• Joy and Tragedy (Judg 11:34–35)
• A Daughter’s Honor (Judg 11:36–40)
• A Closer Look at Jephthah’s Vow
• Negotiations with Ephraim (Judg 12:1–3)
• Civil War (Judg 12:4–7)
• Considering Jephthah and Israel
• Concluding Thoughts about the Jephthah Cycle
• Unit 14 Quiz

Unit 15: Samson and the Philistines (Judg 13:1–16:31)

• The Paradigm Breaks Down
• The Structure of the Samson Cycle
• The Philistines (Judg 13:1)
• Birth and Call Narrative (Judg 13:2–24)
• Manoah’s Wife and the Nazirite Vow (Judg 13:2–5)
• The Wife’s Report (Judg 13:6–7)
• Manoah’s Three Exchanges (Judg 13:8–16)
• Third and Fourth Exchanges (Judg 13:17–19)
• Two Responses to Wonder (Judg 13:20–23)
• The Promise Fulfilled (Judg 13:24)
• Summary of Judges 13
• Unit 15 Quiz

Unit 16: Samson’s Marriage (Judg 13:25–14:20)

• Overview of the Story of Samson’s Marriage
• A Lion and a Wife (Judg 13:25–14:10a)
• Wedding Preparations (Judg 14:10b–11)
• Samson’s Riddle (Judg 14:12–14)
• The Riddle Solved (Judg 14:15–18)
• The Theological Climax (Judg 14:19–20)
• Unit 16 Quiz

Unit 17: Samson Fights the Philistines (Judg 15)

• Overview and Introduction to Judges 15
• Fiery Jackals (Judg 15:4–5)
• Samson’s Philistine Ethic (Judg 15:6–13)
• A Deadly Jawbone (Judg 15:14–15)
• Celebration and Thirst (Judg 15:16–19a)
• Samson’s Selfishness (Judg 15:19b–20)
• Unit 17 Quiz

Unit 18: Samson in Gaza (Judg 16)

• Overview of Judges 16
• Key Questions (Judg 16:1–3)
• Purpose of the Narrative Fragment (Judg 16:1–3)
• Key Themes (Judg 16:1–31)
• The Sorek Valley (Judg 16:4–5)
• Delilah (Judg 16:4–5)
• Delilah’s First Attempt (Judg 16:6–9)
• Delilah’s Further Attempts (Judg 16:10–16)
• The Betrayal (Judg 16:17–20)
• The Tragic Climax (Judg 16:20–22)
• A Hair of Hope (Judg 16:22)
• In Praise of Dagon (Judg 16:23–24)
• The Philistines’ Song of Praise (Judg 16:24)
• Samson’s Final Prayer (Judg 16:25–28)
• The Last Act (Judg 16:29–31)
• Theological and Practical Implications of the Samson Cycle
• Unit 18 Quiz

Unit 19: The Climax of the Book (Judg 17–21)

• Overview of the Book’s Climax
• Absence of a King (Judg 17:6)
• Corruption of a Household (Judg 17:1–6)
• Corruption of the Priesthood (Judg 17:7–8)
• A Conversation between Micah and the Levite (Judg 17:8–13)
• Unit 19 Quiz

Unit 20: The Danite Mission (Judg 18)

• Overview of Judges 18
• A Parody of Sorts (Judg 18:1)
• Good Questions, Bad Answers (Judg 18:2–3)
• Requesting an Oracle (Judg 18:4–6)
• Peaceful Laish (Judg 18:7–10)
• On the March (Judg 18:11–20)
• Micah’s Empty Protest (Judg 18:21–26)
• The New Cult (Judg 18:27–31)
• Unit 20 Quiz

Unit 21: A Levite’s Misstep (Judg 19:1–28)

• Overview of Judges 19–21
• Anonymity and Absence in Judges 19–21
• Principal Characters (Judg 19:1–9)
• Setting the Stage (Judg 19:10–15)
• Social Outrage (Judg 19:16–21)
• Moral Outrage (Judg 19:22–23)
• The Gang Rape (Judg 19:24–26)
• The Journey Home (Judg 19:27–28)
• Theological and Practical Implications of Judges 19
• Unit 21 Quiz

Unit 22: Civil War in Israel (Judg 19:29–20:48)

• Overview of Judges 20
• The Nation at War (Judg 20:1–7)
• Preparing for War (Judg 20:8–17)
• The Rhythm of Battle (Judg 20:18–28)
• The Final Battle (Judg 20:29–48)
• Theological and Practical Implications of Judges 20
• Unit 22 Quiz

Unit 23: Saving Benjamin (Judg 21)

• Overview of Judges 21
• The Silence of God (Judg 21:3–4)
• A Legal Loophole (Judg 21:5–7)
• Second Holy War (Judg 21:8–11)
• An Insufficient Solution (Judg 21:12–18)
• The Second Solution (Judg 21:19–22)
• Implementing the Plan (Judg 21:23–25)
• Social and Historical Implications of Judges 21
• Theological Implications of Judges 21
• Unit 23 Quiz

Final Exam

Conclusion

Product Details

• Title: Mobile Ed: OT317 Judges
• Instructor: Daniel I. Block
• Publisher: Lexham Press
• Publication Date: 2016
• Product Type: Logos Mobile Education
• Resource Type: Courseware, including transcripts, audio, and video resources
• Courses: 1
• Video Hours: 18

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About Daniel Block

Dr. Daniel Block, professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, has been teaching God’s Word for more than 30 years.

It has been a special joy for Dr. Block to watch students, who often take introductory courses in Old Testament only because they are required to do so by the curriculum, suddenly awaken to the fact that the Old Testament is understandable and its message is both life-giving and relevant for modern, everyday life.

Dr. Block has published a number of books and essays in scholarly journals. The paradigm for his research and ministry is set by Ezra, as described in Ezra 7:10: he committed himself to the study the Torah of Yahweh, to put it into practice, and to teach his revealed will in Israel. This means constantly asking serious questions of the Scriptures: What does the text say? Why does the text say it like that? What did the text mean to the original audience? What does the text have to say to me today? In order to answer these questions, one needs to understand both the worlds out of which the biblical texts arose and the worlds in which modern people live.