Introducing 

Prezi AI.

Your new presentation assistant.

Refine, enhance, and tailor your content, source relevant images, and edit visuals quicker than ever before.

Loading content…
Transcript

The First Judges

Unit 3 - Supplemental

Leaders of Israel

Leaders of Israel

After Joshua but before the Kings

  • The judges were not judges in the legal sense but leaders in a time of need
  • Each judge led Israel out of the hands of another group of people
  • The Israelites kept falling back into apostasy (what's that?)
  • apostasy: the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief

The Cycle

of the Judges

The Cycle of the Judges

1. Relapse: Israel falls into apostasy

2. Retribution: God sends a conqueror to defeat them

3. Repentance: Israel sees the error of their ways and cries out to God

4. Rescue: God raises up a judge to deliver them from the "bad guys"

5. Rest: The Israelites follow God while the judge is alive and have peace

6. The judge dies and the cycle repeats

The First Judges

The First Judges

1. Othniel - Judges 3:7-11

  • Fact: Delivered Israel from Aram; they had peace for forty years

2. Ehud - Judges 3:12-30

  • Fact: Delivered Israel from Moab; they had peace for eighty years

3. Shamgar - Judges 3:31

  • Fact: Killed 600 Philistines with an Oxgoad

4. Deborah - Judges 4-5

  • Fact: Delivered Israel from Canaan; was the only female judge

5. Gideon - Judges 6-7

Gideon: His Call

Gideon

The Situation

The Situation

Judges 6:1-6

  • "The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord..."
  • God allowed the Midianites to defeat Israel and rule over them for seven years
  • Whenever Israel planted crops, Midian came and ruined them, took all their livestock and their tents.
  • They "Did not spare a living thing for Israel."
  • Israel cried out to God for help

The Response

The Response

Judges 6:7-10

When the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of Midian, he sent them a prophet, who said,

“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land. I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

The Judge

The Judge

  • Son of Joash
  • From the weakest clan in Manasseh
  • Lowest member of his family
  • Kind of like the worst player on the worst team
  • Skeptical... v. 17, 37, 39, "show me another sign"
  • Also known as Jerub-Baal (v. 32)

The Signs

The Signs

1. Offering - Judges 6:17-22

  • Before he did anything else
  • "If I have now found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me..."

2. Wet Fleece - Judges 6:36-38

  • Before he would lead the army
  • "If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know..."

3. Dry Fleece - Judges 6:39-40

  • Still before he would lead the army
  • "... this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew..."

Preparing for Battle

"You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast, 'My own strength has saved me." - Judges 7:2

Step 1

Whoever Trembles With Fear

Judges 7:1-3

Start with 32,000 men

-22,000 leave

10,000 remain

Step 2

Whoever Laps Like A Dog

Judges 7:4-8

Start with 10,000

- 9,700 did not lap

300 remain

Step 3

Encouragement

Judges 7:9-14

  • The Midianites were scared because one of them had a dream:

"A round of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed."

Step 4

The Battle

Judges 7:15-23

No Weapons!!!

  • Trumpets
  • Empty Jars with torches

Blow the trumpets

Shout

Smash the Jars

Victory

A Lesson

from Gideon

A Lesson from Gideon

We don't always feel strong enough to do what God is calling us to do but He will work through our weakness and be glorified for it.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

1 Corinthians 12:9

Learn more about creating dynamic, engaging presentations with Prezi