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always the best and most religious whom the locality or period affords who is chosen,
so that the character of the Judges affords also an index of the state of a district or
period. And in each of them we mark the presence of real faith (Hebrews 11), acting as
the lever-power in their achievements, although their faith is too often mingled with the
corruptions of the period. The Judges were Israel's representative men -representatives
of its faith and its hope, but also of its sin and decay. Whatever they achieved was "by
faith." Even in the case of Samson, all his great deeds were achieved in the faith of
God's gift to him as a Nazarite, and when "the Spirit of the Lord came upon him."
Hence the Judges deserved to be enrolled in the catalogue of Old Testament "worthies."
Besides, we must not forget the necessary influence upon them of the spirit of their age.
For we mark in the Bible a progressive development, as the light grew brighter and
brighter unto the perfect day. In truth, if this were not the case, one of two inferences
would follow. Either we would be tempted to regard its narratives as partial, or else be
driven to the conclusion that these men could not have been of the period in which they
are placed, since they had nothing in common with it, and hence could neither have
been leaders of public opinion, nor even been understood by it.
From these brief preliminary observations we turn to notice, that there were altogether
twelve, or rather, including Deborah (Judges 4:4), thirteen Judges over Israel. Of only
eight of these are any special deeds recorded. The term Judge must not, however, be
regarded as primarily referring to the ordinary judicial functions, which were
discharged by the elders and officers of every tribe and city. Rather do we regard it as
equivalent to leader or ruler. The period of the Judges closes with Samson. Eli was
mainly high priest, and only in a secondary sense "Judge," while Samuel formed the
transition from the Judges to royalty. With Samson the period of the Judges reached at
the same time its highest and its lowest point. It is as a Nazarite, devoted to God before
his birth, that he is "Judge," and achieves his great feats - and it is as a Nazarite that he
falls and fails through selfishness and sin. In both respects he is the representative of
Israel - God-devoted, a Nazarite people, and as such able to do all things, yet falling and
failing through spiritual adultery. And thus the period of the Judges ends as every other
period. It contains the germ of, and points to something better; but it is imperfect,
incomplete, and fails, though even in its failure it points forward. Judges must be
succeeded by kings, and kings by the King - the true Nazarite, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The period between the death of Joshua and the first "Judge" is summarized in Judges
1-3:6. It appears, that under the influence of Joshua's last address, deepened no doubt by
his death, which followed soon afterwards, the "holy war" was resumed. In this instance
it was purely aggressive on the part of Israel, whereas formerly, as a matter of fact, the
attack always came from the Canaanites (except in the case of Jericho and of Ai). But
the measure of the sin of the nations who occupied Palestine was now full (Genesis
15:13-16), and the storm of judgment was to sweep them away. For this purpose Israel,
to whom God in His mercy had given the land, was to be employed - but only in so far
(^)