Let the Prophets Speak

Gideon gathers thousands of soldiers under his command, but God has a different plan. The victory must belong to God, so only the right people should remain in the Army. Through an unusual test, God whittles down the Army of Gideon to just 300 men.

Gideon is still lacking in confidence as he asks God for a sign that He will support him as he leads the People of Israel against their oppressors.

Gideon is instructed to destroy the altar and Asheirah of the idol Ba'al. The people of his town want to have him executed, but Yo'ash his father defends his son. If Ba'al is so great, let him defend himself! Gideon thus establishes that to win against the Midianites, the people will need to rededicate themselves to the One True God.

The cycle continues, and the people are subjugated under the oppressive marauding bands of the Midianites. God appears through an angel to a simple, humble man from the tribe of Manasseh named Gideon. He is chosen to rescue the people from Midian.

Deborah praises the bravery of Yael, and highlights the difference between herself, a mother in Israel and the cruel and primitive mothers of Canaan.

Deborah commends the tribes that participated in the battle, and excoriates those who remained on the sidelines.

We here the song of Deborah, an outpouring of song from this "Mother in Israel". Deborah teaches us how her leadership differs from the other leaders of the time, and how the bond between Israel and God is the only thing that will save Israel.

We read the story of Deborah the Prophetess and Judge, and how she led the people to victory. We also learn of the bravery of Yael who defied her turncoat husband and assassinated the enemy general Sisera. Even the male hero of the chapter, Barak, followed the lead of the prophetess as he battled the enemy.

We begin to read the stories of each of the Judges who led Israel through these times of challenge. The first judge we read about is Otniel, the son-in-law of Caleb.

We read the story of Ehud and the assassination of the King of Moab, and the short story of Shamgar and his unusual weapon.

In this prologue, we read a summary of what to expect in this book that covers several hundred years of history. Round and round the cycle repeats itself.

A messenger of God delivers a prophecy that was a portent for things to come.

As each tribe goes its own way, they begin to settle with the native Canaanites rather than possess the land as God had instructed.

Joshua is gone, and with him the ideal of national unity fails as he tribes begin to go their separate ways. The morality and ethics and unity the people had when led by Moses and Joshua starts to unravel.

Joshua asks the people of Israel to recommit themselves to keep their covenant with God. The remains of Joseph are buried, and the circle of events that started with the exodus from Egypt is closed.

As Joshua reaches the end of his life, he reminds the people of the covenant they made with God, and the consequences if they don't keep their commitment to God.

The tribes of Reuben, Gad and part of Menasseh return to their land across the Jordan, and they build an altar to God. The people of Israel sense a split and a rebellion, and they assemble for war. Pinhas leads a delegation to the two and a half tribes to demand that they stand down, only to find out that rebellion was not their intention at all. In fact, the two and a half tribes were worried the...

Now that the tribes have all received their portions, it is time for the Levites to get their cities to settle in. This completes the apportionment of the land and the fulfillment of God's promise to the patriarchs.

God commands Joshua to instruct the people to set aside cities of refuge for those accused of murder. In the new land, justice is to administered by a court of law, not by vengeful clans.

The land is completely divided among the tribes of Israel and Joshua gets his portion.

The Tabernacle moves into a semi-permanent location, and the land is further divided.

The daughters of Zelaphechad stand up for themeselves, and the tribes of Joseph kvetch.

The portion of Ephraim is described in much more abbreviated terms. Some Canaanite towns accept peace terms.

We read further details of the division of the land, this time the details of Judah's portion. Caleb gives his daughter Achsah's hand in marriage to Otniel ben Kenaz, but when the portion they receive turns out to be an infertile plot of land, he is unwilling to approach his father-in-law to ask for something better. Achsah takes it into her own hands and demands a better plot of land.

We take a shorty break from the division of the land to discuss the request of the venerable, aged Caleb. Joshua's old companion from the days of the spies requests that he be given the rights to settle Hebron, as this was the land that he spied out when he was sent by Moses to spy out the land of Canaan.