Judges and Kings
Judges and Kings
Judges and Kings
Book of Joshua
1. God is a warrior 2. Land is a gift Division of Canaan according to the twelve tribes of Israel
Judges
The death of Joshua made Israelites turn to local heroes for military and leadership They were known as JUDGES, regarded by the Israelites as leaders appointed by YHWH, to deliver them from their enemies Period between the settlement and the establishment of the monarchy There were two kinds of Judges, one a military leader who inspired by God to fight Israelites enemies (e.g., Gideon and Samson), the other a judicial and administrative official. For around two hundred years, the different tribes of Israel were under the leadership of the judges
God raises a judge to deliver the Israelites from their oppressors, and They live in peace until the judge dies
" YHWH was the true king " The patriarchs, prophets, priests and judges were regarded as mere vicars of YHWH
King Solomon
Solomon inherited his father s kingdom He was endowed with Godgiven wisdom Solomon built a magnificent Temple for God and even larger palace for himself Solomon had organized his court, a start was made on editing the sacred tradition He was a great king Solomon played the great lord too much The Bible credits him with 700 wives and 300 concubines He exploited his people
Two Kingdoms
From 933 there were two kingdoms Northern Kingdom or Israel, with Samaria as its capital Southern Kingdom or Judah, with Jerusalem as its capital