Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion you should be able to:

• Understand the themes of sin, salvation, transformation, and sanctification

• Assess the literary elements of the book of Judges, including the structure, parallels, themes, and setting

• Approach the book of Judges analytically by asking, “What’s wrong with this picture?” and “Where is God in this story?” to unlock the theological messages of the book

Course Outline

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker and the Course

Unit 1: Introduction to Judges

• Preface

• Literary Structure: Part 1

• Literary Structure: Part 2

• Literary Structure: Part 3

• Literary Structure: Part 4

• Literary Structure: Part 5

• Theological Contributions: Part 1

• Theological Contributions: Part 2

• Theological Contributions: Part 3

• Theological Contributions: Part 4

• Theological Contributions: Part 5

• Historical Setting

• Composition

Unit 2: Prologue (Judg 1:1–3:6)

• Military Failure: Part 1

• Military Failure: Part 2

• Military Failure: Part 3

• Military Failure: Part 4

• Religious Failure: Part 1

• Religious Failure: Part 2

• Religious Failure: Part 3

• Baal

Unit 3: Othniel (Judg 3:7–11)

• Literary Analysis of the Othniel Story

• The Grace of God’s Deliverance

• The Judge and the Oppressor

• The First and Last Cycles

• The Spirit of the Lord

Unit 4: Ehud (Judg 3:12–30)

• The Moabites

• Who Is Ehud?

• Who Is Eglon?

• The Weapon

• Lock and Key

• What’s Wrong and Where’s God in the Ehud Story? Part 1

• What’s Wrong and Where’s God in the Ehud Story? Part 2

• Ehud and Jephthah

Unit 5: Deborah and Barak (Judg 4:1–5:31)

• Literary Analysis of the Deborah and Barak Story

• The Canaanite Players

• Deborah

• Barak

• Jael

• What’s Wrong in the Deborah and Barak Story?

• Where’s God in the Deborah and Barak Story?

• Women in Judges

Unit 6: Gideon (Judg 6:1–8:32)

• Literary Analysis of the Gideon Story

• Setting the Scene

• The Goddesses of Judges

• The Fleece

• The Battle

• The Aftermath

• The Angel of the Lord

• The Heroes of Hebrews

Unit 7: Abimelech (Judg 8:33–9:57)

• Literary Analysis of the Abimelech Story

• An Independent Cycle

• What’s Wrong in the Abimelech Story?

• Where’s God in the Abimelech Story?

• The Shechem Temple

• Other Background Information

Unit 8: Jephthah (Judg 10:6–12:7)

• Literary Analysis of the Jephthah Story

• History and Literature

• What’s Wrong in the Jephthah Story? Part 1

• What’s Wrong in the Jephthah Story? Part 2

• What’s Wrong in the Jephthah Story? Part 3

• Applying Jephthah's Story

• Human Sacrifice

• The Ammonites

Unit 9: The Minor Judges (Judg 3:31; 10:1–5; 12:8–15)

• Literary Analysis of the Minor Judges

• Exposition of the Minor Judges: Part 1

• Exposition of the Minor Judges: Part 2

• Exposition of the Minor Judges: Part 3

• The Theology of the Minor Judges

Unit 10: Samson (Judg 13:1–16:31)

• Literary Analysis of the Samson Story

• Samson’s Morality

• Samson’s Might

• Samson’s Mission

• Samson’s Meaning

• A Strategic Literary Interruption

• Samson’s Altercation

• Opportunities and Occasions

• Samson’s Hair

• Samson’s Entertainment

• Saint or Sinner?

• The Philistines

Unit 11: Epilogue (Judg 17:1–21:25)

• The Final Movement

• Literary Analysis of the Micah Story

• The Ephod and Teraphim

• What’s Wrong in Chapter 17?

• What’s Wrong in Chapter 18?

• Where Is God in Chapter 18?

• Tel Dan

• Literary Analysis of Chapters 19–21

• Literary Analysis of the Levite Story

• Exposition of the Levite Story

• The Theology of the Levite Story

• Applying the Levite Story

• Where’s God in Chapter 20?

• What’s Wrong in Chapter 20?

• Where’s God and What’s Wrong in Chapter 21?

• Summary of Chapters 19–21

• Intertextuality

• The Ban

Conclusion

• The Transformational Power of the Book of Judges

Details

• Title: OT217 Interpreting Judges

• Instructor: Kenneth C. Way

• Publisher: Lexham Press

• Publication Date: 2016

• Product Type: Logos Mobile Education

• Resource Type: Courseware, including transcripts, audio, and video resources

• Courses: 1

• Video Hours: 8