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Israel Followed Other gods
Judges 2:10 And also all that generation were gathered unto
their fathers: and there arose another generation after them,
which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for
Israel.
11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of
the Lord, and served Baalim:
12 And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which
brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed
other gods, of the gods of the people that were round
about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked
the Lord to anger.
13 And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and
Ashtaroth.
14 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel,
and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers
that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of
their enemies round about, so that they could not any
longer stand before their enemies.
15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was
against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the
Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
16 Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges,
which delivered them out of the hand of those that
spoiled them.
17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but
they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves
unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their
fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but
they did not so.
18 And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was
with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their
enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord
because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them
and vexed them.
19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they
returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in
following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them;
they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn
way.
20 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and he
said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant
which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my
voice;
21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of
the nations which Joshua left when he died:
22 That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep
the way of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep
it, or not.
23 Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them
out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.
Judges 3:1 Now these are the nations
which the Lord left, to prove Israel by them, even as
many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
2 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might
know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew
nothing thereof;
3 Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and
all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that
dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon unto the entering
in of Hamath.
4 And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they
would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which he
commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites,
Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and
Jebusites:
6 And they took their daughters to be their wives,
and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their
gods.
7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of
the Lord, and forgat the Lord their God, and served
Baalim and the groves.
8 Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against
Israel, and he sold them into the hand of
Chushan–rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the
children of Israel served Chushan–rishathaim eight years.
Judges 4:1 And the children of Israel
again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was
dead.
2 And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of
Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose
host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
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Hazor = village; Chatsor, the name (thus simply)
of two places in Palestine and of one in Arabia:
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Joshea 11:1 And it came to pass, when Jabin king
of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to
Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron,
and to the king of Achshaph,
2 And to the kings that were on the north of the
mountains, and of the plains south of Chinneroth,
and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on
the west,
3 And to the Canaanite on the east and on the
west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and
the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the
mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the
land of Mizpeh.
4 And they went out, they and all their hosts
with them, much people, even as the sand that is
upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and
chariots very many.
5 And when all these kings were met together,
they came and pitched together at the waters of
Merom, to fight against Israel.
6 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Be not afraid
because of them: for to morrow about this time
will I deliver them up all slain before Israel:
thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their
chariots with fire.
7 So Joshua came, and all the people of war with
him, against them by the waters of Merom
suddenly; and they fell upon them.
8 And the Lord delivered them into the hand of
Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto
great Zidon, and unto Misrephoth–maim, and unto
the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote
them, until they left them none remaining.
9 And Joshua did unto them as the Lord bade him:
he houghed their horses, and burnt their
chariots with fire.
10 And Joshua at that time turned back, and took
Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the
sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all
those kingdoms.
3 And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord:
for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he
mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
4 And
Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged
Israel at that time.
5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and
Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel
came up to her for judgment.
6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam
out of Kedesh naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the
Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount
Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the
children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the
captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude;
and I will deliver him into thine hand.
8 And Barak said unto her,
If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if
thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.
9 And she said, I will surely go with thee:
notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for
thine honour; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the
hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak
to Kedesh.
10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to
Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and
Deborah went up with him.
11 Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of
Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself
from the Kenites, and pitched his tent
unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.
12 And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone
up to mount Tabor.
13 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine
hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him,
from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.
14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day
in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine
hand: is not the Lord gone out before thee? So
Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after
him.
15 And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his
chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword
before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and
fled away on his feet.
16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host,
unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell
upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man
left.
17 Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of
Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace
between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber
the Kenite.
18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and
said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not.
And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered
him with a mantle.
19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to
drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and
gave him drink, and covered him.
20 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the
tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and
enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here?
that thou shalt say, No.
21 Then
Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent,
and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto
him, and smote the nail into his temples, and
fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary.
So he died.
22 And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet
him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom
thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay
dead, and the nail was in his temples.
23 So God subdued on that day Jabin the
king of Canaan before the children of Israel.
24 And the hand of the children of Israel prospered,
and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had
destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
Judges 6:1 And the children of Israel
did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord
delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because
of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens
which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.
3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came
up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they
came up against them;
4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of
the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no
sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they
came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their
camels were without number: and they entered into the land to
destroy it.
6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites;
and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord.
7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried
unto the Lord because of the Midianites,
8 That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of
Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God
of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you
forth out of the house of bondage;
9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians,
and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them
out from before you, and gave you their land;
10 And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the
gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye
have not obeyed my voice.
11 And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat
under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the
Abi-ezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress,
to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him,
and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty
man of valour.
Judges 6:13 And Gideon said unto him,
Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this
befallen us? and where be all his miracles
which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord
bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and
delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
14 And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might,
and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the
Midianites: have not I sent thee?
15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I
save Israel? behold, my family is poor in
Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
16 And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with
thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight,
then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.
18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto
thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before
thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.
19 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid,
and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a
basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto
him under the oak, and presented it.
20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the
flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and
pour out the broth. And he did so.
21 Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end
of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the
unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the
rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes.
Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight.
22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the
Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have
seen an angel of the Lord face to face.
23 And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear
not: thou shalt not die.
24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and
called it Jehovah–shalom: unto this day it is yet in
Ophrah of the Abi–ezrites.
25 And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto
him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of
seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that
thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:
26 And build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top
of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second
bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove
which thou shalt cut down.
27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as
the Lord had said unto him: and so it was, because he
feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he
could not do it by day, that he did it by night.
28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning,
behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and
the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second
bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.
29 And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And
when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash
hath done this thing.
30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out
thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the
altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was
by it.
31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him,
Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for
him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be
a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his
altar.
32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let
Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.
33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the
children of the east were gathered together, and went
over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.
34 But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he
blew a trumpet; and Abi–ezer was gathered after him.
35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh;
who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto
Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to
meet them.
36 And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save
Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,
37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the
dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth
beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by
mine hand, as thou hast said.
38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust
the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a
bowl full of water.
39 And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot
against me, and I will speak but this once:
let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it
now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let
there be dew.
40 And God did so that night: for it was dry
upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
Judges 7:1 Then Jerubbaal, who is
Gideon, and all the people that were with him,
rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so
that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them,
by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
2 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people
that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites
into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me,
saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people,
saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return
and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned
of the people twenty and two thousand; and there
remained ten thousand.
4 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too
many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try
them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto
thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and
of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the
same shall not go.
5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the
Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the
water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by
himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to
drink.
6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to
their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the
people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
7 And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred
men that lapped will I save you, and deliver
the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go
every man unto his place.
8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets:
and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and
retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was
beneath him in the valley.
9 And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said
unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have
delivered it into thine hand.
10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant
down to the host:
11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine
hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he
down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men
that were in the host.
12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of
the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for
multitude; and their camels were without number, as the
sand by the sea side for multitude.
13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man
that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold,
I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread
tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent,
and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay
along.
14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save
the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for
into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.
15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream,
and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned
into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the Lord
hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies,
and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers,
and lamps within the pitchers.
17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and,
behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be
that, as I do, so shall ye do.
18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then
blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and
say, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.
19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto
the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch;
and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the
trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.
20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the
pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the
trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they
cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.
21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp:
and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.
22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord
set every man's sword against his fellow, even
throughout all the host: and the host fled to Beth–shittah in
Zererath, and to the border of Abel–meholah, unto Tabbath.
23 And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of
Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued
after the Midianites.
24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim,
saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them
the waters unto Beth–barah and Jordan. Then all the men of
Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto
Beth–barah and Jordan.
25 And they took two princes of the Midianites,
Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb
they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and
brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side
Jordan.
Judges 8:1 And the men of Ephraim said unto
him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not,
when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did
chide with him sharply.
2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of
you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than
the vintage of Abi–ezer?
3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of
Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in
comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward
him, when he had said that.
4 And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over,
he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet
pursuing them.
5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves
of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and
I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and
Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine
army?
7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah
and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with
the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.
8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise:
and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had
answered him.
9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come
again in peace, I will break down this tower.
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with
them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the
hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and
twenty thousand men that drew sword.
11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that
dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and
smote the host: for the host was secure.
12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and
took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and
discomfited all the host.
13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the
sun was up,
14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of
him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the
elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.
15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah
and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands
of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give
bread unto thy men that are weary?
16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the
wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of
Succoth.
17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the
men of the city.
18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were
they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so
were they; each one resembled the children of a king.
19 And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my
mother: as the Lord liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would
not slay you.
20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But
the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet
a youth.
21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us:
for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose,
and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that
were on their camels' necks.
22 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou
over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son
also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you,
neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over
you.
24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you,
that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For
they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
25 And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they
spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of
his prey.
26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a
thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments,
and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of
Midian, and beside the chains that were about their
camels' necks.
27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city,
even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it:
which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
28 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so
that they lifted up their heads no more.
And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of
Gideon.
29 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own
house.
30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten:
for he had many wives.
31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a
son, whose name he called Abimelech.
32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was
buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the
Abi–ezrites.
33 And it came to pass, as soon as
Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and
went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal–berith their god.
34 And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God,
who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on
every side:
35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal,
namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had
shewed unto Israel.
• Exactly 2520 years from the exile
of Benjamin, Iceland became an independent nation.
•
The first tribe to be
conquered by the Assyrians was Manasseh,
in 745 B.C. Exactly 2520 years later America became a nation on July 4, 1776.
(Leviticus. 26: 28-46) God warned Israel that if they persisted in continually
breaking His Laws, not only would curses come upon them.
He would punish them for seven times, (a time being 360 years, seven times would
be 2520 years) and would banish them from the land of Palestine and scatter them
among the heathens (like lost sheep)
• Study the book: Abrahamic Covenant,
(A study outline of the identity of God's people) By E. Raymond Capt
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