上帝, “圣经”和政治正义: 章 15
第三部分: 政治从犹太历史的教训
章 15
约书亚和法官
随着阅读法, 与上帝的誓约，并任命约书亚续期, 以色列越过约旦. He has given them the Law. He has interpreted the Law for them for nearly 40 岁月. He has led them in two defensive military victories. 摩西应许之地，从山. Nebo. 现在, 他将留在约旦一侧的旷野，我们永远不会知道他发生了什么事. 为什么这个神秘的结局? Surely part of this is to keep Israel from making a god of him. Even so, 他们将开始崇拜他Sheppard的工作人员百年后.
约书亚 1405 B.C.
Joshua has been at the right hand of Moses from the very beginning of the wilderness journey. 他, along with eleven others, is sent to spy out the land of Canaan soon after crossing the Red Sea. Only he and Caleb come back to report in faith, that it is a wonderful land. 是, there are giants there, but they will not be able to stand against God. God will fight for Israel. All the others view their nation-forming task as impossible and themselves as grasshoppers. God calls Joshua and Caleb “men of a different spirit,” men after His own heart. All the others do their reconnosince purely from the human perspective of what “they” think they can accomplish on their own. 在 80 years of age Joshua is still looking to God for his strength and His perspective. He will now lead Israel into the promise of God that has been waiting over 800 多年圆满.
God gives Israel a second great miracle of liberation by dividing the waters of the Jordon for the people to cross into Canaan. Joshua builds an alter and, 虽然他们是在敌人的领土, 他所有的男性割礼在耶和华的话. Unlike the sons of Jacob and the Schecamites, 他们做敌人脆弱的割礼, 神使以色列脆弱的敌人割礼.
以色列在迦南地的第一个军事上的胜利赢得了激进服从. God instructs them to circle Jericho seven times with trumpets and the people shout. And Joshua obeys in detail. He deals with idolatry in Ai. He and the people renew their covenant with the Lord at Mt. Ebal and the sun stands still for an entire day as a sign from God in response to Joshua’s prayer. He defeats the united five Kings of the Ammonites and thirty-two Kings in the North and South. All twelve tribes inhabit their lands although not all of the former resident tribes are gone. Joshua establishes the Cities of Refuge according to the Law as well as dividing out the land in each tribe to be given to the Levites. Before he dies Joshua has all of the people, 再次, renew the covenant with God at Shechem.
在他的领导下，约书亚几乎是完美无缺的. 但他的巨大优势，它是约书亚菊石的人所欺骗谁, 基遍人, into making a peace treaty contravening the Word of the Lord to destroy all the tribes. This peace treaty will be broken by Saul fourteen political generations later and will bring consequences into Israel’s history under David who executes seven of Saul’s family in order to placate the Gibeonites for the broken treaty.
约书亚岁去世 110.
士师记 1350-1100*
拥有土地完成重大军事挑战. Now Israel begins the system of decentralized government outlined in Deuteronamy chapter one. Tribal leaders will govern the tribal lands. They will all come together for worship and the Levites are given land in every tribe to provide access to God and primary health care. Sacrifices will only be offered at kjlkjlkjlkjlk and a national leader will be needed only when there is a national crisis.
This system will keep maximum authority at the grass roots level of governance. It will make the people of each tribe more responsible for their own governance, 具体的法律, consequences and interpretation of the prescriptive Laws of Moses. It will make unity a choice and it will assure diversity in how the law is interpreted and applied. Something that seems important to God throughout all of Scripture.
Israel begins well. They serve God throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the tribal elders of his generation. 他们, as a people, ask God for direction in the next phase of military conquest, clearing the land. The various tribes begin to obey God and work together to take their lands.
Then we read these devastating words in Judges 2:
10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. 11 然后 the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. 12 他们离弃耶和华, 他们列祖的神, 谁带来了他们出埃及。. 他们遵循的人民在他们周围的各种神灵崇拜. 他们挑起了耶和华的怒气。 13 因为他们离弃了他，并担任巴力和亚斯他录. 14 在他对以色列的愤怒，耶和华把他们交给袭击者抢夺他们的人. 他把它们卖给他们周围的所有敌人, 他们不再能抵抗. 15 每当以色列人出去打, 耶和华手中，对他们，打败他们, 就像他宣誓. 他们在很大的困扰.
When Israel had problems it was because they had not obeyed God. The difficulties were not coming because of the devil, or because of the evil in the cultures around them. The power to be attacked and defeated came from God’s people turning from God themselves. God’s people were the reason for their own defeat. God is not emphasizing the power of their leaders, 他们的敌人, or even the lost. He is emphasizing the devastating power of His people to curse themselves through the consequences of their choices.
第二章法官继续:
16 耶和华兴起法官, 谁拯救他们脱离这些入侵者的手. 17 然而，他们就是不听自己的法官 但出卖自己别神，敬拜他们. 不像他们的父亲, 他们迅速转身从他们的父亲已经走的方式，, 服从主的命令的方式. 18 每当耶和华兴起法官, 他与法官和他们的敌人手中拯救他们脱离只要法官住; 耶和华就动了慈心 他们，因为他们那些人欺压，在受苦他们之下呻吟. 19 但是，当法官死亡, 人返回方式更腐败比他们列祖, 其他神和服务和崇拜. 他们拒绝 放弃自己的恶行和顽固方式.
每次部落以色列此举对破坏性的偶像崇拜, God raises up a political enemy. When they have a political enemy they must be united under a national leader and God raises up such a leader to deliver them. In this context, 需要强大的国家政治领导人关于民族的健康不是一个非常令人鼓舞的迹象.
让我们来看看神所选择要突出在他的话语中，有关法官的政治领导.
§奥思尼尔: 犹大支派的
士师记 3:7 开始 “Isralites行恶 在主的眼中, 他们忘了他们的神耶和华，并担任巴力和亚舍拉... 8耶和华对以色列的愤怒，所以他就把他们的古珊Rishathaim的亚兰王的手中...谁以色列人受了八年. 9 但 当他们喊着主, 他提出了为他们的拯救者, 奥思尼尔,...
以色列8年才能获得足够绝望的哭出来主. The leader Othniel comes from good stock. He is the nephew of Caleb, the only other spy who along with Joshua gives a faithful report of God’s ability to help them enter the promise land. Othniel’s wife is Caleb’s daughter. The Spirit of the Lord comes upon Othniel and he is raised up to lead Israel in the military defeat of the King of Aram.[1]
以色列, 然后, 和平 40 岁月.
埃胡德。: 便雅悯支派
士师记 3: 12 再次 the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, 因为他们做这恶耶和华使摩押王伊[2] 以色列供电. 13 亚扪人和亚玛力人，和他一起, 伊矶伦来袭击以色列, 他们占有的棕榈城. 14 The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years. 15 再次以色列人呼求耶和华, 他给了他们一个拯救埃胡德。, 左手的人, 便雅悯人基拉的儿子.
这一次，它需要以色列十八年成为绝望. 以色列人发送埃胡德·鲁塞与敬意的摩押王 刺杀他. Which Ehud does. He then calls for the Ephrimites to join him and they defeat and kill 10,000 强烈, 能够摩押人部队.
然后以色列 80 多年的和平.
§珊迦: 弗他利支派
士师记 3:31 在笏来到亚拿的儿子珊迦, 谁打倒六百非利士人[3] 与oxgoad. 他也拯救以色列人.
That is all we know about Shamgar. But we can be sure that the theme continues that Israel did evil and God raised up an enemy and when they cried out He gave them help by raising up a political leader.
§德博拉: 部落以法莲
士师记 4:1...以色列人再次在耶和华眼中的邪恶. 2 于是，耶和华就把他们手中的耶宾, 迦南之王[4], 在夏琐作王[5]. 他的将军是西西拉, 谁住在夏罗设Haggoyim的的. 3 因为他有九百铁车，欺人太甚以色列人二十年, 他们便求告耶和华帮助.
Israel’s insensitivity to suffering is increasing and this time it takes twenty years of suffering. This time God raised up a woman who has already been functioning as a judicial leader in her tribe.
德博拉呼吁巴拉克拿弗他利起兵 10,000 from the tribe of Naphtali and Zebulun to attack Jabin’s army. He refuses unless she leads the army with him. 是否有可能，他无法想象通过一个女人的上帝领先?
Deborah is full of faith in God’s help. Barak defeats his army in spite of being completely out armed. Sisera eludes capture and is killed by a woman while resting in her tent. 德博拉预言被分配到胜利的女人. 主继续给以色列人的实力和他们完全击败国王耶宾和迦南人，.
吉迪恩: 玛拿西支派
士师记 6:1 再次以色列人就邪在耶和华眼中的, 七年，他给了他们手中的米甸人. 2 因为米甸的力量[6] 是如此暴虐, 以色列人准备自己的庇护所，在山中挖穴, 洞穴和据点. 3 每当以色列人种植作物, 米甸人, 亚玛力人，和其他东部人民入侵该国. 4 他们的土地上安营扎寨，毁了庄稼一路加沙和以色列没有放过一个活的东西, 既不是羊，也不是牛，驴. 5 他们想出了他们的牲畜，他们的帐篷，像成群的蝗虫. 这是不可能指望的男人和他们的骆驼; 他们侵入土地蹂躏. 6 米甸如此贫困的以色列人，他们呼求耶和华帮助. 7 当以色列人喊着耶和华，因为米甸, 8 他给他们兴起一位先知, 谁说过, “这是耶和华, 以色列的神, 说: 我领你出埃及, 奴隶制的土地出. 9 我抢走你从埃及的力量，从你们的压迫者的手. 我开车从你们面前将他们的土地给了你. 10 我对你们说, “我是耶和华你们的神; 不崇拜神的亚摩利, 在你住的土地。’ 但你有没有听我的.“
The oppressiveness of the enemy this time is economically devastating. They left the Israelites living in caves. For the first time God sends a prophet before He raises up a deliver. The prophet tells the people clearly that they are the cause of their own suffering. The simple diagnosis? God’s people no longer listen to God.
吉迪恩是可怕的, 自我意识和优柔寡断，但神使用他只是使用军队击溃米甸人 300 男人.
士师记 6:14 主转过身来对他说：, “在你的实力去拯救以色列人脱离米甸人的手. 我没有送你?” 15 “但主, ” 基甸问, “我怎么能拯救以色列人? 我的家族是最弱的玛拿西, 我至少在我的家人。”
It would seem that not only the people of Israel are more and more idolatress but also “the best leadership God can find” is declining in quality. Where will a leader come from but from the people they are leading. As the culture declines so does the quality of those who may lead. First we have a military leader in Sisera that is skeptical. Now we have the leader God is calling skeptical of God’s ability to save the nation. God raises up political leaders to help them. Then as the leaders are of less and less caliber He raises up prophets. With Gideon He sends prophets and angles with miracles to convince the political leader He is able to help the Israelites. The presence of this prophet, the angels and the miracles is not a good sign. It means Israel is getting more and more hard of hearing. Watch the decline!
Gideon does tear down his fathers alter to Baal and his Asherah pole. He then builds an altar to God using the wood from the poles. When the people see this they are so angered at this affront to their Jewish idolatry they want to kill Gideon.
The Eastern nations of Midianites[7], Amalekites[8] and others cross the Jordan in mass intending to destroy Israel. God stirs Gideon and he calls out an army from Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali. God whittles down the army to just 300 soldiers, making sure Gideon cannot be given credit for the victory. The invading armies are so terrified by the trumpets of the 300 sounding they rise up and in mass confusion begin to kill each other. As they retreat the rest of the army pursues them calling in more recruits from the tribe of Ephraim and defeating them.
After this astounding military victory Israel wants to create a dynasty from Gideon and his son. The “king” desire of the tribes begins to rumble. But in true humility, Gideon refuses this temptation and replies, “我不排除会在你, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” 士师记 8:23
但, 这种虔诚的智慧后，, Gideon then asks for tribute from the plunder. From the 43 lbs of gold he makes an ephod and places it in Ophrah where the people begin to worship it. Why an ephod? Gideon is not a Levite. Why Ophrah? It is not a Levitical city. God clearly outlines in the Law of Moses that the priests are to wear the ephods. But Ophrah is where the angel met with Gideon and called him to lead Israel in the military action against the Midianites.
然后，以色列有和平 40 岁月.
§亚比米勒: 玛拿西支派
基甸的儿子亚比米勒, 之一 72 by his concubines in Shechem. He clearly thinks his father has made a mistake in declining the role of King. He goes to the Shechemite leaders and proposes that they appoint him King. The tribe agrees. The people have turned back to worshipping Baal as soon as Gideon is dead and they take 70 shekels of silver from the temple of Baal and give it to Abimelech to hire an army. That is the first time in Israel that the army was not volunteer. He immediately goes of Ophrah and assassinates 70 他的兄弟. “所有的公民 的雪谦伯米洛收集旁边的树王亚比米勒冠在Sechem支柱。“法官 9:6
我们是同室操戈!
This is the first time God has had no involvement in the selection of a political leader and the first time Israel has appointed a leaders when there was no national military crisis. It is the first time finances for government have been taken from a temple, and a pagan one at that. This is the first national political assassination in Israel but it will not be the last. This is the first time political leadership has been seen as a “family” inheritance in Israel.
基甸的小儿子约坦上升，并调用他们的方式对待他的父亲和家人，他们已经选择了一个领导者的无神的方式向上帝负责示剑. 士师记 9:19 “......如果你一直担任光荣和真诚向 (吉迪恩) 和他的家人今天, 亚比米勒可能是你的喜悦, 你可能是他, 太! 20 但是，如果你还没有, 愿火从亚比米勒灭你, 示剑和Beth米罗的公民, 又愿火从你, 示剑和Beth米罗的公民, 和消费亚比米勒。“
Jothan flees for his life and Abimelech leads for three years. God sends an evil spirit between him and the people he leads because of 无辜的流血 from Gideon’s sons. The people take authority back from their appointed King and began to collect their own forced taxes.
During the Baal Harvest Temple Festival an adversary raises himself up as Shechem’s political solution to Abimelech. The cities Governor sends a message to the King to attack which he does with a vengeance running off the competition. But then the next day Abimelech’s troops attack the citizens when they go to the fields, slaughtering them. He sets fire to those citizens who have fled into the temple of Baal to seek refuge burning more than a thousand men and women alive. He then attacks those citizens who have fled to the cities tower for safety. 其中一名妇女磨石下降亚比米勒的头上狠狠打伤他，他犯协助自杀的帮助下，他的装甲旗手.
这是第一次内战和以色列军队首次打开它自己的人民.
士师记 9:56-57 因此，神偿还亚比米勒的邪恶谋杀他的70个兄弟，他的父亲做了. God also made the men of Shechem pay for all their wickedness.“
We are back to the “red thread of violence.” Israel is descending back into a total disregard for God as demonstrated in their disregard for human life. It is wholesale murder as in the days before the flood. They have political freedom. They have the thinking of God in the Law. God is sending prophets to warn them and miracles to inspire their faith. But they refuse to listen. 神持有 人民和他们的领导人负责.
§陀: 以萨迦支派
士师记 9:1 亚比米勒的时间后以萨迦人, 普瓦的儿子陀, 突突的儿子, 玫瑰拯救以色列人. 他住在沙米尔, 在山地以法莲. 2 他带领以色列23年; 然后他死了, 被安葬在沙米尔.
There is no mention of the people crying out to God for help. There is no mention that God raised up Tola as a deliver. There is no mention of what Tola rose up to save Israel from. Is it possible that Israel is now their own worst enemy?
陀铅以色列 23 岁月.
§睚: 玛拿西支派
士师记 9: 3 在他之后是睚吉利德, 谁领导以色列22年. 4 他有三十个儿子, 骑着三十匹驴. 他们控制了30个乡镇，在基列, 这一天被称为基列的睚.5 当睚死的时候, 他被安葬在卡蒙.
God no longer features in the choice of the leader for the people or for the leader himself. They are no longer chosen to lead only during a national crisis. They are in power all the time. In effect Israel, 同时，不实行标题, 已经转移到自上而下的治理 一景, 同时仍使用长期法官.
§耶弗: 玛拿西支派
士师记 10:6 “ 再次以色列人就在耶和华眼中的邪恶。“
再次 以色列人民 give themselves to foreign gods. They worship Baal and the Asherah pole and they begin to worship the gods of the Aram, Sidionites, 摩押人, Amonites and Philistines. 神叫非利士人[9] 作为一个敌人 和东部部落受到奴隶制至18年，他们侵入犹大支派, Benjemin and Ephraim. 和 the Israelites cried out to the Lord, seemingly for the first time in 63 岁月.
Listen to His response: 士师记 10:11 The LORD replied, “When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, 非利士人, 12 the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? 13 But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. 14 Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!”
Israel responds: 10:15 But the Israelites said to the LORD, “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, 但 please rescue us now.” 16 然后 they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD. And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer.
Jephthah is a mighty warrior, son of the patriarch of the Gileadites. His mother was a prostitute and his half brothers run him out of the family and he is left with no inheritance. He raises up an ad hoc army and lives in Tob. When the Ammonites camped prepared for battle in Gilead it is Jephthah the people ask to lead them. He is hesitant but when promised by the elders of Israel that they will make him their leader permanetly he agrees to return.
Jephthah sends diplomats to find out why the Ammonites are preparing to attack. They respond that it is because the Israelites took the Ammonite lands when they came out of Egypt. Jephthah responds with an astute retelling of the facts. Israel had not taken their land until the kings of the Moabites and Edomites had refused them compassion and just leave through their lands as they fled Egypt. Then they ask King Sihhon of the Amorites for safe passage and he denied them as well. But unlike the other kings King Sihhon marshaled his troops against them and attacked. Israel defeated them and took their land. They have now lived there for 300 岁月. He challenges them that they will wage war and God be the Judge.
Jephthah appears to make a vow to the Lord that if he gets victory he will sacrifice whatever comes out of his house first on his return home. He wins the battles and defeats the Ammonites. On his return home, his daughter comes out to meet him dancing with a tambourine to welcome him home. And he sacrificed her.
This is the first account of human sacrifice in Israel. Of course Jephthah is not relying on the God of his forefathers, their faith in the God of Moses is long gone. He is using the language of his ancestors but he is talking to the new gods of Israel. These gods gladly accept human sacrifice.
一个老仇隙与以法莲再次上升，他们来耶弗他. 为什么耶弗他不请他们帮忙打亚摩利? 他们继续进入以色列的第一个民用部落战争. 继续下跌.
耶弗他领导的以色列六十年.
接下来的三个法官不占用太多空间，在法官的历史.
§以比赞: 犹大支派的
士师记 12: 8在他之后, 以比赞为首的以色列伯利恒. 9 他有三十个儿子，三十个女儿. 他给了他的女儿在他的氏族外婚, 和他的儿子，他带来了30个年轻的女性作为妻子从他的氏族外. 以比赞为首的以色列 7年.
§伊隆: 西布伦支派的
士师记 12:11 在他之后, 西布伦人以伦为首的以色列 十年. 12 然后以伦死, ，葬在西布伦地的亚雅仑.
§押顿: 亚设支派
12:13 在他之后, 希勒尔的儿子押顿, 比拉顿, 为首的以色列. 14 他有四十个儿子，三十个孙子, 谁七十驴骑. 他带领以色列 8年. 15 然后儿子押顿希勒尔死亡, 葬在以法莲的比拉顿, 在山地的亚玛力人.
We are not at the bottom of the decline in Israel yet. The sin in Israel increases even more and God raises up an enemy, 现在一个非常熟悉的一个, 非利士人.
士师记 13:1 再次以色列人就邪在耶和华眼中的, 所以耶和华把他们交在非利士人手里[10] 四十年.
*参孙: 丹部落
We finally arrive at the most memorable of the Judges. Samson is born for the job. 意思, 有没有人住在以色列的, 男人或女人, God could use to lead. The moral fiber of the nation is so destroyed from within that there is no leader God can raise up to deliver them. We will soon see the same disparate situation in the call of a two year old named Samuel.
神已交付以色列的非利士人的手中，因为“再次以色列人做了邪恶的在主”法官眼中的 13:1 他们是被压迫的这个敌人 40 岁月. God sends and Angel to tell a man named Manoah that his sterile wife will conceive a son. The parents are to consume no wine nor eat anything unclean for their son will be born a Nazirite and “set apart to God from birth.” 13:5 He will begin a deliverance of Israel. Samson is born and “耶和华赐福给他, 主的灵开始蠢蠢欲动他......“ 13:24-25
在尽管参孙的概念和出生的神奇性质, 尽管奉献的父母和上帝的祝福, Samson has issues. Most of his revolve around women. In spite of his fathers advise he wants to marry a Philistine woman.
结婚仪式开始，参孙“” 30 Philistine “friends” to help him celebrate. He gives then a riddle and promises they can have 30 sets of garments as a prize if they guess the meaning. They cannot so they coax the bride into weaseling it out of Samson. Samson is furious at the roué, 谋杀 30 of the men and gives their clothes to the ones who answered the riddle. His wife is given to another Philistine in marriage.
参孙寻求报复毁灭非利士人，收获的粮食, vineyards and olive groves. The Philistines then burn the ex-wife and her father for bringing this terror on their community. Samson responds by slaughtering many then hides in a cave. 3,000 men from Judah come to get him to turn him over to the Philistines because he has caused them so much trouble with their oppressor. They swear they won’t kill him, 他绑起来, take him to the Philistines and turn him over. “The Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power.” The ropes broke; he picks up a donkeys jawbone and kills a thousand Philistines. God provides water from a rock and he is revived.
Samson’s next escapade finds him with a prostitute in Gaza surrounded by Philistines. He escapes only to later fall in love with Delilah. Delilah is co-opted by the Philistines to collaborate in finding out the source of his great strength. For this they will pay her the equivalent value of 275 slaves. We go back and forth in this plot until Samson finally succumbs to her pleading. His hair is cut and he is captured, tortured and put on display in the temple of the Philistine god. The God of Israel pours strength through him again and he pulls down the pillars of the temple killing everyone inside including himself. More died in his death than died during his life.
Samson ruled Israel for 20 岁月.
为什么?
Good heavens! What does this all mean? God has selected these terrible accounts of Israel’s history and preserved it for more than three millennium to teach us what? This is the history of Israel’s political leadership thus far. God is not making the stories up. God is telling us what happened. What are we to see, 理解和运用? 什么, 在地球上, does this have to do with civil governance and justice in the 21st 世纪?
当我们完成这个时代的政治历史是以色列什么脱颖而出?
人民
The moral decline of the people seems to precede the moral decline in their political leadership. For the first four generations we read “以色列人就邪在主的眼睛” 他们之所以有一个政治上的敌人. 不仅是因为他们有, 作为一种文化, moved towards idolatry were they in need of God’s intervention. And only after they, 人民, has cried out to God did He raise up a defending national leader for them. It takes the people longer and longer to turn to God.
As the decline continues throughout the time of the Judges we will see that both the people and then the leaders themselves contribute to the nation’s demise. And they will both continue to escalate that decline. 从其他神崇拜的偶像崇拜的人会建立人的牺牲, 暗杀, 内战和暴力作为一种手段和解决方案.
然而在一开始, 以色列的下降是人民和文化的结果, the Jews themselves move away from God. Is this where some believers in history got the concept that we get the political leadership we deserve?
政治领导人
It is interesting that the Judges come from nine of the twelve tribes of Israel. Perhaps it would have been twelve if Manasseh had not begun to hog the stage. God is clearly spreading the leadership around. This builds the value of “representation” but it does something else. As the culture declines it reveals that no matter where the leaders come from they are less and less able to represent God. Even when they are the best God can find and raised up by Him.
The first four judges do a pretty good job of the brief God has given them. They deal with the enemy, reinstitute peace and return to their daily lives. By the time we get to Gideon, 神能找到的最好的领导者是不知道的，上帝可以做的工作. (具有讽刺意味的是，这是一个神击败敌人 300 士兵。) 他确实打败敌人，但是当一切都完了, Israel wants to make Gideon a king and dynasty. They give credit for the victory to the man rather than God.
Gideon still has enough understanding of God to turn them down. But his son will not. The Manasseh conspiracy to rule all of Israel will plaque their politics for the rest of their Biblical history. And as we will see in the days of the kings is the beginning of the divided kingdom and final dispersion. 以色列领导人的质量在直线下降，从这里开始.
敌人
Every time Israel has a political enemy in the Book of Judges God has raised them up. Every time God raises up a political enemy it is to show His people they are drifting from Him. God’s emphasis is not on the foreigner in Israel of the foreign invader. God’s emphasis is on God’s people ceasing to be God’s people. When God’s people turn back to God He delivers everyone.
Like the history of the believers in the New Testament Epistles the gravest danger is from within the community not from without. But we will get to that in Part Five.
上帝
看在上帝的一部分, He does nothing but increase His efforts to get Israel to listen. He reminds them of His laws, 他警告他们, 他举起时，他们大声呼喊他的领导, 他差遣先知, 他执行的奇迹，获得他们的注意, He calls leaders from birth to circumvent the moral decline of the culture. 和? God’s people listen less and less!
This is a very heavy history. Nothing speaks to me more of the inspiration of the Bible than the fact that, 留给自己, no nation would chose to document this history of themselves. It is too awful.
但是，我们还没有完成! Are you willing to suffer God’s pain for generations more? Are you willing for God to tell His story His way and prepare our hearts for what is to come?
[1] 现代的一天......
