From the death of Josh'u-a to the coronation of Saul the Twelve Tribes
of Is'ra-el were without a central government, except as from time to
time men of ability rose up among them. It was not, as some have
supposed, an "age of anarchy," for anarchy is confusion; and during most
of the time there were peace and order in Is'ra-el. It was rather an
"age of heroes," for its rulers were neither hereditary nor elective,
but men called forth by the needs of the hour and their own qualities of
leadership.
I. =The Condition of Is'ra-el during This Period.= This was partly
favorable and partly unfavorable. The _favorable_ elements were:
1. =The Mountain Location= of Is'ra-el. The tribes were perched like
Switzerland in the Alps. There was a desert on the south and on the
east, while on the west lay the plain by the sea, the great route of
travel between E'gypt and the Eu-phra'tes. Great armies passed and
repassed over this plain, and great battles were fought by E-gyp'tians,
Hit'tites, and As-syr'i-ans, while Is'ra-el on her mountain peaks was
unmolested. This mountain home left Is'ra-el generally unnoticed, and,
when attacked, almost inaccessible.
2. =The Racial Unity= of Is'ra-el. The two finest races of the world,
the Greek and the Is'ra-el-ite, were both of pure blood. The
Is'rael-ites were one in origin, in language, in traditions, in
aspirations. This national unity often brought the tribes together in
times of distress, though not always when the union was needed.
3. =The Religious Institutions.= In Greece every town had its own god
and its own religion; hence the many parties and petty nationalities.
But in Is'ra-el there was in theory but one altar, one house of God, one
system of worship, with its annual pilgrimage to the religious capital
(1 Sam. 1. 3). Just to the measure in which these institutions were
observed Is'ra-el was strong against all foes, and as they were
neglected the land became the prey of oppressors (Judg. 2. 7-14; 1 Sam.
7. 3).
But there were also _unfavorable_ elements in the condition of Is'ra-el,
which threatened its very existence. These were:
1. =The Native Races.= These were of two kinds: the subject people left
on the soil, more or less under the domination of the conquerors; and
the surrounding nations, Am'mon, Mo'ab, Syr'i-a, and the Phi-lis'tines.
There was danger from their enmity, a rebellion of the subject tribes,
allied with the enemies around, for the destruction of Is'ra-el. And
there was far greater danger from their friendship, which would lead to
intermarriage, to idolatry, to corruption of morals, and to ruin (Judg.
3. 1-7).
2. =Lack of a Central Government.= Is'ra-el was in the condition of the
United States at the close of the Revolution, from 1783 to 1789, a loose
confederation with no central authority. There were twelve tribes, but
each governed itself. Only under some great chieftain like Gid'e-on or
Sam'u-el were all the twelve tribes united. Most of the judges ruled
only over their own district of a few adjoining tribes. Often the
northern tribes were in peril, but we never read of Ju'dah going to
their assistance; and in Ju'dah's wars with the Phi-lis'tines the
northern tribes stood aloof.
3. =Tribal Jealousy.= Until the establishment of the American republic
the world never saw, for any length of time, a league of states on an
equal footing. In Greece the strongest state claimed the _hegemony_, or
leadership, and oppressed its allies. In Italy the Ro'mans reduced all
their neighbors to subjection. In Europe it now requires an army of more
than a million men to maintain the "balance of power." So in Is'ra-el
there was a constant struggle for the leadership between the two great
tribes of Ju'dah and E'phra-im. During the period of the judges
E'phra-im was constantly asserting its rights to rule the other tribes
(Judg. 8. 1-3; 12. 1-6). We trace this rivalry through all the reign of
Da'vid; and at last it led to the division of the empire under
Re-ho-bo'am.
4. =Idolatrous Tendencies.= We note constantly "the two Is'ra-els"--a
spiritual minority and an irreligious, idolatrous mass. For many
centuries the greatest evil of Is'ra-el-ite history was the tendency to
the worship of idols. Causes which operated to promote it were: 1.) The
natural craving for a visible object of worship, not altogether
eradicated from even the Christian heart; for example, Ro'mish images
and the use of the crucifix. 2.) The association of Is'ra-el with
idolaters on the soil or as neighbors. 3.) The opportunity which idol
worship gives to gratify lust under the guise of religion. As a result
of these forces we find idol worship the crying sin of the Is'ra-el-ites
down to the captivity in Bab'y-lon.
II. =The Judges of Is'ra-el.= These were the heroes of that age, the men
who in turn led the tribes, freed them from their enemies, and restored
them to the service of God.
1. =Their Office.= It was not generally to try legal cases between man
and man or between tribe and tribe. It might be regarded as a military
dictatorship blended with a religious authority. The judge was a union
of the warrior and the religious reformer.
2. =Their Appointment=, not by election, nor the votes of the people.
The Orientals have never chosen their rulers by suffrage. The judges
were men whom the people recognized as called of God to their office
(Judg. 2. 16; 3. 9; 6. 11-13).
3. =Their authority= rested not on law, nor on armies, but on the
personal elements of integrity and leadership in the men, and on the
general belief in their inspiration. They spoke to the people with the
authority of a messenger from God. They arose in some hour of great
need, and after the immediate danger was over held their power until the
end of their lives.
4. =The Extent of Their Rule= was generally local, over a few tribes in
one section. Deb'o-rah ruled in the north (Judg. 5. 14-18); Jeph'thah
governed only the east of the Jor'dan (Judg. 11. 29). Often more than
one judge was ruling at the same time; probably Sam'son and E'li were
contemporaneous. Gid'e-on and Sam'u-el alone ruled all the twelve
tribes.