As Israel entered the land of Canaan we see a unified group of people determined to serve God. When Gad, Reuben and the half tribe of Manasseh requested land east of the Jordan River they acknowledged their responsibility to both God and their brethren to fight along with their brethren as they conquered the land, Numbers 32.6, 17.

Unfortunately faithfulness and determination is not always passed on from one generation to the next. While Joshua’s generation learned the lesson of obedience in the wilderness the next generation was different. Whether it was the fault of their parents or their own it did not matter, they were a generation that "knew not God" (Joshua 2.10).

Reading Judges reminds me of the "Wild West." Lawlessness was rampant and drastic measures were required to clean it up. Darrel Shaw in his outline of Judges used several "D" words to define what was happening.

Defeated in battle; they were oppressed by their enemies the Philistines, Mesopotamia, Canaanites, Midianites, Ammonites, and at times by each other. They grew tired of the battles and seem to quit doing the will of God, which gave their enemies the advantage they need to come in oppress them.

Degenerate in morals and Disobedience in worship; two events are described in Judges that indicates how degraded Israel became. Judges 17-17 gives us the story of Micah. He stole eleven hundred shekels of silver from his mother, and then confessed his sin to her. In return she blessed her thieving son and used the money to make a carved image. Next they met a Levite who lodged near them. He agreed to be a priest to them instead of to the nation of Israel or even God. No wonder the nation was in such a poor spiritual condition if the entire priesthood served idols like this Levite. A group of men from Dan traveled through the area came across this "priest." They were searching for land to conquer and ask the priest if their journey will be prosperous. The priest told them o go for God was with them. They returned to Micah’s house and took idol for themselves. The priest Micah hired left to serve the people of Dan. Instead of being upset with the idolatry of Micah the Danites wanted the idol for themselves. The Levite sought service away from the cities assigned by God through Joshua. He was willing to be an idolatrous priest.

Even more disturbing is the account in Judges 19-21, a man traveling with his concubine came to a city inhabited with Benjamites. As darkness fell he was invited into the house of an old man from the mountains of Ephraim. That night men from the town came to the house and demand the master to turn over his guest so they could "know him carnally" (Judges 19.22). Eventually the men agree to settle for the man’s concubine. She died at the hands of the men of the town. Her master cut her body into pieces and sent them to the other tribes. As a result of their wickedness the tribe of Benjamin was almost wiped out by the other tribes.

We are told the exact time when those to events took place but they give us an indication of the moral climate of Israel.

As a result of their disobedience, God allowed their enemies to persecute Israel. Judges contains six cycles in which they are punished by God and their repentance. God raised a judge to deliver them and they were faithful for a short time only to drift away again. God again allowed their enemies to persecute them and the cycle continued.

The Judges were military leaders selected by God to lead Israel’s victories. Each Judge was from a different tribe, not passed through one lineage. Their time of leadership varied in length.