Book of Judges

Outlines for Judges

Paul J. Bucknell

The Cycle of Decline and Renewal
among God's people

Judges' Content Outline

Judges' Preaching Outline

I. Preparing For Battle (1:1-12:7)

A. Understanding Our Battlefield (1-2)

Judges 1:1-26 Claiming God's Promises
Judges 1:1-20 Off to a Good Start, But ... messages
Judges 1:21-2:5 The Cost of Disobedience
Judges 2:6-23 Chastisement Not Judgment

B. Understanding Our Enemy (Judges 3-5)

Judges 3:1-31 Understanding The Enemy
Judges 4:1-24 Winning The Battle; Losing The Glory
Judges 5:1-31 The Glory of Working Together

C. Understanding Our Weaknesses (Judges 6-10:18)

Judges 6:1-32 The Other Parts of the Call of God (1)
Judges 6:33-7:23 Confirmation not Clarification
Judges 7:24-8:28 Hindrances to Complete Victory
Judges 8:29-9:57 Pride and Its Costs
Judges 10:1-18 When God says "NO" to your Confession

D. Understanding Our Leaders (Judges 10:17-12:7)

Judges 10:17-11:33 When God Makes Leaders
Judges 11:29-40 The Knack of Making Vows
Judges 12:1-7 Importance of Encouraging Success

I. Preparing For Battle (1:1-12:7)

The problem about preparing for battle is that one does not really know how effective the training has been until one gets in the battle.

A. Understanding Our Battlefield (Judges 1-2)

Because of our sin, we live in a perpetual battlefield. Any disobedience makes the fighting and winning more intensive.

1. Past failures affect today’s battles (1:1-20)
2. The fruit of past disobedience (1:21-2:5)
3. God’s dealings with our sin (2:6-23)

B. Understanding Our Enemy  (Judges 3-5)

There is an obvious need to understand our enemies, but there is nothing like our own hearts to ruin our opportunity for success. We must keep in mind that the enemy requires our cooperation in order to win and therefore desperately seeks to gain it.

1. Facing up to the enemy (3:1-31)
2. Campaign in our own hearts (4:1-24)
3. Necessity of cooperation (5:1-31)

C. Understanding  Our Weaknesses (Judges 6:1-10:18)

Our weaknesses are so apparent: lack of understanding, superficial faith, personal sins, all of which should bring us on our knees before God.

1. Relationship of God’s call and mission (6:1-32)
2. Need for confirmation not clarification (6:33-7:23)
3. Personal problems hindering victory (7:24-8:28)
4. Pride and its costs (8:29-9:57)
5. Superficial confessions (10:1-18)

D. Understanding Our Leaders (Judges 10:17-12:7)

Leaders have special pressures to succeed and must be able to rightly deal with them. These pressures no doubt will give them needed wisdom to know how to lead others to success.

1. When God makes a leader (10:17-11:33)
2. The place of vows ((11:29-40)
3. Encouraging success (12:1-7)

II. FIGHTING THE BATTLE (12:8-21:25)

A. Battles With God's Will (Judges 12:8-16:31)

Judges 12:8-13:25 God's Marvelous Planning
Judges 14:1-15:20 Spiritual Insensitivity
Judges 14:18-19, 15:3,7; 16:28 Revenge
Judges 16:1-31 Sin And God's Will

B. Battles With False Religions (Judges 17-18)

Judges 17:1-13 Self-Made Religion
Judges 18:1-31 Departing From God's Will

C. Battles With Sin (Judges 19-21)

Judges 19:1-30 Sin Amongst God's People
Judges 20:1-48 Two Difficulties in Disciplining Sin
Judges 21:1-25 The Power of Real Concern

II. FIGHTING THE BATTLE (12:8-21:25)

Preparing for battle is important, but bringing to life all our life’s preparation requires intense dedication and devotion.

A. Battles With God's Will (Judges 12:8-16:31)

God’s will is varies for individuals in many ways, but once revealed, it becomes a moral demand upon our lives. Seeing our part in this world is one core problem that many of us face. Our neglect, to heed, however, is much more severe.

1. Finding where you fit in (12:8-13:28)
2. Spiritual insensitivity (14:1-15:20)
3. Sin and God’s will (16:1-31)

B. Battles With False Religions (Judges 17-18)

Today’s world with a fast increasing plurality of religions requires, on the one hand, toleration, but on the other a wholehearted pursuit of the true religion found in Christ.

1. Self-made religion (17:1-13)
2. Next-best religion (18:1-31)

C. Battles With Sin (Judges 19-21)

Sin can never be tolerated especially in the church. It must be exposed, disciplined and overcome, or destruction and death soon overwhelms all.

1. Sin amongst God’s people (19:1-30)
2. Two difficulties in discipline sin (20:1-48)
3. Some steps to overcoming sin (21:1-25)