All Articles For Day of Shadows

As already has been pointed out, the age of the judges was characterized by lawlessness. In these final chapters, the sacred writer tells us over and over that every man did that which was right in his own eyes, and the reason he gives is, that there was no king in Israel. The final section of the book of Judges is formed of examples of such lawlessness to the number of three and the second of these is the exploration of the tribe of Dan, the first one being that of Micah’s spurious sanctuary, which has already been dealt with....

As was said, the final section of the book of the Judges is formed of three examples of the lawlessness that characterized the age of the judges. The last example recorded, and to which we now have regard, is that of the infamous deed at Gibeah in the tribe of Benjamin. The narration of this crime, too, is prefaced by the notice that there was no king in Israel, the thought conveyed being that, on this account, the infamy at Gibeah could take place. Also this history concerns a Levite. There was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of...

It will be recalled ‘that a heinous sin had been committed at Gibeah, Benjamin. A wayfaring Levite with his concubine had retreated for the night into the shelter of the home of a resident of this city. When it was dark, “sons of wickedness” assaulted the house and shamefully avowed their pederastic purposes. The Levite they would compel to co-operate with them in committing that lustful abomination at which Paul strikes in Romans 1 and that formed the curse of heathendom. Sparing himself, the Levite led forth his concubine and the wantons were”-satisfied. They abused her all night’ till daybreak...

We saw that in the war against Benjamin, the Israelite nation was overtaken by a catastrophe of the first magnitude. The number slain and wounded, both Benjamites and Israelites, reached the staggering sum of 65,130, and this number does not include the slain women, children, and old men of the tribe of Benjamin. As was pointed out, it was in that period concerning which it was said that the people served Jehovah all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders that saw the great works, which Jehovah did for Israel. It was in that period of...

Having brought to completion our treatment of the content of the book of the Judges, there remains to us the task of setting forth the canonical significance of this book. The book of the Judges relates the earliest history of Israel in Canaan. The death of Joshua has deprived the people of their second and last national leader, so that the administration of the affairs of the theocracy mow rests solely on the judges, which according to the command of Moses (Deut. 6:18), the people were to make them in all their gates which the Lord their God would give...

According to verse 1 the events related in our book took place in the days when the “judges judged”. Considering that Boaz, who married Ruth, became the grandfather of King David, the occurrences related must have come to pass during the pontificate of the high priest Eli. Thus the migration of Elimelech and his family to the land of Moab, with a view to a temporary residence, on account of there being a famine in the land of Canaan, also is ascribable to the fact that there was in Israel no king in those days so that everyone did that...

As was explained, Elimelech and Naomi did wrong in removing to the country of Moab on account of there being a famine in the land. Rather than remain under the rod of God in contrition of heart, as confessing that he, too, deserved God’s strokes, and as urging his brethren to repent in order that God might be feared and the plague be lifted, he chose to eat his bread to the full with the heathen. As was explained, the Lord laid His hand upon them also there in Moab. First Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two...

When Naomi went forth out of the place in Moab, her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, went with her. It seems that Orpah so well as Ruth set out with the intention to return with their mother-in-law to Judah. The text reads, “And they—the three of them—went on the way to return to the land of Judah.” And again, “And they—Orpah and Ruth—said unto her, “Surely, we will return with thee unto thy people.” Thus spake also Orpah. Hence, she, too, must be urged to return to her people. And how insistent Naomi was that the both of them do...

Ruth, so we saw, had made the good choice. She was dead to Moab, to the pleasures of Moab, which were the pleasures of sin; dead was she to Moab’s idols, but she was alive to God. Thus she wanted God, His people, and Naomi. Forsaking Moab and all that Moab represented, she went to God in Canaan. He was calling her to His sanctuary. Naomi, considering that the blessings of Abraham were for Israel alone—it was the dispensation of shadows—was insistent that Ruth return to her people. But she was adamant. Great was her faith and great therefore was...

The significance of our book lies in its aims. One of its aims is to demonstrate that true faith and love is valid before God without respect of race, and that therefore believing Ruth, though a Moabitess, was accepted of God and His people. Thus our book is a plainest commentary on the words of the apostle at Romans 11:28, 29 that “he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit,...