Judges 10:6-18

5. Fifth Declension: Under the Philistines and Ammon. Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon

CHAPTER 10:6-18

1. The great declension (Judges 10:6-9 )

2. Their cry and the Lord’s answer (Judges 10:10-14 )

3. Confession and self-judgment (Judges 10:15-18 )

This is the greatest declension yet. They did evil again, served Baalim, Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, Zidon, Moab, Ammon and the Philistines. They were then sold by the Lord into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the children of Ammon. Ammon has rightly been taken to typify rationalism in every form and the wicked doctrines, the denials of the faith, which follow in its train. Christian Science, Russellism, higher criticism, Seventh Day Adventism, Unitarianism and a host of other “isms” are of the Ammonite tribe. The Philistines typify ritualism. Like Ammon and the Philistines, these two enemies distress sorely the people of God from all sides. Then they cried unto Him and confessed their sins, and Jehovah reminded them of all His goodness in past deliverances and threatened them that He would not deliver them. “Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.” But when they continued to plead and to confess, when they put away the strange gods, when they began to serve Him again, though He had denied their first cry--His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. What a compassionate Lord He is! Then they gathered together and encamped at Mizpah--the watchtower.