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The Conquest, Judges,
and United Kingdom
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hen Moses and the people of Israel arrived at the top of Mt. Nebo, they could enjoy a commanding view of the Land of Promise stretching out before them to the west. It must have been
an impressive sight to the wilderness traveling, battle-weary refugees. Below them was the
Jordan Valley and Dead Sea. Beyond this valley and river lay the Judean hills and mountain range, stretching to the hills of Galilee to the north with groves of olive trees and green valleys. The Hebrews probably
couldn’t see it from Mt. Nebo, but beyond the mountains was the fertile “Maritime Plain,” gently sloping
to the Mediterranean coast, rich with vineyards and fruit trees. Vast differences in climate and vegetation
in different regions and altitudes of this small country make this a most unusual land.
The three periods of Bible history encompassed by this lesson extend from about 1400 B.C. to 922
B.C., and include the dramatic events of the Hebrew invasion of Canaan, the period of the Judges when
there was no central government, and the establishment of the monarchy. The Bible books describing these
events include Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles. Also during
this time Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs were written. It was a rich period of
development for the nation of Israel, culminating in the height of power and riches under kings David and
Solomon.
To help keep this historic period straight, we have prepared an Events chart (page 48). It correlates
events with Bible books and dates. You may want to consult the chart frequently as you survey the rest of
the Old Testament.
The Conquest
Joshua followed Moses in leadership of the new nation and received his marching orders directly from
God. You will want to read Joshua 1—11 for the story of the Hebrews’ conquest of this territory. It started
with the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River and the capture of Jericho. Jericho, the first city captured,
was to be offered up to God. The Hebrews were to take nothing of value from it. However, it didn’t turn
out exactly that way. As you read this passage you will notice the “sin of Achan” (chapter 7) that caused
the nation much grief. Also note the role of Rahab. Do you see any important symbolism in the “scarlet
cord” (Josh. 2:17-18) the spies told Rahab to display? It is sometimes said that a “scarlet cord” weaves its
way all the way through Scripture.
The conquest involved three major campaigns, each of which demonstrated Joshua’s military genius:
The Central Campaign was intended to control the international trade route that followed the high
mountain ridge north and south across the area. Gaining control of this trade route divided the tribes of the
north from the ones in the south and made conquest easier. The capture of Ai accomplished this objective.
It also put the “fear of God” into the inhabitants of the city of Gibeon. Read about the Gibeonites’
response in Joshua 9 and about Joshua and the Israelites’ serious error.
The Southern Campaign was fought against the “Amorite League” that attacked Gibeon for what they
considered to be treason by the Gibeonites. Joshua’s strategy of surprise attacks and swift movements are
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evidenced here, as he completely defeated these kings. However, he had some significant help! God
caused the sun to stand still to provide Joshua some additional time to complete the battle.
The Northern Campaign was against a huge confederacy of kings that gathered at Hazor. The story is
in Joshua 11. The military assembly is described as “a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the
seashore” (11:4). In this battle the Hebrews, for the first time, faced horses and chariots.
Upon learning about this coalition of kings gathering in the north, Joshua marched his army from
Gilgal (central Canaan) to Hazor (more than seventy miles) and performed an early morning preemptive
strike. Before his army attacked, however, Joshua sent commandos ahead to “hamstring” the horses, effectively neutralizing the enemy’s military advantage of horses and chariots. For good measure, the Hebrews
also burned the chariots.
The northern campaign completed the conquest of the territory, but unfortunately, there were still
large areas of the country not completely conquered. Consequently, Israel constantly endured harassment
from these native residents.
Following the conquest, the captured lands were divided among the twelve tribes, each autonomous
within its own assigned territory.
The Period of the Judges (Book of Judges)
For approximately 400 years after the conquest, no central government existed in Israel. The various
tribes had some internal organizational structure, but it was often ineffectual. “In those days Israel had no
king; everyone did as he saw fit” (Judg. 17:6). The plan was for God to be their king, but the general disobedience to the will of God caused the actual outcome to be virtual anarchy.
Judges describes seven invasions by surrounding nations. Each invasion is introduced with the phrase,
“the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD.” Their sin was followed by invasion and oppression, after
which they repented, and God raised up a “judge.” These judges were political/military leaders who delivered the people from bondage to a foreign power and provided leadership in the period of peace that followed. See the Cycle of Judges (page 49) for an illustration of this continual cycle. The nation went
around this circle seven times! The invading nations and the judges raised up to deliver them were:
1) Mesopotamia — Othniel
2) Moab — Ehud
3) Canaan — Deborah
4) Midian — Gideon
5) Civil war — Abimelech
6) Ammonites — Jephthah
7) Philistines —Samson
The book of Judges describes some gruesome experiences, largely because Israel was in rebellion
against God and suffered the consequences. However, during the periods of peace, there were some good
and prosperous times. The book of Ruth was written in this time, and the events surrounding Ruth
describe a time of apparent political tranquility and peace. In fact, scholars tell us that of the
approximately 400 years encompassing the period of the judges, there were about 200 years of peace.
A very important individual, Samuel, began his ministry near the end of this period. Samuel served as
a bridge between the judges and the prophets, being both. The Israelites approached Samuel and
demanded a king because they were convinced their problems stemmed from the fact that surrounding
nations have kings but the tribes of Israel do not. They failed to recognize that their problem was spiritual,
not political. At first resistant to the idea, Samuel, after receiving permission from God, finally agreed to
the demand. God led him to a young man, Saul, whom he anointed as Israel’s first king.
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The United Kingdom (Monarchy)
The “United Kingdom” period was the height of prosperity for Israel. Three kings ruled during this
time: Saul, David, and Solomon. Saul brought the kingdom together under central leadership and gained
victory over surrounding enemies. Unfortunately, his personal life ended in ruin.
David, the much loved king of Israel received the promise from God that his kingdom will endure forever (2 Sam. 7:16) and that the Messiah will come from his family (Isa. 11—Jesse was David’s father). In
a previous study we saw how God said the Messiah would come from the human race (Gen. 3:15). Later
He narrowed it down to the nation descended from Abraham through Isaac (Gen. 12:2-3; 17:19-22; 21:12;
26:1-6). Now God identified the actual family—the family of David—from which the Messiah will fulfill
God’s promise of blessing to the nations.
David was the author of most of the Psalms. His many skills and administrative abilities were awesome. He was deeply devoted to the Lord but also fell into grave sin. He wanted to build a permanent
house of worship to replace the tabernacle, but God would not allow it because David was a man of war. It
was left to David’s son, Solomon, to build the magnificent temple, but David began to stockpile materials
for it.
Under Solomon’s reign the kingdom achieved its maximum size and magnificence. See the map of the
Kingdom of David and Solomon (page 50) for some idea of the geographical size of the kingdom. The
luxury and wealth of his kingdom is described in 2 Chronicles 9:13-28. Be sure to read that passage and
try to imagine what the kingdom must have been like. Unfortunately, in spite of God’s evident blessing,
Solomon disobeyed God by having many wives, building up a huge army of horses and chariots, and accumulating much wealth. The sad result of those sins will be evident in the next lesson.
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