This name means second law. In this book the 40 years of wandering are almost over. By this time all the Jews

who had refused to obey God and go into the promised country were dead. The remaining Jews were now brought

again to the edge of the promised land. Moses gave the laws of God to the Jews for the second time.

The last chapter tells how Moses died and Joshua took over the leadership of the Jews. Read the whole of this

last chapter yourself.

Joshua is a Hebrew name and Jesus a Greek name, but they have the same meaning. Joshua led the Jews into

their promised land, and the Lord Jesus leads us into ours.

This book, named after the man whom God chose to lead the Jews into their promised land, tells of the way they

went in, and the battles they fought.

When the Jews tried to get into the promised land, they found others already living there. These people were

being used by Satan, the great enemy of God, for he, Satan, was again trying to spoil God's plans. God had

promised that He would destroy these people and give the land to the Jews. There were many battles to be fought,

but God kept His word, and the Jews were able to go in and possess the land. Do you remember how the walls of

Jericho fell down flat? God made them fall down before Joshua and His people.

The Jews were divided into 12 tribes, and to each tribe a part of the land was given. And so the Jews settled

down after many years, in the country that God had promised them. The country was called Canaan. Read Joshua

chapter 23, verses 1 to 5.

The Jews had now settled down in the land of Canaan. After a while they began to forget all that God had done

for them, and began to displease Him. They became disobedient, and God had to punish them. Read chapter 2,

verses 11 to 15.

God allowed people from other countries to make the Jews slaves because of their disobedience. It was then that

the Jews prayed to God to be set free and He heard them. He sent a man called a judge to deliver them. The judge

set things right and was a ruler over the Jews for a while.

The Jews soon began again to forget God, and He again punished them by sending them into slavery. When in

slavery they turned to the only one who could help them and cried again to God for deliverance. Another judge was

used by God to free them and put things right again.

Many times during this period the Jews forgot God, and were often in slavery as a punishment. But every time

they turned back to Him and cried for deliverance He was merciful and sent them a judge, and they were freed.

Therefore this book is called Judges.

This lovely little book is the story of one family who lived in the time of the Judges. It is a very important book

to understand, because it gives us the reason why God had to become a man in order to die for our sins and redeem

In this book we are told how all the men of this family died, and the piece of land belonging to them was lost. It

was important that this land should not be lost, and the story is about the way it was bought back again. It meant

that a man had to marry into the family, but not just any man. He had to be a relation, somebody like a brother or an

uncle. He was called a kinsman redeemer.