Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble and I'm your host for the Bible Recap.

We're continuing our downward spiral of Israel's judges after yesterday's

tragedy with Gideon's son Abemelek and today we encounter six bad judges.

The first two barely get a mention. There was

Tola from the tribe of Isikar who lived among the tribe of Ephraim for some reason.

Then there was Jerry the Gileadite. Gilead is a region in the transjordan, so this is our first judge from across the Jordan

River. When you read the term Gileadite, just know that's a reference to an Israelite from the

transjordan, not one of their many enemies.

Then we see that the people of Israel are falling into apostasy again.

In fact, we get seven groupings of other gods that they're beginning to worship.

It looks like they'll worship anything.

They don't discriminate at all.

God grows angry with them and sells them into the hands

of two other people groups, the Philistines and the Ammonites. They oppressed them for 18 years on the east

side of the Jordan River, and they also fight against them on the west side of the Jordan River.

Finally, Israel sees the error of their ways and they repent.

But this time God tells them that things are going to happen differently.

He's not just going to raise up a judge to save them like he's done in the past.

He tells them to cry out to those other gods for help instead.

Their response to him suggests that maybe they really do get at this time.

They agree that they don't deserve saving and they accept his words

while still begging him for mercy and help.

...