| The CROWN of CHRIST - Understanding the Times in the Light of Scripture |
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| 1. In the old land of Canaan After Joshua died Jacob's wayward descendants By Jehovah were tried They were constantly backsliding From their forefathers' ways Having swiftly forgotten Yahweh's miracle days 2. When God's deeds for His Moses Were forgotten full well Unbelieving, rebellious Grew the LORD's Israel And they turn-ed to the idols Of the nations all 'round Asherahs and Baalim did 'Mong God's people abound 3. Then the LORD turned away from All His backsliding Jews (When we will not obey Him His good pleasure we lose) They were sorely persecuted And oppressed by the foe Now disarmed and undefended To their God did they go 4. When the Children of Jacob Cried aloud to their King He raised up mighty Judges All the heathen to sting And with improvis-ed weapons Judges crafty and brave Struck Philistia and Canaan God them victory gave 5. Othniel was the first to Quell old Israel's fears Giving peace and protection For a full forty years Then came Ehud, the left-handed Fast to fight for his LORD Who dispatch-ed fat King Eglon With a hand-crafted sword 6. Tyrants take people's weapons This we must understand But with God on our side we All must take a strong stand Like old Shamgar who we read Lessened Israel's load Killing six hundred Philistines With a common ox goad 7. But when Deborah rose up To be Israel's judge She sat under a tree and Gave advice - she'd not budge Even when the time was right Yahweh's foes to attack Deb'rah delegated that task To the coward Barak 8. Because Deb'rah with Barak To the battle had to go God denied him the glory Of defeating the foe Sisera took milk from Jael A true Jewess by birth As he slept, she, with a tent peg Nailed his head to the earth 9. Hearken! Sisera's mother's At her window today Thinking women and plunder Cause her son's long delay And she hopes for precious clothing From her ungodly boy LORD, like Sisera the wicked All your haters destroy 10. God made backsliding Jacob To bad Midian yield And the heathen destroy-ed All the fruits of their fields 'Til the Angel of Jehovah Unto Gideon came Saying, "Yahweh God is with you Go and fight in His name" 11. But old cowardly Gid'on From his doubts would not cease Twice he begged of Jehovah "Give a sign with the fleece" And he broke his father's idols Under cover of night With them building God an altar There to sacrifice right 12. Now the men of that city Were devoted to Baal Gideon's father told them That their idols would fail Then came Asher and Manasseh Zebulon, Naphtali All were gathered unto Gid'on As the LORD cannot lie 13. But Jehovah said Isr'el Had an over-large host If they won by great numbers In themselves they might boast So he sent away the timid Purged the army again Leaving Gideon to fight with Only three-hundred men 14. Gideon split them three ways 'Round the enemy camp Ev'ry man with a trumpet And a pot-covered lamp Then they woke up Midian with Light and sound for Yahweh And their foes in great confusion Turned and ran far away 15. When the Children of Jacob Cried aloud to their King He raised up mighty Judges All the heathen to sting And with improvis-ed weapons Judges crafty and brave Struck Philistia and Canaan God them victory gave 16. It's to Gideon's credit He refused to be king But he took golden earrings To make a useless thing For the holy vest at Ophrah Soon an idol became And the faithless men of Jacob Served the Baalim again 17. Many wives had old Gid'on Bearing seventy sons But his mistress at Shechem Bore a dastardly one For Abimelek appealed to Earthly family pride And he hired mercenaries To assist fratricide 18. "King" Abimelek's brothers Were all killed on one stone Only Jotham, the youngest, on the mount stood alone And he told the men of Shechem His wise tale of the trees (While good men are busy working Losers do as they please) 19. All the trees went forth looking For a king to anoint And they said to the olive "You our prince we appoint" But the olive tree responded Saying, "I can't be king It's my glory oil and gladness To all people to bring" 20. Then they spoke to the fig tree "Come the forest to lead" But he'd not leave his sweet fruit For political greed So the trees went with their offer To the joy-giving wine Who was far too busy blessing God and man with his wine 21. So they said to the thorn bush "Come and sit on our throne" And the thorn bush said "I will Be your ruler alone Come and rest now in my shadow I will play you trees' game But if you do not obey me I'll devour you with flame" 22. Worthy men are productive And too busy to rule Leaving high seats of power To the tyrant and fool While good men are busy working Losers do as they please Indeed this is the true teaching Of the tale of the trees |
| 23. A malevolent angel Unto Shechem was sent And by God's will their anger T'ward Abimelek bent Bandits plagued the hills and Gaal Won the hearts of Shechem SO Abimelek, the bloody, Was reviled by all men 24. "King" Abimelek conquered His own town of Shechem When they hid in their tower He with fire burned them But at Thebez he was crush-ed By a piece of mill stone That some woman in their tower Had so skillfully thrown 25. When Abimelek saw that He would soon bite the dust He had his armour-bearer Kill him with one sword thrust Lest the glory of his downfall To a woman should go Thus God brought the curse of Jotham On old Shechem, we know 26. When the Children of Jacob Cried aloud to their King He raised up mighty Judges All the heathen to sting And with improvis-ed weapons Judges crafty and brave Struck Philistia and Canaan God them victory gave 27. Twenty-three years did Tola Judge the LORD's chosen ones Twenty-two years judged Jair And his thirty strong sons Each of them had his own city And on donkeys they rode Isr'el under righteous judges Ever faithful abode 28. How addicted to idols Were the people of God As again and again they Lost their fear of His rod They served Baalim, Asherah and All the idols of men So God told them to seek mercy Not from Him, but from them 29. Still the people of Jacob Grew corrupt more and more Then to judge them rose Jephthah Mighty son of a whore Chased away by his half-brothers 'Til the Ammorites came Then they asked him to come back and To make war on the same 30. Jephthah vowed to Jehovah "If You win me this war I will sacrifice to You What comes first through my door" But when he returned victor'ous 'Twas his daughter came first She wept not for death but for her Barrenness, which is worse 31. Next God raised up a hero From the strong tribe of Dan When the wife of Manoah Saw God's Son as a Man For the Angel of Jehovah Hid His own secret Name As He promised her a boy-child Then ascended in flame 32. Samson had seven long braids And a Nazarite vow Full of anger and lust he Judged the LORD's people now Follow not his bad example 'Though you're glad for his might God the foolish wrath of Samson Overrode for the right 33. Foolish Samson insisted On a Philistine wife But his riddle annoyed them Causing marital strife Honey from a rotting lion Was what Samson did eat He said, "Out of the strong eater Came a food that was sweet" 34. When his wife kept on nagging He the answer revealed When they gave that right answer He knew she'd falsely dealed Thirty garments was the wager Samson then had to pay So he killed thirty Philistines And gave their clothes away 35. Sam took three hundred foxes Tied their tails with a torch And sent one hundred fifty Pairs their farm lands to scorch He fought hard against the heathen 'Though he stood all alone Killing one thousand Philistines With a donkey's jawbone 36. When the Children of Jacob Cried aloud to their King He raised up mighty Judges All the heathen to sting And with improvis-ed weapons Judges crafty and brave Struck Philistia and Canaan God them victory gave 37. Samson went down to Gaza Where he slept with a whore But when they tried to take him He broke their city door Yes, the great gate of that city Samson carried away But then he fell for Delilah I am sorry to say 38. Now that heathen Delilah Tried to spy out his might Three times Samson misled her And was able to fight But the fourth time, stupidly, He told her, "Cut off my hair" God left him and he as caught by All the Philistines there 39. Samson laboured in prison While his hair did regrow 'Till they brought him before them Dagon's glory to show To me mocked by heathen princes In their shrine he was tied But he pushed down Dagon's temple Killing them when he died 40. When the Children of Jacob Cried aloud to their King He raised up mighty Judges All the heathen to sting And with improvis-ed weapons Judges crafty and brave Struck Philistia and Canaan God them victory gave 41. Micah made silver idols And a family priest Stolen both by the Danites When the fear of God ceased Then a Levite went to Bethl'em To get his wayward whore But at Gibeah the Benj'mites Raped her dead at the door 42. Cut in twelve gruesome pieces She to each tribe was sent And the children of Jacob Rushed to learn what it meant Israel destroyed Benjamin (But six hundred who fled) But because of Isr'el's oath they Had no women to wed 43. So they kidnapped the virgins Of Jabesh-Gilead And the dancers at Bethel 'Till each man a wife had When the Judges led God's people No good king did arise And each man in folly did What seemed the best in his eyes. |
| The BOOK of JUDGES can be sung to the tune "Over Hills and High Mountains" |
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