Judges 2020
When the people do what is right in their own eyes
HALF-HEARTED: Judges 1:1–2:5
January 12, 2020 • Brett Baggett
DISCUSSION 1. Read Judges 1 verses 1-7. What do we learn about the period of history in which this book is set, according to verse 1? How does this differ from Joshua chapter 1, which followed the death of Moses? Who did the LORD tell to go up against the Canaanites and who actually went? How does Adoni-bezek respond once they “caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes”? What can we learn from all of this? 2. Read verses 8-15. How does Joshua 15:13-19 help tie the book of Joshua and the book of Judges together? How does 1 Samuel 18:25 help us understand what is happening here with Caleb, Achsah, and Othniel? What else stands out to you and why? 3. Read verses 16-36. What had the LORD commanded his people to do in Joshua 6:17 and 11:14? How do these verses help us see the half-hearted obedience of the LORD’S people? 4. Read chapter 2 verses 1-5. Who is “the angel of the LORD” and how can we tell? What did he do? What did he promise? What did he command? What did the people do in response? What did the LORD do in response to their disobedience? How did the people respond to the LORD’S discipline? How does Hebrews 12:3-17 help clarify?
IDOLATROUS: Judges 2:6-3:6
January 19, 2020 • Brett Baggett
DISCUSSION 1. Read verses 6-10. What marked the people of God during the time that Joshua and his fellow elders lived? What happened after the generation of Joshua? How should this sober us as we teach the next generation and make disciples in our day? 2. Read verses 11-15. What are some of the words used to describe what the people of Israel did after the death of Joshua and his generation? What are some of the words used to describe the LORD’S response to their apostasy? *apostasy: “abandonment of former faith.”What is the state of the people of Israel as described in verse 15? How do we see the sovereignty of God in these verses as opposed to a naturalistic view of history? 3. Read verses 16-23. These verses serve as a summary of the entire book of Judges. What did the LORD do in response to the “terrible distress” of the people? What did the people do in response to the LORD sending them Judges to save them? What else stands out to you in these verses and why? 4. Read chapter 3 verses 1-6. Why did the LORD leave the other nations among the people of Israel according to verse 2? Why did the LORD leave the other nations among the people of Israel according to verse 4? Is testing the same thing as tempting? How do James 1:13 and 1 Peter 4:12-13 help clarify?
OTHNIEL AND EHUD: Judges 3:7-31
January 26, 2020 • Brett Baggett
DISCUSSION 1. Read verses 7-11. What does the writer mean when he says “they forgot the LORD”? What do we learn about salvation and God’s grace in this passage? 2. Read verses 12-14. What did the people of Israel do? What did the LORD do in response? 3. Read verses 15-30. What is the significance of Ehud being left-handed (verse 15)? What stands out to you in this passage and why? What should we learn from these verses? 4. Read verse 31. What light does the ESV Study Bible note on Judges 3:31 shed on the identity of Shamgar?
DEBORAH AND BARAK: Judges 4:1–5:31
February 2, 2020 • Brett Baggett
DISCUSSION 1. Read verses 1-10. What marks Deborah as a person? How does she view the word of God (see verse 6)? Though Deborah is a judge over the people of Israel, who is to do the fighting? 2. Read verses 11-16. What does Deborah exhort Barak to put his trust in when it comes to fighting and victory (see verse 14)? What else stands out to you in these verses and why? 3. Read verses 17-24. Of what significance is it that Jael killed Sisera rather than some mighty man of valor? What else stands out to you in these verses and why? Who is ultimately given the credit for subduing Jaban the king of Canaan (see verse 23)? 4. Read chapter 5, the song of Deborah and Barak. What can we learn from this song?
GIDEON (pt.1): Judges 6
February 9, 2020 • Brett Baggett
DISCUSSION 1. Read verses 1-10. What does the LORD remind the people of when he speaks through the prophet? What does this teach us concerning our continual need of hearing the gospel in our own day (see verses 7-9)? What does this teach us concerning how to repent of idolatry (see verse 10)? 2. Read verses 11-18. Who is “the angel of the LORD”? How does verse 14 help clarify? What question does Gideon ask the LORD? How does the LORD answer? How does Gideon respond to the command of the LORD? What should we learn from these verses? 3. Read verses 19-27. What do we learn about the seriousness of sin by Gideon’s response the realization that he was face to face with the angel of the LORD and the LORD’S words to Gideon right after? What do we learn in this passage concerning the wages of idolatry? 4. Read verses 28-35. How does Gideon respond to the LORD revealing himself personally to him? How do the people respond to Gideon’s breaking down the alter of Baal? What should this teach us concerning the cost of following Jesus in our day? What should this passage teach us concerning the strength of the LORD for his people? 5. Read verses 36-40. What is more shocking to you in this scene, that Gideon would ask these things of the LORD or that the LORD would show him these signs?
GIDEON (pt.2): Judges 7
February 16, 2020 • Brett Baggett
DISCUSSION 1. Read verses 1-3. Who is going to be responsible for the victory over the Midianites? What reason does the LORD give to Gideon for whittling down the army to a smaller number? What can we learn from this? How does Deuteronomy 20:5-8 help us further understand the LORD allowing people to go home who are fearful? 2. Read verses 4-8. In what ways does the LORD tell Gideon to test the men in order to make the army smaller in number? What can we learn from this? 3. Read verses 9-18. Why does the LORD tell Gideon to “go down to the camp with Purah your servant”? What does the LORD show Gideon and why? How does Gideon respond to the assurance the LORD gave him in verse 15? What can we learn from these verses? 4. Read verses 19-25. What did the the three hundred men do in order to bring about the destruction of the Midianite army? What did the LORD do to bring about the destruction of the Midianite army? What can we learn from this concerning the importance of faithfulness to the LORD?
GIDEON (pt.3): Judges 8
February 23, 2020 • Brett Baggett
DISCUSSION 1. Read verses 1-3. Why were the men of Ephraim upset that Gideon did not include them in the fight against Midian? In contrast, why did the LORD only allow 300 men to fight? What can we learn from these verses? 2. Read verses 4-21. How do the officials of Succoth and Penuel respond to Gideon asking for help as he fulfilled what the LORD commanded? How does Gideon respond? What can we learn from this? How do verses 11-12 contrast sharply with what we saw in chapter 7? What else stands out to you in verses 4-21 and why? 3. Read verses 22-28. Who do the men of Israel give the glory to for victory in verse 22? Is this a holy response—why or why not? How does Gideon respond to their asking he and his son to be king over them in verse 23? What can we learn from this? What did Gideon do in verses 24-28 and what was the result? How should this make us long for Jesus? 4. Read verses 29-34. How did Gideon finish his course? What did the people do after Gideon died? How should both of these answers make us long for Jesus?
ABIMELECH: Judges 9
March 1, 2020 • Brett Baggett
DISCUSSION What would it look like if the LORD handed you over to idolatry? What would it look like if LORD let you reap what you sow? Here is the answer: if God hands us over to the idols that our sinful flesh desires and if He let’s us reap everything we sow, we will have no peace with God and no peace with man. We could say it another way: we will have war with God and war with man. 1. Read chapter 9 verses 1-21. Though Gideon has plenty of apparent sins, how is contrasted with his son Abimelech? What can we learn from Jotham’s words to the leaders of Schechem? 2. Read verses 22-57. What do we learn here about Abimelech’s pride? What do we learn here about the LORD’S justice? What else stands out to you in these verses and why?
JEPHTHAH: Judges 10-12
March 8, 2020 • Kelten Koehler
DISCUSSION 1. Read verses 6-18. What words does the writer use to reveal Israel’s actions and thoughts? What words does the writer use to reveal what was done to the LORD’S people by their enemies? What words does the writer use to reveal what the LORD did to, and thought about, the people of Israel at this time? What can we learn from these verses? 2. Read chapter 11 verses 1-28. In what ways is Jephthah an unlikely savior for Israel, considering verses 1-3? According to verses 4-11, who establishes Jephthah as “head and leader” over Israel? How do Judges 3:9, 4:6, and 6:14 help clarify what happening here with Jephthah? What do we learn about the people of Israel in what Jephthah said to the king of the Ammonites in verses 12-28? 3. Read verses 29-40. What exactly did Jephthah promise the LORD? Why did Jephthah promise this? Why did he then keep his vow? What can we learn from this horrific scene? 4. Read chapter 12 verses 1-7. Why do you think the men of Ephraim were angry that Jephthah did not call them to fight? What reason does Jephthah give them? How is this conflict like and yet different from the conflict depicted in Judges 8:1-3? It is important to note that after this defeat the Ephraimites never again played any important role in Israel’s history. What stands out to you in these verses and why? 5. Read verses 8-13. What stands out to you in these verses and why? What can we learn from these verses?
SAMSON (pt.1): Judges 13
March 15, 2020 • Brett Baggett
DISCUSSION 1. Read verses 1-7. What did the people of Israel again do? What did the LORD do, according to verse 1? What else did the LORD do, according to verses 2-7? Why are verses 2-3 significant? What is a Nazarite vow? How does Numbers chapter 6 help clarify? What else stands out to you in these verses and why? 2. Read verses 8-14. What did Manoah ask the LORD for? How does the LORD respond to Manoah’s request? What can we learn from these verses? 3. Read verses 15-20. Why do you think “the angel of the LORD” did not reveal his name to Manoah? Who do many commentators believe “the angel of the LORD” to be? How did Manoah respond to the commands of the angel of the LORD? What do we learn about the LORD from verse 19? What happens when Manoah and his wife offer the sacrifice to the LORD? What can we learn from this scene? 4. Read verses 21-25. How does Manoah respond when he realizes he has been talking to “the angel of the LORD”? How does Manoah’s wife respond to her husbands words? What else stands out to you in these verses and why? What can we learn from these verses?
SAMSON (pt.2): Judges 14
March 22, 2020 • Brett Baggett
DISCUSSION 1. Read verses 1-9. What do we learn in these verses concerning the cleverness of Samson? Where did Samson’s strength come from and how is it apparent in these verses? What else stands out to you in these verses and why? 2. Read verses 10-18. What light does the ESV Study Bible note on verse 10 shed on the word “feast”? Why is this significant to understand? How do these verses show us the weakness of Samson when it comes to women? What else stands out to you in these verses and why? 3. Read verses 19-20. What is the result of Samson disclosing the riddle’s answer to his wife, and she then betraying him to the 30 men? What do we learn about Samson here? How should these verses make us long for Jesus?
SAMSON (pt.3): Judges 15
March 29, 2020 • Brett Baggett
DISCUSSION 1. Read verses 1-8. What does Samson do when he learns that his wife has been given to his companion? What does he do to the Philistines who “burned [his wife] and her father with fire”? How does the narrative move forward, with forgiveness and reconciliation or retaliation and retaliation? How should this make us long for Jesus? 2. Read verses 9-13. What did the Philistines do when they learned of Samson—that the LORD had raised him up as a judge for Israel? What did “the men of Judah” do when the Philistines told them their plans for Samson? What should they have done for the judge the LORD had raised up to save them? What can we learn from these verses? 3. Read verses 14-17. What did Samson do to the thousand men that came to kill him? Where did Samson’s strength clearly come from? What else stands out to you in these verses and why? 4. Read verses 18-20. This is the first prayer of Samson that is recorded. What can we learn about Samson as we examine his prayer? What can we learn about the LORD as we examine how he answered? What else stands out to you in these verses and why?
SAMSON (pt.4): Judges 16:1-22
April 5, 2020 • Brett Baggett
DISCUSSION 1. Read verses 1-3. What did Samson do when he went to Gaza? What has characterized Samson thus far in the book of Judges? What else stands out to you in these verses and why? 2. Read verses 4-9. How is this scene reminiscent of Judges 14:15-18? In what ways are they alike? In what ways are they different? What does Samson tell Delilah when she asks for his secret? 3. Read verses 10-17. What seems to be Samson’s Achilles heel? What else stands out to you in this passage and why? 4. Read verses 18-22. What does the writer say happened when Samson had his hair cut off? Does there seem to be some kind of irony here? What did the Philistines do to Samson after his strength left? What does verse 22 imply? What else stands out to you in these verses and why?
SAMSON (pt.5): Judges 16:23-31
April 19, 2020 • Brett Baggett
OUTLINE I. Our unfaithfulness brings reproach upon the name of the LORD (v.23-27) II. For the sake of His name, the LORD overrules our unfaithfulness and causes us to glorify Him again (v.28-31) III. Samson is never more reminiscent of Jesus than in his death DISCUSSION 1. Read verses 23-24. Why do the Philistines gather? Who did they sacrifice to? Why did they worship Dagon here? How does the LORD humiliate the idol Dagon and his worshipers in 1 Samuel 5:1-5? 2. Read verses 25-27. Why did the Philistines bring Samson out in the midst of their rejoicing? How many Philistines, and of what kind, were present? What does Samson do when he is brought out and how does this further show his cunning? 3. Read verse 28. What did Samson ask of the LORD? Why did he ask this? Do you think this was the right motivation—how does Deuteronomy 32:35-36 shed light on the answer? What would have been the right motivation? 4. Read verses 29-31. What did Samson do after he was placed by the pillars? In what way is Samson like Jesus? In what ways is he different? What can we learn from the life and death of Samson?
SHAMELESS: Judges 17-18
April 26, 2020 • Brett Baggett
OUTLINE I. You cannot serve the LORD and idols (v.1-6) II. You cannot trust Jesus and yourself (v.7-13) III. You cannot love the LORD and money (17:10-11, 18:4-6, 18-20, Matthew 6:24) IV. If you serve idols or trust yourself or love money, the temporary results will be either 1) empty hands or 2) enslavement. The eternal results will be destruction (ch.18, Philippians 3:18-19) DISCUSSION 1. Chapter 17 begins showing the depths of Israel’s apostasy. The first section, Judges 17:1–18:31, is an example of their religious corruption. Read verses 1-5. What did Micah confess to his mother? How did his mother respond? What did she do with the silver and who did she dedicate it to? What did Micah do with the carved image? How is this reminiscent of Exodus 32:1-10? How does Exodus 20:4 reveal the foolishness of Micah and his mother? What else stands out to you in these verses and why? 2. Read verses 6-13. How should verse 6 make us long for Jesus? Further evidence is shown here of Israel’s religious corruption. This time it is not a family in general, but a Levite in particular. Why did the Levite become “content to dwell with the man”? Were priests meant to be private servants of families of public servants of the people? What did Micah think would happen now that he had a Levite as his very own priest, according to verse 13? 3. After showing the religious corruption of a family (Micah and his mother) and of a Levite, the narrative now turns to showing the religious corruption of an entire tribe, the Danites. Read verses 1-6. Why were the five Danites spying out and exploring the land? Where was the Danites allotted territory according to Joshua 19:40-47? How does Judges 1:34-35 help us understand why they did not possess an inheritance? Where did they end up finding lodging? What did they ask the Levite to do? Does anything in the text say that the Levite actually inquired of the LORD? How does Jeremiah 10:21 shed light on the stupidity of this kind of promise? What does Jeremiah 10:21 say the results of such stupidity would be? 4. Read verses 7-21. What did the Danites find when they scouted the land of Laish and how did they respond? How should they have responded? What did they end up doing to Micah and the Levite? How did the Levite respond? What else stands out to you in these verses and why?