Study the Bible in Two Years – 5/4/11

Wednesday, May 4 – Judges 20-21

1.  Why do you think the Lord allowed the main army to lose on the first two days?  You have to “read between the lines” for the answer, but 20:26 will help.  What does the Lord want us to do when events in our lives seem to turn against us?

2.  How many Benjamite men were left?  See 20:47.   The tribe will likely die off if they don’t find wives.  Yet what had the rest ofIsraelvowed?  See 21:1.   Now they have a problem.  Where will they find wives for these men?  Find the two ways they do it in this chapter.  The seed of the Pharisees is already showing:  Obey the letter of the law, but as a result you wind up doing something worse!  How did Jesus refute this error?  See Matthew 23:23-24.  What does the Lord desire instead of blind obedience?

Study the Bible in Two Years – 5/3/11

Tuesday, May 3 – Judges 19-20

1.  The last three chapters of Judges are one story, a sad account of how farIsraelhad fallen from the Lord in the time of the judges.  The Levite’s “concubine” was probably more than a mistress, as he is called what in 19:3?  Her father is called what in 19:4?  A first wife is not mentioned, but there probably is one.  What sins of society are Christians tempted to adopt today?

2.  Gibeah is a repeat of Sodom&Gomorrahand even worse.  How?   These Benjamites were no longer people of God.  How does Jesus want us to discern those who claim to be Christians?  See Matthew 7:16-20.

3.  The Levite shows his callousness toward his concubine.  In what ways?    How have you treated your loved ones today? 

4.  There’s Civil War!  To prevent it, the other Benjamites should have done what?  What did they do instead?  See 20:12-14.  Why do people sometimes defend the wrong that is going on in their family?

Study the Bible in Two Years – 5/2/11

Monday, May 2 – Judges 17-18

1.  What sins did Micah and his mother commit?  What in 17:3 shows that Micah’s mother just didn’t know or understand that what she did was wrong?  Hosea 4:6 says:  “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.”   How is that happening today?

2.  27:6 is a refrain that you hear over and over again in these last chapters of Judges. This could have two meanings:  1. With no earthly king, there was no one to enforce the laws.  2.  The Lord was their true king, but they didn’t listen to him either.   How is Jesus the King of your life?

3.  Chapter 17 gives us the details of what the tribe of Dan did to move from their assigned land on the Mediterranean coast to the far north of Israel. (See a Bible map.)  Apparently they thought that their assigned place was too difficult to conquer.  On the way, what do they steal from Micah?  See 18:19,20.   Why would Micah be better off without these items?   What things of this world that could be harmful are we better off without?

Study the Bible in Two Years – 4/30/11

Saturday,  April 30 – Judges 13-16

1.   We read the whole account of Samson today. The angel of the Lord appeared to a couple who were praying for what?   Samson was to be a Nazirite all his life. Normally this was a temporary vow of dedication. The details are in Number 6.    It takes awhile for Manoah to realize who this angel of the Lord is.  Who is he?  See 13:22.  How does Manoah react when he realizes who it was?

2.   In Chapter 14, How did Samson’s parents deal with their son’s request to marry a Philistine woman? What would you do if your son or daughter wanted to marry an unbeliever?

3.  Samson had a big problem with women.  See 16:1 and then the whole incident with Delilah in the rest of the chapter.  The Lord may have allowed him to “get away with it” for awhile, but it eventually led to what for Samson?  See 16:21.  This caused Samson to repent and come back to the Lord at the end.  How does the Lord treat his people today when they try to “get away” with sin?  See Revelation 3:19.

Study the Bible in Two Years – 4/29/11

Friday, April 29 – Judges 11-12

1.  In some ways, Jephthah makes you think of Jesus.   How was Jephthah treated by his brothers?  The reasons are greatly different, but how was Jesus treated by his brothers?  See Mark 3:21 and John 7:1-5 for examples.  Despite their rejection, how did Jephthah reply when they pleaded for his help?  See 11:7-11.  Jesus is greater:  Despite the world’s rejection, Jesus went ahead with our rescue, even though no one asked him. 

2.  To ask the Lord to win the battle, what did Jephthah foolishly vow?  See11:30-31  How did this turn out?  11:34  Many have debated if Jephthah would actually sacrifice his daughter.   My opinion:  The thought of human sacrifice was abhorrent and repulsive to the Lord.  If Jephthah had a human sacrifice in mind, I don’t believe the Lord would have given him success.  He would have failed miserably in battle.   The Lord defeated nations like the Ammonites because of stuff like that.  But the verse could be translated:  Whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me, either will be the Lord’s, or I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.  I believe she was dedicated to the Lord’s service all her life.

 

3.  Just as the 2½ eastern tribes feared, back in Joshua 22, so the Ephraimites come out to attack them for no good reason.  See 12:4.  How might we feel about other Christians just because they  live “on the other side of the river”?

Study the Bible in Two Years – 4/27/11

Wednesday, April 27 – Judges 6-8

1.  The next champion, Gideon, is a humble, reluctant warrior.   His question in 6:13 is one we ask frequently.  For Gideon’s time, the answer is simple.  Just see what did the Israelites want to do with Gideon and why in 6:30.   But he didn’t see it that way – yet he had false gods to get rid of too!   See Hebrews 12:5-7 for one answer to why the Lord sometimes brings us hardships.

2.  How did the Lord reduce Gideon’s army from 32,000 to 300?  Why?  See 7:2.   In 2 Cor. 12:10, Paul said, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” How does this summarizeIsrael’s battle with the Midianites? How does this summarize our own lives?

3.  How did success go to Gideon’s head?  See 8:23-27, 29-31.  The son he named Abimelech means “my father is king.”  How can pride in our Christian accomplishments attack us as well?

Study the Bible in Two Years – 4/26/11

Tuesday, April 26 – Judges 4-5

1.  The next judge is Deborah, the champion ofIsrael.  Check out all the things she does in 4:4,5.   It seems the men couldn’t or wouldn’t do the job they were supposed to.  Notice how Barak replies when Deborah, by God’s guidance, sends him in to fight,  4:8.  What’s going to happen today, when the men refuse to take leadership in God’s church?

2.  From the song in chapter 5, we can piece together what happened.  Sisera had gathered all his chariots at theKishonRiver, which is pretty dry in the summer.  What did God send, that made Sisera and his army abandon their chariots?  Compare 4:15 with 5:4 & 5:21. 

3.  Sisera is defeated by another woman, named Jael.  What did she do?  See 4:21.   The fact that this whole story is in the Bible shows us the inspiration of Scripture.  How?  The point:  If the Bible is only a product of men, what man from 1300 BC would want to write about how the Lord used women to save the day?

Study the Bible in Two Years – 4/25/11

Monday, April 25 – Judges 3

1.  Othniel is the first “judge” that the Lord raised up to guideIsrael.  The word might be better translated as “leader.”  They ruled and guidedIsraeland led the armies into battle.  They were God’s appointed heroes or champions.  What pattern do we see established with this first champion?  See 3:10-11.

2.  The next leader is Ehud, who was “a left-handed man.”  That is more literally translated as “hindered in the right hand.”   This means more than being left-handed!  Ehud is handicapped.  What handicaps do you have that the Lord gives you strength to overcome and still serve him in this life?  Note: it may not be a physical handicap.

3.  The oppressor,Moab, was the country on the east side of theJordannext to theDead Sea. Eglon, the fat king ofMoab, had set up his palace inJericho, the City ofPalms, on the west side of theJordan.  How Ehud defeated Eglon is a dramatic story!  But what is Ehud also called in 3:15?   That word can also be translated as “savior.”  Jesus is pictured in Revelation with a similar double-edged sword coming out of his mouth.  What is his sword, by which he saves us from the enemy?

Study the Bible in Two Years – 4/23//11

Saturday,  April 23 – Judges 2

1.   The angel of the Lord lets the people know directly that what Joshua warned them about (23:13) has truly happened.  It is interesting to know that “the angel of the Lord” is actually the Son of God himself. He is the one who appears to people on earth in OT times.  How did the people react?  2:4-5.  But did that change anything? 

2.  What happened with the next generation?  See 2:10-13.  How could this happen so quickly?  Also remember:  what do we have in our homes to keep us strong in faith, that no Israelite had at home?

3.  Notice the spiritual cycle that is going to happen throughout the book of Judges, 2:12-19.  What was the reason why the Lord allowed the foreign nations to stay?  See 2:22.  Why does the Lord allow the devil or other evils to tempt us?

Study the Bible in Two Years – 4/22/11

Friday, April 22 – Judges 1

1.  Perhaps you thought the wars were done!  Joshua had won great victories over the major kings inCanaanthat had attacked them.  But there were many individual cities and coastal areas that were still in Canaanite hands and each city had to be taken individually. Judahwas the tribe that listened to the Lord the best but even they had difficulties.  Note the taking ofJerusalemin1:8.  Yet what about the people who lived there?  See 1:21.   What caused big problems in 1:19?   Knowing what the Lord had promised, were the iron chariots the real problem or something else?

2.  Tribe after tribe allowed the Canaanites to stay in the land.  Some were defeated, but allowed to live, doing what?  See 1:28,33,35.   What’s going to happen?  What did Joshua warm them about in Wednesday’s reading?   This first chapter of Judges explains why we seeIsraelfail so often in the rest of this book.

 

3.  Can you think of some ways that Christians today compromise with the world and fail to fully carry out God’s commands?  What are the consequences of that?