The Judges Cycle. Summary and Goal. Main Passage Judges 2:11-19

Transcription

1 SESSION 7 The Judges Cycle Summary and Goal The Israelites did what was right in their own eyes, leading to an ongoing cycle of sin, judgment, and deliverance. God raised up deliverers who brought temporary peace but ultimately demonstrated their own need for salvation. The Book of Judges shows us the idolatry that results from rejecting God s authority. Today, as those who follow King Jesus, we are freed from this pattern of sin and empowered to do what is right in God s eyes. Main Passage Judges 2:11-19 Session Outline 1. God s people did evil by worshiping idols (Judg. 2:11-13). 2. God punished His people by giving them over to their enemies (Judg. 2:14-15). 3. God saved His people through a chosen leader (Judg. 2:16-19). Theological Theme God cares for His people too much to let them languish in their sin and idolatry forever. He will judge and He will save. Christ Connection The judges saved people from the consequences of their sin but could not change the cause of their sin. Jesus is the Savior and Judge who takes upon Himself the consequences for our sin and then offers us new hearts that seek His righteousness. Missional Application God calls us to identify and resist the prevailing idolatries in our society so that our distinctiveness will back up our proclamation of the gospel. Date of My Bible Study: LifeWay Christian Resources. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute within the license agreement with purchaser.

2 Session Plan The Judges Cycle Pack Item 1: The Promised Land Display this poster in a place that will help group members follow the storyline of Scripture, to remember where we ve been and where we are going. Introduction Option Show the video clip from the movie Groundhog Day where Bill Murray s character, Phil, decides to live recklessly as if there were no law. Use the scene to give people an idea of the cycle of chaos that would ensue if everyone did whatever he wanted (Judg. 21:25). what-if-there-were-notomorrow?play=1 Point 1 Option Show how knowing someone entails both information and intimacy. Ask for 2-3 volunteers from the group to share how their knowledge of loved ones has informed their decisions in terms of buying them gifts or serving them. Mention how the less we know someone, the more difficult it tends to be to serve them in suitable ways. Introduction Begin with the premise of the movie Groundhog Day to communicate the repetitive experience of falling into patterns of sin (leader p. 82; PSG p. 65). What are some areas in your life (family, work, church, school, etc.) where you ve tried to bring about change, only to be disappointed in your lack of progress? How do you handle the discouragement? Remind the group of the biblical storyline that we studied previously through the Book of Joshua (leader p. 82). Then summarize this session on Judges 2 as reflective of the whole book the Israelites did what was right in their own eyes, leading to an ongoing cycle of sin, judgment, and deliverance (leader p. 83; PSG p. 66). Use Pack Item 7: The Judges in this session and throughout the unit to show how the cycle works itself out through the Book of Judges. 1. God s people did evil by worshiping idols (Judg. 2:11-13). Read Judges 2: Focus on how a lack of knowing the Lord led the next generation to decline. Their example serves as a warning to us that faithfulness to God does not pass from generation to generation through genes. We are called not merely to pass on information to our children but the faith (leader pp ; PSG p. 66). What are some ways we can fight against spiritual amnesia in our own life? Point out that forgetting the promises of the Lord leads to making decisions apart from the Lord and to serving idols. Note that we are more like the Israelites in this way than we would care to admit (leader pp ; PSG p. 67). What are some ways we are tempted to do what is right in our own eyes? 80 Leader Guide Spring 2016

3 What are the dangers of deciding for ourselves what is right for me or right for you? 2. God punished His people by giving them over to their enemies (Judg. 2:14-15). Recall God s promise to discipline Israel if they persisted in disobedience (leader p. 85). Ask a volunteer to read Judges 2: Show how God s anger over idolatry is the natural outworking of His exclusive love for His people (leader pp ; PSG pp ). What are the consequences for persistent rebellion against God? How can you help others see God s discipline in your life as an expression of fatherly love toward you? Highlight that God s anger toward sin is expressed in two ways: passive and active. Give examples of each (leader pp ; PSG p. 69). Ask group members individually to answer the questions using the chart in the PSG. After a couple of moments, ask them to pair up and share their conclusions; then call for some responses for the whole group (leader p. 87; PSG p. 70). 3. God saved His people through a chosen leader (Judg. 2:16-19). Read Judges 2: Compare verse 14 and verse 16 to show how God is both just and gracious at the same time. Stress the reason that God delivered His people is because of His great love (leader p. 88; PSG pp ). Point 2 Option Ask: What objections do people raise today against the idea of an angry God? Read the Essential Christian Doctrine God Is Just (leader p. 87; PSG p. 68), and ask the following questions: How does the Bible present God s anger as being justified? How should we contrast God s righteous anger with human anger? For Further Discussion When have you sensed the Lord s kindness to you despite your relationship being strained because of your sin? How did the Lord s kindness affect you? How does kindness lead us to repentance? Note that the cycle of the judges continued after each moment of deliverance. God s kindness in delivering them didn t always lead them to faithfulness. Emphasize that Israel needed a Savior who would change their hearts, and so do we Jesus Christ (leader p. 89; PSG pp ). Highlight this point by referencing The Judges on Pack Item 4: Seeing Jesus in the Promised Land. How can we strengthen each other and create patterns of righteousness? Conclusion Say that as believers, we know that Christ has redeemed us from this endless cycle of sin and despair. Connect God s kindness toward us with the times He disciplines us and calls us back to Himself. In Christ, God is our faithful Judge and also our everlasting Savior (leader p. 89; PSG p. 72). Apply the truths of this session with His Mission, Your Mission (PSG p. 73). Christ Connection: The judges saved people from the consequences of their sin but could not change the cause of their sin. Jesus is the Savior and Judge who takes upon Himself the consequences for our sin and then offers us new hearts that seek His righteousness.... Missional Application: God calls us to identify and resist the prevailing idolatries in our society so that our distinctiveness will back up our proclamation of the gospel. 81

4 Expanded Session Content The Judges Cycle Voices from the Church [T]his period is generally referred to as the Dark Ages. In the end the Hebrews became like the Canaanites. They thought like them, lived like them, and worshipped like them. 1 Preben Vang and Terry G. Carter Introduction In the 1993 film Groundhog Day, Bill Murray plays a weatherman who is in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the annual weather prediction made by the most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil. But soon he finds that he is not only stuck in this town, he is also stuck in the same day Groundhog Day reliving it over and over again. As the story goes, Bill Murray s character learns how to turn this misfortune into his benefit. In constantly experiencing the same day, he learns from his mistakes as he pursues the woman he loves. Through trial and error, he learns the way to her heart and is able to win her affections. What s more, he is changed in the process. As Christians, sometimes we feel like we are stuck in a groundhog day type of experience with God. We keep falling into the same patterns of sin. Our walk with Christ doesn t feel like progress but more like going two steps forward and then two steps back. It s like being on a spiritual roller coaster with God, with ups and downs that make us wonder what lies ahead. What are some areas in your life (family, work, church, school, etc.) where you ve tried to bring about change, only to be disappointed in your lack of progress? How do you handle the discouragement? The Book of Judges presents a cycle of sin and salvation that becomes a pattern for God s people. In the previous sessions, we saw the incredible influence that Joshua had on the Israelites. As Moses successor, Joshua led Israel to great victories. The wall of Jericho came down. Joshua and the other elders were a positive spiritual influence on the people, counseling them to walk in the ways of the Lord. But when Joshua died and his generation passed off the scene, another generation rose up who did not know the Lord or the works He had done for Israel (Judg. 2:10). This is where our story picks up, with the Book of Judges, a section of Scripture that introduces us to the leaders that God gave Israel to govern them and rescue them from their enemies. 82 Leader Guide Spring 2016

5 Session Summary In this session, we will look at Judges 2 a summary statement for the whole book. We will see how the Israelites did what was right in their own eyes, leading to an ongoing cycle of sin, judgment, and deliverance. God raised up deliverers who brought temporary peace but ultimately demonstrated their own need for salvation. The Book of Judges shows us the idolatry that results from rejecting God s authority. Today, as those who follow King Jesus, we are freed from this pattern of sin and empowered to do what is right in God s eyes. 1. God s people did evil by worshiping idols (Judg. 2:11-13). The spiritual state of Israel, after the death of Joshua, is sad to see. Abandoning God led to embracing idols: 11 The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord s sight. They worshiped the Baals 12 and abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods from the surrounding peoples and bowed down to them. They infuriated the Lord, 13 for they abandoned Him and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths. What led to such a quick descent from the faithfulness of God to the faithlessness of the next generation? The young people did not know the Lord or what God had done for them (v. 10). They failed to remember God and His glorious rescue of their ancestors. Amnesia produces apostasy! In the Old Testament, we see God regularly reminding His people of His faithfulness to save, usually beginning with this phrase: I am the Lord your God, who (Ex. 20:2; Lev. 25:38; 26:13; Num. 15:41; Deut. 5:6; Ps. 81:10). Most of our struggles with sin originate from a sinful, spiritual amnesia that forgets who the Lord is and what He has done for us. But how did this descent into idolatry take place? The previous generations saw God deliver His people from Egypt, sustain His people in the wilderness, go before His people in battle, and scatter His people s enemies. Yet within a generation, the young people didn t know God or His works. Perhaps this serves as a warning to us faithfulness to God does not pass from generation to generation through genes. We don t inherit our parents salvation, and we can t expect our children to inherit ours. For this reason, we must be diligent to pass on the knowledge of God to the next generation. We must tell our children and grandchildren about who God is and what He has done for us. Further Commentary The history of almost two centuries is here summarized, indicating the principles behind the Lord s dealings with Israel. During this period there was a recurring cycle of four phases: apostasy, servitude, supplication and deliverance. It is this pattern which is illustrated in the succeeding chapters. The nation forsook the Lord, a crime which involved disloyalty to their forefathers and a wilful overlooking of the mighty works of the Lord on their behalf, especially the deliverance from Egypt. All the evidence of their traditions ought to have ensured their faithfulness, but instead they turned to the gods of the people into whose midst they had come, whose religion seemed more directly concerned with their own prosperity. 2 Arthur Ernest Cundall 83

6 Further Commentary The term baal means master or lord. Baal was the chief Canaanite god. He was considered the most important of the Canaanite gods and was the male counterpart to Ashtaroth. Baal was the god of fertility; as such, he controlled the increase and decrease of the crops. He was also the Sun-god and controlled the effects of the sun on the earth. As the Sun-god, Baal was worshiped under two aspects, beneficent and destructive. On the one hand he gave light and warmth to his worshippers; on the other hand the fierce heats of summer destroyed the vegetation he had himself brought into being. Baal was also thought to have power over the wind and the rain. Since Baal controlled the sun, the elements of nature, and the land, he controlled the produce of the fields. The people believed that Baal must be appeased so their fields would produce an adequate harvest. 3 George H. Shaddix, Biblical Illustrator Voices from Church History It is not our being in the world that ruins us, but our suffering the world to be in us: just as ships sink, not by being in the water, but by the water getting into them! 4 A. R. Fausset ( ) It s also important to recognize that we are called not merely to pass on information to our children but the faith. The problem with this generation of Israelites was not that they did not know cognitively what the Lord had done. The problem was that they did not know God personally. Know here refers to intimate knowledge. Their relationship to God was not precious to them. It s not enough to pass on information; we must pass on what we cherish. Remember how Moses instructed the Israelites in Deuteronomy? When he summarized the law, he said: Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up (Deut. 6:4-7). Notice that the Israelites were called first to love God and then to teach their children. You pass on what you love most, not just what you know. What are some ways we can fight against spiritual amnesia in our own life? Forgetting the promises of the Lord leads to making decisions apart from the Lord. They did what was evil in the Lord s sight (Judg. 2:11). God determines what is right and good and what is sin and evil not us. This is the calling card of sin: we think we know better than God. The Book of Judges may be best known for the last verse of the book that sums up what sin is: In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever he wanted (21:25). This supposed independence leads to abandoning God in order to serve idols, and this abandonment leads to conformity. Where did their idols come from? They found their new objects of worship from the surrounding peoples (2:12) The temptation to worship false gods came from the temptation to conform to the world around them. They forgot that they were called out of the world to be a people holy (or set apart, consecrated) to the Lord (Deut. 7:6). The problem wasn t that the people of Israel stopped worshiping. It s that they worshiped idols instead of God. Sin is not the ceasing of worship but the sinful redirection of worship away from God and toward idols. Sin, at its root, is a worship problem. What did Israel turn to in worship? They worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths (2:13). Canaanite worship was centered on the worship of a fertility god named Baal and his consort Ashtoreth. The Canaanites believed that when these false gods had sexual relations, the Canaanites would be fruitful in their agriculture and in their families. 84 Leader Guide Spring 2016

7 Pagan temple worship was supposed to help this process along. A man would go to one of the pagan temples and sleep with one of the sacred prostitutes to stimulate the gods into action for their benefit. It is stunning to watch the people of God fall into this kind of idolatry. How did it happen? It started with the failure of the people to fully distinguish themselves from the pagan worship of the land. God had commanded them to occupy the land and drive out the Canaanites. But because they failed to fully obey God s command, the people became ensnared by the pagan idols (Ps. 106:34-36). We may shake our heads at the disobedience of the Israelites and chide them for their idolatry, but what if we are more like them than we would care to admit? What if our lives resemble the unconquered promised land of Canaan? What if there are places in our lives where we fail to root out rebellion and chase away our sin? Laxity in our pursuit of holiness usually leads us to syncretism, when we blend in with the world and lose our distinctiveness. God calls us to be distinct from the world, not merely so we can be different but so we can make a difference. Our holiness is what makes an impact on the world. What are some ways we are tempted to do what is right in our own eyes? What are the dangers of deciding for ourselves what is right for me or right for you? 2. God punished His people by giving them over to their enemies (Judg. 2:14-15). We ve seen how God s people turned away from God and decided to worship the idols of the pagan nations around them. So what would God do in response? Well, we know that God keeps His promises, and one of the promises He made was to discipline them if they persisted in disobedience (see Lev. 26:17; Deut. 28:15). 14 The Lord s anger burned against Israel, and He handed them over to marauders who raided them. He sold them to the enemies around them, and they could no longer resist their enemies. 15 Whenever the Israelites went out, the Lord was against them and brought disaster on them, just as He had promised and sworn to them. So they suffered greatly. Voices from the Church In a world seemingly bent on getting us to take our eyes off of God and the path of life he has revealed to us, only by a continued, learned practice of dependence and focus on him will we be able to enjoy a secure and rich life that will bring us peace and contentment, and also draw others to the kingdom. 5 Michael Williams Further Commentary Like the previous segment, this section is introduced with a thesis statement: The anger of the Lord burned against Israel. Although modern readers may protest this image of God literally and his nose burned the expression of divine fury must be interpreted against the background of extravagant demonstrations of grace in the past. Yahweh is a passionate God; he cannot stand idly by while other divine competitors snatch his people from him. Nor can he passively accept his own people s adulterous affairs with other gods The shocking reality for Israel was that their real enemy was God. Whenever they went out they were confronted with his hostile hand, determined to make life miserable for them. In accordance with his previous warnings and his oath he inflicted them with severe distress. 6 Daniel Block 85

8 Voices from the Church Like a judge who hands over a prisoner to the punishment his crime has earned, God hands over the sinner to the terrible cycle of ever-increasing sin. 7 Douglas Moo Some people may read this passage and be struck by the reference to the Lord s anger that burned against Israel. Isn t this the God who is slow to anger and compassionate, the One who shows mercy to generations (Ex. 34:6-7)? Yes, it is. The God of love is the God who is angered here. But this anger is faithful because it is rooted in His unfailing love for His people. God s anger over idolatry should not surprise us. It is the natural outworking of His exclusive love for His people. As we ve studied the storyline of Scripture, we ve seen how God describes Himself as jealous (Ex. 20:5) not in the possessive and selfish way that humans often experience jealousy but jealous for us and for our good. God is angered by our sin because of the harm our sin does to us and because of the offense our sin is to Him. To resist the portrait of God s anger in this passage is to miss the point. It s like saying, I want God to love me and be happy when I leave Him for other gods, false gods. You can t have it both ways. If you want God to love you, you can t expect God to be happy when you choose idols over Him. For God to be passive and nonchalant over your sin, for Him to simply shrug His shoulders at your rebellion, would not be love at all. Imagine a husband who says, I love my wife so much I m happy for her to go out with other men. Ludicrous! we d say. If he truly loved her, he would flare with jealousy. Love and exclusivity go together. Anger at betrayal is being faithful, not unjust. In a similar way, God s anger at Israel is rooted in His deep and lasting commitment to His people s good. What are the consequences for persistent rebellion against God? How can you help others see God s discipline in your life as an expression of fatherly love toward you? How did God respond to His people s rebellion? He gave them what they wanted. They wanted to be like the surrounding nations, so He delivered them into their oppressive hands. One of the ways God punishes sin is by giving us what we ask for. God s anger toward sin is expressed in two ways: the first is passive, and the second is active. Passive This is when God allows us to experience the consequences of our sin in order to show us how foolish we were to walk away from Him. In this passage, we see how God handed them over to the marauders (Judg. 2:14). This language is reminiscent of Paul s words in Romans 1, which describes God s giving idolaters over to their sinful desires. 86 Leader Guide Spring 2016

9 Why does God allow people to experience the consequences of their sin? It s to give us a taste of sin so that we ll turn back to Him as Savior. Often we think of God s wrath as lightning bolts crashing down on us from the skies. But sometimes God s wrath is expressed in giving us what we want, in handing us over to our own desires. Sin leads to judgment, and that judgment leads to further sin and decay. Examples of this kind of punishment abound in Scripture. We ll see it later in the Old Testament when Israel rejects God as King and demands a king like the other nations. God lets them have a king and all the problems that come from frail and fallen human authorities. We ll also see it in the story of the prodigal son, when the father allows his son to go his way, face the consequences, and then return. Active Sometimes the consequences of sin are passive they are inherent in the sins themselves. But other times God s punishment is more active. This is when God disciplines us and calls us back to Himself. A good example of this kind of discipline is in the story of Jonah. Jonah was rebelling against God and running away from Him, and God appointed a storm, a big fish, the sun and a scorching wind, a plant, and then a worm to drive him back to God. 99 Essential Christian Doctrines 17. God Is Just God establishes standards for His moral creatures that are in accordance with His righteousness, and His moral creatures will be judged according to those righteous standards (Lev. 11:44-45; Rom. 2:5-11; 2 Cor. 5:10). It would be an injustice if God were not to uphold His righteousness, for such a failure would require God to violate His own righteous character. Since humanity has sinned by failing to live up to God s righteous standards, God has taken it upon Himself to make provision by being both just and the justifier of those who place their faith in Christ (Rom. 3:25-26). In this passage, we see elements of both the passive and active sides of God s anger toward sin. We see the passive: He handed them over (v. 14). We also see the active: [He] brought disaster on them (v. 15). What are some bad consequences that follow naturally from our sin? What are some consequences that are a direct result of God s discipline? How do these consequences demonstrate God s anger toward sin and His love toward us? 87

10 Further Commentary Because of their distress, the Lord raised up judges for Israel, and they saved them from the power of their marauders. There is no mention of repentance by the people; the judges were raised up as the result of the Lord s pity on their groaning. In relenting from the punishment He had imposed on His people, the Lord showed Himself to be a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth (Ex. 34:6). The judges typically governed Israel (or part of it) and sought to lead them in the ways of the Lord during their lifetime a ministry that is most evident in the life of the final judge, Samuel. Yet their influence on the people was limited, and after each judge died Israel invariably reverted to their idolatrous ways. This period of Israel s history was a downward spiral, with each generation acting more corruptly than their fathers. The judges slowed rather than stemmed the rising tide of iniquity. 8 Iain M. Duguid, HCSB Study Bible Voices from Church History Whenever God brings His deliverances they are so supernatural that we are staggered with amazement. 9 Oswald Chambers ( ) 3. God saved His people through a chosen leader (Judg. 2:16-19). As we ve come to expect from previous stories about an incredibly gracious God, judgment isn t God s last word to His people. As the author of Judges continued to summarize this tumultuous time in the history of Israel, he showed that after God s discipline came God s salvation. 16 The Lord raised up judges, who saved them from the power of their marauders, 17 but they did not listen to their judges. Instead, they prostituted themselves with other gods, bowing down to them. They quickly turned from the way of their fathers, who had walked in obedience to the Lord s commands. They did not do as their fathers did. 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for the Israelites, the Lord was with him and saved the people from the power of their enemies while the judge was still alive. The Lord was moved to pity whenever they groaned because of those who were oppressing and afflicting them. 19 Whenever the judge died, the Israelites would act even more corruptly than their fathers, going after other gods to worship and bow down to them. They did not turn from their evil practices or their obstinate ways. When you put verse 14 and verse 16 together side by side, you may find yourself scratching your head. God handed His people over to the enemy, and then He saved them from the enemy? How does that work? The answer, of course, is that God is both just and gracious at the same time. He will not leave the guilty unpunished, He told Moses, and He is also slow to anger and rich in faithful love (Ex. 34:6-7). God saved His people from their enemies because He was moved by their misery and groaning. These groans weren t necessarily cries of repentance. The word translated groaning is used two other times in the Old Testament of the Israelites, and in both cases, the word refers to Israel groaning under Egyptian slavery (Ex. 2:24; 6:5). Groaning, in this case, is what God hears and prompts Him to deliver His people, in light of His covenant promises to Abraham. Consider this scenario. You have a terrible argument with a close friend. You feel betrayed and wronged. Your relationship is broken, at least temporarily. But suddenly, your estranged friend calls you from the scene of a car accident, asking for help. You can hear your friend is in distress, and even though your relationship hasn t been restored, you rush to the scene to help. Why? Because of love. In a similar way, God delivered His people from their enemies, not because His people fully turned their hearts away from idols and back to Him and not because they were truly repentant. He delivered them because of His great love. He was compassionate toward them in their misery, and so He showed them undeserved kindness through the judges He raised up to save them. 88 Leader Guide Spring 2016

11 How does kindness lead us to repentance? The cycle of the judges continued after each moment of deliverance. As you see at the end of this passage, whenever the judges died, Israel returned to their sin and their downward spiral of corruption. It s often said that the way you can discover a person s true nature is to take away external constraints: no rules, no filter, no teacher, or no chance of being caught. In the case of the Israelites, once the judges disappeared from the scene, the people slipped headlong into sin again. Even God s kindness in delivering them didn t always lead them to faithfulness. The people served Yahweh, according to Judges 2:7, but by Judges 3:6, the people worshiped their gods. What Israel needed wasn t a temporary deliverer but a Savior who would change their hearts. The good news for us is that in the person of Jesus Christ, God is both our great Judge and our great Savior. In Christ, we are set free from these continuing patterns of sin and destruction and set loose for God s mission in the world. How can we strengthen each other and create patterns of righteousness? Conclusion The Book of Judges recounts a dark time in Israel s history. The cycle gets worse and worse because the rise of the judges was like putting an adhesive bandage on a serious wound. The external circumstances may be better for a while, but the root problem continues on. As believers, we know that Christ has redeemed us from this endless cycle of sin and despair. So when we struggle with remaining sin, we are to confess quickly (Jas. 5:16) in light of God s patience (2 Pet. 3:9). His kindness toward us is what shows us His loving heart even in the times He disciplines us and calls us back to Himself. God is our faithful Judge, and thankfully, He is also our everlasting Savior. Further Commentary When the Israelites turn to other gods, God removes his protection and power from them, and foreign raiders or invaders overrun Israel and oppress them. Then God raises up a deliverer who rescues Israel from their oppressors. In the book of Judges these deliverers or tribal rulers are called judges, but only rarely do they actually do any legal ruling or judging. However, soon after the rescue Israel will repeatedly plunge back into idolatry, even worse than before. So God once again removes his powerful protection, another enemy invades, and the cycle repeats. 10 J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays Voices from the Church Repentance is a transformation of our loyalties, from a world of idols to the one true King. 11 Daniel Montgomery and Michael Cosper CHRIST CONNECTION: The judges saved people from the consequences of their sin but could not change the cause of their sin. Jesus is the Savior and Judge who takes upon Himself the consequences for our sin and then offers us new hearts that seek His righteousness. 89

12 Additional Resources The Judges Cycle References 1. Preben Vang and Terry G. Carter, Telling God s Story, 2 nd ed. (Nashville: B&H, 2013), Arthur Ernest Cundall and Leon Morris, Judges and Ruth, in Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove: IVP, 1968), George H. Shaddix, Who Was Baal? Biblical Illustrator (Fall 1998): Andrew Robert Fausset, A Critical and Expository Commentary on the Book of Judges (London: James Nisbet & Company, 1885), Michael Williams, How to Read the Bible Through the Jesus Lens (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012), Daniel I. Block, Judges, Ruth, vol. 6 in The New American Commentary (Nashville: B&H, 1999), Douglas Moo, The Epistle to the Romans, in The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), Iain M. Duguid, in HCSB Study Bible (Nashville: B&H, 2010), 394, n. 2: Oswald Chambers, in The Quotable Oswald Chambers, comp. and ed. David McCasland (Grand Rapids: Discovery House, 2008), J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays, Living the Story (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012), Daniel Montgomery and Michael Cosper, Faithmapping (Wheaton: Crossway, 2013), Gary Newton, Heart-Deep Teaching (Nashville: B&H, 2012), 13. Study Material Get expert insights on weekly studies through Ministry Grid at MinistryGrid.com/web/TheGospelProject. Grow with other group leaders at the Group Ministry blog at LifeWay.com/GroupMinistry. -- Judges: Rebellion and Rescue Chapter 7 from How to Read the Bible Through the Jesus Lens by Michael Williams -- Why You Need Judges Article by Tim Keller; find a link to this article at GospelProject.com/AdditionalResources --Previous Biblical Illustrator articles, including Who Was Baal? can be purchased, along with other articles for this quarter, at LifeWay.com/ BiblicalIllustrator. Look for Bundles: The Gospel Project. Sermon Podcast Afshin Ziafat: The Judges Cycle Find a link to this at GospelProject.com/AdditionalResources Tip of the Week Teaching to the Whole Person The goal of Christian education must be to transform the heart so that every aspect of the person becomes progressively more Christlike. Anything less denies the radical transformational power that Christ gave us through His grace and Holy Spirit. Learning must penetrate the surface of the mind, the emotions, the will, and behavior. Heart-deep teaching must affect the innermost core of the person. 12 In the session plans you will find questions and options that target the mind, emotions, will, and behavior. 90 Leader Guide Spring 2016

13 About the Writers The Gospel Project Adult Leader Guide HCSB Volume 4, Number 3 Spring 2016 Eric Geiger Vice President, LifeWay Resources Ed Stetzer General Editor Trevin Wax Managing Editor Daniel Davis Content Editor Josh Hayes Content and Production Editor Ken Braddy Manager, Adult Ongoing Bible Studies Michael Kelley Director, Groups Ministry Send questions/comments to: Managing Editor, The Gospel Project: Adult Leader Guide, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN ; or make comments on the Web at Printed in the United States of America The Gospel Project : Adult Leader Guide HCSB (ISSN ; Item ) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President LifeWay Christian Resources. For ordering or inquiries, visit or write LifeWay Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN For subscriptions or subscription address changes, subscribe@lifeway.com, fax (615) , or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, orderentry@lifeway.com, fax (615) , or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWay s doctrinal guideline, please visit Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Unit 1: Philip Nation (sessions 1-2) is the content development director for LifeWay and the teaching pastor for The Fellowship, a multi-campus church in Nashville, Tennessee. His newest book is Habits for Our Holiness: How the Spiritual Disciplines Grow Us Up, Draw Us Together, and Send Us Out. Robert Smith (sessions 3-6) is a professor of Christian preaching and holds the Charles T. Carter Baptist Chair of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama. He is the author of Doctrine That Dances. He is married to Dr. Wanda Taylor-Smith, and they have four adult children with one in heaven. Tanya McAvoy (assisted with unit 1 session plans) serves in the areas of evangelism and education at Neptune Baptist Church in Neptune Beach, Florida. She earned her MDiv from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She and her husband, Ryan, have three children. Unit 2: Afshin Ziafat resides with his wife, Meredith, and two daughters in Frisco, Texas, where he is the lead pastor of Providence Church. He serves on the board of Vertical Ministries, East-West Ministries International, the 9Marks Council, and the Leadership Council of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. Matt Boswell has been leading worship and writing songs for the church for over 20 years. A graduate of Southern Seminary, he serves as the pastor of ministries and worship at Providence Church in Frisco, Texas. Additionally, he is the president of Doxology & Theology. He is married to Jamie, and they have four small children. Unit 3: Steven Smith is the vice president for Student Services and Communications and professor of preaching at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of Dying to Preach: Embracing the Cross in the Pulpit and Recapturing the Voice of God: Shaping Sermons Like Scripture. He is married to Ashley, and they have three children. WRITERS