God s Word for Today Judges God s Grace through Savior/Judges Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. Judges 2:16 by Gary Dunker
Copyright 2007 Concordia Publishing House 3558 S. Jefferson Avenue St. Louis, MO 63118-3968 1-800-325-3040 www.cph.org All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Written by Gary Dunker Edited by Robert C. Baker Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois. Used by permission. All rights reserved. This publication may be available in braille, in large print, or on cassette tape for the visually impaired. Please allow 8 to 12 weeks for delivery. Write to Lutheran Blind Mission, 7550 Watson Road, St. Louis, MO 63119-4409; call toll-free 1-888-215-2455; or visit the Web site: www.blindmission.org. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07
Contents Timeline... 6 An Outline of Judges... 7 Introduction... 8 Lesson 1 An Everlasting Covenant... 9 Lesson 2 God Raises Up Judges... 14 Lesson 3 The First Judges... 19 Lesson 4 Deborah and Barak... 23 Lesson 5 Gideon... 27 Lesson 6 Abimelech through Abdon... 32 Lesson 7 Meet Samson... 37 Lesson 8 Samson s Temper... 42 Lesson 9 Samson and the Lord s Triumph... 46 Lesson 10 Life Outside of God s Covenant... 50 Lesson 11 Civil War... 55 Leader Notes... 60 Preparing to Teach Judges Lesson 1... 64 Lesson 2... 66 Lesson 3... 68 Lesson 4... 70 Lesson 5... 72 Lesson 6... 74 Lesson 7... 76
Lesson 8... 78 Lesson 9... 80 Lesson 10... 82 Lesson 11... 84
History Date (BC) Judges Hebrews wander in the wilderness Construction of the Tabernacle (Exodus 25 30; 35 40) ca. 1446 1406 1446 1444 Moses and Aaron take census (Numbers 1:1 46); send spies to Canaan (Numbers 13:1 3; 26 29) Moses dies on Mount Nebo (Deuteronomy 34) Aaron dies on Mount Hor 1406 (Numbers 33:38 39) Joshua leads Hebrews into Canaan; conquest ensues (Joshua 1406 1400 1 3) Joshua dies (Joshua 24:29) 1399 1371 1049 Time of the judges Amenhotep IV Akhenaten, father of Tutankhamen, becomes Pharaoh Tiglath-Pileser becomes king of Assyria 1371 1332 1352 1217 1178 1115 ca. 1030 1049 1060 1049 1048 Othniel judges Israel (Judges 3:7 11) Deborah judges Israel (Judges 4 5) Samson judges Israel (Judges 13 16) Samuel s ministry (1 Samuel 1 25:1) Saul becomes king (1 Samuel 13:1) Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 6
An Outline of Judges The Book of Judges covers the time following the death of Joshua (Joshua 24:29) until the prophet Samuel, who anointed David king over Israel. Covering almost 450 years, Judges shows how God faithfully sought after His people even after they broke His covenant with them. God commanded Israel to drive out the Canaanites from the Promised Land. However, Israel disobeyed and did not destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places (Numbers 33:52). Instead, Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals (Judges 2:11). In their disobedience, God s beloved people forfeited many blessings and instead were visited by anarchy and chaos. Israel forgot God, but He never forgot them. He sought after them to restore His blessings to them. We call that grace. The Book of Judges presents many Christ-centered themes. Twelve judges show God s desire to forgive the sins of His repentant people. Each judge foreshadows or offers a preview of God s real Savior/Judge. This is Jesus Christ, who put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 9:26). As you read the outline below, keep in mind that our study of the Book of Judges will focus on God s assuring words found in its pages, I will never break My covenant with you (Judges 2:1). That covenant is fulfilled, offered, and delivered in the new covenant through His Son, Jesus Christ. I. An Everlasting Covenant (1:1 3:6) A. God s Plan Left Undone (1:1 2:5) B. God s Response (2:6 3:6) II. God Raised Up Judges (3:7 16:31) A. Othniel (3:7 11) B. Ehud (3:12 3:30) C. Shamgar (3:31) D. Deborah (4 5) E. Gideon (6 8) F. Abimelech, the Anti-judge (9) G. Tola (10:1 2) H. Jair (10:3 5) I. Jephthah (10:6 12:7) J. Ibzan (12:8 10) K. Elon (12:11 12) L. Abdon (12:13 15) M. Samson (13 16) III. Life outside God s Covenant (17 21) A. Micah s Corruption (17) B. Dan Deserts Its Inheritance (18) C. Levitical Apostasy (19) D. Civil War (20) E. Benjamite Brides (21) Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 7
Introduction As with many Old Testament Books detailing historical accounts, Judges takes its title from the book s subject or, in this case, subjects. To deliver His wayward but repentant people from the hands of their oppressors, God sent judges to administer justice in Israel. In Hebrew, Judges is called Sepher Shophtim (seh-fehr shof-teem), which simply means The Book of the Judges. In the Hebrew Old Testament, Judges appears as the second of four books contained within a section of Scripture called The Former Prophets. Although each of these books appears in our Christian Bible, in the Christian Old Testament Judges appears in a part Scripture called The Historical Books. Other books in this section include the Books of Moses (the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), Joshua, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. As you study Judges, keep in mind that the Israelites understood judges differently than we do today. In Bible times, judges did not wear long, black robes and preside in wood-paneled courtrooms. Instead, judges were occasional leaders whom God selected to deliver, or save, Israel from the hands of their oppressors. Judges warred against God s enemies and freed them from evil rulers. After their wars were over, a time of peace followed. In a sense, each judge, although fully human and sinful, served as a savior with a small s. As we read through the Book of Judges, ask, Where do we see Jesus? You will find Him. Sometimes with many faults and sometimes with few, each judge was sent by God to deliver His people. Thus, the judges point forward to Jesus Christ, God s ultimate Savior/Judge. Judges presents a recurring theme. Time after time, Israel runs after foreign gods and forfeits God s blessings. God sends foreign nations to afflict Israel. Yet, each time, as Israel comes to its senses, God sends a judge to reconnect His repentant people to Him. Whenever the Israelites call out for mercy, He delivers them with another judge. A period of rest then follows, and the cycle is repeated. We will detail this four-part cycle in Lesson 2. While Judges is an historical book (it presents a factual history of God s people), its author remains a mystery. Jewish tradition says that Samuel is the author. In Samuel s favor, Judges notes that there was no king in Israel (Judges 17:6; 21:25). This tells us that the author of Judges wrote after Israel had a monarchy. In that case, Nathan and Gad, who wrote accounts of King David s reign (1 Chronicles 29:29), might also be likely candidates. This side of heaven, we may never know the name of the inspired writer of Judges. Nevertheless, God used him to record His faithfulness to His covenant people, His abundant mercy and patience, and, above all, His rich forgiveness and His love. Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 8
Lesson 1 An Everlasting Covenant Two boys spitting into their palms and shaking hands make a simple agreement, but such a gesture is not quite a covenant. A covenant involves two or more individuals who agree to do or, in some cases, not to do something. When signed or affirmed in the presence of witnesses, a covenant becomes legally binding. If an individual fails to keep his or her part of a covenant, lawsuits usually follow. Approximately seven hundred years before the events recorded in the Book of Judges, God made a covenant with Abram (later named Abraham). God said, I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you (Genesis 17:7). God added, In your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed (Genesis 22:18). When God said these things to Abram, Abram trusted in God s promise, which included the promise of his coming offspring, the Messiah. God s covenant with Abram and his descendents was no haphazard agreement made between two boys; it was an everlasting covenant in which God bound Himself to His people forever. Before he died, Joshua, Moses successor, asked the Israelites to reaffirm their promise made to God, a promise to drive out all the inhabitants of the land of Canaan (Numbers 33:52), and to fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness (Joshua 24:14). Near the city of Shechem, the Israelites promised, The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey (Joshua 24:24). Setting the Stage Following Joshua s death and the death of Eleazar, the high priest (Joshua 24:30 33), the Israelites wondered who would lead them. What would they do? Would they remain faithful to God and finish the conquest that had begun under Joshua, or would they break their promises to their covenant God? The first few chapters of Judges provide our answers. 1. Read Genesis 15:4 21. God s covenant with Abram included an ancient custom that not only signified the covenantal oath but also put the covenant into effect. What was it? Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 9
2. Genesis 15:18 21 provides a list of inhabitants who occupy Canaan when Abram s descendants inherit it. Identify them. (Later, as you read the Book of Judges, you will note that the writer often gives these people the generic name Canaanites.) Blessings and Curses Read Judges 1:1 26. Joshua has died. Leaderless, the Israelites ask God, Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them? (v. 1). God selected the tribe of Judah for this task (v. 2). The tribe of Judah occupied a spot in the middle of Israel and included the city of Jerusalem. 3. Where can you find proof of Israel s initial faithfulness to God after Joshua died? 4. Which tribe agreed to help the tribe of Judah? 5. Name two important cities these two tribes capture (vv. 8, 10). Why are these cities important (see 2 Samuel 5:4 5)? 6. Read Judges 1:4, 8 9, 11 13, 17 19, and 22 26. When the Israelites sought God s guidance, He blessed them with victory. Over what cultures did God grant victory? 7. Read Deuteronomy 28:1 25. How might the promise of blessings keep God s people from running after false gods? Why does God promise curses for disobedience? Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 10
8. Two incidents involving God s covenant find their way into accounts of victory (see Judges 1:21, 27). Identify these incidents. 9. Judges 1:27 36 brings bad news. Instead of a chain of unbroken victories, we read of only partial victories. Would partial victories concern God? Why or why not? 10. The author of Judges provides a reason why the victories are only partial. Identify that reason. 11. Read Judges 1:21, 27 33. Four words are continually repeated here. What are they? What is significant about these four words? 12. God commanded the Israelites to drive out all the inhabitants of the land of Canaan (Numbers 33:52). The Israelites promised to be faithful to God s plan. What did the Israelites do to break their promise? God Responds to Israel s Disobedience Read Judges 2:1 5. In a scene like that in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:9 11), God immediately confronts His people in their sin. We see God s abundant faithfulness what blessed grace! 13. Many scholars believe that when God sent the angel of the LORD to condemn Israel for sinning, He sent the preincarnate Christ. What was Israel s sin? Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 11
14. What was God s response to their sin? God s Word for Today Sin separates us from God. In His mercy, however, He does not leave us in our sin. 15. Read James 1:12. Why does God want Christians to remain uncompromising in their faith? 16. Read Judges 2:1 and Matthew 28:20. God sums up His covenant by using these words: I will never break My covenant with you. How might God s guarantee in Christ, seen in this passage from Matthew, strengthen you when tempted to compromise your faith? In Closing Encourage participants to begin the following activities: Consult a Bible atlas or map for additional information on the land occupied by each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Consider God s grace described in 1 Corinthians 10:13. Read Judges 2:6 3:6 to prepare for the next session. Close by singing/reading in unison the words of I Walk in Danger All the Way (LSB 716:1 2, 5; ELH 252; CW 431; LW 391; TLH 413). Note how this hymn summarizes our Christian life. In our lives, Satan seeks to compromise our faith. However, we find safety and security in the wounds of Christ, our Savior. I walk in danger all the way. The thought shall never leave me That Satan, who has marked his prey, Is plotting to deceive me. This foe with hidden snares May seize me unawares If I should fail to watch and pray. I walk in danger all the way. Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 12
I pass through trials all the way, With sin and ills contending; In patience I must bear each day The cross of God s own sending. When in adversity I know not where to flee, When storms of woe my soul dismay, I pass through trials all the way. I walk with Jesus all the way, His guidance never fails me; Within His wounds I find a stay When Satan s pow r assails me; And by His footsteps led, My path I safely tread. No evil leads my soul astray; I walk with Jesus all the way. Pray: Father of mercy, lead us to You. Forgive our sins of complacency. You desire the salvation of all humankind and call us to treat others as ourselves. Strengthen our understanding of Your great love for all people and the unsurpassable grace brought to us through Your Son s sacrifice at Calvary. We pray in His name. Amen. Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 13
Lesson 2 God Raises Up Judges God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendents forever. However, being sinners, God s people could not keep their end of the covenant. God knew that this would happen. He expected it. That is why, even before the beginning of time, He determined to send His only Son to die for our transgressions. In the Old Testament, just as in the New, God was at work. Through discipline and times of testing for Old Testament believers often at the hands of foreigners God called His people to repentance. Through His means of grace for Old Testament believers, through the Word, circumcision, and the Passover meal He directed sinners to Christ s future atoning sacrifice. Now that Christ has come, God still calls us to repentance and faith in our Savior, through the Law and through the Gospel in Word and Sacrament. The author of Judges uses a narrative technique typical for writers of his day. For several verses (Judges 2:6 3:6), he leaves the normal timeline in order to review the past. This particular passage provides further detail about Joshua s death and what came after much more than he described in 1:1. The author then tells us why, by His grace, God raised up judges. This technique of recapping and high-lighting the story should sound familiar. When Moses wrote Genesis, he described the creation of the universe ending with a description of man and woman. However, in Genesis 2, he provides a more detailed look at the Garden of Eden and its first residents: Adam and Eve. But back to our story about the judges. What caused Israel to compromise? Why would she abandon the God of the Exodus to follow false gods? We are about to learn. A Generation That Did Not Know God Read Judges 2:6 13. Under Joshua s leadership, God had led a new generation into the Promised Land with military victories to prove His kingship to the people of Israel. (We can read a list of God s successes in Joshua 12:1 24.) God used Joshua and this new generation to accomplish His will. But after Joshua s death, things deteriorated. As is so often the case, when faced with a choice between their fathers God, who had promised them every grace and blessing on Mount Sinai, and the new and seductive gods and goddesses of the Canaanites, the Israelites allowed themselves to be led astray. God had warned their parents: Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the LORD is giving you (Deuteronomy 11:16 17). Sadly, this warning fell on deaf ears. Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 14
17. Read Judges 2:10. What else did the generation after Joshua fail to do? 18. In God s eyes, why is this failure as important as that of not driving out the Canaanites? 19. Read Deuteronomy 4:9; 6:7; and 32:46. God told the Israelites not to forget the things that your eyes have seen (4:9). What did God mean? 20. Read Proverbs 22:6. God wants us to pass on our beliefs to future generations. Write down some ways you might do as God commands. The Israelites Break God s Covenant Read Judges 2:6 13. Because the new generation following Joshua s death did not know the LORD that is, lacked faith and did not know the work that He had done for Israel (v. 10) that is, His gracious deeds and precious promises Israel broke God s covenant. 21. Give examples of how Israel broke God s covenant (see vv. 11 13). What do Israel s actions say about their perception of the First Commandment (Exodus 20:2 5a)? 22. Read Deuteronomy 28:7 8, 25 26. Think about the blessings God swore to Israel when they followed Him. Now, think about the curses if they did not. Blessings and curses were part of God s covenant renewed at Shechem (Joshua 24:1 28). What did God have the right to do if the Israelites turned their backs on Him (v. 20)? Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 15
A Time of Testing Read Judges 2:14 15. Because of their idolatry, brought about by their unbelief in God s gracious deeds and promises, God allowed other nations to test Israel. He did this in order to bring them to repentance and faith. 23. How does God react to the disobedience of the Israelites? 24. Read Proverbs 3:12 and James 1:2. For what reason does God test those whom He loves? A Time of Salvation Read Judges 2:16 3:4. Many scholars note a four-step cycle in Judges describing Israel s relationship with God. First, Israel disowns God and goes after false gods. Second, God removes his blessings, resulting in Israel s oppression at the hand of foreign nations. Third, God calls a judge to deliver His people from oppression. Fourth, Israel experiences a period of rest following their deliverance. 25. How does a similar cycle appear in our own lives? When we wander away from Him, God uses other believers to draw us back to Himself. If you are comfortable doing so, provide some examples. 26. God was moved to pity by [the] groaning of the Israelites (2:18). How does knowing that God cares deeply for us, even when we sin against Him, affect our relationship with Him? God s Word for Today Read Romans 6:23. Certainly, like the people of Israel, we deserved bondage and the everlasting oppression of sin, Satan, and death. Yet, God was moved to pity by our groaning to send His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 16
27. How does Paul contrast our state before Christ and after we have received God s grace (v. 23)? 28. Read John 14:6. God s Old Testament people compromised their faith. They did not follow God s commands and worshiped false gods. How might Christians be tempted to compromise? How do Christ s words strengthen you when you are tempted to compromise your faith? In Closing Encourage participants to begin the following activities: Consult your Bible dictionary for facts about the Philistines, the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, the peoples God will use to test Israel. Using a Bible dictionary or other resource, discover the religions of the Canaanites. Especially take note of Baal and Ashtoreth worship. Think about why God would find these religions detestable. Read Judges 3:7 31 to prepare for the next session. Close by singing/reciting in unison the words of Let Children Hear the Mighty Deeds (LSB 867; ELH 180; CW 512; LW 472; TLH 629). Let children hear the mighty deeds Which God performed of old, Which in our younger days we saw, And which our parents told. So make to them His glories known, His works of pow r and grace; And we ll convey His wonders down Through ev ry rising race. Our sons and daughters we shall tell And they again to theirs That generations yet unborn May teach them to their heirs. O teach them with all diligence The truths of God s own Word, Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 17
To place in Him their confidence, To fear and trust their Lord, To learn that in our God alone Their hope securely stands, That they may never doubt His love But walk in His commands. Pray: Lord God, keep us in true faith through Christ, our Lord. Amen. Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 18
Lesson 3 The First Judges Apostasy, the denial of religious beliefs, struck throughout every Israelite tribe. Many Israelites fell into this apostasy during the half-done defeat of Canaan. Even though God repeatedly told them to defeat their enemies, the Israelites still left pockets of Canaanites in every tribal area. The Israelites sometimes bypassed whole towns, each of which had its own set of gods. The most common were Baal and Ashtoreth, but there were others, too, such as Molech and Dagon. Temple priests taught that bad luck came when anyone made Baal angry. Only human sacrifices made him happy again. Baal prized child sacrifice. So did Molech and Dagon. For Molech, priests put children onto the heated arms of his metal statue and slowly burned them to death. Baal had a mate. She was a fertility goddess named Ashtoreth. Just when ancient peoples began to worship her has eluded scholars. However, much of the ancient world worshiped her. She had different names depending on where she found worshipers. Had you lived long ago, you might have encountered one of her many temple prostitutes. Having sexual contact with them was said to bring good crops. What drew the ancient Israelites to worship false gods (Leviticus 18 and 20)? Perhaps nothing more than the most evil and sinful desire, that of making gods in their own image. But regardless of false gods appeal, God wanted His people back. By raising up judges, He saved His people from themselves and freely proved His intent to keep His everlasting covenant. A Loss of National Identity Time passes. The Bible does not say how long. Soon the Israelites living in Canaan begin to lose their national identity. How do we know? Review Judges 3:5 6. The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites (v. 5). Not only did they live among them; their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods (v. 6). If they kept intermarrying with the Canaanites, a God-pleasing, separate and distinct Israel would die out. How could they show God s love to heathen nations if they no longer followed God s laws? How could they stop worshiping false gods? God knew. By His grace, God provided judges. 29. Read Judges 3:7 and note the words that prove Israel was losing her national identity. How was this possible? Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 19
30. Read Judges 3:8. Joshua died about 1399 BC. A few years later, Mitanni of Mesopotamia ran Cushan-Rishathaim out of his realm. Cushan settled in Israel and soon took control. In Hebrew, Cushan s name means doubly wicked. What does doubly wicked tell you about Cushan s eight-year takeover? The Lord Provides Savior-Judges Read Judges 3:8 11. Before God called Othniel, His first judge, an important event happened. God sold Israel. In this case, God withdrew His blessings, and Cushan, a Mesopotamian king, ruled over Israel (v. 8). 31. What features set Othniel apart from other Israelites of his day? 32. God supplied Othniel with the gift of His Holy Spirit. How did Othniel use this gift? 33. Why do you suppose that many consider Othniel to be Israel s perfect judge? How many years of rest did the land have under Othniel? 34. Read Judges 3:12 30 for the account of Israel s second savior/judge. Why did God call this judge? 35. Read Genesis 20:36 37 and Deuteronomy 2:9, 26 29. How long did Eglon, king of Moab, rule over the Israelites? Compare the length of Eglon s reign to that of Cushan (Judges 3:8). As we tour the list of Israel s conquerors, the length of time under foreign rule grows. What might we learn from this fact? Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 20
36. Who does God call to deliver Israel from the Moabites? Whether he was handicapped or simply grew up using his left hand does not matter. What surprises you the most about this judge? 37. Could we apply the term perfect judge to Ehud as we could Othniel? Why or why not? How long of a rest period followed Ehud s defeat of Moab? 38. Israel s third judge seems an afterthought. Name him (v. 31). What surprises you about this judge? God s Word for Today All of the judges have two things in common. First, original sin clings to them. Second, despite that sin, God worked through them to bless His people. God used sinful people like you and me to point to His perfect Judge, Jesus Christ. In Christ, we do not have an imperfect, temporary victory like those earned by Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar. Instead, all sinners receive an account paid in full through Jesus death and resurrection. 39. Read Hebrews 9:15. The author of Hebrews describes Christ as the mediator of a new covenant. What happens to your sin under this new covenant? 40. What comfort do you find in knowing that Christ offers eternal life to those whom God has called? Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 21
In Closing Encourage participants to begin the following activities: Discuss God s selection of Shamgar, a foreigner and not a Jew, to deliver His people. Locate the city of Hazor on your Bible map. (Israel s next oppressor is from Hazor.) In whose tribe is Hazor located? Read Judges 4 5 to prepare for the next session. Close by singing/reading together the words of The Gospel Shows the Father s Grace (LSB 580; ELH 233; CW 288; LW 330; TLH 297). The Gospel, whether found in the Old or New Testament, shows us God s abundant mercy through Christ. The Gospel shows the Father s grace, Who sent His Son to save our race, Proclaims how Jesus lived and died That we might thus be justified. It sets the Lamb before our eyes, Who made the atoning sacrifice, And calls the souls with guilt oppressed To come and find eternal rest. It brings the Savior s righteousness To robe our souls in royal dress; From all our guilt it brings release And gives the troubled conscience peace. It is the pow r of God to save From sin and Satan and the grave; It works the faith which firmly clings To all the treasures which it brings. It bears to all the tidings glad And bids their hearts no more be sad; The weary, burdened souls it cheers And banishes their guilty fears. May we in faith its message learn Nor thanklessly its blessings spurn; May we in faith its truth confess And praise the Lord, our righteousness. Pray: Almighty Lord, You are faithful. By Your powerful hand Israel found rescue. Foreign gods fell, crushed underfoot. By Your same powerful hand, You rescue us from death through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for Your rescue and for Your grace. Amen. Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 22
Lesson 4 Deborah and Barak With tender brush strokes, archeologists remove the sands of ancient Hazor, a once-bustling Canaanite city ten miles north of the Sea of Galilee. Long ago, 40,000 citizens made their home here. Early texts from as far away as Egypt and Syria tell of Hazor s place in history as an international trade center. Digging here dates back to the 1950s. In the late 1960s, Yigael Yadin, one of the fathers of Israeli archeology, dug at the areas known as the Upper City and the Lower City a total of 200 acres in all. Among the ruins is proof of a fire so intense that it cracked the palace walls. The blaze left behind ash up to three feet deep. Archeologists have also found proof of the willful destruction of statues of Canaanite and Egyptian rulers and heathen gods. At Hazor, ancient history supports the biblical ruin of Hazor and her king, Jabin, under Joshua (Joshua 11:13). Another building layer found on top of the old tells of Hazor s later rebuilding and the reign of another king. This king s name, Ibni Addu, appears elsewhere in Semitic words as Yavin, or Jabin, as the writer of Judges has it. This later king Jabin and his noted chief officer, Sisera, play the roles of winner and loser as God uses two judges, Deborah and Barak, in God s drama of rescue. Old Habits Die Hard The Bible tells us that when Ehud died, Israel went back to her old habit of chasing after Canaanite gods (Judges 4:1). As the Angel of the Lord had said, these gods snared them (Judges 2:3). Israel strayed from God and in raced Jabin. In the blink of an eye, Canaanite raiders and sturdy chariots overran Israel, just as Cushan and Eglon had done. Jabin kept his nine hundred ironclad chariots at Harosheth Haggoyim, which means metal forge of the foreign nations. It is not hard to imagine that the Canaanites built these Old Testament tanks and sold them to other nations. Twenty years of cruel slavery followed (4:3). What could the Israelites do against such great forces? By themselves, nothing. With God, everything! Canaanite cruelty led to repentance, and, after twenty years, they prayed to God for deliverance. In mercy, He heard their prayers. 41. What comes to mind when you hear that God sold Israel into slavery (Judges 4:2)? 42. How does just knowing that God hears and answers your prayers give you comfort in your day-to-day walk with Him? Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 23
God Calls Deborah and Barak Read Judges 4:4 11. God called Deborah and Barak, the only man/woman team to deliver Israel. Deborah was a prophetess who rendered justice over the tribe of Benjamin. God used her to call Barak. Even with God s battle plan in hand, Barak still hesitated to put this plan into action. 43. God understands that at times you and I are reluctant to follow where He leads. What means did God use to encourage Barak (vv. 9, 14)? 44. Do you have a Deborah, someone who encourages you to follow the Lord s call for your life? Do you have a Barak to encourage? If you feel comfortable doing so, share a time when you were encouraged or were an encourager. 45. God s deliverance included a third person who was not considered a judge. Who was she (v. 17)? 46. God gave Deborah and Barak special skills, or gifts, in order to serve His people. Take some time to discuss the special skills God has given you or members of your group to serve the body of Christ. Victory over Jabin, King of Canaan Read Judges 4:12 23. Six Israelite tribes provided the ten thousand fighting men who served under Barak s command. Members of the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin, Makir (from the tribe of Manasseh), Zebulun, Napthali, and Issachar responded to Barak s request for troops. The other six tribes sent no one. Sisera s fighting men and ironclad chariots were aligned against Barak s forces. Victory over Sisera came swiftly, for God routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army before Barak (v. 15). 47. How did God use Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, to complete His victory? Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 24
A Victory Song Read Judges 5. The finer points of Sisera s shocking defeat find words in the Song of Deborah and Barak. The Canaanites believed that their god Baal controlled rain, so Sisera put his troops and chariots near the Kishon River. 48. In this battle, we see the almighty power of God displayed in creation. How are you comforted knowing that God is in control of all things? God s Word for Today God used Deborah and Barak and, to a lesser degree, Jael to deliver Israel. On a broader scale, the battle was one between the God of salvation and those forces arrayed against His plan of salvation. 49. Read Ephesians 6:10 12. Paul commands Christians to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might (v. 10) because our battle is against the spiritual forces of evil (v. 12). How does Christ s victory over death give you confidence in God s strength? In Closing Encourage participants to begin the following activities: Discuss how God uses wives and mothers like Deborah and Jael to serve His purposes. Research the Midianites in a Bible dictionary or other resource. Read Judges 6 8 to prepare for the next session. Close by singing/saying together the words of Not unto Us (LSB 558; CW 392). Note how the hymnist gives glory to God much like Deborah and Barak do in their victory song (Judges 5:3 5). Not unto us, not unto us be glory, Lord; Not unto us but to Your name be praise; Not unto us but to Your name all honor be giv n For matchless mercy, forgiveness, and grace. Amazing grace that chose us ere the worlds were made; Amazing grace that sent Your Son to save; Amazing grace that robed us in Your righteousness And taught our lips to sing glory and praise. Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 25
O faithful love that shepherded through faithless years; Forgiving love that led us to Your truth; Unyielding love that would not let us turn from You But sent us forth to speak pardon and peace. Not unto us but to Your name be glory, Lord, For grace so rich, so wide, so high, so free. Abide with us till trav ling days are over and done, And pilgrim feet lead us home, Lord, to You. Pray: Lord, thank You for Your many mercies and Your everlasting faithfulness, made known daily. Strengthen us now by Your Holy Spirit and send us into the world men and women working together in the vocations You provide. In Jesus name. Amen. Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 26
Lesson 5 Gideon Never have so few defeated so many. These few words summarize the skillful military plan used by our next judge, Gideon. As He did with other judges before him, God used Gideon to save the Jewish people and turn them away from what was evil in the sight of the LORD (Judges 6:1). Gideon battled against the Midianites (v. 2). These were Abraham s offspring by his concubine Keturah (Genesis 25:2), who lived in the Arabian Peninsula. During the time of Moses, Israel went through the land of Moab. As they did, Balak, their king, called upon the prophet Balaam to curse them (Numbers 22:4 7). He failed. However, Balaam caused Israel to worship the god Baal at Peor (Numbers 25:1 3). After Israel began serving Baal, Phinehas, the high priest s son, killed an Israelite man and the Midianite woman he took as a wife (vv. 7 8). Just before God called Gideon as judge, the Midianites joined the Amalekites and the people of the East (Judges 6:3). Annually they invaded Israel and made the Jews flee their homes to live in dens and caves (v. 2). Jewish harvests became the pickings of those who devoured the produce of the land (v. 4). Like clockwork, each year at harvesttime the Midianite hordes swarmed over the land, like locusts in number both they and their camels could not be counted so that they laid waste the land (v. 5), leaving Israel little to eat. After seven years of raids, God called Gideon. God Sends a Prophet Judges 6:6 recalls Judges 3:9. At that time, Cushan ruled Israel. For eight years, the heathen gods Baal and Asheroth took God s place. Jews intermarried with pagans (3:6). In His time, God raised up Othniel, the first judge. Othniel fought Cushan and won (3:10). This time, unlike the earlier times, God did not raise up a judge right away. This time He sent an unnamed prophet to Israel. This prophet recalled God s rich grace with a four-verse sermon. I saved you from your Egyptian oppressors. I commanded you to worship Me only. But you didn t listen. Hardships came. The Midianites saw to that. They raided on camelback and left nothing. Israel needed a deliverer. God said, Not yet! Trust Me and My covenant. 50. Read Judges 6:7 10. What point does God make in this four-verse sermon? Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 27
51. Reread Judges 2:1 3. Compare the prophet s message with those of the Angel of the Lord. Gideon s Call Read Judges 6:11 24. When we meet him for the first time, we find Gideon doing everyday things. In secret, he threshes a small amount of grain in a winepress (v. 11). 52. We see Gideon s lack of confidence in verse 15. What words and signs does God provide to encourage him? Write your answer after each passage listed below. 6:12 6:14 6:19 21 6:23 53. Read Judges 6:25 35. Gideon, his family, and his people worshiped pagan idols. What happened when Gideon tore these idols down? Deliverance through Gideon Read Judges 6:36 7:8. Gideon s faith flags. God provides Gideon another sign, then God begins downsizing Gideon s army. Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 28
54. Had you been Gideon, what thought would have come to mind when God began downsizing your troops? 55. Read Judges 7:9 25. God knows Gideon s heart. What does God do to strengthen him? 56. How does it feel knowing that God knows you as intimately as He knew Gideon? 57. Read Ephesians 2:8 9. The victory Gideon claimed over the Midianites belonged to God. How does Christ s victory at Calvary show the futility of Christians boasting about saving themselves by works? A New Idolatry Read Judges 8:1 35. Gideon defeated Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian, for refusing to supply food for his men. In court-martial style, Gideon took their symbols of power, crescent ornaments (v. 21). Muslims later put this crescent symbol on their flags, where it remains to this day. 58. Conflict reigned throughout Israel. How do we see that in the actions of Zebah and Zalmunna? 59. God provided several victories in Gideon s life (see Judges 6:32; 8:22 25). Sadly, he used the spoils of war to make a gold ephod (v. 27). A new era of idolatry began. What might the name of Gideon s son, Abimelech, which means my father is king (v. 31), indicate? Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 29
60. Gideon dies and Israel goes back to worshiping false gods. How does this show the difficulty of breaking old habits? God s Word for Today God knows Gideon well. He knows us as well. He gives us permission to call on Him in our struggles and bolsters our weak faith. 61. Read Psalms 50:15. How do these words strengthen your faith? 62. Read Matthew 26:26 28 and Romans 6:4. At times our faith in God flags like Gideon s. What does God use to strengthen our faith? In Closing Encourage participants to begin the following activities: Talk about how power led Gideon away from God. Read Hebrews 11:32 33 and discuss Gideon s response to God s grace. Refresh your memory on the importance of repentance in the life of a believer. Read Judges 9 12 to prepare for the next session. Close by singing/reciting together the words of Jesus Lives! The Victory s Won (LSB 490; ELH 353; CW 145; LW 139; LBW 133; TLH 201). Jesus lives! The vict ry s won! Death no longer can appall me; Jesus lives! Death s reign is done! From the grave will Christ recall me. Brighter scenes will then commence; This shall be my confidence. Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 30
Jesus lives! To Him the throne High above all things is given. I shall go where He is gone, Live and reign with Him in heaven. God is faithful; doubtings, hence! This shall be my confidence. Jesus lives! For me He died, Hence will I, to Jesus living, Pure in heart and act abide, Praise to Him and glory giving. All I need God will dispense; This shall be my confidence. Jesus lives! I know full well Nothing me from Him shall sever. Neither death nor pow rs of hell Part me now from Christ forever. God will be my sure defense; This shall be my confidence. Jesus lives! And now is death But the gate of life immortal; This shall calm my trembling breath When I pass its gloomy portal. Faith shall cry, as fails each sense: Jesus is my confidence! Pray: Lord of all, I am tempted by the devil, the world, and my sinful flesh. Strengthen my faith and keep me in the one true faith, through Christ Jesus. Amen. Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 31
Lesson 6 Abimelech through Abdon By God s grace, the Bible records that the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon (Judges 8:28). Gideon s courage in destroying the altar of Baal and his successful battles against God s enemies left an enduring legacy. However, in creating the golden ephod (Judges 8:22 27), Gideon unwittingly paved the way for further idolatry among God s people. As we have seen with the other judges, who were human just like you and me, only God is the true hero. The focus of God s story now shifts to Shechem. Once, long before the time of the judges, Abraham rested here (Genesis 12:6). Joshua s farewell address took place at Shechem (Joshua 24). At Shechem, the Israelites responded faithfully to God s covenant using these words: Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods (Joshua 24:16). Shechem s soil received the hallowed bones of Joseph, buried after the long journey of the Exodus (Joshua 24:32). Sadly, Shechem, the city so long revered in Jewish culture, now housed a temple to Baalberith ( god of the covenant ), another false god. Sadly, Shechem s fall from grace continued under Gideon s successor. When Gideon died, his son by a concubine made big plans to rule Israel. He would focus his plans on Shechem. Under Abimelech, murder and intrigue paid a return visit to Shechem to stay until the time of King David. Abimelech, the Anti-judge Although Baal-berith means lord of the covenant, this was a counterfeit god, as counterfeit as calling Abimelech judge. While previous judges delivered Israel from the hands of oppressors like Cushan (Judges 3:8), Eglon (3:14), the Philistines (3:31), Jabin, king of Canaan (4:2), and the Midianites (6:6), Abimelech usurped power from his brothers and oppressed his fellow countrymen. With a nation s collective eyes turned away from God, a man like Abimelech appears wise in suggesting that only one of Gideon s sons rule over Israel (9:2). With his mother s relatives speaking on his behalf, Abimelech found all the support he needed among the leaders of Shechem (9:3). Abimelech listened to friendly shouts of acclamation. He is our brother, they shouted. Yes, Shechem bore Abimelech, but as the city painfully discovered, he had no loyalty to Shechem. God is always faithful; Abimelech never was. Read Judges 9:4 21. With money from the offering given Baal-berith, Abimelech gathers a gang of thugs (v. 4), and his reign of terror begins. Abimelech came into power through the use of murder. 63. All the citizens of Shechem and those serving at Baal-berith (also called Beth-millo) turned out for Abimelech s coronation (v. 6). The location of Abimelech s coronation has special significance. What occurred there (Joshua 24:26)? Identify this event s significance. Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 32
64. Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal flank Shechem. During Joshua s first covenant renewal ceremony, God promised blessings from Mount Gerizim and curses from Mount Ebal (Deuteronomy 27). How does Jotham, Abimelech s half-brother, use Mount Gerizim? Abimelech s Downfall and Other Judges Read Judges 9:22 57. Abimelech became infamous. Unlike other judges, Abimelech did not deliver God s people; he enslaved them. 65. To other judges, God gave His Spirit. What about Abimelech s spirit (v. 23)? 66. Describe Abimelech s encounter with the cities of Shechem (vv. 26 49) and Thebez (vv. 50 57). 67. Read Judges 10:1 5. Two judges find quick mention in these verses: Tola and Jair. How long did each of these men judge/deliver Israel? God s Grace through Jephthah Read Judges 10:6 11:28. Israel did evil in God s sight and returned to idol worship. To cause them to repent, God sent the Philistines and the Ammonites against them (10:7). When the time was right, God called a new judge. 68. Israel s new judge is Jephthah. In a message to the Ammonite king, Jephthah recounts Jewish history and appeals to God, the true Judge, to settle the dispute between Israel and the Ammonites (11:27). What was the king of Ammon s response? Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 33
69. Speaking God s truth in love is not easy. If you feel comfortable doing so, share a story about a time when you spoke God s truth in love to someone who needed to hear it. What happened? Jephthah s Vow and Three Minor Judges Read Judges 11:29 12:15. Without thinking, Jephthah made a horrible vow with tragic results the sacrifice of his own daughter. 70. When confronted with the consequences of her father s vow, Jephthah s daughter willingly submits to her own death. How do her words point us to Christ? 71. Read 1 John 1:9. As horrible as Jephthah s sin is, God forgives him. How do you feel knowing that, just as Jephthah was forgiven, Christ s blood has covered all your sins? 72. Three judges served after Jephthah. Name them and list how long each judged. God s Word for Today Wandering away from God often brings horrible consequences. The removal of God s blessings brings suffering and pain. Thankfully, God does not withdraw His blessing forever. We have God s guarantee of His forgiveness in Christ s blood. 73. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God announced, I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more (Jeremiah 31:34). How does knowing that God readily forgives you bring you comfort? Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 34
74. Read Colossians 3:12 13. God s forgives our sins in Christ and commands us to do likewise. Why is forgiving others sometimes so difficult? 75. Read Ephesians 1:7. How does Holy Communion remind you that God s forgiveness reached its climax in Christ? In Closing Encourage participants to begin the following activities: Reread Luther s explanation of the Fifth Petition of the Lord s Prayer in the Small Catechism. Discuss the Lord s faithfulness to His covenant. Read about Samson in Judges 13 14 to prepare for the next session. Close by singing/saying in unison the words of Salvation unto Us Has Come (LSB 555:1 3, 9; ELH 227; CW 390; LW 355; LBW 297; TLH 377). Salvation unto us has come By God s free grace and favor; Good works cannot avert our doom, They help and save us never. Faith looks to Jesus Christ alone, Who did for all the world atone; He is our one Redeemer. What God did in His Law demand And none to Him could render Caused wrath and woe on ev ry hand For man, the vile offender. Our flesh has not those pure desires The spirit of the Law requires, And lost is our condition. It was a false, misleading dream That God His Law had given That sinners could themselves redeem And by their works gain heaven. The Law is but a mirror bright Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 35
To bring the inbred sin to light That lurks within our nature. Faith clings to Jesus cross alone And rests in Him unceasing; And by its fruits true faith is known, With love and hope increasing. For faith alone can justify; Works serve our neighbor and supply The proof that faith is living. Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 36
Lesson 7 Meet Samson What comes to mind when you hear the name Samson? For some people, the name Samson presents the image of a man with shoulder-length hair and bulging muscles who is able to take on a dozen men at once and toss them about like so many rag dolls. We recall Samson s strength. Now, let us look at how God used him and made Samson into a great hero of the Bible. The story of Samson, the real story found in the pages of Judges, offers a fascinating story of a multidimensional human being. First, Samson was entrusted into the Lord s service as a child. Next, he was a disobedient man at odds with his parents, a breaker of vows, a strong slayer of men, a loner, a tempter of God, an adulterer, and a man without sight. Lastly, Samson was a destroyer of temples and a man who through his own death brought destruction to the Lord s enemies. We will examine Samson s life over the next three lessons. Throughout, God teaches the lesson of dependence and obedience. At the end of Samson s life, when he was sapped of strength and placed between the pillars of Dagon s temple, we see God at His finest. In Paul s letter to the Corinthian Christians, long after Samson s death, we can almost picture Samson, although Paul s words best reflect Christ: God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27). Let us return to Judges and begin our search for the real Samson, the last judge found within its pages. Setting the Background Read Judges 13:1. Although it is only thirty words long, forty years of Israel s history unfold here before our eyes. Following Abdon s eight years of deliverance, Israel returned to its old sinful ways, a reoccurring theme. Are we watching the story of our lives unfold as well? Don t our lives consist of one sinful episode after another? Thanks be to God! Although we fail miserably, He still remembers His covenant. In our case, God s Law reminds us of what God expects, and we see that we have again missed the mark. But then His Gospel causes us to rest in Christ. To the Israelites, God sent the Philistines who settled in Canaan during Abraham s lifetime (Genesis 21:32, 34). Forty years of enslavement followed. 76. Have you ever thought of Samson as a sinner? How might God use sinners to achieve His purposes? Reproducible by purchaser only. 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV 37