Judges 1 - 12 Questions and Answers

Q. Did the Israelites ask God for guidance right after Joshua died?	A. Judges 1:1 = Yes. They asked God which tribe should attack the Canaanites first.
Q. Did God reply?	A. Judges 1:2 = Yes. Judah would attack first.
Q. Were the tribe of Judah up to the task?	A.Judges 1:3 = Yes. But the tribe of Judah asked Simeon's tribe to assist them and in return, they would assist Simeon.
Q. Was the tribe of Simeon one of the braver tribes?	A. Joshua 18:1 = No. Simeon had been one of the seven faint-hearted tribes when it came to fighting for their land. Judah fought beside Simeon to win their land. Now (Judges 1:3), Judah asked Simeon for help (which has got to boost their self-esteem!) in return for helping them win their land. Note: What a lesson in helping our brother! We should continue showing faith in our weaker, but able brother, helping him along by way of assistance -- and not just doing it for him!
Q. Did Simeon rise to the task?	A. Judges 1:3 = Yes! Hallelujah!
Q. Did God approve of Judah's recruitment of the Simeon tribe?	A. Judges 1:4 = Apprently so. God gave them the victory over the Cannanites and the Perizzites.
Q. What was notable about this first victory after Joshua's death?	A. Judges 1:4 = Judah and Simeon tribes together killed 10,000 enemy warriors in the town of Bezek.
Q. Was there a king in Bezek?	A. Judges 1:5 = Yes. King Adoni-bezek. But he escaped.
Q. Did Judah and Simeon tribes pursue and catch the king of Bezek?	A. Judges 1:6 = Yes.
Q. What did they do to him?	A. Judtges 1:6 = They cut off his thumbs and big toes.
Q. Why?	A. Judges 1:7 = This king of Bezek had done the same to 70 kings, making them eat the scraps that fell from his table.
Q. Did he admit to the charge?	A. Judges 1:7 = Yes. He even saw what Judah and Simeon did to him as payback from God.
Q. What happened to king Adoni-Bezek?	A. Judges 1:7 = They took him to Jerusalem and he died there.
Q. Does the book of Judges overlap the book of Joshua?	A. Judges 1:12 = Yes. Caleb gave his daughter, Acsah, to Othniel in the book of Joshua, but is mentioned again here in Judges 1.
Q. Did Moses' wife's relatives ever pop up again after her father visited them in the wilderness, where he advised Moses to delegate leaders to help him with the people?	A. Judges 1:16 = Yes. They traveled with the tribe of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, settling near the town of Arad in the Negev.
Q. Was there a similar spy experience as that of Rahab at another point in time?	A. Judges 1:23-26 = Yes. In Bethel (formerly called Luz), Joseph's descendants confronted a man coming out of the city and asked him to show them a way into the city. They attacked and killed all but his family. The man moved to Hittite land and built a city, calling it Luz, like his former home.
Q. When does the book of Judges begin telling new history, after Joshua's death?	A. Judges 2:10 = It was Phinehas' time as priest that the book of Judges takes place. (Remember that Phinehas was Eleazar's son and Aaron's grandson).
Q. What did God think of all the covenants Israel made with their enemies?	A. Judges 2:2-5 = He hated these unholy covenants.
Q. What happened next?	A. Judges 2:3 = 1). God stopped helping them win battles 2). The enemies they allied with became thorns in their sides 3). Their enemies' gods were a constant temptation.
Q. How did Israel respond to this trouble they had as a result of these covenants?	A. Judges 2:5 = They wept loudly. Note: They did not repent. They were just upset that they couldn't have what they wanted. How sad.
Q. What happened to the next generation following Joshua's, who hadn't witnessed all Israel's awesome victories in war?	A. Judges 2:10 = They did not acknowledge the Lord, nor did they remember the mighty things the Lord had done for Israel.
Q. How could this have happened?	A. Judges 2:3 = Their parents, while loving the Lord, still were divided in their hearts about serving only God (except for Judah (Gen 49:8-12)).
Q. What idol did Israel love?	A. Judges 2:11 = Baal.
Q. Did they serve both God and idol as their parents did?	A. Judges 2:12 = No. Their sin was laid bare. Note: When our testimonies to our families are hypocritical, our kids will most likely throw out one of the parts, either good or bad. They will be true to only one part; most likely, the bad part, unless God has mercy and intervenes, of course.
Q. What happened in this generation of Israel?	A. Judges 2:12 = Israel pursued the false gods of the people the Israelites failed to extinguish and drive out of the promised land. Note: Acting now to purify your household may seem to bear no fruit right away, but it has long-term effects on your children! That's what obedience is all about. We do it because God said to, not because we comprehend fully as to why.
Q. What was God's response to Israel's idol worship?	A. Judges 2:12 = They angered God and He punished them.
Q. How?	A. Judges 2:14 = 1). God handed the Israelites over to marauders, who stole their possessions 2). God sold them to their enemies all around 3). The Israelites were no longer able to resist their enemies. They lost every battle.
Q. How did Jacob/Israel respond?	A. Judtges 2:15 = They were very distressed.
Q. Did God rescue them, even though they hadn't repented?	A. Judges 2:16 = Yes!
Q. Who did God send to rescue Jacob/Israel?	A. Judges 2:16 = God raised up judges, hence, the title of this book.
Q. What did these judges do?	A. Judges 2:17 = The judges reminded Israel of God's law and confronted them with their sin, which caused them their defeat.
Q. Did Israel repent?	A. Judges 2:17 = No.
Q. How does God view idol worship?	A. Judges 2:17 = As prostitution of oneself to other gods.
Q. Was it hard for the Israelites to walk away from God?	A. Judges 2:17 = No. They were unwilling in God's ways. Note: We can have a terrific, godly walk with God, but our kids don't inherit it automatically. We must take the time to teach them -- and it does take time! (God's command to Abraham is that we needed to teach them as they lie down, as they rise and as we walk on our way together).
Q. So a whole generation of Israelites were neglecting God?	A. Judges 2:17 = Only Judah stayed pure (Gen. 49:8-12).
Q. But v. 17 says their parents did walk in obedience, which would include teaching their children about God and passing down their miracle-filled history. Was there something they forgot to teach them?	A. Judges 2:17 = Not a thing is mentioned here. We know that the parents worshipped Baal and God. That's enough to make a child stray.
Q. Was there sin a trap that was too hard for them to free themselves of?	A. Judges 2:3 = Yes. It was a consequence of living in an idol-infested land and that only because they disobeyed God in not ridding themselves of impurity.
Q. Sounds like they need divine intervention and the judges were it.	A. Judges 2:18 = Exactlyu. Every judge appointed, only one at a time, reminded them of God's law and rescued them from their enemies and the Israelites were safe until his death. But then Israel got worse with each generation, getting more stubborn with each generation. They kept bringing more oppression on themselves because of their sin.
Q. How did God respond?	A. Judges 2:18 = With pity. He Kept sending the judges anyway. But Israel's sin still angered Him.
Q. What did God do next?	A. Judges 2:21 = The remaining unconquered lands Joshua left for them to conquer would not be conquered.
Q. Why did Joshua die before conquering all the promised land?	A. Judges 2:22-23 = To test Israel to see if they would obey the Lord as did their ancestors. Note: Sooner or later, God tests our faith. Are we up to the task? How'syour courage, faith and obedience today? There is no hiding behind church leaders. We must all obey God and stand, be bold for God and step out in faith, even unto death.
Q. How would the people be tested and proved?	A. Judges 3:1-2 = God would teach warfare to generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle and send them out.
Q. God taught this new generation of faithless ones Himself?	A. Judges 3:2 = Yes! But Judah needed no training.
Q. What enemies were left to conquer?	A. Judges 3:3 1). Philistines, who had five rulers 2). All the Canaanites 3). The Sidonians 4). The Hivites living in Lebanon.
Q. Did Israel, all trained by God himself for battle, go out and fight their enemies?	A. Judges 3:5 = Sadly, no. Israel married them!
Q. Israel intermarried with their enemies?	A. Judges 3:6 = Yes.
Q. Who were these enemies Israel intermarried with?	A. Judges 3:5 = Six enemies: Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
Q. What happened as a result of this mass intermarriage?	A. Judges 3:6 = The Israelites worshiped their gods. v.7, They forgot the Lord their God, worshipping the images of Baal and the Asherah poles.
Q. How did God respond to this?	A. Judges 3:8 = God burned with anger against Jacob/Israel and handed them over to king Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim, and they were subject to him for eight years.
Q. That was a long time! Why so long?	A. Judges 3:9 = The Israelites didn't think to call on their God for help till then! Note: When you're in trouble, don't wait to ask for help. God is already here!
Q. Was all Israel a mess?	A. Judges 3:9 = No. There was always a remnant of godly people in Israel. God raised up the first judge, Othniel.
Q. Caleb's nephew, who fought for him in the book of Joshua?	A. Judges 3:9 = Yes.
Q. What set these judges apart from the rest and made people stand up and listen?	A. Judges 3:10 = They were filled with the Holy Spirit and fought and won, defeating Israel's enemies.
Q. Did Othniel beat king Cusan-rishathaim?	A. Judges 3:10 = Yes.
Q. Did Israel live in peace after that?	A. Judges 3:11 = Yes. Forty years long, until Othniel died. Then Israel returned to evil.
Q. How did God deal with Israel this time?	A. Judges 3:12 = He gave them over to King Eglon of Moab. Moab, the Ammonites and Amalekites fought and took all of Israel. They were in subjection to Eglon for 18 years this time.
Q. Again, a long time. Did Israel not call out to God before then?	A. Judges 3:15 = No.
Q. Who did God raise up to rescue Israel this 2nd time?	A. Judges 3:15 = Ehud, son of Gera, of the tribe of Benjamin.
Q. What did it mean to be in subjection to a foreign king?	A. Judges 3:15 = You were taxed to death.
Q. What special quality did Ehud have that would help him deliver Israel?	A. Judges 3:15 = Ehud was left=handed.
Q. How did Ehud rescue Israel?	A. Judges 3:15 = He was one of the men appointed to carry Israel's taxes to King Eglon of Moab. Ehud made a double-edged dagger, 18 inches long and strapped it to his right high and hid it underneath his clothing. After leaving for home after delivering the tax money, he went as far as Gilgal with the other men and told them to continue on home and he turned back. He told the king that he had a secret message for him so the king dismissed his servants. After saying to him, "I have a message from God!" he pulled out the dagger and plunged it into the king's belly. The king was so fat that the knife handle was lost in his belly rolls.
Q. How did Ehud escape?	A. Judges 3:23 = Ehud locked all the doors and escaped down the latrine and through the sewage access. Note: A fictional movie was made after this story of escape.
Q. What did Ehud do when he returned to Ephraim?	A. Judges 3:27 = He sounded a call to arms.
Q. Who went to battle against Moab?	A. Judges 3:27 = A band of Israelites from Ephraim. They attacked and killed about 10,000 of Moab's strongest and bravest warriors. Not one escaped.
Q. How long did peace last after Ehud, Israel's 2nd judge?	A. Judges 3:30 = 80 years. As usual, peace reigned until Israel's judge died.
Q. Who was Israel's 3rd judge?	A. Judges 3:31 = Shamgar, son of Anath.
Q. What did Shamgar do for Israel?	A. Judges 3:31 = Shamgar rescued Israel, killing 600 Philistines himself with an ox goad.
Q. Who was Israel's 4th judge?	A. Judges 4:4 = Deborah.
Q. What else did a judge do besides fight victorious battles to rescue Israel?	A. Judges 4:5 = They settled disputes, as did Moses.
Q. Did Deborah do this?	A. Judges 4:5 = Yes.
Q. Where was her court held?	A. Judges 4:5 = Under the Palm of Deborah, which stood between Ramah and Bethel, in the hill country of Ephraim.
Q. Where was Deborah when God spoke to her about Israel's command to go to war against Sisera?	A. Judges 4:5,6 = At her court.
Q. What were God's orders?	A. Judges 4:6 = To fetch Barak and tell him to assemble 10,000 soldiers from Naphtali and Zebulun at Mount Tabor. God would lure the Canaanite, Sisera, who was the commander of king Jabin's army, along with his chariots and warriors, to the Koshon River. There, God would give them victory.
Q. Did Barak believe Deborah?	A. Judges 4:8 = Barak doubted Deborah.
Q. How do we know this?	A.
Q. Judges 4:8 = Barak said he'd go only if Deborah went with him.	A.
Q. Did Deborah agree to go to war against these Canaanites?	A. Judges 4:9 = Yes. But insodoing, Barak would receive no honor.
Q. Was it really that much of a dishonor to be a woman who defeats God's enemies in a man's place?	A. Judges 4 = Not at all! It was, however, a show of doubt for the man Barak, because God had chosen him and he wimped out. The sheer size of this enemy army was mind-boggling. Sisera had 900 iron chariots (v.13) to contend with.
Q. How did this attack go?	A. Judges 4:14 = God marched ahead of Israel. When Barak's army attacked, God threw Sisera and all his charioteers and warriors into a panic.
Q. What happened to Sisera?	A. Judges 4:15 = Sisera leapt from his chariot and escaped on foot.
Q. And Sisera's men?	A. Judges 4:16 = Barak chased Sisera's men and their chariots, killing every warrior.
Q. What happened to king Jabin?	A. Judges 4:21 = Jabin was murdered by his friend's wife, Jael. She drove a tent peg through his head, affixing it to the ground.
Q. So Barak beat Jabin the Canaanite that day?	A. Judges 4:24 = Not that day, but from that day forward, Israel grew stronger and stronger until they finally destroyed them. Note: Sometimes the battle lasts longer than we think. Be faithful to see it to the end!
Q. How did the Israelites celebrate their victory that first day?	A. Judges 5:1 = They wrote and sang a song of rejoicing in obedience, declaring the Lord before kings in song and in word.
Q. What other verses were there?	A. Judges 5:4 = Verses that told of what it was like when God marched before them.
Q. How was that?	A. Judges 5:4 = The earth trembled, cloudy skies poured rain and v.5, mountains quaked in God's presence.
Q. How else did king Jabin terrorize Israel?	A. Judges 5:6 = They stayed away from the main roads, staying on crooked sidepaths for fear of their lives. Few people were left in the villages of Israel before they beat Jabin. Note: Another movie was fashioned after this verse. Can you guess which one?
Q. What affectionate name does this song call Deborah?	A. Judges 5:7 = A mother for Israel.
Q. When did war start in Israel?	A. Judges 5:8 = The moment Israel chose new gods.
Q. What warning does the song make?	A. Judges 5:10-11 = To listen to the musicians recounting the righteous victories of the Lord.
Q. Who fought Deborah's battle?	A. Judges 5:13 = A remnant of five tribes of Israel consisting of Ephraim, Benjamin, Zebulun and Issachar, Naphtali and also God's angels.
Q. Who flaked?	A. Judges 5:15 = 4 tribes: Reuben, Gilead, Dan and Asher.
Q. How are God's angels described in this battle?	A. Judges 5:20 = As stars fighting from heaven against Sisera and also as stars fighting in orbit.
Q. Who was cursed for not helping Israel fight?	A. Judges 5:23 = The people of Meroz.
Q. How was Jael viewed after killing king Jabin?	A. Judges 5:24 = As most blessed and to be blessed above all women living in tents (as she was).
Q. Did the song bless friend and curse foe?	A. Judges 5:31 = Yes. Death to all God's enemies like that of Jabin. Those who love God rise like the sun at full strength.
Q. How long did peace in Israel last this time?	A. Judges 5:31 = Forty years.
Q. Who was Israel's 5th judge?	A. Judges 6:11 = Gideon.
Q. When did God raise Gideon up?	A. Judges 6:1 = After Israel was oppressed for seven years by the Midianites.
Q. What did the Midianites do to Israel?	A. Judges 6:2 = 1). The Midianites were so cruel, that the Israelites fled to the caves and dens to hide. 2). The Midianites destroyed the Israelites' crops, stole their sheep, oxen and donkeys. 3). When the Midianites arrived at Israel's fields on camels too numerous to count as was their own numbers, they didn't leave until the fields were stripped bare. The Israelites were starving.
Q. This is terrible! What happened next?	A. Judges 6:6 = The Israelites finally cried to God for help after seven years of this!
Q. Did God answer?	A. Judges 6:7 = Yes. God sent them a prophet to confront them about their sins in worshiping Amorite gods and also to remind them who rescued them from Egypt.
Q. Then what happened?	A. Judges 6:11 = The angel of the Lord visited Gideon at Ophrah.
Q. What was Gideon doing at the time?	A. Judges 6:12 = Threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites.
Q. How did the angel address him?	A. Judges 6:12 = He declared, "Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!"
Q. Was Gideon impressed?	A. Judges 6:13 = No. He questioned the angel about why they were being oppressed and where were all the miracles of their ancestors they heard about. Gideon felt abandoned by God.
Q. How did the angel of the Lord respond?	A. Judges 6:14 = With a commission. Gideon was to go with the strength he had and rescue Israel from the Midianites. Note: How strong do we need to be to do something great for God? God has already given us all the strength we require!
Q. What tribe was Gideon from?	A. Judges 6:15 = Manasseh (Joseph's son's clan).
Q. What were Gideon's "qualifications?"	A. Judges 6:15 = 1). Gideon's clan was the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh 2). Gideon was the least acknowledged and physically the weakest man.
Q. How would Gideon win?	A. Judges 6:16 = The Lord said that He would be with him. Gideon would destroy the Midianites as if he were fighting against one man!
Q. Did Gideon want further assurance?	A. Judges 6:18 = Yes. He asked the Lord to stay until he brought back an offering for Him.
Q. Wait a minute -- the angel of the Lord was God?	A. Judges 6:24 = Yes!
Q. What offering did Gideon bring the Lord?	A. Judges 6:19 = 1). A cooked young goat 2). baked bread without yeast 3). broth in a pot.
Q. That took some time to prepare. Did God wait?	A. Judges 6:19 = Yes. God was under the oak tree where He first appeared to Gideon.
Q. What did the Lord tell Gideon to do with the offering?	A. Judges 6:20 = To place it on a rock nearby and pour the broth over it.
Q. In a non-appointed place?	A. Judges 6:20 = Yes. God always appointed a place of sacrifice in the past. No Tabernacle or Ark was around Gideon.
Q. What happened to the offering?	A. Judges 6:21 = The Lord touched the meat and bread with the staff in His hand and fire flamed up from the rock and consumed all he had brought. He then disappeared.
Q. Very cool! How did Gideon react?	A. Judges 6:22 = He realized he had just seen God face to face and was terrified that he would die.
Q. What did God say to Gideon in response?	A. Judges 6:23 = God assured Gideon that he wouldn't die as a result of seeing His face.
Q. What did Gideon do?	A. Judges 6:24 = Gideon built an altar there, naming it "The Lord Is Peace (Yahweh Shalom)."
Q. Did the Lord leave?	A. Judges 6:25 = Don't know. He did speak to Gideon again that very night.
Q. What did the Lord say to Gideon that night?	A. Judges 6:25 = God instructed Gideon to pull down his father's altar to Baal and to cut down the Asherah pole standing beside it and to build God an altar in its place and offer a sacrifice.
Q. Did Gideon do it?	A. Judges 6:27 = Yes, and with the help of ten of his servants, under the cover of night, because Gideon was afraid of the trouble he would bring on himself.
Q. Who would protest?	A. Judges 6:27 = His father's household and the people of the town.
Q. Did he get away with it?	A. Judges 6:29 = No. The townsfolks were furious and wanted Gideon dead.
Q. Did Joash, his father, join them?	A. Judges 6:31 = No. Joash challenged Baal himself to kill Gideon, if he were truly a god.
Q. Of course, that didn't happen. What happened instead?	A. Judges 6:32 = Gideon was called Jerubaal, which means, "Let Baal defend himself."
Q. So Gideon needn't have feared retribution from the townsfolk or his family?	A. Judges 6:33 = No. Bigger enemies allied against Israel! Midian, Amalek and the people of the east crossed the Jordan River and camped in the valley of Jezreel.
Q. But this was much worse than God revealed! Did Gideon panic?	A. Judges 6:34 = No. Rather, he was filled with the Holy Spirit, blew a ram's horn as a call to arms and the men from his clan, Abiezer, came to him.
Q. Who else came?	A. Judges 6:35 = Gideon sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, Manasseh and Naphtali and they all responded.
Q. Gideon took some bold steps! Was he ready to fight for Israel?	A. Judges 6:36 = Not without two final signs from the Lord that he was doing the right thing. Note: God is ever willing to assure us and confirm to us that we are doing His will. Are we willing to slow down and wait for His will?
Q. What signs did Gideon ask for?	A. Judges 6:37 = 1). Wetted fleece and dry ground beneath it 2). v. 40 = Dry fleece on wet ground.
Q. Did that satisfy Gideon?	A. Judges 7:1 = Yes. The Israelites got up with Gideon early the next morning to fight.
Q. Who fought?	A. Judges 7:8 = 300 brave men from all the tribes of Israel.
Q. How many men did Gideon start out with?	A. Judges 7:3 = 33,000 men.
Q. How did Gideon end up with just 300 men?	A. Judges 7:3 = God sized the army down the same way He sized down Joshua's first army.
Q. Why?	A. Judges 7:2 = So that Israel wouldn't brag that they won because of their strength. It was God's battle.
Q. How was that point made?	A. Judges 7:3 = God told Gideon to send home whoever was timid or afraid.
Q. How many fraidy cats were there in Gideon's army?	A. Judges 7:3 = 22,000 fraidy cats in Gideon's army!
Q. Now Gideon had a real army, by men's standards. How was it sized down again?	A. Judges 7:5 = By who drank, cupping their hands together and sipping water from them. Gideon had his army of 300 (the rest lapped the water like dogs).
Q. Did God give the marching orders?	A. Judges 7:9 = Yes. God woke Gideon in the middle of the night.
Q. Was God concerned for Gideon's doubtfulness about this war?	A. Judges 7:10 = Yes. God told Gideon to sneak down to the Midianite camp and hear what they were saying because it would encourage him and he would be eager to attack.
Q. What did Gideon and Purah (his servant) see?	A. Judges 7:12 = The enemy camp was like swarms of locusts, their camels too many to count; like the sands of the sea.
Q. Did Gideon's heart sink at the sight of it?	A. Judges 7:13 = No. Gideon crept up to the first man who had been relating a terrible dream to another man. The other man interpreted it rightly.
Q. What was the dream?	A. Judges 7:13 = Judges 7:13 = A loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp, hitting a tent, turning it over and knocking it flat.
Q. How was the dream interpreted?	A. Judges 7:14 = That God has given Gideon victory over them all.
Q. Did that seal it for Gideon?	A. Judges 7:15 = Yes! Note: Don't worry about your enemies. God is able to deal with them in ways we cannot begin to fathom!
Q. How was the war carried out?	A. Judges 7:16 = Dividing the men into 3 groups of 100. Each carried a ram's horn and a clay jar that contained a torch. The Israelites would imitate what Gideon did. Gideon's men stayed in the center, the other two groups were at the sides.
Q. What did Gideon do?	A. Judges 7:18 = He blew his horn and shouted, "For the Lord and for Gideon!"
Q. What time was it?	A. Judges 7:19 = Just after midnight.
Q. What were the clay jars for?	A. Judges 7:20 = Covering their torches. Once broken, the torch blazed in their hands.
Q. What happened when they blew their horns?	A. Judges 7:22 = They shouted, "A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!" Then the Lord caused panic in the enemy and they fought each other with their swords. The ones who escaped were pursued.
Q. What happened to the 2 Midianite generals?	A. Judges 7:25 = They were captured and killed.
Q. Who pursued the escapees?	A. Judges 7:24 = The Ephraimites who were sent home.
Q. Did they resent being left out of the main war?	A. Judges 8:1 = Yes. But Gideon pointed out that they were priveleged to have captured generals Oreb and Zeeb, at which point the Ephraimites calmed down. Note: These Ephraimites didn't understand God's hand in this event, just as some believers will not understand how God leads a believer who loves God's guidance and lets Him lead in the dance. Gideon threw them a bon, so to speak, so they could understand from their own viewpoint, that they still would gain fame in this war. Gideon did much more, but he didn't flaunt it. It was quite a humble thing for him to declare to Ephraim that they were greater than he in this miraculous event. Gideon understood that God did it COMPLETELY!
Q. Was the war over then?	A. Judges 8:4 = No. Gideon and his 300 men pursued Midian and its 2 kings across the Jordan River. They were exhausted by the time they reached Succoth.
Q. Did Gideon ask for help in Succoth?	A. Judges 8:5 = Yes. Gideon asked for food for his exhausted men.
Q. Did the leaders of Succoth help?	A. Judges 7:6 = No. They refused to acknowledge the Israelites until the battle was over.
Q. How did Gideon respond?	A. Judges 8:7 = With a promise to return and tear their flesh with the thorns and briars of the wilderness.
Q. What about the next town, Peniel?	A. Judges 8:8 = Same answer. Gideon would return and tear down their tower.
Q. When did these towns suppose the war would be won?	A. Judges 8:6 = When they caught the two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna.
Q. Were they in hot pursuit still?	A. Judges 8:5 = Yes.
Q. How many warriors did these 2 kings have with them by now?	A. Judges 8:10 = 15,000 Midianite warriors.
Q. How many did they start out with?	A. Judges 8:10 = 135,000!
Q. Gideon's men killed 120,000 Midianite warriors?	A. Judges 8:10 = Yes! And with no casualties for Israel!
Q. Were there different types of roads back then?	A. Judges 8:11 = Yes. There was a caravan route that Gideon and his men took, surprising what was left of the Midianites.
Q. Did Gideon's 300 men capture the 15,000 Midianite warriors?	A. Judges 8:12 = Yes!
Q. Where did the saying, "Don't ask a boy to do a man's job" come from?	A. Judges 8:21 = Gideon was humbled by this chastisement from the two Midianite kings, when he ordered his young son, Jether, to slay the captured kings. Jether was afraid and not ready for such a task. Note: Do we push our children to do things they are not ready for? Then be ready for chastisement, even from an enemy!
Q. Did the Midianites adorn their camels with jewelry?	A. Judges 8:21 = Yes. They put royal ornaments around the necks of their camels.
Q. When was the first time Israel asked for a ruler?	A. Judges 8:22 = After their victory over the Midianites.
Q. Who did the Midianites descend from?	A. Judges 8:24 = The Midianites were descendants of Ishmael, Isaac's half brother. Abraham was Ishmael's father and Hagar was their mother.
Q. Who did the Israelites ask to rule over them?	A. Judges 8:22 = Gideon and his son and grandson.
Q. Did Gideon accept?	A. Judges 8:23 = No.
Q. Did Gideon recommend someone else to rule over Israel?	A. Judges 8:23 = Yes. The Lord!
Q. Was it a suggestion?	A. Judges 8:23 = No. It was a statement of fact.
Q. Did Gideon request something instead of rulership?	A. Judges 8:24 = Yes. One earring from each soldier out of his spoils.
Q. Were there a lot of earrings?	A. Judges 8:24 = Yes. Ishmaelite men all wore earrings! Gideon collected 43 pounds of earrings! Note: Remember Ishmael had many descendants, making up 12 tribes (Gen. 25:16) who lived close together in the desert. These, to this day, are the Arab nation. Ishmael descended from Esau too (Gen. 28:9).
Q. What did Gideon do with all that gold?	A. Judges 8:27 = He made a sacred ephod out of it, in remembrance of God's deliverance from the Midianites.
Q. What is an ephod?	A. A decorative shoulder piece used by the priests in the temple, made according to God's instructions. Gideon's is not the same kind.
Q. Where did Gideon display his golden ephod?	A. Judges 8:27 = In his hometown of Ophrah.
Q. A nice gesture. Was it seen as a remembrance of their victory by the other Israelites?	A. Judges 8:27 = No. The Israelites began worshiping it soon after it was put there.
Q. Even Gideon's family was affected?	A. Judges 8:27 = Yes. The golden ephod became a trap to Gideon's family.
Q. How long did Israel have peace after their victory over the Midianites?	A. Judges 8:28 = 40 years. Until Gideon died.
Q. What did Gideon do with his life those 40 years after the war?	A. Judges 8:30 = He had many wives and 70 sons. He had a concubine who bore Abimelech.
Q. Where was Gideon buried?	A. Judges 8:32 = In his father's grave in Ophrah.
Q. So Gideon blew his walk with God after the war?	A. Judges 8:27 = Yes.
Q. What happened to Israel when Gideon was gone?	A. Judges 8:33 = 1). They worshiped the images of Baal and made Baal-berith their god. 2). They forgot the Lord their God and His miraculous rescue of them 3). They showed no loyalty to Gideon's family.
Q. Sounds like they were ripe for evil to come in, yes?	A. Judges 9:6 = Yes. Abimelech slew 69 of his 70 half-brothers. Only Jotham escaped.
Q. Why did Abimelech do this?	A. Judges 9:2 = He wanted to be sole ruler of his hometown, Shechem.
Q. How did he pull that off?	A. Judges 9:1 = He used his advantage of being born in Shechem, talking with his mother's brothers and asking them to talk to the leaders on his behalf. He had a proposal all ready, which they were impressed with. They were all his relatives and they chose Abimelech because of that. They'd all be royalty!
Q. Did they also back Abimelech with cash?	A. Judges 9:4 = Yes. They took 70 silver coins from the temple of Baal-berith and gave it to him.
Q. What did Abimelech do with the money?	A. Judges 9:4 = He hired soldiers to murder his half-brothers.
Q. What followed?	A. Judges 9:6 = They had a meeting and made Abimelech Israel's first king.
Q. What did Jothan do when he found out that his father's lover's son, who murdered his brothers, became king?	A. Judges 9:7 = He warned the people with a parable. Judgement would come.
Q. Then what?	A. Judges 9:21 = Jotham lived far away in the town of Beer because he was afraid of Abimelech.
Q. All this tragedy stemmed from his father's golden ephod?	A. Judges 8:27 = Yes. Note: Sin is sin. What compromises do you want to die with you? The only way you can assure your children that they don't follow in your failures is to repent of them right now. Serve God wholly!
Q. What happened during Abimelech's rule?	A. Judges 9:22-23 = Three years into Abimelech's rule, God stirred up trouble between him and the people of Shechem and they revolted.
Q. God sometimes stirs up trouble?	A. Judges 9:23 = Yes!
Q. Why?	A. Judges 9:24 = To punish us for our sins.
Q. Did God zero in on Abimelech's sin?	A. Judges 9:24 = Yes.
Q. How did Shechem's folks revolt?	A. udges 9:25 = They set an ambush for Abimelech on the hilltops and robbed everyone who passed that way.
Q. Wasn't Shechem a city of refuge, belonging to Aaron's descendants?	A. Yes (Joshua 21:20).
Q. Did others try to turn the Shechem folks away from Abimelech?	A. Judges 9:26 = Yes. Gaal, son of Ebed, moved to Shechem, which was in Ephraim's hill country. He gained the confidence of the people. They all partied at the annual harvest festival and made their purpose for being in Shechem known.
Q. Who did Gaal's people descend from?	A. Judges 9:28 = Hamor, Shechem's father, who was a Hevite (Gen. 34:6).
Q. What kind of structures did the people of Shechem build?	A. Judges 9:46 = Therre was a tower, which 1,000 people lived in. Their idol temple could hold all of them too.
Q. What did Abimelech do to the temple?	A. Judges 9:49 = The people ran for cover in the temple and Abimelech had his men gather wood and burn it down with them inside. Note: Another movie scene was born from from this event. Which one?
Q. Did Abimelech try this again?	A. Judges 9:52 = Yes. But he failed.
Q. What happened?	A. Judges 9:53 = A woman dropped a millstone from the tower roof onto Abimelech's head and crushed his skull.
Q. Who finished Abimelech off?	A. Judges 9:54 = His young armor bearer. Abimelech didn't want to be remembered as the ruler who was killed by a woman!
Q. What did his soldiers do after that?	A. Judges 9:55 = They disbanded and went home.
Q. Did Jotham's curse come true?	A. Judges 9:57 = Yes. Both Abimelech, son of Gideon, and Shechem were punished.
Q. What is notable about this city, Shechem?	A. Genesis:34:2 = 1). This city's namesake raped Dinah, Jacob's only daughter. 2). Shechem descended from Ham, Noah's accursed son. Simeon and Levi murdered all the men of Shechem shortly after convincing them to get circumcized. 3). Shechem descended from Ishmael.
Q. Who was Israel's 6th judge?	A. Judges 10:1 = Tola, son of Puah. A descendant of Dodo, of the tribe of Issachar, but who lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim.
Q. Did Tola rescue Israel?	A. Judges 10:1 = Yes. No details are given here. Tola judged Israel for 23 years.
Q. Who was Israel's 7th judge?	A. Judges 10:3 = Jair, from Gilead. He judged Israel for 22 years.
Q. What was notable about Jair?	A. Judges 10:4 = Jair had 30 sons who rode around on 30 donkeys, and they owned 30 towns in Gilead, which became known as the Towns of Jair.
Q. Had Israel always in some way managed to hold onto their faith up to this point?	A. Judges 10:6 = Yes. They did idols and God up to this point in history (except for Judah, who stayed pure).
Q. And they abandoned God completely now?	A. Judges 10:6 = Yes.
Q. How did this happen?	A. Judges 10:6 = They expanded their idolatry to include 5 other sets of gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, Ammon and Philistia. Note: They used up their 24 hours a day on this stuff. What occupies most of your time?
Q. What did God do?	A. Judges 10:7 = God handed the Israelites over to the Philistines and Ammonites that year.
Q. What year?	A. Judges 10:6-8 = The year they abandoned God completely.
Q. How long were the Israelites oppressed by the Ammonites?	A. Judges 10:8 = 18 years.
Q. Where?	A. Judges 10:8 = 1). East of the Jordan River in Gilead 2). Then crossing the Jordan, they attacked Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim. The Israelites were in great distress.
Q. It took them 18 years to ask God for help?	A. Judges 10:8 = Yes. They even confessed their sin of idol worship and deserting God.
Q. Did God oblige them?	A. Judges 10:11 = God laid their unrepented sin before them, reminding them that He has always been there for them, yet they abandon their hero, who was always God. God refused them at first.
Q. Did the Israelites admit this?	A. Judges 10:15 = Yes. They asked God to rescue them anyway. Punish too! Then put aside their foreign gods and served only God.
Q. What did God think of the gesture?	A. Judges 10:16 = God was only grieved by their misery. Note: God is grieved at the way mankind treats one another. He really does sympathize with our pain.
Q. Who was Israel's 8th judge?	A. Judges 11:1 = Jephthah of Gilead (Manasseh).
Q. What is notable about Jephthah?	A. Judges 11:1 = Jephthah's mother was a prostitute and his dad was an Israelite.
Q. A Jewish prostitute?	A. Judges 11:1 = The law of Moses states that no woman of Israel would be a prostitute. We don't know at this point who his mother descended from. Only Tamar, Judah's daughter-in-law, played the prostitute up to this point in time.
Q. What did Jephthah's little-half brothers think of him?	A. Judges 11:2 = They told him to get lost and chased him off the land.
Q. Why?	A. Judges 11:2 = Because his mother was a prostitute and they refused to acknowledge Jephthah as a brother.
Q. Where did Jephthah go?	A. Judges 11:3 = To the land of Tob.
Q. Was Jephthah content in Tob?	A. Judges 11:3 = No. Soon, he had a large band of rebels following him.
Q. Was Tob an Israelite land?	A. Judges 11:3 = No. Tob was outside of the promised land.
Q. Did Jephthah grow strong?	A. Judges 11:6 = Yes. When the Ammonites attacked Israel, his half-brothers asked him to come home and help.
Q. Did he?	A. Judges 11:7 = They had to bribe him, but Jephthah did it.
Q. What bribe did they offer Jephthah?	A. Judges 11:8 = They'd make him their king.
Q. Did Jephthah accept?	A. Judges 11:11 = Yes. Jephthah became their commander of the army to.
Q. What did Jephthah do first as commander of the Israelite army?	A. Judges 11:12 = Jephthah sent a message to the Ammonite king, asking why he attacked Israel.
Q. What was this war about?	A. Judges 11:13 = The Ammonite king wanted the Amonite land back that Israel took from them after leaving Egypt.
Q. Why did Jephthah find this a strange request?	A. Judges 11:26 = It was now 300 years later!
Q. How did Jephthah respond?	A. Judges 11:14 = With a detailed account of exactly how Israel acquired that land.
Q. What land did the Ammonites claim belonged to them?	A. Judges 11:23 = Amorite land. It was never the Ammonites' land!
Q. Did Jephthah make that point?	A. Judges 11:23 = Yes. He said, "God gave it to us; why should we give it to you?"
Q. So the issue was a land dispute that Ammon had no grounds for making?	A. Judges 11:23 = Yes.
Q. What bold words did Jephthah speak next?	A. Judges 11:27 = Non! Jephthah said, "Let the Lord, who is judge, decide today which of us is right -- Israel or Ammon."
Q. How did the king of Ammon respond?	A. Judges 11:28 = He ignored the message. Note: It is so important to communicate clearly in a conflict. Make the effort and let God be the judge. Let Him work it out at that point.
Q. How did God work Jephthah's problem out?	A. Judges 11:29 = Jephthah was filled with the Holy Spirit and gathered the Israelite army to fight Ammon.
Q. What else happened?	A. Judges 11:31 = Jephthah made a rash vow to God that if he won the war, he would sacrifice the first thing that came out his front door to greet him.
Q. Jephthah won. Who walked out his front door to greet him?	A. Judges 11:34 = His only child, a daughter.
Q. Did he sacrifice her?	A. Judges 11:39 = Yes.
Q. Were vows that binding?	A. Yes. So much so that God forbid taking rash vows.
Q. Did her sacrifice become famous?	A. Judges 11:39-40 = Yes. It became a custom for young Israelite women to go away for 4 days each year to lament the fate of Jephthah's daughter.
Q. Why?	A. Judges 11:37 = Because she asked for 2 months to go away in the hills and weep with her friends because she would die childless. Note: Notice that it wasn't love of a man or romance that she mourned, but not living long enough to bear a child. Infertility is soooo devastating!
Q. What enraged Ephraim to wage war with Jephthah?	A. Judges 12:1 = They accused Jephthah of not summoning them to help fight (now that the war was won!), which was a lie. When Ephraim didn't come, Jephthah and his men had to face the war alone.
Q. Why were they so hostile?	A. Judges 12:4 = These victors were men of Gilead, who were considered rejects from Ephraim and Manasseh (Joseph's sons).
Q. Were they right to think that?	A. No! (v.4) Jephthah and his men attacked and defeated them in response to the accusation.
Q. How did Jephthah screen out the Ephraimites at the end of their battle?	A. Judges 12:5 = The Ephraim fugitive who would try crossing the Jordan couldn't pronounce "sh", but said "s" and they would make them say "Sibboleth."
Q. How many fugitives were found out this way?	A. Judges 12:6 = 42,000.
Q. How long did Jephthah judge Israel?	A. Judges 12:7 = 6 years, until his death. Jephthah was buried in Gilead.
Q. Who was Israel's 9th judge?	A. Judges 12:8 = Ibzan of Bethlehem (Zebulun).
Q. No records of Ibzan rescuing Israel are recorded here. What memorable thing makes Ibzan stand out?	A. Judges 12:9 = 1). Ibzan had 30 daughters and 30 sons 2). His daughters and sons were married outside of his clan.
Q. How long did Ibzan judge Israel?	A. Judges 23:9 = Seven years.
Q. Who was Israel's 10th judge?	A. Judges 12:11 = Elon from Zebulun.
Q. What was significant about Elon?	A. Judges 12:12 = Elon judged Israel for tenyears and was buried in Aijalon, which was a priest city in Zebulun.
Q. Who was Israel's 11th judge?	A. Judges 12:13 = Abdon of Pirathon in Ephraim.
Q. What do we know of Abdon?	A. Judges 12:14 = He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons, who rode on 70 donkeys. He judged Israel for 8 years.

Go to Judges 13 - 21
Back to Joshua 13 - 24
Back To Discipleship Index
Back to Discipleship Homepage