This week,
we shall continue the study of the Book of Judges of the Old Testament.
(1) In commanding the troop to shout, “For the Lord and for Gideon”, was Gideon right in telling the troops to invoke his name as well as the Lord's? (See 7:14, 8:23)
(2) When then might it be right to invoke a person’s name alongside that of God?
(3) What was the tactic used by Gideon and his men and what was the purpose of their action?
(4) What was the result of their action?
(5) According to 7:22, what was the key reason for the defeat of the Midianites?
(6) How many were their enemies? (See 8:10)
(7) What lesson(s) can we learn from this battle?
(8) While God used only 300 men to dispel the enemies, it took other northern tribes from Naphtali, Asher and all of Manasseh to finish the campaign. And as the Midianites fled to their home-turf, Gideon had to call upon the Ephraimites from the south to round up the fleeing enemies.
a. How did these northern tribes (many of whom had been sent back by Gideon while making the two cuts) respond and why?
b. The Ephraimites (being so close to the battle ground which was immediately to their north) were obviously aware of the battle. Why did they not participate until now?
(9) Pause and reflect on the main message to you today. How may you apply it to your life?
(1) Why were the Ephraimites so bitter about not being invited to participate in the initial campaign and why did they make the complaint only after capturing two of the Midianite leaders? Why didn’t the other tribes (such as Judah) make the same complaint to Gideon?
(2) How wise was Gideon’s reply? Unfortunately, what did Gideon appeal to that helped subside the bitter resentment of the Ephraimites?
(3) What should our attitude be when it comes to fighting a battle for the Lord as a community of believers?
(4) Instead of complaining like the Ephraimites, the people of Succoth and Peniel (likely people of the tribe of Gad to the east of Jordan) even refused to feed the exhausted men of Gideon. What does this speak to their faith and spiritual condition given the size of Gideon’s small number of followers, their proximity to the Midianites by location and the news of the routing of the Midianites west of the Jordan?
(5) Were the rest of Israel other than the northern tribes and Ephraim any different?
(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) Before Gideon and his men caught up to Zebah and Zalmunna, how many men of the eastern army had been killed and how many were left?
(2) Why would Zebah and Zalmunna not suspect the pursuit of Gideon’s small group of men?
(3) Even if Gideon and his men would not be successful in routing the army of Zebah and Zalmunna, should the people of Succoth not feed them? What sin(s) were they guilty of? What punishment did they receive? Was it justified?
(4) We are not told why the people of Peniel received the much harsher punishment from Gideon, however, it is only logical that they must have been guilty of a much graver sin. In any case, reflect on the initial warning of Gideon in 8:7 and 9 and contrast the state of mind of Gideon (and his men) and that of the people of Succoth and Peniel.
(5) Why did Gideon choose to pursue Zebah and Zalmunna in particular, according to 8:19?
(6) Why did Gideon want his son, who was only a boy, to kill the two leaders?
(7) Was Gideon doing the right thing by asking his son to kill them? Why or why not?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) Why did the Israelites ask Gideon to rule over them? Was it a proper request? Why or why not?
(2) Why did Gideon refuse their request? Was he right or wrong? Why?
(3) “Ishmaelite” is probably a general term referring to the foreign Arab nations in the region. In requesting the surrender of the Ishmaelites’ golden earrings, what might be the message Gideon was trying to send to his people?
(4) Why did Gideon want to make an ephod out of the roughly 43 lbs. of gold?
a. What did the ephod stand for?
b. Who could wear an ephod?
c. Were there strict instructions given as to how an ephod was to be made and why? (See Exod. 28:6-14; 25:40; Heb. 8:5)
d. What sins had Gideon committed by the making of an ephod?
(5) What was the horrible result of Gideon’s action according to v. 27? What important lesson might we learn from his sin?
(6) What did the fact that Gideon had 70 sons and many wives speak of his influence on his next generation?
(7) What would you write on the tombstone of Gideon as his epitaph?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) While peace lasted throughout the 40 years during the “lifetime” of Gideon, their turning away from God did not really begin until after his death. What are the three sins that the Bible charges them with in 8:33-35?
(2) It was clear from the previous chapter that neither Gideon nor his sons ruled over Israel, and yet what excuses did Abimelech use to appeal to the people of Shechem to crown him ruler over them? What special effect might it have for him to remind the people of Shechem that Gideon’s name was “Jerub-Baal” (6:32)?
(3) What did the gift of 70 shekels of silver from the temple signify?
(4) In your opinion, how wicked was Abimelech in his murder of all 70 sons of Gideon (except one)?
(5) We know that the giving of name in the Ancient Near East tradition was a significant act. Gideon named one of the sons of his concubine “Abimelech”, which means the king’s father. How then did Gideon contribute to the ambition of this son?
(6) By crowning Abimelech “king”, what was being signified? Did Israel have any king before then?
(7) Did anyone or any tribe from Israel respond to this horrible crime?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
From the account given in chapter 9, it appears that (a) the people of Shechem were Baal-Berith worshippers and had a temple for this god and (b) they could very well be the native people of Shechem, not of Israel origin, which might explain why the mother of Abimelech was not called one of Gideon’s many wives, but a concubine or a slave girl (9:18).
(1) Why did Jotham risk his life in pronouncing a prophetic judgment upon on the people of Shechem and on Abimelech?
(2) How did Jotham begin his long prophetic message in v. 7? What was his implication?
(3) It was a fact that Gideon turned down the people’s request to be their king and it appeared that such a desire had not been given up by the people. How did Jotham compare Gideon and his sons with Abimelech in vv. 8-14?
(4) What were the reasons given by the olive tree, the fig tree and the vine and what was their common theme?
(5) How different was the reply of the thorn-bush? Can a thorn-bush provide shade to any other trees?
(6) In other words, how did Jotham mock Abimelech?
(7) Jotham stated that he was not really against the anointing of Abimelech as their king (v. 19). What then was he against (9:16-18)?
(8) What were his prophetic curses according to 9:19-20?
(9) What kind of a victim was Jotham?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) As a “king”, it appears that Abimelech did not reside in the city of Shechem. How would you interpret the statement that “God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem”? What might the implications be according to v. 24?
(2) What did the people of Shechem do in defiance of Abimelech’s rule?
(3) How did Gaal, son of Ebed, appeal to the citizens of Shechem to follow him? Who was Hamor? (Look up Gen. 33:19 and Gen. 34 as well)
(4) How was the curse of Jotham fulfilled on the city and the people of Shechem literally?
(5) Did the people of Shechem deserve such a punishment? Why or why not?
(6) Thebez was likely a neighboring town and presumably had joined the citizens of Shechem in rebellion against Abimelech. How did Abimelech die in this attack? What was the irony of his death?
(7) Do you think the ending of Abimelech and the people of Shechem was really a result of the curse of Jotham? Why or why not?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?