This week, we shall be finishing the study of the Book of Judges of the Old Testament and
begin the study of I & II Thessalonians of the New Testament.
(1) After two major defeats which saw the loss of some 40,000 armed men, what do you think was the reason that sustained these Israelites to try the 3rd assault, instead of conceding defeat and disbanding?
(2) What was the tactic used by the Israelites in their third attempt to defeat the Benjamites?
(3) Such a tactic (of ambush) still cost the lives of 30 men initially on purpose. Would you be willing to be one of these 30 men? Why or why not?
(4) What if the Benjamites lost the first and second battles, what would they (the Benjamites) have done?
(5) In other words, what did the first two victories do to the minds and hearts of the wicked Benjamites?
(6) How many Benjamites were killed in this 3rd battle and how many of them were left?
(7) At this complete defeat of the Benjamites, can we get a sense of what really caused them to be so defiant and not surrender the guilty men, instead choosing to defend them at all cost? Consider these given points:
a. Their crime was undisputable
b. Their crime was most wicked
c. The whole of Israel had now turned on them
d. The Israelite army was backed by the High Priest on God’s behalf
(8) Pause and reflect on the main message to you today. How may you apply it to your life?
(1) What was the purpose or intention of making such an oath in Mizpah?
(2) Do you find their weeping before God rather puzzling? Why or why not?
(3) In waging a war against the Benjamites, how justified were the Israelites?
(4) Did the punishing of the Benjamites necessarily entail the extermination of the Benjamites?
(5) What might have caused the near extinction of the tribe of Benjamin?
(6) What did they say in their weeping?
(7) What then did the weeping at Bethel represent?
(8) What did the offering of burnt offerings and fellowship (i.e. peace) offerings represent following their weeping?
(9) What do their actions teach us about reconciliation with our fellowmen and with God?
(10) Notice that there were two separate oaths involved concerning the punishment of the Benjamites: (a) the oath of not giving their daughters in marriage to the Benjamites (21:1), and (b) the oath to put to death anyone who failed to assemble at Mizpah (21:5). What did they resolve to do to secure the continuous existence of the tribe of Benjamin?
(11) Do you agree with what they did? Was this the reply of God in response to their weeping?
(12) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) The Israelites might have wished that there would be enough virgins from Jabesh Gilead (likely from the ½ tribe of Manasseh in the east) for the remaining Benjamites. Just for the sake of interest, how many women were they short? (Jdg. 20:47; 21:12)
(2) What did they resolve to do to help the remaining 200 men of Benjamin?
(3) Simply based on this latest story from chapter 19 to chapter 21, how fitting is the biblical comment in 21:25?
(4) List all the “right motives” of all the characters in the story.
(5) List all the wrong things that they have done under the right motives.
(6) In your opinion, how should the Levite handle the brutal rape and murder of this concubine?
(7) What’s wrong with the oath they had taken as mentioned in 21:1?
(8) What wrong might they have done in their inflicting of punishment on the Benjamites?
(9) What should they have done in perpetuating the tribe of Benjamin?
(10) What else have they done that befits the comment that “everyone did as he saw fit”?
(11) Was it really because “they had no king”?
(12) As we come to the end of this book, spend a moment to reflect (through the notes you have taken) on what might be the major lessons you have learned from this book.
(13) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
Here is a recap of the judges—1. Othniel, 2. Ehud, 3. Shamgar, 4. Dehorah, 5. Barak, 6. Gideon, 7. Tola, 8. Jair, 9. Jephthah, 10. Ibzan, 11. Elon, 12. Abdon, 13. Samson, 14. Eli, 15. Samuel. (The last two judges are mentioned in 1 Sam.)