Ministers’ Wives Bible Study
September 8, 2005
LESSON ONE
(THE SETTING)
A WORLD IN NEED OF SPIRITUAL TOUCH
INTRODUCTION: This study will be based on the lives of the judges of Israel, a series of unusual leaders God raised up to impact a nation in desperate need of a spiritual touch. These individuals came on the scene at turning points in Israel’s history. They were called for specific times and for the purpose of delivering and turning a nation’s heart back to God.
Perhaps no other book in the Bible illustrates the power of influence more than the book of Judges. In studying this book, one cannot help but notice the impact of leadership. During those periods when Israel was under the influence of a particular judge, the land would have rest. However, when that leader would pass away, the nation would quickly succumb to the ungodly influence of the Canaanite population that remained in the land.
Judges highlights the 513 to 520 year span following the death of Joshua. The Promised Land is basically under Israelite control, although pockets of resistance are still scattered through out the land. The various tribes have settled in to their allotted portions with the instructions to drive out the remaining Canaanites.
1.What do you find out from Judges 2:7 about the general spiritual climate in Israel in the days immediately following the death of Joshua? To what does this seem to be mainly attributed?
- What are some ways those in your group have observed this spiritual dynamic still in play in today’s world?
2.The loss of a long-term great leader places a nation, church, organization or even a family in a vulnerable place; particularly in those cases when there is no “heir apparent”. After two great leaders, Israel finds herself in this position. What wise first step does she take? (Judges 1:1)
- What instruction and promise does Israel receive at this juncture? (Judges 1:2)
1) Most of us in spiritual leadership tend to begin new chapters in our
lives in much the same manner. Briefly share with your group a prayer you have prayed or a bit of instruction or a promise you and/or your husband felt you had received from God as you embarked on some new phase in your life or ministry.
3.Read Judges 1:3 and note Judah’s first step in following through on the instructions she received. Why might a similar strategy also be a wise one for leaders to follow when stepping out in some major undertaking?
a.Notice that this two-way proposition was honored by both parties. How successful were these two tribes? (Judges 1:4,5; Judges 1:17,18)
1)To what does Scripture attribute these victories? (Judges 1:4)
b.What possible reason can your group come up with for the unusual handling of Adoni-bezek described in Judges 1:6?
1)Despite its barbaric nature, what truth does this treatment apparently drive home to Adoni-bezek according to Judges 1:7?
4.Scan through Judges 1:8-11 and notice the string of victories that Judah experienced at this juncture. What impact does your group feel these victories should have had not only on Judah, but also on the rest of Israel?
a.What impact have you noticed a few successive “wins” in ministry can have on an individual? What about a series of losses?
b.What does Deuteronomy 2:31 tell us God intended the small victories that he gave Israel just prior to her entrance into the Promised Land to serve as?
5.In spite of her string of recent victories, what obstacle did Judah find to be insurmountable according to Judges 1:19? What are some of the things that your group thinks could have contributed to this failure on the part of Judah?
a.Obstacles stand between all of us and the possession of what God has promised to us. Some of them we handle easily and others cause us more difficulty. What are some of the “iron chariots” that tend to keep people from completely possessing their own Promised Land? If you feel comfortable in doing so, share with your group an “iron chariot” encounter that hindered you from receiving all that you knew God had in mind for you at some point in your life?
- Although the Canaanites may have possessed iron chariots, what resource had Judahsomehow lost sight of?
1)Who was really responsible for any victories they had previously experienced before? (Judges 1:19a)
c.Sad to say, Judah’s failure as leading tribe had a negative effect on the rest of Israel. Skim through the following verses and underline the common thread that you see running through them. (Judges 1:21; 27-36)
21 But the Benjaminites did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem; so the Jebusites have lived in Jerusalem among the Benjaminites to this day
27 Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; but the Canaanites continued to live in that land. 28 When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not in fact drive them out.
29 And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer; but the Canaanites lived among them in Gezer.
30 Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites lived among them, and became subject to forced laor.
31 Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, or of Achzib, or of Helbah, or of Aphik, or of Rehob; 32 but the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.
33 Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, but lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to forced labor for them.
34 The Amorites pressed the Danites back into the hill country; they did not allow them to come down to the plain. 35 The Amorites continued to live in Har-heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, but the hand of the house of Joseph rested heavily on them, and they became subject to forced labor. 36 The border of the Amorites ran from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward
6.Although the book of Judges outlines the repetitive cycles of apostasy on the part of Israel, it also contains the history of a series of revival and deliverances. The first several verses of Judges2 are a parenthetical portion giving us the details of an earlier renewal that took place under Joshua’s leadership. Answer the following questions on this portion of Scripture.
a.Who was the speaker for this “revival” meeting? (Judges 2:1)
b.What were the people reminded of? (Judges 2:1)
c.What sin was Israel called into account for? (Judges 2:2)
d.What consequence would they have to pay for this sin? (Judges 2:3)
e.How did Israel respond to this message? (Judges 2:4 &5)
f.How long did Israel feel the impact of this revival meeting? (Judges 2: 7)
1)Revivals carry with them life-long impact. Share with your group a revival experience in your own life that has had this type of lasting effect.
7.What apparently triggered the end of this period? (Judges 2:7-10)
a.Why does your group feel this happened? What are some ways this could have been avoided?
b.What behavior did this next generation exhibit? (Judges 2:11-13)
8.As you read the above verses of Judges, It is not difficult to draw some obvious parallels with what is taking place in our own nation. It is disheartening to watch as a once godly America becomes more and more pagan. However, the next few verses also offer great hope. In spite of Israel’s repeated cycles of rebellion, what does Judges 2:16-18 tell us that God did for her and why?
- What type of influence does Judges 2:19 infer that these judges had?
9. Read Judges 2:20-23 and 3:1-4 as listed below and underline the reasons you find God gives for not completely rooting out the entire Canaanite population under Joshua’s leadership.
22 In order to test Israel, whether or not they would take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their ancestors did, 23 the Lord had left those nations, not driving them out at once, and had not handed them over to Joshua.
3 Now these are the nations that the Lord left to test all those in Israel who had no experience of any war in Canaan 2 (it was only that successive generations of Israelites might know war, to teach those who had no experience of it before):
3 the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.
4 They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their ancestors by Moses.
- Have you found that God still works this way and for the same reasons? Which of the reasons your group underlined do you feel he has used most in your life?
10.Rather than dealing with the Canaanites as God had instructed them to do, what did Israel do according to Judges 3:5-8?
a.What happened to as a result? (Judges 3:8)
b.What did this experience cause Israel to do? (Judges 3:9a)
1)How did God respond? (Judges 3:10)
2)How long did Israel reap the benefits of this renewal? (Judges 3:10)
3) What does Judges 3:11 & 12 imply triggered the end of this wonderful period?
9.This is the first of many such cycles that we will be studying as we look at this important book. John Maxwell points out that the repetitive cycle described in the book of Judges is one that leaders need to understand. He states that the book of Judges provides a “vivid biography of leaders, followers, and human nature, and describes a cycle repeated even today.” He points out four distinct patterns:
Rebellion
When things go well, people drop their guard. They relax and pay less attention to details. Peacetime brings a greater chance of rebellion than wartime. In prosperous times, fallen people naturally express their bent toward independence and rebellion.
Repression
Repression follows rebellion. Whether God sends an enemy or the people cause their own misery, they endure hardship, calamity, invasion, or natural disaster. Poor life choices result in retribution.
Repentance
Extreme hardships often trigger community-wide repentance. The repression serves as a wake-up call. Individuals begin to refocus on what is really important and purify their motives and behavior. Organizations cut budgets, downsize and check egos.
Restoration
Purification leads to restoration. People regain the blessings they once had or acquire what had been intended for them. When they begin to obey God, peace returns to he land once more. And the cycle of fallen human behavior has run its full course.
Some see only discouragement in the repetitive backsliding revealed in the book of Judges. However, this will not be our main focus. We will approach this study from the perspective looking at the lives of leaders who were able to impact and change the destiny of their generation. These leaders were called by God for specific points in history to impact the spiritual climate of their world. What they did (or rather what God did through them) made a dramatic difference in their world – not just for a few weeks or months, but for as long as they lived. While few if any of will have the national exposure these judges had, all of us are called to do the same thing. We are called to impact and change the dynamics of our own particular part of the world. What if you or I could have that type of long-term impact on those God has called us to touch?
Ministers’ Wives Bible Study
September 15, 2005
LESSON TWO
“A WOMAN’S TOUCH”
1. As mentioned last week, the book of Judges is an overview of the 500 plus years of Israelite history following the death of Joshua. It details the ups and downs of the nation as it cycled through periods of renewal and apostasy. When Israel would turn from serving God, she would end up in bondage (which is precisely where sin always leads). When the nation would “hit bottom”; the people would cry out to God and He would raise up a deliverer for them. The revivals and deliverances that occurred under these leaders or judges were truly spectacular and influenced entire generations to serve God.
In last week’s lesson, we briefly touched on the renewal under the nation’s first two judges. Israel served God for 40 years under Othneil and for 80 years under Ehud, her second judge.
However, following the death of her long-time leader, Ehud, Israel again floundered and turned away from God once again ending up under Canaanite oppression. How long did Israel live in this condition before she began to call out to God for help according to Judges 4:1-3?
a.What issue that had caused their forefathers difficulty now apparently plays a major role in the ability of the Canaanites to so ruthlessly oppress Israel? (Compare Judges 4:3 with Judges 1:19b)
1)There are times in ministry we find ourselves dealing with issues that should have been taken care of by our predecessors, but were not handled for one reason or another. Identify some of the leftover problems that today’s spiritual leaders sometimes find themselves having to grapple with.
b.Most Bible scholars feel that the King Jabin mentioned in Judges 4:2 is probably a descendent or at least a successor of the King Jabin mentioned in Joshua 11:10,11 and that the Hazor mentioned in this verse probably refers to the rebuilding of the Hazor that Joshua had earlier destroyed. If this is true, it means that the Canaanites have been able to regroup and take territory that was once in Israelite hands.
Unfortunately, there are still times that “land” that once belonged to the kingdom of God falls back into enemy hands. Most of us are aware of places or people that once belonged to God that need to be reclaimed for the kingdom of God. Take a moment and a make a list of any “lost territory” your group would like to see retaken for the kingdom of God. If appropriate, take a moment and pray over this list.
2.In response to Israel’s desperate prayers for deliverance, God raises up a most unusual leader -- a woman by the name of Deborah. Judges 4:4 introduces us to this amazing woman. What three things do you find out about her in this verse?
a.What type of influence is she already having on the people at this point in her life? (Judges 4:5)
3.One day Deborah receives a message from God that will put her name down in the history books and dramatically impact the destiny of her nation. What are the basic facts contained in that message? (Judges 4:6 & 7)
a.What are some of the things your group feels would have to be true in order for Barak to respond positively to such a message? What would have to be true before you would believe and act on any “God told me to tell you” message someone might have for you?
bBarak apparently did not have any doubts as to whether this message was from God as he immediately agrees with it. However, he does make one stipulation. What is it? (Judges 4:8)
1)What are some possible reasons for Barak insisting on this being necessary if he is to have a positive response?
2)What does Deborah say Barak will forfeit by insisting on this demand according to Judges 4:910?
1)When you consider the culture of the day and what you know about the typical male ego, what does Barak’s agreement to this proposition imply about him?
4.Judges 4:11 introduces us to a family that will play a part in the drama that is about to unfold. Who are they?
5.How is Sisera “lured by God” to the place that will ultimately bring about his destruction? (Compare Judges 4:7 with Judges 4:12 & 13)
a.What difference does your group see between the concept of being “lured by God” and that of being “led by God”?
6. Josephus states that when Barak saw Sisera's army approaching, “the Israelites and Barak were so affrighted at the multitude of those enemies, that they were resolved to march off, had not Deborah retained them and commanded them to fight the enemy that very day for that they should conquer them, and God would be their assistance.”
Read Deborah’s words of encouragement to Barak in Judges 4:14. Can you think of any instance when another individual’s words either prodded you on to do what you knew you should do or calmed you in a time of fear? If appropriate, share this experience with your group.