Session 8: A Few Good Men..and Women

Judges 2-4; 6-8; 13-16

Rolling Hills Community Church

Major Points•Gideon asks the “why” question•The truthful answer to the “why” question• Israel cycle•Gideon’s victory God’s way

What was the Why question?

• If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?

What is the answer to the Why question?

• The people will turn to other gods and worship them

Israel’s Cycle• Israel sins• Israel is oppressed by a surrounding nation• Eventually Israel would “cry out to the Lord”• They would eventually repent• God would raise up a Judge to deliver them

Albert Einstein“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

JudgesWell Known Judges

Moses flees Egypt

Judges

Moses killing Egyptian

Judges 4-5DeborahOnly Woman Judge mentioned in Bible

•A prophetess and judge was the wife of Lapidoth

•She and Barak defeated Sisera (with his 900 iron chariots) at the Battle of Kishon

•Sisera killed by Jael, the wife of Heber, with a tent peg

•Barak is listed among the “Heroes of the Faith” in Hebrews

Moses flees Egypt

Judges 6-8Gideon

•Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon at Ophrah•Gideon’s offering was consumed by fire(6:19-24)•Gideon destroyed the altar of Baal by night•Reduced his army from 32k to 10k to 300 and routed the Midianites

•Oreb and Jeeb killed by the Ephramites•Took revenge on the men of Succoth and Penuel•Made a gold ephod which led the people into idolatry

Moses flees Egypt

Judges 9Abimelech

•Slew all of his half brothers, except Jothan•Defeted Gaal who conspired against him•Captured Shechem and raised the city•At Thebez, a women threw a milestone and hit Abimelech in the head

•Had his armorbearer kill him with a sword.

Moses and the burning bush

Judges 13-16Samson

•Birth was announce by the Angel of the Lord•Was consecrated a Nazrite from birth•Slew a lion barehanded•Slew 30 Philistines at Ashkelon•Caught 300 foxes and tied them by their tails with a torch to set the grain field on fire

•Slew thousands of Philistines with jawbone•Was conquered by Dlilah, blinded and imprisoned at Gaza•Pulled down the Temple of Dagon, killing himself and 3000 Philistines

Discussion• In the case of Deborah, Gideon, and Samson, how is each of them a surprising choice to be a leader for God?

Discussion

•Contrast how God saw Gideon and Gideon saw himself.

Discussion•In what ways do Christians today embrace the sin, practices, and culture of our day and end up sinning and feeling distant from God?

Discussion•How can we avoid this pitfall of being conformed to world’s sinful ways?

2015/2016 Men’s Bible

StudyRolling Hills Community Church