meet

with
Go d
OCTOBER 2010

JUDGES:
the good,
the bad
and
the ugly:
 judges ...
For Israel, the years of the judges were the “wild west”
years. As the people settled their new frontier home, they
became a fragmented, lawless people, each man “doing what
was right in his own eyes.” God’s chosen people settled for a
cycle of failure, sin, repentance and restoration. In the worst
of times, God would intervene by appointing judges, special
servants, who led His people against invaders, oppressors
and Israel’s own moral and religious corruption. For a
brief lifetime or a generation, God’s people would operate
as He meant them to. But then rebellion, disinterest and
forgetfulness would once again take them back through a
week one
terrible cycle.
What do these pages from history say to us today? This
study looks at how godly leadership and faithful obedience
The Passing of
can lead to blessings and peace; but the flip side is this: When Giants
we fail to follow God’s commands, disobedience leads us Not all of us are called to lead others, but we are all
to the worst of times. Yet, even then, God is faithful to us, called to lead ourselves in a godly life. Consider the areas
redeeming our failures and turning them into something good of your life that could use some godly assistance.
by His grace. He may allow us to face judgment and pain, but
He never leaves us without hope and a future. When the Book of Judges opens, Moses is only a memory;
Joshua is dead and Caleb is an aging warrior. A void in leadership
had formed, with no new leaders stepping up to take their place.
There were, however, a few bright spots. The tribes of Judah
P.S. The icon marks activities useful for group
and Simeon had teamed up to assist one another in conquering
discussion or assignments. Feel free to use them as you their portions of the land, and God honored their boldness. Then
choose. there was Caleb. He was the last living link with Israel’s former

2 meet with G od O c to ber 2 0 1 0 meet with G o d Octob er 2010 3

years as slaves in Egypt. And even in old age, Caleb remained a
fierce warrior, taking on greater challenges. But Caleb was old and
renew
yourself
wouldn’t live forever.
How different the landscape looks when the followers become in G od’s Word!
the new leaders! Just as your perspective on the highway and traffic
changes as soon as you slip behind the steering wheel, so does your
view when you’re a new leader. Leading is always more complicated
Read Judges 1:1–20; 2:1–10

DAY 1: The Passing of Giants

than it looks and the Book of Judges provides dramatic proof.
These opening chapters record many of the “did nots” of Israel Israel did not completely obey God when they conquered
after the deaths of their renowned leaders. Tribe after tribe did not Canaan. What did they fail to do and what caused their
take complete possession of their assigned territories. Even a tribe failure?
like Judah, who experienced God’s blessing in their efforts, failed
to trust Him beyond their comfort zone. Judges 1:19 captures the
mixed victory they had over the nations in the mountainous terrain,
“the Lord was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill
country.” It goes on to say, however, “but he could not drive out the According to verse 2:10, what was the ultimate failure of
inhabitants of the plain because they had chariots of iron.” the nation of Israel?
Later, one of Judah’s best-known sons, King David, expressed
what the tribe should have practiced: “Some trust in chariots, and
some in horses; but we trust in the name of the Lord our God”
(Psalm 20:7). And that’s the key. Success in life is never about our
human leadership, it’s about our heavenly leadership. Moses wasn’t Read Deuteronomy 11:18–20. How can you ensure that
successful because of his charisma or political acumen; he was the next generation doesn’t forget about God?
successful because he fully trusted God. The same went for Joshua
and Caleb, and the same goes for you.
As we read the Book of Judges, we need to be cautious about
passing judgment. The failures of others will be obvious. We may
be tempted to feel successful by comparison. But those failures offer
us a mirror to see how our lives reflect what we actually believe.
Our lives speak louder than our lips. And victory consists of acting
on what we say we believe. In what areas of our lives do we need to “Diminished faith
admit that we “did not” do what God promised to help us do? always brings about
diminished victory,
and no faith always
brings defeat.”
4 meet with G od O c to ber 2 0 1 0
—woodrow kroll
DAY 2: The Devastation Read Judges 3:1–11

DAY 4: Othniel
This isn’t the first place we’ve met Othniel. Read Joshua
of Failure 15:16–19. What makes Othniel a logical choice to be the
first judge of Israel?
Read Judges 1:21–2:11
These verses list Israel’s failures. How does their failure to
drive out the inhabitants of the land affect them?

How are the judges of Israel different from the judges of

today (e.g. the Supreme Court Justices)?

What does this teach you about tolerating sin?

How long did Israel experience peace because of Othniel?

DAY 3: The Hot Wrath of God

Read Judges 2:11–23
What provoked God’s wrath?
time slips away
It takes about 105 minutes to read through Judges, so every one
minute of reading covers about 3 years of history. And while
What was the purpose of God’s wrath? the events of Judges seem close together as you read, there are
gaps of 20, 30, 40 years or more that slip by without your notice.
In these times between the judges, the silent years, Israel would
grow complacent and forgetful of God, ending up in trouble
again. Time may cause us to forget the work of God in our lives,
How is God’s mercy evident even here? but it doesn’t excuse us from following and obeying Him.
What actions can you take to keep yourself from becoming
forgetful about God’s work in your life? Journaling, passing along
family stories, traditions or visual markers can help.
DAY 5: Ehud
Read Judges 3:12–30
In verse 15, what was Ehud’s distinct physical characteristic?
The literal translation of the Hebrew means that Ehud was
“hindered in the right hand” which means it’s likely Ehud was
actually physically disabled. How does this challenge you to think
about the things you consider your weaknesses?
Have you allowed those things to keep you from serving God?
WEEKEND: Deborah
Read Judges 4:1–24
Describe the cycle we see Israel repeating in Judges.
Read Joshua 17:17–18 and Judges 1:19. What are Deborah’s odds
going up against an enemy with chariots and horses?
8 meet with G od O c to ber 2 0 1 0 meet with G o d
week two
The Chosen Many
Are you living with any broken relationships or
situations that need to be reconciled? Any areas where
you need to say, “Lord, I blew it”? Admit your failure to
God and ask His deliverance.
Most of us would probably agree with the saying, “If it ain’t
broke, don’t fix it.” The often-ignored parallel idea states: “If it is
broke, fix it.”
We may have many reasons to ignore the second rule, but
usually it’s a failure to acknowledge the problem. We look at
shattered relationships and chaotic situations and murmur, “It’s
not that broken; maybe it’ll fix itself,” or “Let’s see how it looks
tomorrow.” As a result, we end up living with broken things for
years!
Octob er 2010 9
 The people of Israel rarely maintained their relationship with
God for long. They broke it by neglect and by deliberate actions.
renew
yourself
They ignored Him and disobeyed Him. And then they refused,
sometimes for decades, to admit anything was wrong. in G od’s Word!
As a consequence of this broken relationship, they experienced
slavery, poverty, humiliation and defeat. God allowed things to
deteriorate until His people finally cried out, “All right, Lord, we
admit it’s broken! We blew it! Please help us!” Then God would DAY 1: The Song of Deborah
send a handpicked fixer, known as a judge.
We’ve already met the first two judges: Othniel and Ehud. Read Judges 5:1–31
Each man was a unique character with skills that God put to In verse 8, Deborah addresses what led Israel to point of desperation.
good use. Othniel was a warrior, and Ehud was a courier. Othniel What was it?
delivered defeat; Ehud delivered a “pointed” message. When the
Bible introduces each of these judges it tells us, “The Lord raised
up for them a deliverer” (Judges 3:9,15).
God chooses and uses His servants according to His purposes.
God raised up the judges and filled them with His Spirit (3:10). According to Deborah’s song, which tribes of Israel did not
Othniel, Ehud and the rest had unique skills, but their real participate in the fighting?
contribution came as a result of God’s guidance. They brought
about God’s will—the deliverance of His people. When the people
repented of sin, God intervened with human servants.
God still makes unlikely heroes of ordinary people. He
accomplishes extraordinary good in our lives by unexpected Think of the last time God provided
means. His Word and His Spirit are His for you; how did you respond to Him?
primary tools. But He also fixes broken
things using His servants, His churches,
His radio programs, His books—God
delivers!
God doesn’t force deliverance on
us. He patiently and lovingly waits for
us to acknowledge the sin-chaos in our
lives and say to Him, “All right, Lord,
we admit it’s broken! We broke it! Please
help us!” Then He delivers.

10 meet with G od O c to ber 2 0 1 0

DAY 2: Gideon Hesitates
Read Judges 6:1–24
What is Gideon doing when the angel appears?
What assurance does God give Gideon that he will be successful
when he attacks the Midianites?
DAY 3: Gideon’s Fleece
Read Judges 6:25–40
Why is Gideon’s first task to remove the altar of Baal?
Gideon put out fleeces. How did that demonstrate his doubt
rather than his faith? (Day 2’s questions may give you a hint.)
We often think of the fleeces as an effort to discover God’s will,
but Gideon knew what God wanted him to do; he was just fearful
to do it. Have you had that experience? How did you resolve it?
DAY 4: Gideon’s Fear
Read Judges 7:1–15
What two tests did Gideon’s men face?
What was God’s reason for reducing Gideon’s army so drastically?
How did God reassure Gideon?
DAY 5: Gideon’s Victory
Read Judges 7:16–25
If you watched any of the recent World Cup soccer games, you
heard the noisy vuvuzelas. Now, imagine these horns waking you
from a sound sleep! Add in crashing noises and sudden light …
and you get a taste of what the Midianite army experienced. How
does the Bible describe the effect of these unusual tactics on the
sleeping army?
What do you think this victory did for the faith of those who
followed Gideon?
 We all have moments when we feel stress or fear
WEEKEND: Gideon’s Critics because of one situation or another. Following are
several verses that address fear. Cut them out and place
Read Judges 8:1–21 them in your Bible or somewhere you can access them
Why did the tribe of Ephraim complain? when you feel afraid.

“The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: ‘Fear

not, Abram, I am you shield; your reward shall be very
How did the officials of Succoth undermine Gideon’s leadership? great’” (Genesis 15:1).

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of

death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4).
How did Gideon handle each of these situations?

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be
afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).
How do you respond when you try to do as God asks but other
believers are critical or even obstructive?
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (Psalm 56:3).

“‘Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be

afraid; for the Lord GOD is my strength and my song, and he
has become my salvation’” (Isaiah 12:2).

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love
and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7).

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For
fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not
been perfected in love” (1 John 4:18).
week three
When the Odds
Don’t Count
The odds were 450 to 1; victory would take a miracle.
And that’s the point.
Gideon and God had some history. The story of Gideon’s great
victory begins with his call in Judges 6. God found the future leader
of Israel trying to keep his head down and stay out of trouble with
the Midianites.
When the Angel of the Lord addressed him as a “mighty man
of valor” (Judges 6:12), Gideon responded with something like,
“Who? Me?” Like many of God’s chosen servants, Gideon accepted
his call with reluctance.
Along with the rest of Israel, Gideon wanted God’s help, but
he didn’t see himself as the person to deliver it. So, Gideon tested
God with a sacrifice and with the famous fleeces (6:36–40).
After God dealt with the fleece test and the people flocked to
Gideon, God gave Gideon a test of His own. Despite the fact that
the Midianites still grossly outnumbered Israel, God knew Gideon’s
army would claim victory even if God did all the work. So, God
whittled down the army from 32,000 to just 300 men. He wanted
His people to be absolutely convinced of the source of victory.
Then God allowed Gideon to visit the Midianite camp by
night and overhear the news that fear and defeat had already
infected that huge fighting force. Gideon returned to his band of
men assured the victory was theirs. It may sound like a joke to
say that 300 men surrounded 135,000, but that tiny army had
three powerful allies: God, darkness and chaos. In the noise and
confusion, the Midianite soldiers killed each other.
In the end, God’s concern proved true. The people weren’t
able to claim God’s victory for themselves, so they claimed it for
Gideon. They wanted to make him king, “for you have saved us
from the hand of Midian” (8:22).
To his credit, Gideon resisted the temptation. To his debit,
Gideon decided to create a memorial of the victory in the form of
an ephod—an ornate and symbolic cloak. His original intent may
have been to honor God, but the object quickly became an idol.
Gideon offers us an example of the importance of giving our
undivided attention to serving and worshiping God. But godly
intention must be matched with godly attention.
renew
yourself more than
in G od’s Word! “i’m sorry.”
The seven laws of repentance:
1. Repentance always distinguishes itself from regret.
Read Judges 8:22–9:57
2. Repentance always means more than saying you’re sorry.
A lot of people, including Gideon himself, probably wish that
his story ended after chapter 7. But it doesn’t, and we see from 3. Repentance always arises out of brokenness.
Gideon’s life that our greatest victories are often followed by 4. Repentance recognizes your offense against God, not just others.
times of greatest temptation. Why was it wrong for Gideon to 5. Repentance never attempts to dictate the terms of restitution.
DAY 1: Gideon’s Legacy

make an ephod?
6. Repentance never retaliates or seeks revenge.
7. Repentance is real only when subsequent change is evident.

Though he declined the kingship, what evidence is there that

Gideon lived a kingly lifestyle? (Extra: Do some research and
find out what the name Abimelech, Gideon’s son, means.)

DAY 2: Trying to Hustle God

Read Judges 10:1–18
In Jotham’s parable, who did the trees represent? What lesson Have you ever tried to “hustle” God in the way Israel did (v. 15)?
do you learn from this story? How did God call your bluff ?

By your count, how many times has Israel repeated its pattern of
sin, oppression, repentance and deliverance at this point in Judges?
DAY 3: Jephthah’s Mistake
Read Judges 11:1–40
By Judges 11, many of God’s laws had been forgotten or mixed
in with the pagan practices from those nations surrounding Israel.
In Jephthah, we find a man passionate about taking on God’s
challenge. But he lacked an understanding of God’s character
and His commands regarding vows and sacrifices. And that cost
him the life of his only child. How have you seen someone’s life
impacted due to a lack of knowledge about God or His Word?
Read Leviticus 27:1–8. How would things have been different if
Jephthah had known these verses?
What children need
Think of mistakes in your life that could have been avoided if
you’d known God’s Word a little better. What are you doing to
prevent similar mistakes in the future?
to know about god.
As you pray today, ask God to help you know Him better.
As you read His Word, make a concentrated effort to
understand His character and then ask Him to help you
become more like Him. Make John’s goal your prayer: He
must increase, ... I must decrease (John 3:30).
DAY 4: The Minor Judges
Read Judges 10:1–5; 12:8–15
Gideon and Samson are probably the two best-known judges in the
Bible, but there are several judges almost no one remembers simply
because we don’t know much about them.
In chapter 10 we read about Tola and Jair; chapter 12 talks about
Ibzan, Elon and Abdon. But in God’s economy, unknown is not the
same as unimportant. Paul reminds us of that in 1 Corinthians 12
when he compares the Church to a body with many parts. Serving
God isn’t about making ourselves better known, it’s about making
God better known.
1. God is love (1 John 4:8).
2. He gave His only Son as a sacrifice for their sins (John 3:16).
3. They have to believe in God’s Son, Jesus, to have eternal life
(John 3:16).
4. We learn about God’s character, and He guides us when we
read the Bible.
5. If we mess up, He’ll forgive us (1 John 1:9).
6. God created them and knew them before they were even born
(Psalm 139).
7. God has a plan for their lives (Psalm 37:23).
DAY 5: The Miracle Boy
Read Judges 13:1–25
When God promised a son to Manoah and his wife, what was to be
distinct about Samson’s life?

Number 6:1–8 describes what it meant to be a Nazirite. What was

unique about Samson as a Nazirite?

Only one other Old Testament figure had his birth foretold by an
angel. Who was it?

week four

Weekend: Samson’s Marriage Breaking the Cycle

When we take our relationship with God for granted, we
Read Judges 14:1–20 have a terrible surprise waiting for us. Rely on God today
In verses 1–3, what warning signs tell you this marriage may not for deliverance.
work?
Sometimes even the inattentive man notices the obvious!
Eventually, a few Israelites began to pick up on the cycle they were
in: When we ignore God and worship idols, bad things happen.
What does Samson do that indicates he doesn’t take his Nazirite When we repent and worship God, we have security and peace.
vows seriously? When we disobey God, we’re defeated and end up in bondage.
When we obey God, we experience freedom.
Up to this point, the people were on the verge of a great
discovery. But they swerved into error at the last moment. Instead

22 meet with G od O c to ber 2 0 1 0 meet with G o d Octob er 2010 23

of the obvious conclusion to deal with God seriously, they decided
to “have their cake and eat it too”—to seek God’s blessing while
renew
yourself
enjoying their own pursuits. They figured if they convinced God
they were repentant (even when they weren’t), God would protect in G od’s Word!
them while they went on their merry, pagan ways. They tried to
manipulate God with a false confession.
God immediately called their bluff. They revealed their
assumption that God Almighty was as easy to deceive as the idols
they worshiped. God, however, wasn’t fooled by the words of
DAY 1: Starting the Fight
repentance when the hearts of the people remained in rebellion. He Read Judges 15:1–20
referred them back to their idols for help (Judges 10:11–14).
God’s refusal must have been a shock. Now they had to repent When we get to Samson in the Book of Judges, we see
without conditions or expectations. “And the children of Israel said something different in the cycle Israel has been repeating
to the Lord, ‘We have sinned! Do to us whatever seems best to You; now for over two hundred years. Israel has forgotten God,
only deliver us this day, we pray’” (Judges 10:15). Not only did and a foreign nation is oppressing them, but this time Israel
they have to throw themselves on God’s mercy, they had to live out has not cried out for deliverance. Though he was far from
their newfound obedience. It wasn’t until they demonstrated their perfect, Samson was Israel’s wake-up call: he began the fight
repentance by living faithfully that God delivered them. against the oppressive Philistines which wouldn’t end until
It has been said, “Where there is no repentance, there’s always David sat on the throne.
repeat-ance.” Repentance is not a formula we can apply to get a Verses 10–13 indicate a possible reason why Israel didn’t call
result we want. Repentance is a whole-person response to sin that out for God’s help. What is that reason?
turns away from an old path and walks in a new path. Repentance
is more than mouthing words; it’s living obediently. We can never
settle for “going through the motions” to please God because He
looks at our hearts and knows our motives.

What does this tell you about the spiritual and moral state of
Israel in these days?
DAY 2: Samson’s
Weakness
fun zone
for kids or the kid in you ...
Read Judges 16:1–31 Samson was very strong man. His physical strength was
God’s gift to Him so he could defeat Israel’s enemies, the
What weakness made Samson
Philistines. But in some areas Samson was weak. Following
vulnerable to temptation and trouble?
are a few events in Samson’s life. Rate them according the
strength meter. 100 is strong; 0 is weak.

1. Samson fought and killed a lion.

What does Samson’s experience with 2. Samson took honey from the dead body of
Delilah teach us about dealing with a lion and ate it. (He was forbidden by God
temptation? to touch a dead body.)

3. Samson pulled out the gates of an enemy

city and carried them away.

4. Samson fell in love with a Philistine woman.

What makes verse 22 significant to She tricked him into telling her the source
God’s overall plan for Samson? of his strength.

5. Samson fell asleep and his enemies cut his

hair (the source of his strength).

6. Samson was captured, his eyes gouged out,

If you were to give the eulogy at and he was thrown into prison.
Samson’s funeral or write his obituary,
what would you say?
7. Samson prayed to God for strength and
destroyed the enemy.

See answers on the inside back cover.

DAY 3: Micah “We get our moral bearing by
looking at God. We must begin
Read Judges 17:1–18:31 with God. We are right when,
These last five chapters of Judges are especially tragic. They
show at a personal level how far Israel had fallen from God. and only when, we stand in a
Even more tragic is the fact most of the people probably didn’t
even realize it. Why might Micah have claimed that he truly loved
right position relative to God,
and served God? What would be wrong with that claim? and we are wrong so far and so
long as we stand in any other
position.” —A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God.
How did the Levite, Jonathan, show where his true loyalties were?

DAY 5: Civil War

DAY 4: How Low Can You Go?
Read Judges 19:1–30
Portions of this chapter closely mirror the story of the angels
visiting Lot in Sodom (Genesis 19). The tragedy is that the events
in Judges are carried out by Israelites in an Israelite city. Name a
couple ways in which the Israelites’ moral compass was off.
Read Judges 20:1–48
Look back at Judges 1:27–36 and compare the Israelites’ attitudes
there towards the foreign nations with their attitude here towards
their brother tribe. What is ironic about the way they treat the tribe
of Benjamin?
What is the proper response to sin in our lives?

Are there any sin issues in your life that are pulling your focus away
from God?
Weekend: Going Too Far
Read Judges 21:1–25
If you hoped for a happy ending to Judges, you’ll be disappointed.
In fact, the book closes with one of the most tragic verses in the
whole Bible: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone
did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).
Meet with God, an official publication of Back to the Bible
Many commentators have drawn parallels between Israel in the days Woodrow Kroll, President
of the Judges and Christianity in 21st century America. Do you Copyright © 2010 The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
think there is any merit to that claim? All rights reserved. International copyright secured.

Printed in the U.S.A.

sticking
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without
permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief
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points
Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version,
unless where otherwise noted. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway
Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All
rights reserved.
re new your memor y
Editor: Ben Zuehlke
Project Staff: Allen Bean, Ben Zuehlke, Barbara Gerhart,
Incomplete obedience to God will lead to failure. What aspects Brandy Griffin, Emily Wurl, Kathy Thorne,
Leisa Larson
of your life need to be upgraded from partial to full obedience?
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The evidence of a repentant heart is an obedient life. Anything Answers to FunZone on page 27:
1. 100; 2. 0 He was weak; he disobeyed God because he wanted
less leads to empty, powerless living. What needs to happen in honey; 3. 100 4. 0, once again Samson was weak because he
your heart? In your life? wanted his own way and not what God wanted; 5. 0; 6. 0; 7. 100
Judges:
Ordinary People,
Extraordinary God
Judges: Ordinary People, Extraordinary God
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