Please Read Chapter 8 and Judges 2-4, 6-8, 13-16
The nation of
Israel had a place to call home at last. Settling into the Promised Land
enabled them to leave behind their wandering ways and fulfill one of the key
promises to Abraham: a land for God’s
people to occupy. But, failing to evict
the Canaanites from the land, these pagan neighbors became a toxic influence on
a nation called to be different.
After the death of
Joshua, God’s people felt this pull of worldly culture and a destructive
pattern emerged:
- Israel turned again and again to the worship of pagan gods.
- God brought divine judgment.
- Israel cried out for God’s help.
- God raised up a judge to save them.
Early on, Israel
was conquered by the Canaanite king, Jabin. God appointed Deborah, a prophet,
judge, and strong leader to deliver her people.
She and her military leader, Barak, defeated the powerful Canaanite army
led by Sisera. He escaped and took refuge in the tent of a woman named Jael,
who killed him while he slept. Israel
had been delivered for now, but the cycle would continue.
Israel was later
oppressed by the Midianites. God called
Gideon out of nowhere to deliver His people. Gideon was pretty sure that God
has mistaken him for some well-built four-star Israelite commander, and asked
twice for a miraculous sign. God confirmed His intentions, and Gideon gathered
32,000 troops to take on the vast Midianite army. God, however, trimmed their forces to just
300 men. He used them to rout the
Midianites, and the people enjoyed freedom…for a while.
The cycle
continued, and Israel was soon dominated by the Philistines. This time God
prepared a deliverer by promising a child to a barren woman. This child,
Samson, was to be raised as a Nazirite, who was set apart to God. His hair was not to be cut and he was to
drink no wine. He was well known for his superhuman strength and less than
super character, especially in the company of beautiful women. His second wife, Delilah, betrayed him by
cutting his hair so he would forfeit his advantage and God’s favor. Samson himself embodied this insidious cycle
that had enslaved Israel, with his saw-tooth history of indiscretions and
victories.
As a result, the
Philistines took him captive and gouged out his eyes. But his hair grew back,
and his strength returned. Samson’s last
day was his best one. He was brought into the Philistine temple to entertain
their leaders. He prayed to the LORD,
collapsed the pillars of the temple and defeated the Philistines at last.
God is never
bashful about His intentions for His people. He never tolerates sin and, at the
same time, never breaks His covenant with His people. Israel may not have fully understood God’s
discipline, but over and over He had to bring them to their knees in order to
bring them to Himself.
- Israel is constantly running from the true God to other false gods. What are some of the false gods in our culture today? Which of them have you trusted?
- False gods trigger a cycle: a web of sin, God’s judgments, crying out for help, and God providing deliverance. What are some destructive cycles you have seen in your own life?
- Do you think that the Israelites did a good job of passing their faith to the next generation? How can we do this better in the church and in our own families?
- How would you describe Deborah? In what way does her story influence your view of women in leadership?
- Do you think Gideon’s request for a sign was an act of faith or an act of faithlessness? Does his faith change over time?
- Your friend, Samson, confides in you that he has trouble with women but doesn’t understand why. What would you tell him?
- In what ways was Samson a faithful man of God? In what ways was he not?
- What was Samson’s true weakness? How can you deal with your weaknesses before they become your downfall?
- Where do you see God’s grace in this chapter?
- Which character in this chapter stands out to you and why? How can you be more like them?
