Category: Sermon Post

1. Read verses 1-7. What did the people of Israel again do? What did the LORD do, according to verse 1? What else did the LORD do, according to verses 2-7? Why are verses 2-3 significant? What is a Nazarite vow? How does Numbers chapter 6 help clarify? What else stands out to you in these verses and why?
2. Read verses 8-14. What did Manoah ask the LORD for? How does the LORD respond to Manoah’s request? What can we learn from these verses?
3. Read verses 15-20. Why do you think “the angel of the LORD” did not reveal his name to Manoah? Who do many commentators believe “the angel of the LORD” to be? How did Manoah respond to the commands of the angel of the LORD? What do we learn about the LORD from verse 19? What happens when Manoah and his wife offer the sacrifice to the LORD? What can we learn from this scene?
4. Read verses 21-25. How does Manoah respond when he realizes he has been talking to “the angel of the LORD”? How does Manoah’s wife respond to her husbands words? What else stands out to you in these verses and why? What can we learn from these verses?

1. Read verses 6-18. What words does the writer use to reveal Israel’s actions and thoughts? What words does the writer use to reveal what was done to the LORD’S people by their enemies? What words does the writer use to reveal what the LORD did to, and thought about, the people of Israel at this time? What can we learn from these verses?
2. Read chapter 11 verses 1-28. In what ways is Jephthah an unlikely savior for Israel, considering verses 1-3? According to verses 4-11, who establishes Jephthah as “head and leader” over Israel? How do Judges 3:9, 4:6, and 6:14 help clarify what happening here with Jephthah? What do we learn about the people of Israel in what Jephthah said to the king of the Ammonites in verses 12-28?
3. Read verses 29-40. What exactly did Jephthah promise the LORD? Why did Jephthah promise this? Why did he then keep his vow? What can we learn from this horrific scene?
4. Read chapter 12 verses 1-7. Why do you think the men of Ephraim were angry that Jephthah did not call them to fight? What reason does Jephthah give them? How is this conflict like and yet different from the conflict depicted in Judges 8:1-3? It is important to note that after this defeat the Ephraimites never again played any important role in Israel’s history. What stands out to you in these verses and why?
5. Read verses 8-13. What stands out to you in these verses and why? What can we learn from these verses?

What would it look like if the LORD handed you over to idolatry? What would it look like if LORD let you reap what you sow?

Here is the answer: if God hands us over to the idols that our sinful flesh desires and if He let’s us reap everything we sow, we will have no peace with God and no peace with man. We could say it another way: we will have war with God and war with man.

1. Read chapter 9 verses 1-21. Though Gideon has plenty of apparent sins, how is contrasted with his son Abimelech? What can we learn from Jotham’s words to the leaders of Schechem?
2. Read verses 22-57. What do we learn here about Abimelech’s pride? What do we learn here about the LORD’S justice? What else stands out to you in these verses and why?

DISCUSSION

1. Read verses 1-3. Why were the men of Ephraim upset that Gideon did not include them in the fight against Midian? In contrast, why did the LORD only allow 300 men to fight? What can we learn from these verses?
2. Read verses 4-21. How do the officials of Succoth and Penuel respond to Gideon asking for help as he fulfilled what the LORD commanded? How does Gideon respond? What can we learn from this? How do verses 11-12 contrast sharply with what we saw in chapter 7? What else stands out to you in verses 4-21 and why?
3. Read verses 22-28. Who do the men of Israel give the glory to for victory in verse 22? Is this a holy response—why or why not? How does Gideon respond to their asking he and his son to be king over them in verse 23? What can we learn from this? What did Gideon do in verses 24-28 and what was the result? How should this make us long for Jesus? 
4. Read verses 29-34. How did Gideon finish his course? What did the people do after Gideon died? How should both of these answers make us long for Jesus?

DISCUSSION

1. Read verses 1-3. Who is going to be responsible for the victory over the Midianites? What reason does the LORD give to Gideon for whittling down the army to a smaller number? What can we learn from this? How does Deuteronomy 20:5-8 help us further understand the LORD allowing people to go home who are fearful?
2. Read verses 4-8. In what ways does the LORD tell Gideon to test the men in order to make the army smaller in number? What can we learn from this?
3. Read verses 9-18. Why does the LORD tell Gideon to “go down to the camp with Purah your servant”? What does the LORD show Gideon and why? How does Gideon respond to the assurance the LORD gave him in verse 15? What can we learn from these verses? 
4. Read verses 19-25. What did the the three hundred men do in order to bring about the destruction of the Midianite army? What did the LORD do to bring about the destruction of the Midianite army? What can we learn from this concerning the importance of faithfulness to the LORD?

DISCUSSION

1. Read verses 1-10. What does the LORD remind the people of when he speaks through the prophet? What does this teach us concerning our continual need of hearing the gospel in our own day (see verses 7-9)? What does this teach us concerning how to repent of idolatry (see verse 10)?
2. Read verses 11-18. Who is “the angel of the LORD”? How does verse 14 help clarify? What question does Gideon ask the LORD? How does the LORD answer? How does Gideon respond to the command of the LORD? What should we learn from these verses?
3. Read verses 19-27. What do we learn about the seriousness of sin by Gideon’s response the realization that he was face to face with the angel of the LORD and the LORD’S words to Gideon right after? What do we learn in this passage concerning the wages of idolatry? 
4. Read verses 28-35. How does Gideon respond to the LORD revealing himself personally to him? How do the people respond to Gideon’s breaking down the alter of Baal? What should this teach us concerning the cost of following Jesus in our day? What should this passage teach us concerning the strength of the LORD for his people?
5. Read verses 36-40. What is more shocking to you in this scene, that Gideon would ask these things of the LORD or that the LORD would show him these signs?

DISCUSSION

1. Read verses 1-10. What marks Deborah as a person? How does she view the word of God (see verse 6)? Though Deborah is a judge over the people of Israel, who is to do the fighting?
2. Read verses 11-16. What does Deborah exhort Barak to put his trust in when it comes to fighting and victory (see verse 14)? What else stands out to you in these verses and why?
3. Read verses 17-24. Of what significance is it that Jael killed Sisera rather than some mighty man of valor? What else stands out to you in these verses and why? Who is ultimately given the credit for subduing Jaban the king of Canaan (see verse 23)?
4. Read chapter 5, the song of Deborah and Barak. What can we learn from this song?