Judges

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Judges Reading Guide

The description of Israel’s total failure

Who were the Judges? NOT courtroom judges. They were regional political/military leaders; more like a tribal chieftain.

Introduction - Chapters 1-2

Chapter 1 - Israel failed to complete the conquest; a list of Canaanite groups still living in the land.

Chapter 2 - The Israelites move in beside the Canaanites and adopt their religious practices..

An overview of what is about to happen in the rest of the book.

Exercise: describe the cycle that Israel will repeat over and over.

The six Judges - Chapters 3-16

Pay attention to the character and actions of the judges.

How are they faithful to God? How are they unfaithful to God?

What phrase or sentence is repeated multiple times in this section that describes the condition of the Israelites?

What is the trajectory of the judges and the Isrelites through the book? Do they get better or worse in terms of their faithfulness and obedience to God?

How does God work throughout this period.

Israel’s Condition - Chapters 17-21

What sentence is repeated four times throughout this passage?

What is its significance? What does it tell us about Israel’s condition in this period?

Chapters 17-18

What does Micah do? What happens to him as a result?

What do the men of Dan do to Micah? What else do they do as a result of that action?

Chapters 19-21

Take note of the interconnected events that occur here.

What was the final outcome?

What does all this say about the moral and spiritual condition of the Israellites?

What does this say about Israel's relationship to Yahweh God  through this period?

How did God interact with Israel throughout this period?

How does the last sentence in the book anticipate the future?