Bible: Beginning to End - Judges 10-21: Cycles of Judges Part 2 & Epilogues

Episode Date: August 6, 2022

Judges 10-21 (Read) Important Links for the Podcast  Click Here for our YouTube Channel Discuss each episode on Reddit Contact Us Visit our Website On Instagram @biblebeginningtoend On Twitter: @biblebeginning1 Via email: [e-mail] Supporting the Show Financial contributions are never required, but if you'd like to support the show, here are a couple of ways: Be a listener and share the show with your friends! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to become a monthly supporter via Spotify.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠* ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to make a one-time contribution via Paypal⁠⁠⁠.* *Note that the Bible Beginning to End podcast is not a registered 501(c)3 or charitable organization. Therefore, any monetary support provided is not tax deductible. 10% of any profits made from this podcast via ad revenues or listener support will be donated to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Asha's Refuge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Christ-centered nonprofit that "exists to assist the most disadvantaged refugees/asylees in achieving a successful resettlement in the Memphis, TN area.". Episode Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 1:35 - Ad Break 1:36 - Judges 10 5:58 - Judges 11 16:31 - Judges 12 19:58 - Judges 13 26:51 - Judges 14 33:36 - Judges 15 39:34 - Judges 16 50:31 - Judges 17 54:50 - Judges 18 1:02:10 - Judges 19 1:11:25 - Judges 20 1:21:51 - Judges 21 1:29:17 - Outro Bible Verse Copyright Statement Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. To purchase an NLT, please visit https://amzn.to/3wUpUef

Hello and welcome back to Bible beginning to end where we are reading through the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. I am so glad you're here where today we are going to continue on in the book of Judges. We finished Judges 1 through 9 last time and today we will read from Judges 10 all the way to the end of Judges till Judges 21. So where we left off last time in judges, we have seen a lot of rulers or judges come in and out of the community of Israel, and we have seen Israel fall away from God, have periods of peace, fall away from God, have periods of peace, all under different judges who ruled them. The last judge we talked about was Abimelech, who was known as an anti-judge and was defeated, because of how he ruled over the Israelites. So now we're transitioning into a new section of judges called the period of decline.

And that will start with chapter 10. So as we read through, you know I'm reading through the new living translation right now. I will pause and ask questions along the way so that you can critically think about the scriptures, but I won't offer any commentary or answers to those questions. This is just a time for you to listen to God's word and reflect on what God is telling you about his scriptures. Convierre your passion in a business with Shopify and bathe records of ventas with the form of pago with a better conversion of the world. Has heard it.

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slash records. So let's go ahead and get started with Judges 10 and this

chapter is called Tola becomes Israel's Judge that's the first

section so Judges 10 verse 1 After Abimeleck died Tola

son of Puah son of Dodo was the next person to rescue Israel. He was from the tribe of Isikar, but lived in the town of Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim. He judged Israel for 23 years. When he died, he was buried at Shamir.

The next section is Jaya becomes Israel's judge. After Tola died, Jair from Gilead judged Israel for 22 years. His 30 sons rode around on 30 daughters. and they owned 30 towns in the land of Gilead, which are still called the towns of Jai. When Jhair died, he was buried in Kamon. The next section is the Ammonites oppress Israel. Verse 6. Again, the Israelites did evil in the Lord's sight. They served the images of Baal and Oshterath and the gods of Aram,

sidon moab amon and philistia they abandoned the lord and no longer served him at all so the lord burned with anger against israel and he turned them over to the philistines and the ammonites who began to oppress them that year for eighteen years they oppressed all the israelites east of the jordan river in the land of the amurites that is in gilead the ammonites the ammonites also crossed to the west side of the Jordan and attacked Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. The Israelites were in great distress. Okay, so pause there. Why did God hand the Israelites over to the Philistines and the Ammonites?

Who are the Philistines and Ammonites? How do you think the Israelites are going to respond to this? Why do you think the Israelites keep turning away from God? Verse 10. Finally, they cried out to the Lord for help, saying, We have sinned against you because we have abandoned you as our God and have served the images of Baal. The Lord replied, did I not rescue you from the Egyptians? The Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sedonians, the Amalekites, and the Mayanites? When they oppressed you, you cried out to me for help, and I rescued you.

you. Yet, you have abandoned me and served other gods. So I will not rescue you anymore. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them rescue you in your hour of distress. Okay, so pause there. Do you think God is really just going to leave the Israelites out in the cold and not rescue them? Or do you think he's going to eventually help them out of this strife? What do these stories, and these experiences teach us about how God is there for us time and time again. Verse 15. But the Israelites pleaded with the Lord and said, We have sinned.

Punish us as you see fit. Only rescue us today from our enemies. Then the Israelites put aside their foreign gods and served the Lord, and he was grieved by their misery. At that time, the armies of them. of Ammon had gathered for war and were camped in Gilead, and the people of Israel assembled and camped at Mizpah. The leaders of Gilead said to each other, whoever attacks the Ammonites first will become ruler over all the people of Gilead. Okay, that was the end of Judges 10, and now

we will go into Judges 11. Jephtha becomes Israel's judge. Judges 11, verse 1. Now Jephthah of Gilead, was a great warrior. He was the son of Gilead, but his mother was a prostitute. Gilead's wife also had several sons, and when these half-brothers grew up, they chased Jephtha off the land. You will not get any of our father's inheritance, they said, for you are the son of a prostitute. So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Soon he had a band of worthless rebels following him. At about this time, the Ammonites began their war against Israel. When the Ammonites attacked, the elders of Gilead sent for Jephthah in the land of Tob.

The elders said, Come and be our commander. Help us fight the Ammonites. But Jephthah said to them, Aren't you the ones who hated me? And drove me away from my father's house? Why do you come to me now when you're in trouble? Because we need you, the elders replied.

If you lead us in battle against the Ammonites, we will make you ruler over all the people of Gilead. Gilead. Jefftha said to the elders, let me get this straight. If I come with you, and if the Lord gives me victory over the Ammonites, will you really make me ruler over all the people? The Lord is our witness, the elders said. We promise to do whatever you say. So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead and the people made him their ruler and commander of the army. at Mizpah in the presence of the Lord Jephtha repeated what he had said to the elders. Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of Ammon, asking,

Why have you come out to fight against my land? The king of Ammon answered Jephthah's messengers. When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they stole my land from the Arnon River to the Jabbuk River and all the way to the Jordan. Now then, give back the land peaceably. Jephtha sent this message back to the Ammonite king. This is what Jephtha says. Israel did not steal any land from Moab or Ammon.

When the people of Israel arrived at Kadesh on their journey from Egypt after crossing the Red Sea, they sent messengers to the king of Edom asking for permission to pass through his land, but their request was denied. Then they asked the king of Moab for similar permission, but he wouldn't let them pass through either, so the people of Israel stayed in Kadesh. Finally, they went around Edom and Moab through the wilderness. They traveled along Moab's eastern border

and camped on the other side of the Arnon River, but they never once crossed the Arnan River into Moab, for the Arnan was the border of Moab. Then Israel sent messengers to King Syhon of the Amorites who ruled from Heshman, asking for permission to cross through his land to get to their destination. But King Sihon didn't trust Israel to pass through his land. Instead, he mobilized his army at Jihadz and attacked them.

But the Lord, the God of Israel, gave his people victory over King Sihon. So Israel took control of all the land of the Amorites who lived in that region, from the Arnon River to the Jabbuk River, and from the eastern wilderness to the Jordan. So you see, it was the Lord the God of Israel, who took away the land from the Amarites and gave it to Israel. Why then should we give it back to you? You keep whatever your God, Kimash gives you,

and we will keep whatever the Lord our God gives us. Are you any better than Balak, son of Zippur, king of Moab? Did he try to make a case against Israel for disputed land? Did he go to war against them? Israel has been living here for 300 years, inhabiting Heshben and its surrounding settlements, all the way to Oroar and its settlements. And in all the towns along the Arnon River,

why have you made no effort to recover it before now? Therefore, I have not sinned against you. Rather, you have wronged me by attacking me. Let the Lord, who is judged, decide today which of us is right, Israel or Ammon? But the king of Ammon paid no attention to Jephtha's message. Okay, so pause there at the end of that section. If you had to summarize Jephthah's speech, what would you say?

What history is he recounting in his speech? Do you think he was persuasive in his speech? Why do you think the king of Ammon paid no attention to what he was saying? The next section is Jephthah's vow. At that time the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephtha, and he went throughout the land of Gilead and Manasseh, including Mispah in Gilead, and from there he led an army against the Ammonites. And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord. He said, if you give me victory over the Ammonites, I will give to the Lord whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph.

I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering. Okay, so pause there. That statement that Jephthah made, where he said, I will give everything that awaits me to the Lord as a burnt sacrifice. What does that tell us about Jephthah's relationship with God? Verse 32. So Jephthah led his army against the Ammonites and the Lord gave him victory. He crushed to the Ammonites, devastating about 20 towns from Aurora to an area near

minneth and as far away as Abel Karamim. In this way, Israel defeated the Ammonites. When Jeff returned home to Mizpah, his daughter came out to meet him, playing on a tambourine and dancing for joy. She was his one and only child. He had no other sons or daughters. When he saw her, he tore his clothes in anguish. Oh, my daughter, he cried out. You have completely destroyed me. You've brought disaster on me. For I have made a vow to the Lord and I cannot take it back. Okay, so pause there and ask yourself this. Why is Jeff the reacting in such anguish? What had he just promised God? Do you think he's actually going to have to follow through with this promise? Verse 36. And she said, Father, if you have made a vow to the Lord, you must do to me what you have vowed.

for the Lord has given you a great victory over your enemies, the Ammonites. But first, let me do this one thing. Let me go up and roam in the hills and weep with my friends for two months, because I will die a virgin. You may go, Jeffa said, and he sent her away for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never have children. When she returned home, her father kept the vow he had made, and she died of So it has become accustomed in Israel for young Israelite women to go away for four days each year to lament the fate of Jephtha's daughter.

Okay, so pause there, because this is another one of the stories in the Old Testament that may be difficult to process. What did God's law say about human sacrifices? Look up Leviticus 1821 and Leviticus 21 to 5 to help you with this answer. Were human sacrifices a part of God's law, or was that a part of many pagan rituals of the people living in this area who worshipped other gods? Why did Jephthah feel like he had to complete this sacrifice? Another verse you might want to look up is Deuteronomy. 18, 10, to 12 to help you process this. And so if God does over and over again in Scripture say that the Israelites should not sacrifice

their children to him, why do you think Jephthah felt like he had to follow through with this? Do you think he didn't have an understanding of these Old Testament laws or the things God had said? Or do you think it was something else? And with what you know of God, do you think he approved of this sacrifice? Or do you think he would have found an alternative for Jephthah? Think back to the story of Abraham attempting to sacrifice his son. did God make a way in that story? How did God provide a sacrifice in place of Abraham's son? That story can be found in Genesis 22 if you need a refresher. Did you see Jephtha even attempt to ask God for a way out or

talk with God about this promise he had made or did he just jump to the conclusion on his own. Okay, now we can start Judges 12, which is Ephraim fights with Jephtha. Then the people of Ephraim mobilized an army and crossed over the Jordan River to Zafan. They sent this message to Jephthah. Why didn't you call for us to help you fight against the Ammonites? We are going to burn down your house with you in it. Jephtha replied, I summoned you at the beginning of the dispute. but you refused to come. You failed to help us in our struggle against Ammon. So when I realized you

weren't coming, I risked my life and went to battle without you. And the Lord gave me victory over the Ammonites. So why have you now come to fight me? The people of Ephraim responded, You men of Gilead are nothing more than fugitives from Ephraim and Manasseh. So Jephtha gathered all the men of Gilead and attacked the men of Ephraim and defeated them. Jefftha captured the shallow crossings of the Jordan River, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim tried to go back across, the men of Gilead would challenge him. Are you a member of the tribe of Ephraim? They would ask.

If the man said, no, I'm not. They would tell him to say Shibuleth. If he was from Ephraim, he would say Sibboleth, because people from Ephraim cannot pronounce the word correctly. then they would take him and kill him at the shallow crossings of the Jordan. In all 42,000 Ephraimites were killed at that time. Jephtha judged Israel for six years. When he died, he was buried in one of the towns of Gilead.

Okay, so pause there. Jefftha did not judge Israel for very many years. Why do you think that was? What did he accomplish during his time as judge over Israel? The next section is, Ibsen becomes Israel's judge. After Zephtha died, Ibsen from Bethlehem judged Israel. He had 30 sons and 30 daughters. He sent his daughters to marry men outside his clan, and he brought in 30 young women from outside his clan to marry his sons. Ibsen judged Israel for seven years. When he died,

he was buried at Bethlehem. The next section is Elon becomes Israel's judge. After Ibsen died, Elon from the tribe of Zebulan judged Israel for 10 years. When he died, he was buried at Aijalan in Zebulin. The next section is Abdon becomes Israel's judge. After Elon died, Abdon, son of Hillel, from Pirathan, judged Israel. He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons who rode on 70 donkeys. He judged Israel for eight years. When he died, he was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim in the hill country of the Amalekites. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 12. Why do you think some of the judges have a lot of verses dedicated to their story

and they go into detail about some of their conquests, while other judges maybe just have a couple of verses that tell who they were, how long they judged for, and how many children they had? Why do you think that is? Okay, so the next chapter is Judges 13, which is the birth of Samson. Chapter 13, verse 1. Again, the Israelites did evil in the Lord's sight, so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines, who oppressed them for 40 years.

In those days, a man named Manoa, from the tribe of Dan, lived in the town of Zora. His wife was unable to become pregnant and they had no children. The angel of the Lord appeared to Manoa's wife and said, Even though you have been unable to have children, you will soon become pregnant and give birth to a son. So be careful. You must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink, nor eat any forbidden food.

You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and his hair must never be cut, for he will be dedicated to God as a Nazarite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines. The woman ran and told her husband, A man of God appeared to me. He looked like one of God's angels, terrifying to see. I didn't ask where he was from, and he didn't tell me his name.

But he told me, you will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink, nor eat any forbidden food. For your son will be dedicated to God as a Nazarite from the moment of his birth until the day of his death. Okay, so pause there. Why do you think it had the woman repeat the message the man of God gave to her about her future son?

Did she say everything exactly as the angel or the man of God had told her? Verse 8. Then Manoa prayed to the Lord. saying, Lord, please let the man of God come back to us again and give us more instructions about this son who is to be born. God answered Manoa's prayer, and the angel of God appeared once again to his wife as she was sitting in the field. But her husband Manoa was not with her. So she quickly ran and told her husband, the man who appeared to me the other day is here again. Manoa ran back with his wife and asked,

Are you the man who spoke to my wife the other day? Yes, he replied, I am. So Manoa asked him, When your words come true, What kind of rules should govern the boy's life and work? The angel of the Lord replied, Be sure your wife follows the instructions I gave her. She must not eat grapes or raisins,

drink, or any other alcoholic drink, or eat any forbidden food. Then Manoa said to the angel of the Lord, Please stay here until we can prepare a young goat for you to eat. I will stay, the angel of the Lord replied, but I will not eat anything. However, you may prepare a burnt offering as a sacrifice to the Lord. Manoa didn't realize it was the angel of the Lord. Okay, so pause there.

We're going to ask a few questions and maybe back up a few verses to ask some questions about some of the things we've read in this section. First, why do you think Manoa asked God to send the angel again? What are we learning about Manoa's character and about his wife's character and how they are and who they are as people? Did the angel of the Lord give the same message when he returned, or were there any differences that you noticed? Why do you think it says that Manoa didn't realize it was,

was the angel of the Lord. Verse 17. Then Manoa asked the angel of the Lord, What is your name? For when all this comes true, we want to honor you. Why do you ask my name? The angel of the Lord replied. It is too wonderful for you to understand.

Then Manoa took a young goat and a grain offering and offered it on a rock as a sacrifice to the Lord. And as Manoa and his wife watched, the Lord did an amazing thing. As the flames from the altar shot up toward the sky, the angel of the Lord ascended in the fire. When Manoa and his wife saw this, they fell with their faces to the ground. The angel did not appear again to Manoa and his wife. Manoa finally realized it was the angel of the Lord, and he said to his wife, we will certainly die for we have seen God. But his wife said, said, if the Lord were going to kill us, he wouldn't have accepted our burnt offering and grain

offering. He wouldn't have appeared to us and told us this wonderful thing and done these miracles. Okay, so pause there. Why do you think Manoa finally now realized that it was an angel of the Lord? What happened that made him realize this? And why do you think the angel was unable to tell them his name? And then why do you think Manoa had the reaction that he did where he said, We have seen God, so we will surely die? Why do you think he had that reaction? Verse 24. When her son was born, she named him Samson, and the Lord blessed him as he grew up.

And the spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he lived in Mahanadan, which is located between the towns of Zora and Eshtail. Okay, so pause there at the end of Vahen. Chapter 13. So this was a really long section about Samson's birth and the events leading up to his birth. Why do you think there was so much time and so many verses dedicated to the birth of Samson? Do you think Samson is going to be an important figure in the Bible? Who do you think Samson is going to be and what do you think he's going to do? Why do you think God chose this family and this person, Samson, to be such an important figure. Okay, now let's start Judges 14, which is called

Samson's riddle. One day, when Samson was in Timna, one of the Philistine women caught his eye. When he returned home, he told his father and mother, a young Philistine woman in Timna caught my eye. I want to marry her. Get her for me. His father and mother objected, isn't there even one woman in our tribe or among all the Israelites you could marry, they asked, why must you go to the pagan Philistines to find a wife? But Samson told his father, get her for me. She looks good to me. His father and mother didn't realize the Lord was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines who ruled over Israel at that time. Okay, so pause there. What is the conflict that's going on right now. What does Samson want? Why do his parents object to what he wants?

What does it say about God in the midst of this conflict? What do you think God has in store for this part of Samson's story? What are we learning about the character of Samson? What kind of person does he appear to be in this section? Verse 5. As Samson and his parents were going down to Timna, a young lion, suddenly attacked Samson near the vineyards of Timna. At that moment, the spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him, and he ripped the lion's jaws apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as if it were a young goat, but he didn't tell his father or mother about it.

When Samson arrived in Timna, he walked with the woman and was very pleased with her. Okay, so pause there. What new information are we learning about Samson? What kind of person is he? What kind of abilities does he seem to have? Verse 8. Later, when he returned to Timna for the wedding,

he turned off the path to look at the carcass of the lion, and he found that a swarm of bees had made some honey in the carcass. He scooped some of the honey into his hands and ate it along the way. He also gave some to his father and mother, and they ate it. But he didn't tell them he had taken the honey from the carcass of the lion. As his father was making final arrangements for the marriage, Samson threw a party at Timna, as was the custom for elite young men. When the bride's parents saw him, they selected 30 young men from the town to be his companions. Samson said to them, let me tell you a riddle.

If you solve my riddle during these seven days of celebration, I will give you 30 fine linen robes and 30 sets of festive clothing. but if you can't solve it, then you must give me 30 fine linen robes and 30 sets of festive clothing. All right, they agreed. Let's hear your riddle. So he said, Out of the one who eats came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet. Three days later, they were still trying to figure it out. Okay, so pause there. Just think about the riddle. Let me read it again and see if you have any idea what it means or what he's talking about. Out of the one who eats came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet. Why do you think Samson is playing this game with these men? Why do you think he's giving them this

riddle and making this agreement with them? Verse 15. On the fourth day, they said to Samson's wife, entice your husband to explain the riddle for us, or we will burn down your father's house with you in it. Did you invite us to this party just to make us poor? So Samson's wife came to him in tears and said, you don't love me, you hate me. You've given my people a riddle, but you haven't told me the answer. I haven't even given the answer to my father or mother, he replied. Why should I tell you? So she cried whenever she was with him and kept it up for the rest of the celebration. At last, on the seventh day, he told her the answer because she was tormenting him with her nagging. Then she explained the riddle to the young men. So before sunset of the

seventh day, the men of the town came to Samson with their answer. What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion? Samson replied, if you hadn't plowed with my heifer, you wouldn't have solved my riddle. Okay, so pause there. What was the meaning of Samson's riddle? Would the men have been able to figure it out without the help of Samson's wife. How do you think Samson is going to react? We'll find out in verse 19. Then the spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. He went down to the town of Ashkelon, killed 30 men, took their belongings, and gave their clothing to the men who had solved the riddle. But Samson was furious about what had happened, and he went back home to live with his father and mother. So his wife was given in marriage to the

man who had been Samson's best man at the wedding. Okay, so pause there. What do you think about this story? And why do you think it is included in the scriptures? Why do you think it says that the spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon Samson and it was the spirit of the Lord that gave him this physical strength? Do you think that Samson was using his gift from God, his power, for selfish reasons or for God's purpose for his life.

And then why do you think Samson went home? Why do you think he left his wife and went home to live with his parents after this experience? Okay, now we can go into Judges 15, which is Samson's vengeance on the Philistines. Judges 15 verse 1. Later on, during the wheat harvest, Samson took a young goat as a present to his wife. He said, I'm going into my wife's room to sleep with her, but her father, wouldn't let him in. I truly thought you must hate her.

Her father explained, so I gave her in marriage to your best man. But look, her younger sister is even more beautiful than she is. Marry her instead. Samson said, This time, I cannot be blamed for everything I am going to do to you Philistines. Then he went out and caught 300 foxes. He tied their tails together in pairs,

and he fastened a torch to each of them. pair of tails. Then he lit the torches and let the foxes run through the grain fields of the Philistines. He burned all their grain to the ground, including the sheaves and the uncut grain. He also destroyed their vineyards and olive groves. Who did this? The Philistines demanded. Samson was the reply, because his father-in-law from Timna gave Samson's wife to be married to his best man. So the Philistines went and got the woman and her father and burn them to death. Because you did this, Samson vowed,

I won't rest until I take my revenge on you. So he attacked the Philistines with great fury and killed many of them. Then he went to live in a cave in the rock of Edom. Okay, so pause there. Why is Samson attacking the Philistines? Do you remember what God told Samson's mother before he was born? what did he say he was going to use Samson for? How is Samson fulfilling God's purpose?

Verse 9. The Philistines retaliated by setting up camp in Judah and spreading out near the town of Lahai. The men of Judah asked the Philistines, Why are you attacking us? The Philistines replied, We've come to capture Samson. We've come to pay him back for what he did to us.

So 3,000 men of Judah went down to get Samson at the cave in the rock of Edom. They said to Samson, don't you realize? The Philistines rule over us. What are you doing to us? But Samson replied, I only did to them what they did to me.

But the men of Judah told him, We have come to tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines. All right, Samson said, but promise that you won't kill me yourselves. We will only tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines. They replied, we won't kill you. So they tied him up with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock. Okay, so pause there. Why did Samson go run off to live in a cave? And then why did the tribe of Judah come looking for him? What were they angry about? What were they upset about? What were they worried about? Was the tribe of Judah angry because they wanted to defeat the Philistines?

and Samson ran away? Or were they angry because the Philistines were their rulers? They were under Philistine rule, and Samson upset them and caused the Philistines to attack the tribe of Judah. What was the issue that Judah was having? Verse 14. As Samson arrived at La Hai, the Philistines came shouting in triumph. But the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon Samson, and he snapped.

the ropes on his arms, as if they were burnt strands of flax, and they fell from his wrists. Then he found the jawbone of a recently killed donkey. He picked it up and killed a thousand Philistines with it. Then Samson said, with the jawbone of a donkey, I've piled them in heaps. With the jawbone of a donkey, I've killed a thousand men. When he finished his boasting, he threw away the jawbone, and the place was named Jawbone Hill. Samson was now very thirsty, and he cried out to the Lord, You have accomplished this great victory by the strength of your servant. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of these pagans?

So God caused water to gush out of a hollow in the ground at La Hai, and Samson was revived as he drank. Then he named the place, the spring of the mountain of the lake. the one who cries out, and it is still in Lahai to this day. Samson judged Israel for 20 years during the period when the Philistines dominated the land. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 15, so we can ask some questions. Why do you think God gave Samson this incredible, almost superhuman strength? Usually in the sections that we've read in this book, once we hear this statement about how long this person judged Israel,

we might not hear anything else about them, but this is not the last chapter that will include Samson. Why do you think they put this verse here that tells us how long he judged Israel when they're going to continue telling his story in the next chapter? Okay, now we can start Judges 16, which starts with Samson carries away Gaza's gates. One day, Samson went to the Philistine town of Gaza and spent the night with a prostitute.

Word soon spread that Samson was there, so the men of Gaza gathered together and waited all night at the town gates. They kept quiet during the night, saying to themselves, When the light of the morning comes, we will kill him. But Samson stayed in bed only until midnight. then he got up took hold of the doors of the town gate including the two posts and lifted them up bar and all he put them on his shoulders and carried them all the way to the top of the hill across from hebron okay so pause there why do you think this section is included in samson's story what do we learn about him about his character and who he is Okay, so the next section might be familiar to you because it's going to tell the story of Samson and Delilah. So if you've heard this story before, try and listen to it with fresh ears and see if there's something new you can gain from it. So the next section is Samson and Delilah, chapter 16, verse 4.

Sometime later, Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the valley of Sorik. The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, Entice Samson to tell you what makes him so strong and how he can be overpowered and tied up securely. Then each of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver. So Delilah said to Samson, Please, tell me what makes you so strong and what it would take to tie you up securely.

Samson replied, If I were tied up with seven new bow strings that have not yet been dried, I would become as weak as anyone else. Okay, so pause there. We have a new character entering Samson's story, and her name is Delilah. What have we learned about her already? What is her character like? What are her motivations?

And then what does Samson say he could be tied up with? Why do you think Samson has a weakness, something that allows him to be tied up or put in a voluble? vulnerable position. Verse 8. So the Philistine rulers brought Delilah seven new bow strings, and she tied Samson up with them. She had hidden some men in one of the inner rooms of her house, and she cried out, Samson, the Philistines have come to capture you.

But Samson snapped the bow strings as a piece of string snaps when it is burned by a fire. So the secret of his strength was not discovered. Okay, so pause there. why do you think Samson lied to Delilah about his strength? And do you think there actually is something that can be used to make Samson vulnerable? Verse 10. Afterward, Delilah said to him, You've been making fun of me and telling me lies.

Now please, tell me how you can be tied up securely. Samson replied, If I were tied up with brand new ropes that had never been used, I would become as weak as anyone else. So Delilah took new ropes and tied him up with them. The men were hiding in the inner room as before, and again Delilah cried out, Samson, the Philistines have come to capture you. But again, Samson snapped the ropes from his arms as if they were thread.

Then Delilah said, You've been making fun of me and telling me lies. Now tell me how can you be tied up securely? Samson replied, if you were to weave the seven braids of my hair into the fabric on your loom and tighten it with the loom shuttle, I would become as weak as anyone else. So, while he slept, Delilah wove the seven braids of his hair into the fabric. Then she tightened it with the loom shuttle. Again she cried out.

Samson, the Philistines have come to capture you. But Samson woke up, pulled back the loom shuttle, and yanked his hair away. from the loom and the fabric. Okay, so pause there for a second. Why do you think Samson keeps lying to Delilah about the secret to his strength? Why doesn't he tell her the truth? Why do you think Samson keeps playing this game with Delilah? Why doesn't he just leave if everyone around him is trying to capture him?

Why doesn't he just go somewhere else, leave Delilah behind? Do you think Samson will ever reveal the truth behind his strength? Verse 15. Then Delilah pouted, How can you tell me I love you? When you don't share your secrets with me? You've made fun of me three times now, and you still haven't told me what makes you so strong.

She tormented him with her nagging day after day until he was sick to death of it. Finally, Samson shared his secret. with her. My hair has never been cut, he confessed, for I was dedicated to God as a Nazareth from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else. Delilah realized he had finally told her the truth, so she sent for the Philistine rulers. Come back one more time, she said, for he has finally told me his secret. So the Philistine rulers returned with the money in their hands. Delilah lulled Samson, to sleep with his head in her lap, and then she called on a man to shave off the seven locks of

his hair. In this way, she began to bring him down, and his strength left him. Then she cried out Samson, the Philistines have come to capture you. When he woke up, he thought, I will do as before and shake myself free, but he didn't realize the Lord had left him. So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains and forced to grind grain in the prison. But before long, his hair began to grow back. Okay, so pause there at the end of that section. What is Samson's flaw in this story? Why did he end up giving away his secret? How do you think he felt when he realized that the Lord had left him? He had no strength. Why do you think that the Philistines chose not to kill Samson, but to enslave him?

How might Samson's life be a picture of what our lives could be like with and without God? Do you think Samson's power is going to come back? The next section is Samson's final victory. The Philistine rulers held a great festival offering sacrifices and praising their God, Dagan. They said, our God has given us victory over our enemy Samson. When the people saw him, they praised their God, saying, Our God has delivered our enemy to us. The one who killed so many of us is now in our power. Half drunk by now, the people demanded,

Bring out Samson so he can amuse us. So he was brought from the prison to amuse them, and they had him stand between the pillars supporting the roof. Samson said to the young servant who was leading him by the hand, Place my hands against the pillars that hold up the temple. I want to rest against them. Now the temple was completely filled with people. All the Philistine rulers were there,

and there were about 3,000 men and women on the roof who were watching as Samson amused them. Then Samson prayed to the Lord, Sovereign Lord, remember me again. Oh God, please strengthen me just one more. time. With one blow, let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes. Then Samson put his hands on the two center pillars that held up the temple, pushing against them with both hands. He prayed, let me die with the Philistines. And the temple crashed down on the Philistine rulers and all

the people. So he killed more people when he died than he had during his entire lifetime. Later, his brothers and other relatives went down to get his body. They took him back home and buried him between Zora and Estiel, where his father, Manoa, was buried. Samson had judged Israel for 20 years. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 16. Did Samson get his power back? And who gave him his power back? So we saw Samson with God, we saw him without God, and we saw him with God again.

Is God always there for us when we call upon him? How is Samson's story a picture of what it might be like to be in relationship with God? Do you think he expected his life to end this way? When we follow God, when we are with God, does our life take the path that we expect it to. Does everything end on a happy note? Is everything positive? Or is it sometimes messy and difficult and unexpected?

But is God always with us through it no matter what? Okay, so now we can start chapter 17, which begins a new section and the final section of judges. So judges started with prologues and then the middle, part was the cycle of judges. And in the last section, the last few chapters of judges is called the epilogues. And it starts with Judges 17. And the title of this chapter is Micah's idols. Judges 17 verse 1. There was a man named Micah who lived in the hill country of Ephraim. One day he said to his mother, I heard you place a curse on the person who stole

1,100 pieces of silver from you. Well, I have the money. I was the one who took it. The Lord bless you for admitting it, his mother replied. He returned the money to her, and she said, I now dedicate these silver coins to the Lord. In honor of my son, I will have an image carved and an idle cast. So when he returned the money to his mother, she took 200 silver coins and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into an image and an idol. And these were placed in Micah's house. Micah set up a shrine for the idol, and he made a sacred effid and some household idols. Then he installed one of his sons as his personal priest. Okay, so pause there, and I want to pose this question. What do we know about these two characters, Micah and his mother? What commandments

do we see Micah breaking in these first few verses? What do you think is going to happen to Micah and his family as a result of breaking these commandments? Verse 6. In those days, Israel had no king. All the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. One day, a young Levite, who had been living in Bethlehem and Judah,

arrived in that area. He had left Bethlehem in search of another place to live, and as he traveled, he came to the hill country of Ephraim. He happened to stop at Micah's house as he was traveling through. Where are you from? Micah asked. He replied, I am a Levite from Bethlehem and Judah, and I am looking for a place to live. Stay here with me, Micah said, and you can be a father and priest to me. I will give you ten pieces of silver a year plus a change of clothes and your food.

The Levite agreed to this, and the young man became like one of the first. of Micah's sons. Okay, so pause there. What is going on in the Israelite community during this time? It says in the verse that the people of Israel were doing something. What did it say? Does that give us any insight as to why Micah set up this false idol? And then we have this young man from the tribe of Levi.

Do you remember who the Levites were? What was their role in the Israelite community? verse 12 so micah installed the levite as his personal priest and he lived in micah's house i know the lord will bless me now micah said because i have a levite serving as my priest okay so pause there at the end of that story about mica and the end of chapter 17 why do you think that short story was included in the scriptures and in judges what do you think it is teaching us And what do you think its purposes in the overall narrative of judges and the scriptures as a whole? Do you think Micah learned anything throughout this story?

Okay. Judges 18. Idolatry in the tribe of Dan. Now, in those days, Israel had no king. And the tribe of Dan was trying to find a place where they could settle. for they had not yet moved into the land assigned to them when the land was divided among the tribes of Israel. So the men of Dan chose from their clans five capable warriors from the towns of Zora and Eshtail to scout out a land for them to settle in. When these warriors arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, they came to Micah's house and spent the night there. While at Micah's house, they recognized the young Levite's accent, so they went over and asked

him, who brought you here? And what are you doing in this place? Why are you here? He told them about his agreement with Micah and that he had been hired as Micah's personal priest. Then they said, ask God whether or not our journey will be successful. Go in peace, the priest replied, for the Lord is watching over your journey. So the five men went on to the town of Laish, where they noticed the people living carefree lives, like the Sedonians. They were peaceful and secure. The people were also wealthy because their land was very fertile, and they lived a great distance from Saidan and had no allies nearby. When the men returned to Zora and Eshtil, their relatives asked them, what did you find? The men replied, come on, let's attack them. We have seen the land and it is very good. What are you waiting for? Don't

hesitate to go and take possession of it. When you get there, you will find the people living carefree lives. God has given us a spacious and fertile land lacking in nothing. So, 600 men from the tribe of Dan armed with weapons of war set out from Zora and Eshtiel. They camped at a place west of Kiryath Jerram in Judah, which is called Mahana Dan to this day. Then they went on from there into the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah. The five men who had scouted out the land around Laish explained to the others, these buildings contained a sacred effid as well as some household idols, a carved image, and a cast idol.

What do you think you should do? Then the five men turned off the road and went over to Micah's house where the young Levite lived and greeted him kindly. As the 600 armed warriors from the tribe of Dan stood at the entrance of the gate, the five scouts entered the shrine and removed the carved image, the sacred effid, the household idols, and the cast idol. Meanwhile, the priest was standing at the gate with the 600 armed warriors. Okay, so pause there.

We see Micah and this priest show up again in this chapter. So are you learning anything new about that story and isn't making more sense as to why that chapter about Micah and this Levitical priest was included. Why do you think the tribe of Dan is removing all of these idols and effids from Micah's home? How do you think the priest is going to react to this? What do you think the outcome is going to be? Verse 18. When the priest saw them in carrying all the sacred objects out of Micah's shrine,

he said, what are you doing? Be quiet and come with us, they say. said, be a father and a priest to all of us. Isn't it better to be a priest for an entire tribe and clan of Israel than for the household of just one man? The young priest was quite happy to go with them, so he took along the sacred effort, the household idols, and the carved image. They turned and started on their way again, placing their children, livestock, and possessions in front of them. Okay, so pause there. Are you surprised by the reason the tribe of Dan removed all the idols from Micah's home? Did they remove them to destroy these false idols? Or did they remove them because they

believed in these false idols too? What do you think the outcome is going to be for the priest and the tribe of Dan now that he's leaving Micah and going to be the priest for this entire tribe? Verse 22. When the people from the tribe of Dan were quite a distance from Micah's house, the people who lived near Micah came chasing after them. They were shouting as they caught up with them. The men of Dan turned around and said to Micah, what's the matter? Why have you called these men together and chased after us like this?

What do you mean, what's the matter? Micah replied. You've taken away all the gods I made. And my priest, and I have nothing left. the men of Dan said, Watch what you say. There are some short-tempered men around here who might get angry and kill you and your family. So the men of Dan continued on their way. When Micah saw that there were too many of them for him to attack, he turned around and went home.

Then with Micah's idols and his priest, the men of Dan came to the town of Laish, whose people were peaceful and secure. They attacked with swords and burned the town to the ground. There was no one to rescue the people, for they lived a great distance from Saidan and had no allies nearby. This happened in the valley near Beth Rehob. Then the people of the tribe of Dan rebuilt the town and lived there. They renamed the town Dan after their ancestor, Israel's son.

But it had originally been called Laish. Then they set up the carved image, and they appointed Jonathan, son of Gersham, son of Moses, as their priest. This family continued as priests for the tribe of Dan until the exile. So Micah's carved image was worshipped by the tribe of Dan as long as the tabernacle of God remained at Shiloh. Okay, so pause there at the end of Chapter 18. even though Dan defeated the town of Laish was God with them. What sins is the tribe of Dan guilty of?

What commandments are they breaking? Do you think there are any issues within the Israelite community that are causing these tribes to fall away from God and worship false idols? What effect do you think this might have on the tribe of Dan in the future? Okay, so let's start. Judges 19, the Levite and his concubine. Chapter 19, verse 1. Now, in those days, Israel had no king.

There was a man from the tribe of Levi, living in a remote area of the hill country of Ephraim. One day, he brought home a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine. But she became angry with him, and returned to her father's home in Bethlehem. After about four months, her husband set out for Bethlehem to be. speak personally to her and persuade her to come back. He took with him a servant and a pair of donkeys. When he arrived at her father's house, her father saw him and welcomed him. Her father urged him to stay a while, so he stayed three days, eating, drinking, and sleeping there.

On the fourth day, the man was up early, ready to leave, but the woman's father said to his son-in-law, have something to eat before you go. So the two men sat down together and had something to eat and drink. Then the woman's father said, please stay another night and enjoy yourself. The man got up to leave, but his father-in-law kept urging him to stay. So he finally gave in and stayed the night.

Okay, so pause there. What do you think the father-in-law is doing? What kind of plan do you think he is devising? What do you think might be going on in this story? Why do you think this is included in judges? Verse 8. On the morning of the fifth day, he was up early again, ready to leave. And again, the woman's father said,

Have something to eat. Then you can leave later this afternoon. So they had another day of feasting. Later, as the man and his concubine and servant were preparing to leave, his father-in-law said, look, it's almost evening. Stay the night and enjoy yourself. Tomorrow you can get up early and be on your way. But this time, the man was determined to leave, so he took his two saddle donkeys and his

concubine, and headed in the direction of Jebius, that is, Jerusalem. It was late in the day, when they neared Jebius. And the man's servant said to him, Let's stop at this Jebusite town and spend the night there. No, his master said, we can't stay in this foreign town where there are no Israelites. Instead, we will go on to Gibbya. Come on. Let's try and get as far as Ghibia or Rama, and we'll spend the night in one of those towns. So they went on. The sun was setting as they came to Gibia, a town in the land of Benjamin.

So they stopped there to spend the night. They rested in the town square, but no one took them in for the night. That evening, an old man came home from his work in the fields. He was from the hill country of Ephraim, but he was living in Gibia, where the the people were from the tribe of Benjamin. When he saw the travelers sitting in the town square, he asked them where they were from and where they were going. We have been in Bethlehem, in Judah, the man replied, we are on our way to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim, which is my home. I traveled to Bethlehem, and now I'm returning home, but no one has taken us in for the night, even though we have everything we need. We have straw and feed for our donkeys, plenty of bread and wine for ourselves.

You're welcome to stay with me, the old man said. I will give you anything you might need, but whatever you do, don't spend the night in the square. So he took them home with him and fed the donkeys. After they washed their feet, they ate and drank together. Okay, so pause there. We haven't seen the concubine's father again. So what was the purpose, do you think of that first part of the story?

Do you think we'll see that character again? What do you think is going on in this part of the story? Why do you think that man gave them a warning about sleeping in the town square? Verse 22. While they were enjoying themselves, a crowd of troublemakers from the town surrounded the house. They began beating at the door and shouting to the old man, bring out the man who is staying with you so we can have sex with him. The old man stepped outside to talk to them.

No, my brothers, don't do such an evil thing. For this man is a guest in my house, and such a thing would be shameful. Here, take my virgin daughter and this man's concubine. I will bring them out to you, and you can abuse them and do whatever you like. But don't do such a shameful thing to this man. Okay, so pause there. Were you surprised by the man's reaction? Why is he offering his own daughter and the,

man from the tribe of Levi's concubine to these men? Why is he offering them up in place of the man from the tribe of Levi? This might be a difficult passage to read because you might be sitting there thinking this is a horrible thing to do. Why didn't he fight these men? Why didn't he do something else? Why didn't he stand up for his guests. So what do you think about his reaction? And what do you think he should have done instead? What do you think God would have wanted this man to do instead? Verse 25, but they wouldn't listen to him. So the Levite took hold of his concubine and pushed her out the door. The men of the town abused her all night, taking turns raping her until morning. Finally at dawn, they let her go. At daybreak, the woman returned to the house where her husband was staying.

She collapsed at the door of the house and lay there until it was light. When her husband opened the door to leave, there lay his concubine with her hands on the threshold. He said, Get up. Let's go. But there was no answer. So he put her body on his donkey, and took her home. When he got home, he took a knife and cut his concubine's body into 12 pieces. Then he sent one piece to each tribe throughout all the territory of Israel. Everyone who saw it said, such a horrible crime has not been committed in all the time since Israel left Egypt. Think about it. What are we going to do? Who is going to start? Who is going to speak up. Okay, so pause there at the end of a very troubling chapter, chapter 19. Just take a moment

to reflect on the concubine, her experience, what she went through, and the horrific way she died. Do you agree with the statement made at the end that it was the most horrible crime that had been committed since Israel left Egypt. What did it say at the beginning of this chapter? It said, now in those days Israel had no king. What effect did the king have on the people of Israel and their commitment and relationship with God? When they were without guidance, when they were without a king, what happened to society? Do you think it's important that the Bible include these dark stories to show us what it's like to live a life outside of God. What can happen to us when we worship other gods or fall away from God?

And finally, consider all the things that Israel has done up until now, all the ways that they have broken God's law, all the ways that they have fallen away from God, come back to God, fallen away from God again. We already asked the question, do you really think that this was the worst thing that Israel had done, that had happened in the community of Israel, or had they done other things that were even deeper transgressions?

But the question I want you to think about is, why now? Why this transgression? Why this crime? What about this situation do you think caused them to come together and say, who's going to speak up? What are we going to do? Okay, now we can transition into judges 20. which is titled Israel's War with Benjamin.

Then all the Israelites were united as one man, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, including those from across the Jordan in the land of Gilead, the entire community assembled in the presence of the Lord and Mizpa. The leaders of all the people, and all the tribes of Israel, 400,000 warriors, armed with swords, took their positions in the assembly of the people of God. Word soon reached the land of Benjamin that the other tribes had gone up to Mispah.

The Israelites then asked how this terrible crime had happened. The Levite, the husband of the woman who had been murdered, said, My concubine and I came to spend the night in Ghibia, a town that belongs to the people of Benjamin. That night, some of the leading citizens of Gipia surrounded the house planning to kill me, and they raped my concubine until she was dead. So I cut her body into 12 pieces and sent the pieces throughout the territory assigned to Israel

for these men have committed a terrible and shameful crime. Now then, all of you, the entire community of Israel, must decide here and now what should be done about this. And all the people rose to their feet in unison and declared none of us will return home. No, not even one of us. Instead, this is what we will do to Gipia. We will draw lots to decide who will attack it. One tenth of the men from each tribe will be chosen to supply the warriors with food, and the rest of us will take revenge on Gipia of Benjamin for the shameful thing they have done in Israel. So all the Israelites were completely united, and they

gathered together to attack the town. The Israelites sent messengers to the tribe of Benjamin saying, what a terrible thing has been done among you. Give up those evil men, those troublemakers from Gibbya, so we can execute them and purge Israel of this evil. But the people of Benjamin would not listen. Instead, they came from their towns and gathered at Gibbia to fight the Israelites. In all, 26,000 of their warriors armed with swords arrived in Gipia to join the 700 elite troops who lived there. Among Benjamin's elite troops, 700 were left-handed, and each of them could sling a rock and hit a target within a hair's breath without missing. Israel had 400,000 experienced soldiers armed with swords, not counting Benjamin's warriors. Before the battle, the Israelites went to Bethel and asked God which tribe should go first to attack the people of Benjamin?

The Lord answered, Judah is to go first. Okay, so pause there, because I want to ask a few questions about the situation as it has unfolded so far. What are the Israelites fighting about? What has started this war? When the man from the tribe of Levi explained the situation and how his concubine had died, was he honest? Did he tell them everything that happened as it had happened, or did he leave anything out? Refer back to verses 4 to 7, if you need to.

And then when it comes to the armies, does anybody have an advantage? Are they evenly matched? Does one group have more men fighting than the other? is one tribe more skilled than the other tribes? Are the tribes of Israel who are fighting Benjamin consulting God in this war? And if they are, what does that tell us about the Israelites right now? Verse 19, so the Israelites left early the next morning and camped near Gibia.

Then they advanced toward Gibia to attack the men of Benjamin. But Benjamin's warriors who were defending the defense, town came out and killed 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day. But the Israelites encouraged each other and took their positions again at the same place they had fought the previous day, for they had gone up to Bethel and wept in the presence of the Lord until evening. They had asked the Lord, should we fight against our relatives from Benjamin again? And the Lord had said, go out and fight against them. Okay, so pause there.

Is God on someone's side? Has he taken a side in this war? What is he telling the Israelites? Does it say anywhere in the text that the tribe of Benjamin is consulting or talking with God? Verse 24. So the next day, they went out again to fight against the men of Benjamin. But the men of Benjamin killed another 18,000 Israelites. all of whom were experienced with the sword.

Then all the Israelites went up to Bethel and wept in the presence of the Lord and fasted until evening. They also brought burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord. The Israelites went up seeking direction from the Lord. In those days, the Ark of the Covenant of God was in Bethel, and Phineas, son of Eleazar, and grandson of Aaron, was the priest. The Israelites asked the Lord, Should we fight against our relatives from Benjamin again, or should we stop?

The Lord said, go. Tomorrow I will hand them over to you. So the Israelites set an ambush all around Gibia. They went out on the third day and took their positions at the same place as before. When the men of Benjamin came out to attack, they were drawn away from the town. And as they had done before, they began to kill them. the Israelites. About 30 Israelites died in the open fields and along the roads, one leading to Bethel and the other back to Ghibia. Then the warriors of Benjamin shouted, we're defeating them,

as we did before. But the Israelites had planned in advance to run away so that the men of Benjamin would chase them along the roads and be drawn away from the town. When the main group of Israelite warriors reached Baal Tamar, they turned and took up their positions. Meanwhile, the Israelites hiding an ambush to the west of Ghibia jumped up to fight. There were 10,000 elite Israelite troops who advanced against Gibia. The fighting was so heavy that Benjamin didn't realize the impending disaster. So the Lord helped Israel defeat Benjamin, and that day, the Israelites killed 25,100 of Benjamin's warriors,

all of whom were experienced swordsmen. Then the men of Benjamin saw that they were beaten. The Israelites had retreated from Benjamin's warriors in order to give those hiding in ambush more room to maneuver against Gibia. Then, those who were hiding rushed in from all sides and killed everyone in the town. They had arranged to send up a large cloud of smoke from the town as a signal. When the Israelites saw the smoke, they turned and attacked Benjamin's warriors.

By that time, Benjamin's warriors had killed about 30 Israelites, and they shouted, We're defeating them as we did in the first battle. But when the warriors of Benjamin looked behind them and saw the smoke rising into the sky from every part of the town, the men of Israel turned and attacked. At this point, the men of Benjamin became terrified because they realized disaster was close at hand. So they turned around and fled before the men of Benjamin. the Israelites toward the wilderness. But they couldn't escape the battle.

And the people who came out of the nearby towns were also killed. The Israelites surrounded the men of Benjamin and chased them relentlessly, finally overtaking them east of Ghibia. That day, 18,000 of Benjamin's strongest warriors died in battle. The survivors fled into the wilderness toward the rock of Rumen. But Israel killed 5,000 of them along the road. They continued the chaos until they had killed, another 2,000 near Gettam. So, that day, the tribe of Benjamin lost 25,000 strong warriors

armed with swords, leaving only 600 men who escaped to the Rock of Rhemen, where they lived for four months. And the Israelites returned and slaughtered every living thing in all the towns, the people, the livestock, and everything they found. They also burned down all the towns they came to. Okay, so pause there at the end of Judges 20. That was a wild battle that we just read through. But who won that war? God was on the side of one of the groups in that war. Was that the same group that won? Why do you think after the Israelites won that war against Benjamin that they ended up destroying everything else in the towns? what do you think the aftermath of this war is going to be? How is it going to affect the people of Israel? And what changes, if any, do you think, might happen within the community?

Okay, so now we can start with the final chapter of judges, chapter 21, which is called Israel provides wives for Benjamin. Chapter 21, verse 1, the Israelites had vowed at Mizpa, we will never give our daughters in marriage to a man from the tribe of Benjamin. Now the people went to Bethel and sat in the presence of God until evening weeping loudly and bitterly. Oh Lord, God of Israel, they cried out. Why has this happened in Israel? Now one of our tribes is missing from Israel. Early the next morning, the people built an altar and presented their burnt offerings and peace offerings on it. Then they said, who among the tribes of Israel did not join us at MISPA when we held our assembly in the presence of the Lord? At that time, they had taken a solemn oath in the Lord's presence, vowing that anyone who refused to come would be put to death.

The Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin and said, today, one of the tribes of Israel has been cut off. How can we find wives for the few who remain, since we have sorely. sworn by the Lord not to give them our daughters in marriage. Okay, so pause there. Why do you think Israel made that vow to God? Do you think it was a vow God wanted them to make, or do you think it was a vow that they made out of their emotions? If it was a vow that God didn't necessarily want them to make, but that they made out of their emotions, is that still a vow they have to honor? And why do you think it says that the Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin. What did they feel sorry for?

What's happening right now? Is it a big deal that we have lost one of the original tribes of Israel? How does that affect the community? How does that affect the people? Verse 8. So they asked, who among the tribes of Israel did not join us at Mizpah when we assembled in the presence of the Lord?

And they discovered that no one from Jabber, Ghilead had attended the assembly. For after they counted all the people, no one from Jabesh Gilead was present. So the assembly sent 12,000 of their best warriors to Jabesh Gilead with orders to kill everyone there, including women and children. This is what you're to do, they said, completely destroy all the males and every woman who is not a virgin. Among the residents of Jabesh Gilead, they found 400 young virgins who had never slept with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. Okay, so pause there.

Why do you think they were given orders to kill everyone except young women who were virgins? This seems to be a very violent act, a very violent scene. So this may be something that's difficult to read, difficult to understand, and the question you might ask yourself is, is this something that they really had to do? or was this something they did on their own? Were they justified in ordering these killings? Verse 13.

The Israelite Assembly sent a peace delegation to the remaining people of Benjamin who were living at the Rock of Rimen. Then the men of Benjamin returned to their homes and the 400 women of Jabesh Gilead who had been spared were given to them as wives. but there were not enough women for all of them. The people felt sorry for Benjamin

because the Lord had made this gap among the tribes of Israel. So the elders of the assembly asked, how can we find wives for the few who remain since the women of the tribe of Benjamin are dead? There must be heirs for the survivors so that an entire tribe of Israel is not wiped out. But we cannot give them our own daughters in marriage

because we have sworn with a solemn oath that anyone who does this will fall under God's curse. Then they thought of the annual festival of the Lord held in Shiloh south of Lebanon and north of Bethel, along the east side of the road that goes from Bethel to Shackham. They told the men of Benjamin who still needed wives, go and hide in the vineyards. When you see the young women of Shiloh, come out for their dances. Rush out from the vineyard, and each of you can tell you. take one of them home to the land of Benjamin to be your wife. And when their fathers and brothers

come to us in protest, we will tell them, please be sympathetic. Let them have your daughters, for we didn't find wives for all of them when we destroyed Jabesh Gilead. And you're not guilty of breaking the vow, since you did not actually give your daughters to them in marriage. So the men of Benjamin did as they were told. Each man caught one of the women as she danced in celebration and carried her off to be his wife. They returned to their own land, and they rebuilt their towns and lived in them. Then the people of Israel departed by tribes and families,

and they returned to their own homes. In those days, Israel had no king. All the people did whatever seemed right, in their own eyes. Okay, so pause there at the end of Chapter 21. What do you think of the conclusion? to that saga with the tribe of Benjamin. Were the Israelites acting in conjunction with God when they told the tribe of Benjamin to take the wives from the women who were dancing in the field?

Or was that something that they came up with on their own? Did the women or their families have any agency or any say in who they married? Why do you think the Israelites came up with this idea? And then what do you think of that final verse, verse 25, where it talked about the fact that in those days Israel had no king and all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. Have you heard that verse before in judges? Does it explain why the people were acting the way they did throughout the entire book of judges? Why is it important to have strong leaders in a community of believers? why is it important to talk with God about every decision we make as a faith community and in our own lives?

So that's the end of judges. That is the end of another book of the Bible. And that was an interesting one. There was a lot that happened. We saw the ebb and flow, the flourishing of Israel when they had strong leaders, and when God was in control, and the downfall and the dark. darkness in Israel when there was no king, when they weren't consulting God, when they were worshiping other gods. So what can we learn from that? What can we take away from this book

that shows us what life can be like with and without God? Thank you all so much for listening. I am thankful for each and every one of you and each and every letter that I receive. I love reading them all. And next time, we will start a whole new book. and it will only take us one episode because it is very short and it is the book of Ruth, a very interesting story with a lot to unpack even in its very short delivery. So I look forward to reading through that with you guys soon and I will talk with you in the next one.