free bible study – Michelle Lesley

Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

Wrap Up

Questions to Consider

1. Was there anything new God taught you in this study that particularly impacted you? What was it, and why was it so significant?

2. How is your walk with the Lord different after this study than it was before?

3. What are the reasons for, and the consequences of, “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes”? What are the implications of this mindset and posture of heart for God’s people, both individually and as the church, today?

4. What did you learn about idolatry and syncretism from this study, and how can you apply this to the church and Christian organizations?

5. What did this study teach you about trusting and obeying God?

6. Have there been any passages or concepts in this study that God used to convict you of disobedience and lead you to repentance? How will you walk differently in this area from now on?

7. What did this study teach you about the character of those who lead God’s people?

8. What have you learned about God and His nature and character from this study?

Homework

Spend some time in prayer this week asking God to show you how to put into practice one thing you learned from this study.

Recite all of your memory verses from this study. Which one is most meaningful to you right now?

Judges Bible Study

Judges ~ Lesson 17

November 10, 2021November 9, 2021 Michelle Lesley

Don’t forget to come back next week for our wrap up lesson!

Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

Read Judges 21

Questions to Consider

1. Go back to lesson 3 (link above) and review your answer to the first part of question 5, Israel’s pattern of sin and repentance in 2:16-23. How does today’s passage fit this pattern? How does today’s passage fit the theme verse of Judges (21:25), “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”?

2. Chapter 21 is a continuation of the story that began in chapter 19. Briefly review lessons 15 & 16 (links above) to refresh your memory.

3. Read all of chapter 21.

4. Explain 1-15 in your own words. What is taking place in this passage? What transpired at Mizpah (1,18)? (hint: use your cross references) Why was there “one tribe lacking in Israel”? (3,6) Which tribe was it, and why was it “lacking”? (3,6, chapter 20) If there were no Benjaminite women left for the Benjaminite men to marry and none of the other Israelite tribes would give their daughters to the Benjaminite men for wives (7), what would have happened to Benjamin as a tribe? Why was it imperative that the Benjaminite men marry women from among the tribes of Israel? Why couldn’t they just marry a woman from a neighboring country?

5. In the law, God explained why He didn’t want Israel marrying foreign wives. What was His reason? Think about all the idolatry we’ve seen in the book of Judges. Which seemed to be more important to Israel in chapter 21, the letter of the law (the outward behavior of not marrying foreign wives), or the heart of the law (the inward heart condition of loving God and rejecting idolatry)?

Recall Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount: “You have heard it said that [letter of the law], but I say to you [heart of the law].” Was Jesus saying that obedience in our external behavior – such as (for the Israelites) obeying the command not to marry foreign wives – wasn’t important? Where does our outward obedience flow from? From God’s perspective (a perspective we should attain to), is mere outward, behavioral conformity to the law true obedience to Him?

Compare the Old Testament’s prohibition on God’s people marrying unbelievers to the New Testament’s prohibition on God’s people marrying (or closely yoking with) unbelievers.

6. We live in a very individualistic society. Old Testament Israel was a very corporate society. How does this impact and explain Israel’s grief and compassion (2,3,6,15) over the potential loss of the tribe of Benjamin, even though they had recently been at war with, and killing, the Benjaminites?

Compare the Old Testament corporate perspective in this passage with the New Testament corporate perspective of the church in 1 Corinthians 12. Make the connection between Judges 21:2,3,6,15 and 1 Corinthians 12:26. Why did God design His people to be interdependent – to need each other?

7. Explain in your own words what is happening in verses 16-25. What does verse 22 mean?

Did telling and allowing the Benjaminites to snatch the women (22) let Israel and Shiloh off the hook for the vow (18) since they weren’t technically “giving our daughters to them”? Were they truly keeping the vow, or was this yet another letter of the law versus heart of the law situation? What about the laws against coveting and stealing – were those laws being kept or broken in this situation?

When it comes to sin, does God ever let people off on a technicality? Is someone who looks for loopholes in God’s commands a person whose obedience is motivated by her love for the Lord, or someone who loves sin and wants to “get away with” as much of it as possible? Do you ever play games like this with God’s commands?

8. Do you notice anything in chapter 21 indicating that God instructed Israel to do any of the things they did, or that He approved of any of these things? Did Israel inquire of the Lord about the lack of wives for the Benjaminite men, or did they take matters into their own hands? Think about how Sarai took matters into her own hands to have a son, when God’s plan was for Him to provide her with a son. Could not the same God who miraculously provided an offspring for Abraham have also miraculously provided wives for Benjamin? How does taking matters into our own hands, especially by sinning, a) demonstrate a lack of trust in God and His ways, and b) never turn out as well as trusting God and His ways does?

9. How would you respond to this statement? “Living by doing what is right in your own eyes (25) gives you an inconsistent spiritual framework that puts you in the position of looking in moral indignation upon one sin while committing another to ‘correct’ it.”

Compare verse 4 to verse 25. Do our outward actions of worship (4) mean anything if our hearts aren’t right with God (25)?

Homework

Review your answers to question 5, above. Are there any areas of your life in which you are being externally, behaviorally obedient to God, but that outward conformity to the requirements of Scripture isn’t motivated by love for God or the heart of the law?

For example: Do you give your offerings or attend church reluctantly or resentfully rather than giving generously and cheerfully, or attending eagerly because you love the Lord and His people?

Think it over and repent of any areas in which your obedience is not a natural outflow of your heart. Choose one of these areas, and over the next week, do a deep dive into the Word on that particular issue. Why does God want you to do or not do that behavior? What should be the posture of your heart that leads to outward obedience on that issue? Ask God to change your heart so your outward behavior will be rightly motivated and will be a joy rather than a burden.

Suggested Memory Verse

Judges Bible Study

Judges ~ Lesson 16

November 3, 2021November 2, 2021 Michelle Lesley

Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,

Read Judges 20

Questions to Consider

2. Chapter 20 is a continuation of the story that began in chapter 19. Briefly review lesson 15 (link above) to refresh your memory.

3. Read 1-6. What does it mean that the men of Israel assembled “to the Lord”? (1) Why had the Levite dismembered his concubine and sent her body parts to each of the tribes of Israel?

No doubt what the men of Gibeah did to the concubine was heinous (5), but how did they have access to her in the first place? (Notice the Levite leaves out that part of the story.) What has the Levite’s sin of using his concubine – someone vulnerable and weaker than himself, someone he should have been protecting – as a piece of expendable property to protect himself led to? Trace this story back to its roots: explain how this entire story would have turned out differently if the Levite had played the man and defended and protected the concubine. Go even further back: would this story have even taken place if the Levite had followed God’s plan for marriage and was the husband of one wife instead of committing adultery with the concubine? How does this demonstrate the principle that sin begets sin?

Contrast the way the Levite treated this woman with a) the way God loves and values women and b) the way God wants men, especially husbands, to treat, love, and value women / their wives.

4. Read 8-17. Consider all the evil and sin we’ve seen one or more of God’s people commit in the book of Judges thus far. Has it been mostly “vertical” (directly against God) sin or mostly “horizontal” (directly against other people) sin? Which is worse? We’ve reached the climax of the book of Judges. Israel at long last sees the depravity of sin and is moved to action. What sin finally moves them – their own vertical sin of idolatry or someone else’s horizontal sin against the concubine, the Levite, and the community? Why is it easier to see and rightly respond to someone else’s sin rather than our own sin? Why do we often see horizontal sin as worse than vertical sin? How did the Israelites not see that their outrage and grief over the men of Gibeah’s sin was nothing compared to God’s outrage and grief over their sin of idolatry? How is it God’s grace to us to show us our sin against Him by letting us see one person’s sin against another?

Did Israel immediately go in and destroy the whole tribe of Benjamin? What was Israel’s initial demand? (13a) What was Benjamin’s response? (13b) What happened – how did things escalate – as a result of Benjamin’s covering for the men of Gibeah’s sin, refusing to hold the men accountable, and refusing to deal with sin in the camp in a biblical way? How does this compare to church discipline situations today? What effect does it have on a church when sin in the camp is ignored, covered up, and not dealt with in a biblical way? In what ways do we often put practical concerns ahead of doing things God’s way in situations like these?

5. Read 18-28. How many times did Israel inquire of the Lord in this passage? Compare their first (18), second (23), and third (26-28) inquiries. Why and how did each inquiry intensify? Were they demonstrating a worldly sorrow or a godly sorrow over their sin? Does this scenario remind you of this passage? How?

Verse 18 is the first place we’ve seen God present (see question 4 in lesson 15, link above) with His people in quite a long time. What has been standing between Israel and God, and what is the first thing He deals with when He “shows up”? Explain why sin is always the first thing that has to be dealt with and biblically resolved in any church’s or individual’s relationship with God.

Consider what happens to Israel in 18-28 in light of what Hebrews 12:5-11 says about discipline. How did God apply painful discipline to Israel in 18-28? Were they “trained by it,” and did this discipline “yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness” for them?

6. Read 29-48. Revisit the second part of question 4. What did Benjamin lose – practically / temporally and spiritually – by covering for the men of Gibeah’s sin, refusing to hold the men accountable, and refusing to deal with sin in the camp in a biblical way? Who actually defeated Benjamin? (35)

7. What did this chapter teach you about sin, sinners, and the nature and character of God?

Homework

Think about the most outrageous sin someone has committed against you or that you’ve seen committed against another person. Now compare that sin, and your grief and outrage over it to your own sin against God. How is it God’s grace to us to show us our sin against Him by letting us see or experience one person’s sin against another? How is our sin against God exponentially worse than one person’s sin against another? List three ways this should inform how you think about your own sin against God, and three ways this should inform how you think about others’ sin against you. Is there any way you’ve been sinning against God that you need to repent of? Is there anyone you need to forgive for sinning against you?

Suggested Memory Verse

Judges Bible Study

Judges ~ Lesson 15

October 27, 2021October 27, 2021 Michelle Lesley

Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,

Read Judges 19

Questions to Consider

2. Read 19:1. (You may wish to briefly review lesson 14 for these questions, link above.) Which “days” does “in those days” refer to? What is a concubine? What is the position of the man in this verse? Why is it significant to the theme of Judges that this man was a Levite? Where else have we recently seen a Levite as a central character in a story in Judges?

Notice the repetition (see lesson 14, link above) of the phrase and the concept “when there was no king in Israel”. Who is traditionally considered the author of Judges (see lesson 1, link above)? How does this phrase explain to the author’s contemporaries a) that the events in Judges took place prior to the monarchy (the period of the kings of Israel – Saul, David, etc.) they were currently living in, b) that the anarchy of Judges necessitated the monarchy, and c) the contrast between the anarchy during the time of Judges and the law and order during the monarchy? For us as readers, how does this phrase and concept lay the groundwork, and introduce us to the need for the monarchy?

3. Read 19:2-30. Compare and contrast the genuine hospitality of the Levite’s father-in-law (3-9) with the hypocritical hospitality of the old man (20-21, 22-24) with the anti-hospitality of the worthless fellows (22,25). In what ways does this display of various degrees of hospitality inform your view of what Christian hospitality should look like in your life? Which man/men best points us to the way God welcomes us strangers in? Why?

How does the concubine’s unfaithfulness, and the husband going to bring her back, paint a picture of Israel’s unfaithfulness and God as Redeemer? How does it point us to our own sin and straying and God sending Christ to pursue us, redeem us, and restore us to Himself? Continuing this line of thought, how does the fact that the unfaithful woman in this story is a concubine impact or reflect on the fact that the church – Believers – are the bride of Christ? What is the difference in status, rights, and privileges between a concubine and a wife as it relates to our standing in Christ?

How does this passage move from the Levite (recall from lesson 14, link above, the duties of the Levites) being a picture of God as Redeemer of His Bride in 1-21 to a picture of what God would never do to His Bride in 22-30?

How are the actions of the Levite, the old man, and the worthless fellows in 22-30 reflective of the theme of Judges and the opening concept of this chapter “there was no king in Israel”?

God reveals throughout Scripture a special love, care, and compassion for the most vulnerable, such as women and children, widows and orphans, the sojourner, and the poor. He teaches us that the strong are to protect and provide for the weak. Explain how the Levite’s (especially as a “man of God”) (25), the old man’s (24), and the worthless fellows’ (22,25) behavior toward a sojourner (22) and women (24,25) demonstrates just how far their hearts were from the heart of God. Did they protect and provide for these vulnerable people, or did they sacrifice the vulnerable to protect and provide for themselves?

Think about how “there was no king in Israel” allowed for the behavior of these men, and how there was, functionally, “no King of Kings in Israel,” which led to the heart attitude of these men (which resulted in their behavior). How does what we believe inform what we do?

What are some modern day examples – inside and outside the visible church – of the strong sacrificing the weak and vulnerable to protect or provide for themselves, and how does this demonstrate just how far the heart of the “strong” is from the heart of God? How would these passages apply? How does what we believe inform what we do?

What do you think was the Levite’s purpose in dismembering and disseminating his concubine? (29-30) (Check your answer in lesson 16 next week, or peek ahead to chapter 20.)

4. In most passages of Scripture, God is present with His people. He’s giving a command, speaking through a prophet, the passage describes His thoughts and actions, etc. We’ve even seen God present in this way in previous passages in Judges. Where is God in Judges 19? Do you feel the weight of His absence in this passage? Are the false beliefs and sinful actions we see in this passage the cause or the result of God taking a step back from these people?

5. Think about the motif of light versus darkness in the Bible. How does the depth of sin and darkness in today’s passage starkly contrast the brilliance of the light of Christ?

Homework

Who established the system of judges over Israel? Was the system of judges successful (i.e. Israel flourished in her faith in God, her economy, victory over her enemies, agricultural bounty, etc.)? Whose fault was it that the system of judges failed and needed to be replaced? Think of some other systems and scenarios throughout the Bible that God set up as good, but were ruined by man’s sin. (Hint to get you started.) Does the failure of these systems mean that God was a failure or that He did not foresee what would happen when He established these systems? How do you know this? How do all of these failed systems point to the one system that has not failed and will not fail? What is that system and why will it not fail? How does the infallibility of this system help us understand that those who are genuinely saved cannot lose their salvation?

Suggested Memory Verse

Judges Bible Study

Judges ~ Lesson 14

October 20, 2021October 19, 2021 Michelle Lesley

Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,

Read Judges 17-18

Questions to Consider

2. Read chapter 17. Was this the same Micah who wrote the book of Micah? How do you know?

Remember the old “What’s wrong with this picture?” puzzles? This chapter seems like the Bible version of that. How many sins can you spot in this passage? Which of the Ten Commandments are being broken?

Is it possible to dedicate something to the Lord and simultaneously dedicate that thing to idolatry? (17:3) To worship the one true God via idol worship? How is this an example of syncretism? Explain why “syncretism” is just a fancy word for “idolatry”. How does syncretism violate the first two Commandments?

Explain the syncretism taking place in 17:7-13. Imagine you’re Micah’s godly, doctrinally sound friend and he says 17:13 to you. How would you correct his false theology from Scripture? (Challenge yourself: First try correcting him using any applicable Old or New Testament Scripture. Then try correcting him using only the Old Testament Scriptures/events/teachings he would have had access to or should have known (Genesis 1 – Judges 16).)

Why do you think 17:6 was inserted into this story?

3. Read 18:1-6. How is the purpose of 18:1 different from the purpose of 17:6 in today’s passage?

Carefully examine the interaction between the Levite and the men from Dan in 18:3-6. Generally speaking, what were the duties of the Levites? Was this Levite doing his job as Scripture commanded? Did the men from Dan know this? (18:3) What should they have done to the Levite (and Micah, for that matter)? What did they do instead (18:5)?

Explain how enlisting the priest of an idol to inquire of the Lord was also an example of syncretism. How does this compare to professing Christians of today who consult false teachers for a “word of knowledge” or “prophecy” over their lives, attend “churches” headed up by false teachers, “worship” God using music created by heretics, etc.?

4. Read 18:7-31. Examine and summarize the actions and beliefs of the men of Dan throughout chapter 18.

What did they do in 18:5?
What did they believe in 18:6, 10?
What did they believe in 18:14-20 and what did they do 18:14-20 as a result of that belief?

Explain how idolatry and unbiblical theology led the men of Dan, and lead us, to sinful actions. How does what we believe about God impact what we do?

Do you think the men of Dan and the Levite were consciously, proactively, and objectively choosing to do wrong (idolatry), or do you think they were deceived and spiritually blind, thinking that their syncretism was good and pleasing to the Lord? Perhaps a mix of both? Ultimately, does it matter? Either way, they were sinning, right? How does this apply to professing Christians today who think they are actually worshiping the one true God, the God of the Bible, through false and unbiblical “Christian” systems like Catholicism, Mormonism, Word of Faith (prosperity gospel), and New Apostolic Reformation?

Really let Micah’s statement in 18:24 sink in. Compare it to these verses. What was Micah’s heart, hope and faith set on? Who were Asaph’s and Peter’s heart, hope, and faith set on?

5. Notice how idolatry not only permeates, but bookends (17:3-4, 18:30-31) today’s passage. How did the idolatry snowball from one woman purposing to make a household idol to an entire tribe of Israel worshiping that idol? Think about this in terms of how your own personal sin and unbiblical beliefs can impact not only you, but your family, friends, church, workplace, and community.

6. If Micah, the Levite, and the men of Dan had been committed to God and His Word, in what ways would this story be different?

7. In most passages of Scripture, God is present with His people. He’s giving a command, speaking through a prophet, the passage describes His thoughts and actions, etc. We’ve even seen God present in this way in previous passages in Judges. Where is God in Judges 17-18? Do you feel the weight of His absence in this passage? Are the false beliefs and sinful actions we see in this passage the cause or the result of God taking a step back from these people?

Homework

Can you think of any modern day examples of syncretism? What about churches offering yoga or “Christian yoga” classes? Churches that participate in Kwanzaa? Churches that use music from heretical sources? Christians who consult psychics, use horoscopes, or practice mindfulness? Think about the way you worship God and walk out your Christianity, both at church and as an individual. Is there any way in which you’re syncretizing Christianity and another religion, or Christianity and worldly methods?