Judges 10: 1-5

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Judges 10: 1-5
Significance in insignificance
Last week we kinda laughed at these two seemingly trivial leaders/judges in Isreal. We joked at how there’s people like Deborah [2 chapters], Gideon [3 chapters], Samson [4 chapters] and even Ehud [19 verses] but so much packed into his crazy story. And now these two dudes have to share 5 verses! I took it as a personal challenge to base a study around these two insignificants to try to find some significance...Bring it on!...

[Read > Judges 10: 1-5]

Do you think the amount of words written about someone in the bible can equate to how important they are?


[Activity] > Along with Tola and Jair, the other “minor” Judges include Shamgar [Chapter 3], Ibzan, Elon & Abdon [chapter 12]. Can you find anyone in the bible who has seemingly small insignificant parts to play...but actually they were significant?


What could be the reason(s) for the lack of detail about Tola & Jair?


Tola & Jair’s stories follow Abimelek’s without any kind of break. What could this tell us?


These short, seemingly insignificant few verses may not tell us much about these 2 characters, but they do tell us something about the character of God. In particular, about this God of Isreal in her low fortunes at this time...

This man, Tola “rose to save Isreal” (or “was sent to deliver Isreal”). Can you find any other Judges who were “called”, “rose” or were “sent” in the same way?


Regardless of if Tola had been called as a military leader or as an administrator or both, what does this tell us about Tola, God & us?


How is the link/comparison to Deborah significant?


Next we see Jair. What is the importance of his 30 sons with 30 donkeys in 30 cities?


Following last weeks story where the Isrealites chose a tyrant king, slip back into idolatry AND ignore the warnings of Jotham, they deserve to be wiped off the face of the earth. Instead, they get 45 years of peace under Tola & Jair. Why?


What does this tell us about God?


How is this applicable to us in 2010?

Judges 9

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Again we see the Isrealites messing up, but this time their usual pattern doesn't follow... We don't see the "Sin > Punishment > Cry for help > Rescue." Abimelek, the leading figure in this chapter hasn't been raised up by God to rescue...quite the opposite.

[Read Judges 9]



Abimelek stands as quite a contrast to Gideon. How?




Verse 5 mentions the place Abimelek killed his brothers as "one stone", what could this mean?





Judges 9:1-6 stands in stark contrast to Joshua 24:1 & 16. How?




Verse 8-15 tells a strange story. What does this remind you of?




[Activity] > Take some time to discect this strange story in verses 8-15 and write down what you think it means.




What does verse 26 tell us about the people of Schechem?




In verse 45 we see that Abimelek, after capturing the city, scattered salt over it. Why?




Verse 49 was a fulfilment of something that had been promised earlier in this chapter. What is it?




While men used weapons like spears, bows and arrows to defend towers, women helped by dropping stones. Why?




What does this part of the story remind you of?




Grinding grain was seen as women's work. Too lowley for men to perform. But, defending your city, fighting and killing pagan tyrants and enemies was definately a man's job. How is this story significant?




In verse 54 what's going on with the armour-bearer and this whole "a woman killed him" business?




From chapter 8:34 - 9:55 God isn't mentioned at all. What could this twll us about Abimelek's story?




The last 2 verses in chapter 9 wrap up this story and give a good "God conclusion". How and why?

Judges 8: 22 -35

[MEST] Judges
Judges 8: 22 - 35

So, in the words of John Lennon, "war is over". And even though we see that there is peace for 40 years, Gideon's choices are about to put an end to all that! ...


[Read] > Judges 8: 22 - 35


In v22, the Isrealites say, "rule over us...be our king!" What does this show us?


Next, Gideon seems to get it. He refuses their offer of royal praise and points them back towards God, but then in his next breath Gideon does something weird. What is it and what does it show us about Gideon?


What does this episode in Gideon's life tell us about us?


By refusing kingship but then taking an "offering" for himself, what essentially has Gideon done?


What's an ephod?


So, if it was ok to make an ephod in the past, what's wrong about making this ephod?


What does the way the Isrealites treat / react to the new shiney ephod, tell us about us as humans?


Our strengths can easily become our weaknesses. Gideon's strength was that he was able to hear from God. Gideon's weakness was that he had to hear from God. What could this mean?


[Activity] >

Can you think of other examples in the bible, where someones strength was also their weakness?


What is the result of Gideon's actions? How is this ironic?


We read that Gideon had 70 sons! But it also mentions that Gideon took a concubine who bore him a son, Abimelek. This was to mark trouble for Gideon's family. Can you think of other examples in the bible of when doing similar to this bore similar results?


Gideon is weak in ch6, because of his inexperience. Gideon is weak in ch8, because of his pride. What can an overview of Gideon's story tell us about him? And ultimately, about us too?