Not Quite Done

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting May 4 to begin the study of Judges 1.  This chapter starts the process of setting the rest of the book.  It depicts the failure to possess the land and dispossess the Canaanites.

Read through the chapter several times in different translations.  Jot down questions and observations as you do.  Try and imagine the events happening, hearing the words, and seeing the faces.  Try and find a map of Canaan, and see if you can see where things happened, what was around them, how far apart they were, and so on.  Get a feel for areas of mountains and plains.

Once you have your own notes, look through commentary.  Revise your notes and questions accordingly.  See how much you agree or disagree with the conclusions of the commentators.

After you've gone through the passage yourself, go back through with the questions below:

• The timing seems to be after the death of Joshua.  Yet, the chapter mentions Caleb later.  Why do you think the writer has this repeated material, but has the timing after Joshua?
• Read Joshua 10.  The account seems to repeat much of this chapter.  Why do you think the writer of Judges would repeat this at the beginning?
• Judah goes up first, by Yahweh's choice and he takes Simeon.  See if you can find Simeon's allotment on a map of Canaan.  If you can, why does this make so much sense for them to "team up"?
• As the cities are defeated, reading through the chapter, does Judah help Simeon?
• Adoni-Bezek of the city of Bezek is in the wrong place.  Bezek is too far north out of Judah's territory.  Considering where they take him and where he dies, and considering what you read in Joshua 10, who could this Bezek person be instead?
• What do you think of cutting off the "thumbs" of the hands and feet of your opponents?
• What surprises you about the thumbless king's response to having his thumbs removed?
• Read Joshua 14:6-15, and 15:13-19.  Who defeats the "Sons of Anak"?  If this has already happened, why mention it again here?
• What do you think of Caleb?  How many people do you know who are as strong at 80 as they were at 40?
• The descendants of Moses' father-in-law are Midianites.  This clan, called Kenites, goes up with Judah, and then dwells in the south.  Who are these Kenites, and why should we care?
• Judah continues to have success, until the plains.  But looking at a map, where is Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron?
• Verse 19 is the first mention of "iron chariots" in Judges.  Look at Joshua 17:14-18.  Such contraptions are not new.  They are essentially like tanks.  It seems that the Sons of Israel don't have iron.  What do you think this means for them as they try to take this land?
• The remainder of the chapter seems to be about how the other tribes didn't drive out the Canaanites.  Why do you think this is so important?  Why, if God promises success, do you think the people didn't succeed?

We may not get through the whole chapter, but we may.  Keep each other in prayer this week.  See you all Thursday!