Destructive Repairs

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting January 25 to study Judges 21.  This chapter wraps up the book of Judges, and it's a real nutter.

This chapter also wraps up the final story of Judges, where the tribe of Benjamin is wiped out and then restored.  This is where it's restored, and how.  Read through this chapter along with the previous two again. Look closely at the perception of the problem and the solution.

Go back through the chapter with the questions below:

• Verse 1 happens before the battles wiping out Benjamin.  There's no overt explicit criticism of this vow, but what do you think the author thinks of the vow?  Consider how many times he refers to it in the chapter.
• The people worship before Yahweh, lamenting the loss of Benjamin.  The question, why, is probably rhetorical.  If they were asked why, what do you think they would have answered? Do you think they thought it was their fault, the will of Yahweh, or something else?
• Verse 5 doesn't seem to fit right there.  It fits as an explanation about what follows, but would flow better after verse 7, and verse 8 basically repeats it.  Why do you think the author left it where it is?
• From verses 1, 6, and 7, what do you think about the problem the people of Israel are trying to fix?
• Jabesh-Gilead was missing from the muster in Beth-El.  People from Gilead, the region, showed (20:1), but not from that town. Why do you think the people of Israel were so severe with the town? It's not like they had done anything like Gibeah, so what do you think is the problem they're "fixing" by wiping it out?
• The process of destroying Jabesh-Gilead nets 400 wives for the 600 at the Rock of Rimmon. But where did they bring them? Weren't they at Bethel?  Why do you think the text has Shiloh here instead of Bethel?
• The 400 wives for the 600 men is at least a begining, so they start the peace process with the remnant of Benjamin.  They're still short 200 wives, and the people are still sorry, but for what Yahweh has done (v.15).  Why do you think the people are fixing a problem caused by Yahweh? Is what He causes a problem to be fixed?
• Again, Shiloh becomes part of the solution, only this time, unwillingly.  What do you think of the solution the elders have for the remaining 200 wives?
• The prepared explanation to Shiloh when they complain seems odd.  Weren't the elders from Shiloh part of the elders having this discussion and coming up with the plan?  If not, why not? What do you think is going on here?
• Once the remaining 200 wives are "captured" from Shiloh, all the people depart to their homes. How long do you think this all took?
• The final verse to this chapter and the book is about there being no king in Israel and that each man did what they thought was right.  This phrase repeats Judges 17:6, and the part about there being no king is repeated in 18:1 and 19:1.  Out of four occurrences, half have both the missing king and the doing right in their own eyes, and half have just the part about the missing king.  What do you think is the reason for the missing phrase about doing right in their own eyes?
• How do you think this final statement summarizes these two stories, and the book of Judges?

That wraps up the chapter and the book of Judges.  Think through what you would say you've learned about God from this book?  See y'all Thursday!