Bad Leaders Gone Worse

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting August 10 to study further into Judges 9.  Let the weirdness begin!  The people of this chapter are amazingly bizarre and stupid.  There's really very little sense to what they do or why, at least on a strategic level.

Read through the rest of the chapter.  We left off at verse 21, so 22 through 57 is what remains.  We may not get through it all, but you should be familiar with it anyway.  At this point, the writer/editor of Judges slows back down, and goes into agonizing detail, and possible repetition.  Read the verses in several different versions.  There will be some plot elements repeated but with some possibly glaring inconsistencies.

Once you have gone through the passage on your own, read through some commentaries.  They will most likely ignore the inconsistent repetition, but not always.  Be sure to revise your notes and questions before going back through with the questions below.

• Verse 22 sounds a little like the "King Formula" found in Samuel and Kings, but is missing some things.  For an example look at 2 Kings 8:26, and see what's missing in Judges 9:22.  Why do you think the writer/editor would leave out those elements?
• God sends an "evil spirit".  We sort of dealt with this in Samuel with Saul, but there are other places where this seems to happen as well.  Why do you think God would operate using "evil spirits"?
• The "baals" of Shechem deal treacherously with Abimelech, by setting bandits in the hills to rob people passing by.  And it was told to Abimelech.  Why do you think it makes good sense to leaders of a city to encourage bandits around your city?
• Now another character, Gaal, shows up.  He has a lot in common with Abimelech in character.  They have a grape-harvest festival in the temple, and Gaal tells them to "Serve the men of Hamor, father of Shechem!"  But where is Gaal from?  How did he get to Shechem?
• Verse 28 is the first time we hear of Zebul.  It turns out he runs Shechem for Abimelech, or is at least supportive of Abimelech.  So, why do you think he's active on behalf of Abimelech now, but lets the "baals" of Shechem set ambushes in the hills before?  Doesn't he run the show there?
• Zebul sends messengers to Abimelech "deceitfully" or "secretly" or whatever.  If you have access to one, read verse 31 in the NLT or New Revised Standard Version.  If not, look at footnotes in any version except NIV.  You will need a commentary for this one.  If Zebul is being secretive, why do you think he would feel the need?
• Zebul gives Abimelech instruction about how to ambush the people of the city.  Why do you think Abimelech would need that?
• In verse 34, the people with Abimelech are in four companies.  In verse 41, they're in Arumah, and in verse 43, they come back and divide into 3 companies.  This is a confusing description of battle.  What do you think is happening, how do you work it out in your mind?
• One of the problems with the battle description in verses 31 through 49 is the leaving and returning. Why would Abimelech care if the people went out of the city about their business?
• How do you think the people going out into the fields in verse 42 is different from what was supposed to happen back up at verse 34 and following?
• How is it that Shechem can be razed and sowed with salt, but the "Tower of Shechem" and the stronghold of the temple of Baal Berith are missed?  The baals of Shechem aren't even in the city?  What do you think is going on here?
• The tactic used by Abimelech is to set the stronghold on fire, and it works.  All the people in the stronghold of the Temple of Baal Berith die in it.  Shechem is thoroughly destroyed, and by fire.  Considering the curse of Jotham, why do you think this is an important detail?
• Abimelech turns his attention to Thebez.  Why do you think he considered Thebez at all?
• This fight goes well, except for the stronghold.  Notice this stronghold is inside the city.  Abimelech tries the same tactic with this stronghold that he used on the temple in Shechem.  How do you think a woman was able to get a "millstone" to the roof (and why would she), and then throw it over the side, and actually hit Abimelech? 
• Abimelech is actually struck in the head, his skull crushed, and he still calls for his "bearer of stuff" to kill him.  What does that tell you about his head wound?
• If Abimelech's death reminds you of anyone else's, whose death does it remind you of?
• Notice the "ending formula" for kings is missing here as well.  Abimelech is not buried in the tomb of his father, as Gideon was.  And no son of Abimelech reigned in his place.  What do you think this missing piece (no succession linkage) might have meant to the initial audience of Judges in the time of the kings of Judah?
• The writer/editor of Judges concludes with the dissolution of the army after Abimelech's death, and with the tying together of Jotham's curse and the results of Shechem and Abimelech.  What do you think is the writer/editor's point for his 600 BC audience?

Consider the life and choices of Abimelech, but also of the leaders of Shechem.  Where have you made some wrong choices or followed some flawed leaders?  And, how can we keep this sort of stuff from happening to us?

Revenge and Politics

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Group meeting December 18 to study 2 Samuel 3.  This chapter has lots of very peculiar elements in it.  Some of the high points are David able to make a covenant with Abner that will bring the other tribes over to him.  The low point is the murder of Abner.  How all this plays out is the makings of a good story or epic movie.

Read the chapter over several times.  You can read ahead as chapter 4 rounds out this part of David's story, and from there we take a very different turn.  As you read through this chapter be sure to jot down things that seem very odd, questions, and any observations about the story or wording.  And please bring those notes and questions to the group with you.

After you read through a few times, with your own notes and question, go back through with the questions below:

• It doesn't say how long the war between David and Ish-Bosheth lasted, but why do you think this is a good setup for what happens between Ish-Bosheth and Abner?
• Sons were born to David.  One commentator said there was something important about there only being one son to each wife.  Why do you think that would be important?  
• How do you think Abner might have been strengthening his position within the house of Saul, and why do you think he would do that if the 'house' is failing?
• Why do you think 'going in to' Saul's concubine would have been so serious?  Or was it serious since Ish-Bosheth only mentions it, and doesn't try to actually punish Abner?
• After strengthening himself in the house of Saul, consider how quickly he switches loyalty.  What do you imagine is going on with Abner at this point?  Do you think he's that erratic or is it just the story, or what?  What if he's actually quite clever?  What would these two elements (his strengthening his position, and then switching to David) mean if he were actually being very clever?
• Consider how he phrases his giving the kingdom to David in verse 9.  What then is known about David that we may have assumed was a private thing?
• If Abner knew that God promised the kingdom to David, why do you think he set up Saul's son in the first place?
• Ish-Bosheth is afraid of Abner, what do you think Ish-Bosheth believes will happen next, and why?
• Consider that Abner sends messengers to David, specifically on his own behalf, yet it's Ish-Bosheth that sends for Michal.  And then, when she comes, it's Abner who sends Paltiel away.  What do you think this means?  What do you think is going on here?
• After getting Michal, then Abner goes to the elders of Benjamin and Israel.  Why do you think it's so important to specify Benjamin here?
• After he's spoken to the elders Abner goes to Hebron with 20 men.  What do you think was on the list of things that Israel and Benjamin wanted to do, or is this just a way of referring to the people all wanting to make David king?
• Abner goes to assemble the people of Israel and after he leaves Joab shows up.  Considering that Joab returns from a very successful 'raid', how do you think he is feeling right now?
• Joab hears that Abner was here, and he goes to chew out the king.  Why do you think David puts up with Joab?
• Joab has Abner return and then kills him in the gate.  Consider that it also says that Abishai is also somehow involved.  Why do you think it might be significant that Abner dies in the gate?
• What does Joab claim was Abner's reason for coming to David?  How reasonable does this sound to you?
• When David hears of what Joab does he actually curses Joab and his family line.  Why so severe a response, yet David leaves Joab as 'general'?
• David tells Joab and his 'people' to mourn Abner, and then follows the mourning of David over Abner.  How authentic does David's response to Abner's death seem to you?
• Consider how the people, both local to David in Hebron/Judah and those of all Israel think of David's mourning over Abner.  They clearly thought he was being authentic.  Why would he be so adamant about how important Abner was to Israel?  How likely is it that Abner really was a quality guy and everyone simply saw that and acknowledged that in him?

 That should keep us busy for an hour or so.  Please be sure to bring your questions and observations.  There's lots of room for speculation, and sometimes getting us thinking about it opens us up to what the Spirit who inspired these things wants us to get from it.