A Collection of Travesties

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting January 18 to study Judges 19, and, hopefully, Judges 20.  These chapters wrap up the book of Judges, and form a "conclusion" for the writer.  Much of his point for the whole book is contained in these final three chapters.

Read through the remaining 3 chapters (which is a lot) because all three make up the whole of the story.  You want a context as we dig into each piece.  Look for themes as you read.  Don't rely solely on the repeated statement about there being no king in Israel, look beyond that to why that's important.

As you read, ask questions about the account.  What is the author's point? Why does he write the way he does?  What does he want his audience to learn from this?  Remember the three different time periods to keep in mind, the time of the events, the time of the author, and our time.  There's a connection between those periods that God has preserved, and that connection carries our lesson about God Himself.

 After you have your own notes and questions, go back through these chapters with a commentary, or study Bible notes.The more options you use, the better sense you'll get of just how confusing these chapters really are.  It's not you, these chapters are confusing for everyone.  But God has a message and a lesson about himself in them.  Revise your notes and questions as you look through the commentaries.

After you had all that fun becoming confused and getting lost in the details, go back through with the questions below:


Judges 19

• We, again, start with the refrain about there being no king in Israel.  The writer writes this during the time of the kings, probably from Judah, so why do you think this is so important to him?
• Again, we have a Levite as a character.  Once again, Ephraim and Bethlehem are locations for the setting of the story.  These elements probably tied these accounts together in the minds of the author and his audience.  What do you think is the likelihood that both Levites are the same person?  What would that mean for the timing of this account?
• The Levite's concubine is unfaithful to him and goes back home to Bethlehem.  Yet the Levite goes after her.  What does this tell you about how the Levite views this woman?  She's not his wife, but under a different legal status as a concubine.  Why do you think he's so invested in recovering her when she's been unfaithful?
• The woman's father welcomes the Levite gladly, but then delays him several days.  What do you think is going on there, why do you think the girl's father is so determined to delay them?
• The Levite, his servant, and the girl leave late, and can't make it far.  Read verse 10, then skip to verse 13, and continue to verse 14.  Now go back and start at verse 11, read 12, then skip to 15.  You may need to read it aloud to get a sense of what's happening.  What do you hear as you read it this way?
• Can you sense the scene setup like a horror movie as you read verse 15? No one will open their home to him, which is very strange for that culture.  Everyone seems to know something bad is coming.  What do you think about the author using such a literary device?  What do you think his audience thought?
• If you read the NASB or ESV, you'll see the word, "behold", which is a Hebrew literary idiom marking something important for the reader, sort like, "Check it out!" said while pointing where to look.  This draws attention to the old man. He isn't a local either.  Why do you think that detail is important to the author?
• The old man won't let the man remain in the square, but he doesn't say why.  The Levite seems content, but the old man is insistent.  Combined with the shut doors of everyone else in the town, this heightens the tension.  Something evil this way comes.  What does this sort of literary sophistication tell you about this author?  What do you think of him?
• Look up verse 18 in several translations.  Where is the Levite headed?  The Hebrew literally has "House of Yahweh" but the best Greek texts have "my house".  The Greek texts were translated before the time of Jesus (about 125 BC), and the Hebrew texts were consolidated shortly thereafter (about AD 125).  Considering the Greek texts are older, but still translations, which reading makes more sense to you and why?
• After the old man and the Levite eat and drink, the "sons of belial" show up (read verse 22 in the KJV).  They want the man who has come, not the concubine or his servant.  This is supposed to horrify, and it should at least make us terribly uncomfortable.  It would be analogous to "zombies" in our culture.  The old man goes out to them, and has a plea and an alternative.  What do you think of his alternative?
• Every translation seems to have a different way to translate the final word of verse 23 (also used in verse 24).  You can find the Strong's entry here.  It's always moral, and points out the stupidity of disobeying God.  The Greek word used in the same place can be found in the Strong's here. What do you think about what the old man is telling them? How effective do you think he's being?
• The Levite then takes matters into his own hands.  He puts his concubine outside and drags the old man back in.  What do you think is going through his mind that, after working to get her back, he now does this?
• The concubine is "abused" in the most horrible fashion by the crowd.  Why do you think they seemed satisfied by this rather than to continue to seek the man?
• She survives the abuse all night, only to die in the morning on the threshold.  Again, this seems like a scene from a horror flick, another literary device by the author to increase the revulsion in his readers/listeners.  Her "master" doesn't realize she's dead, at first.  What do you think of him as he simply tells her to get up?
• The Levite takes her home, cuts her up into 12 pieces, and sends them out to the 12 tribes of Israel.  If he sent 12 pieces out, then what do you think the fact that Benjamin also received a piece?
• There was no UPS or FedEx in those days.  So how do you think this guy gets 12 pieces of his dead concubine to hither and yon (and without refrigeration, smelly)?  Who could he use as couriers?
•  The people of Israel are horrified (as we would expect with all the heightened horrifying tension of the writer). Now, it's on them to act.  Why do you think the Levite chose to respond to this catastrophe this way?

Chapter 20

•  All the tribes, "from Dan to Beersheba" are summoned before God at Mizpah. First off, if "Dan" (the farthest northern city of Israel) is mentioned as a boundary of Israel, then when do you think this chapter happens in relation to the previous account of the Levite, idols, and the migrating tribe of Dan? 
• Look up the word used for the "leaders" of the people here. Only metaphorically are the leaders "corner towers". In what way do you think this metaphor works for leadership in general?
• Israel musters 400,000 from the tribes.  Notice that Benjamin hears about the muster, but doesn't show up.  What do you think that means for Benjamin?  Why do you think they wouldn't show up when no one even seems to know what it's about?  Or, do they?
• The Levite stands and tells the account of what happened in Gibeah.  In his account, who rises against him?  Instead of "men", the Hebrew word used is "ba'al", which typically means lords or rulers.  Why do you think the Levite characterizes those who surrounded the house, those "sons of belial", as leaders of the city?
• He claims that they intended to kill him, but instead raped his concubine and she died.  What do you think of his version of what happened?
• He then admits to cutting up his concubine and sending her out to all Israel, but what do you think of his motivation?  How is the foolish disobedience of Gibeah a good reason to send body parts all over the country?
• Now the Levite throws the decision of what to do on the 11 tribes present.  What do you think of his process?
• The people are outraged, and decide to do something right then (no one return to his tent).  They will cast lots, taking 1 in 10, 10 in 100, and 100 in 1000 to make provision for the people. What do you think this means?  
• The people of Israel give Benjamin a chance to come forward with the "sons of belial".  Why do you think Benjamin refuses to listen to the rest of the tribes and give up these evil people?  How might that influence your understanding of them as "leaders" (ba-al)?
• Benjamin number 26,000 men, seven hundred of them are left-handed slingers who can hit a hair without missing.  Why do you think all the cities of Benjamin turn out to defend the evil people of Gibeah?
• Israel numbers 400,000 "men drawing the sword".  So, who got left behind in the "lottery" of tenths?
• The people go to Bethel and inquire of God there.  The ark is said to be there, and the priest before the ark is the grand son of Aaron.  So, this would be pretty early on in the days of the sons of Israel.  How does this help revise or inform your sense of when, in Israel's history, this happened?
• The people inquire of God, and He answers saying Judah goes up first.  And they lose.  In fact, they lose more men than Benjamin puts in the field.  If they truly heard from God, and Benjamin is truly evil, then why do you think they lost?  What does that tell you about "hearing from God" today?
• They inquire of God again, and God tells them to go up and fight.  They go, and lose...again! They heard from God, Benjamin is evil, and they lose.  So, what do you think is going on here spiritually?  Is the Devil beating God?  What does this mean to you, all these failures?
• Now the people fast and offer sacrifices to God.  They inquire again, but now the answer isn't just go, but a promise of victory.  How does this inform your prayer life?  What does this tell you of God's character that He would send them into battle twice to lose?
• This time they set an ambush.  There's nothing to indicate it was God's idea, but this time it seems to work.  But, now we have two different parallel accounts of this battle.  Read verses 31 through the first half of 36 aloud.  Then read the second half of verse 36 through 46 aloud.  There is a connection in Benjamin not seeing the evil about to touch them (v.34) and the evil touching them (v.41), but it's hard to spot in most translations.  Instead, notice the level of detail between the two accounts.  They are clearly of the same event.  Why do you think the author keeps both?
• The people of Israel defeat Benjamin in the field, and trap 600 of them on a rock, all that's left of the 26,000.  Why do you think the people of Israel then turn and destroy the cities of Benjamin?  What do you think that was about?

That should more than suffice for our time together Thursday.  Remember to consider your walk with Jesus in light of what this account says about the character of God, and His way of working with His people.

Migratory Tribe

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting December 28 to study Judges 17 and 18 (this is for 18).

This chapter continues what was setup for us in chapter 17.  It has the same tone, tempo, and characters as the previous chapter.  Read this chapter carefully, because there are some interesting claims made, and assumptions underlying those claims.  Think through why the people do what they do.

As always, read through the chapter a few times, making notes, and jotting down questions.  Once you have your own, go back through with a commentary or two.  There are, again, lots of  diverse perspectives on this chapter.  Revise your notes and questions, then go back through with the questions below:

• Why do you think Dan can claim that an inheritance never "fell to them" during the time Israel took possession of the land.  Why do you think they phrase it that way?  It sort of sounds like everyone received an inheritance from God but them.  If that's what they mean, why do you think they would believe that?
• The tribe of Dan sends out spies.  What does this begin to sound like to you?  What other sending out of spies does this remind you of? Maybe reading Numbers 13 will help.
• What a surprise, they come to the house of Micah.  It says they 'recognize' the voice of the Levite.  What do you think the author means by that?  What was it that was familiar, that particular Levite, or what he was saying?
• The spies investigate the Levite.  It's not really part of their job, but they do so anyway.  Why?  What do you think is the big deal with the Levite to them?
• In verse 5, since there is an idol (or idols) involved here, but, since also the name of Yahweh has been bandied about earlier, do you think the "Elohim" here (as in, "inquire of Elohim") is God, or gods? 
• The Levite tells them that they walk in the favor of God.  What do you think?  Do they?  Why or why not?
• The spies come to Laish.  Read the description carefully.  What do you think is the most important detail, among the many given, about Laish that makes it ideal for the tribe of Dan?
• There is a really strange word used in verse 7.  It makes the modern translators pretty crazy trying to figure it out.  Look at this verse in various versions on Blue Letter Bible.  Note the little bracketed "fn" notes.  Here's the Strong's entry on the difficult word. Here's a new trick you can use for word studies: using the arrows in the "Word/Phrase/Strong's Search" section (below the Hebrew Lexicon entry), flip to the word before and then the word after this one (H6113 and then H6115).  Similarities are rarely inconsequential, except when it's a completely different word.  So, what do you think about the similarities and differences between the words on either side of this one?
• Here's one of my favorite movie scenes.  It's from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail".  In this scene, listen for how Dennis describes their form of government.  How does that help you imagine the area of Laish when the spies from Dan found them?
• The spies return and get everyone moving.  What does their description remind you of? 
• The author notes that 600 traveled "armed with weapons of war", which makes longer travel more difficult.  Why do you think these 600 traveled this way?
• Their travel explains a place-name, Mahaneh-Dan.  Where have we already run across this place? (check your Bible's cross references.  I bet they will help.)
• What a surprise, they come to the house of Micah.  Read what the spies tell the tribe about the Levite and his setup.  What jumps out to you about this description? Why do you think the spies are pushing the men to "consider" their next move carefully?  Why isn't it obvious?
•  Look at verses 17 and 18 in several translations (including a KJV).  Who goes into the house to retrieve the idols? No Hebrew or Greek version has "...when they entered...", they all have "...they entered..."  Why do you think translators have all added "when"?
• The sons of Dan basically threaten the priest to get him to cooperate.  But why do you think they do this?  Why do they want these idols and priest?  What do you think is the underlying assumption in this account?  What do these people (Micah, and the tribe of Dan) believe about these idols?
• The priest happily goes with them.  So, what does he believe about this arrangement?
• As the tribe of Dan travels, they put the families and possessions in front.  Why do you think they do that?  What are they protecting, and from what?
• Micah and the village give chase, and catch the traveling tribe and the armed 600.  What do you think of the challenge of the sons of Dan? What do you think they mean by that?
• Micah doesn't seem to understand their lack of understanding.  Why do you think he is confused by their challenge?
• The tribe of Dan moves to an open threat.  The "fierce" or "angry" men are actually "bitter of soul".  What does that description remind you of?  (Maybe 1 Samuel 22:1-2?)
• Micah does some quick accounting, and determines this isn't a good idea.  If he really considered what he had to be the "favor of Yahweh", what do you think he thinks now?
• The tribe of Dan takes Micah's "religious establishment", and then destroys the people of Laish.  Just based on the amount of ink, the battle isn't as important to the author as their situation of Laish.  What point do you think the author is making about the tribe of Dan through this account, and specifically through this depiction of the fall of Laish?
• They rebuilt the city and called it Dan.  Then they established the worship there.  Look at the names in the priestly line.  Could we now have a name of the "young Levite", and now know why the spies "recognized" him?  What do you think?
• If this is Gershom of Moses, and he is a young Levite, then when did this actually happen, or how old is this "youth"?
• Most manuscripts have "Manasseh", not "Moses", which would make him a different "Gershom".  If you look at why Moses named his son Gershom (Exodus 2:22), why would it make sense that this young Levite was named Gershom as well?  (look at where he was introduced in chapter 10)

That should keep us well occupied, and probably for more than one week.  Remember to consider how the confusion of acceptable worship of Yahweh reflects on dangers in our own day.  What do we need to learn here?