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.

Don't Mess With An Exorcist At Work!

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting May 12 to study Luke 11:14-28.  This is a collection of accounts of Jesus that center around demonic activity at first, then ends with Jesus' response to a comment about His mother (it's not as bad as it sounds). 

Per our normal set of instructions, read through the passage in as many different translations as you can, ESV, NIV, KJV, and NRSV are good ones to choose if you're looking at Blue Letter Bible for instance.  Make notes on what's going on, who says what, to whom, when, and so on.  Once you have a good handle on what's happening, see if you can figure out why.  In other words, why would someone accuse Jesus of casting out demons by the power of their prince?  Why would that make sense then, because it doesn't now.  Stuff like that.

Once you have your notes, then look at other sources, commentaries, and so on.  Again there are several on www.blueletterbible.org to choose from, and they're easy to find.  Revise your notes and questions as you find more stuff.

After you've followed these three steps, go back through with the questions below:

• This charge about Jesus casting out demons through the power of their prince is also found in Matthew 9:32-34, but without Jesus' response.  In Mark12:22-30 we have the unpardonable sin attached to this claim about Jesus, along with His defense.  So, why do you think this claim would seem to make sense to those in that culture?
• Luke has a unique challenge to the people about those among them who cast them out.  Who do you think are their "sons" that Jesus refers to?
• Jesus defends Himself in both Mark and Luke by point out that the devil wouldn't work against himself.  But the most common explanation is that the people are claiming that the devil is "making Jesus look good to deceive people."  What do you think the people accusing Jesus are thinking?
• Why do you think the others were "testing" Jesus seeking a sign from heaven?  What's more of a sign than a demon-possessed mute speaking free of the demon?
• Jesus' description of the "strong man" is much more developed in Luke's account than Mark's.  Why do you think that might be?
• In verse 23, Jesus seems to reverse His position of Luke 9:50. Or does He?  What do you think might be the connection between these two statements?
• The discussion of Jesus about the demon leaving and then returning to the person seems somewhat disjointed with verse 23, and more tightly connected with the preceding passage. Why do you think that might be?
• Jesus gives the warning of verses 24 through 26, but doesn't really provide a solution.  Is this referenced elsewhere where a solution is presented?  What cross references were you able to find that explained this or used it differently?
• Finally, a woman has a really weird comment to make about Jesus, or more specifically, about His mother.  What do you think of her statement?  Look at it in a few other translations.  What about this sounds...left-handed, as compliments go?  Or does it? What do you think?
• Jesus doesn't seem to skip a beat, and fires off a correction of the woman's cry.  Jesus seems to think that those hearing and obeying God's word are blessed rather than His mother.  What does that seem to imply about Mary?  Why do you think He would say that?  Do you think this is really negative toward His mother (look back at 8:19 through 21)?

That should keep us more than busy for the time we have.  Remember to also be thinking in terms of the things that seem to shake you Awake!  If you are Honest, what Action is God leading you to take in response what He's shown you?

If You Are...Tempted

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting August 20 to study Luke 4:1-13, the Temptation of Jesus.  It is a short passage, but I figured that there would be plenty to keep our attention for an hour or so just in 13 verses.

This passage follows immediately on the baptism of the last chapter.  There are plenty of questions to ponder especially when this account is considered along side Matthew's account.  Read through the passage several times, making notes and questions.  Look at the passage in as many diverse translations as you have.

Only after you have your questions and notes should you go to commentaries.  There are plenty of options, Blue Letter Bible has several resources.  If you have a tablet, I encourage you to get the Blue Letter Bible App, making it even more convenient.  There are commentaries, but also an encyclopedia, Strong's Concordance, and a couple of nice dictionaries.

After you have done your stuff, go back through with the questions below:

• Luke describes Jesus as "full of the Holy Spirit".  How do you think Jesus could be anything else?  Why do you think Luke is using that description here?
• Read Matthew 4:2, 3; and then Luke 4:2 again.  How long was Jesus being tempted?
• In both Matthew and Luke, Jesus fasts for 40 days.  Why do you think this detail is important?
• In both Matthew and Luke they include the detail that, after the 40 days, He was hungry.  Why do you think they worded it that way?  Wasn't He hungry before that?
• Consider the 'format' of the devil's temptation, 'If you are...' What do you think the devil is getting at with Jesus?  Why do you think he thought that was Jesus' weak-spot?
• The first temptation is the stone-to-bread suggestion.  Jesus performs lots of miracles, who cares since no one is around, why is this one wrong?
• Jesus' responses to the devil all come from Deuteronomy (or can be found there too).  What about His response about the 'stone-to-bread' suggestion transforms the issue?  What do you think is the issue for Jesus?
• The second and third temptations are swapped in Matthew and Luke.  It's hard to know who 'published' first, so why do you think the order is different here?  Which order do you think makes more sense?
• The devil shows Jesus all the nations or kingdoms of the inhabited earth in a moment.  In Matthew, the devil shows Jesus all the nations and their glory.  A little difference in emphasis here, so why do you think Luke ignores their glory and instead focuses on the fact that the devil did it in a moment?
• In Luke, the devil claims the kingdoms are his to give, and Jesus doesn't dispute this claim.  What do you think that means that the devil can claim that he has all the kingdoms of the world?
• The requirement the devil sets on his giving Jesus the kingdoms is that Jesus bow down and worship him.  We look at this and it sounds really stupid.  What do you think we know now that perhaps the devil didn't know then? Or why do you think the devil went right there?
• Jesus responds again from Deuteronomy.  The issue isn't the kingdoms, it's worship.  What sorts of things do we attempt to gain, but at the cost of worshipping Jesus?
• The final temptation listed in Luke is the bungee-jump from the pinnacle of the Temple.  What does the devil say Jesus would gain here?
• The devil quotes Psalm 91:11, 12.  Look at verse 13 though.  Look at the verses before and after.  Besides the irony that the serpent is quoting a passage referring to his defeat, what else is do you see interesting in the Psalm 91 passage?
• What does it mean to you that the devil used a passage of Scripture in his temptation?  What does that tell you about Scripture knowledge?
• Jesus replies that we are not to 'test' the Lord.  Yet in Malachi, God says to 'test Me in this...'  So, what do you think the issue with this temptation?
• Consider all three temptations together.  What do you think the common thread of each of these is? 
• What do you think makes up a temptation?
• What do you think is the difference between a temptation and a 'test'?
• Consider the possible consequences for Jesus acquiescing to any of these temptations.  What is it about each one that would make them 'sin'?
• How do you define 'sin'?

That should be plenty to keep us busy.  Remember to bring your own questions and observations to the group Thursday.

Blessings upon you until then!

Choosing Your 'Restaraunt' Carefully

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Group meeting August 14 to study 1 Corinthians 8.  This is a short chapter, but the discussion could carry us for an hour.  This begins what is possibly the second longest discussion within 1 Corinthians.  I think the discussion on spiritual gifting is longer, but this one easily rivals that one.

The discussion on food sacrificed to idols is very culturally contextualized.  Applying what Paul teaches here is truly more about the principles he uses rather than the practice.  But there are ample places to apply the principles.  As you study this chapter, see what contemporary cultural practice you can come up with that will form a decent parallel to the application of these principles.  It may not be easy, and we will all need to make some concessions as to points of similarity and difference.  I'm not convinced there is a modern practice that will fit as nicely into this discussion as sacrificial food did then.  But there may be.  See what you can find.

Read through this very short chapter a few times.  In this chapter, since it's so short, you may more easily see the argument structure Paul uses to start.  As you read through, look for argument structures, but also different words in different translations, changes in sentence structure, and anything you find surprising or noteworthy.  After going through a few times, read back through with these questions:

• Why do you think Paul makes reference to 'knowledge' right at the beginning?
• How do you think it's possible that if you think you know, you're actually stupid?
• Why do you think being known by God is a 'counter point' to knowing something?
• What do you think Paul meant by 'many gods and many lords'?
• Look at verse 6 in several translations, as many as you can find.  Do any of them structure it as a 'poem'?  What do you think that might mean if it was a poem?
• In verse 7 Paul gets at other side of the problem with food sacrificed to idols.  Essentially, this 'knowledge' that there is only One God isn't 'universal' within the church.  What possible modern situation can you think of that parallels this problem?
• Paul concedes that eating does not commend or convict us before God.  Considering Paul's Jewish roots, what do changes in thinking you think Paul had to make to come to that conclusion? 
• In verse 9, Paul lays out the principle he uses to begin this argument.  What can you think of today where we can apply this principle?
• In verse 10, the effect is that one without the underlying knowledge eats (and sins in his mind/heart).  Why do you think the solution is not 'education'?  Why do you think abstinence is the only option Paul will recommend?
• For the one without knowledge to eat means that he is 'ruined', the brother for whom Christ died.  So what is it that constitutes sin, the action or the heart and belief?  Do you think that's always true?
• To cause another to 'stumble' in their walk with Jesus is to sin against Jesus.  Do you think this is also about the heart and belief as opposed to action?
• Do you think Paul is advocating a 'vegan' lifestyle?

That should help us have plenty to discuss.  On into this discussion in the following chapters, you may want to revisit some of your conclusions here; on the other hand, you may not.  This part of the argument isn't the conclusion, it's the opening, first point of his argument.  It only gets more fun from here.

Judgement Inside Not Outside

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Study Group meeting July 17 to study 1 Corinthians 5.  This is a very interesting chapter.  Along with the following one (they are somewhat related) Paul's call to not judge seems to reverse itself.  The specific instance is also interesting; not so much the sin as the response of the church.

Read through the chapter several times (it's really short).  Look for peculiar statements, questions, and perspectives.  Ask questions of the text like why, what did that really mean, and what did the people of Corinth think that meant?  Things like that will get you thinking about the text.  You/we may not find answers to those questions, but they get us more engaged with what our Master has inspired.  Jot down your questions and observations and bring them to the meeting.

After compiling your own set of questions and observations, go back through the chapter again with the questions below:

• Look up the word used in verse 1 for the sin committed here.  Listen to the pronunciation.  What English word does this Greek word sound like?  Look up the word, 'pornography' (there isn't any on this site).  What is the origin of this English word?  So what does this 'sin' include?  What sort of sexual behavior would it not include?
• Why do you think this particular sin (in this case in Corinth) is considered bad, even among Gentiles?
•  Read Leviticus 18.  This is a long list, but consider that even relations between parents remarried are included.  Also consider the reason given for such a list.  Why do you think God was both thorough and repeatedly supporting His reason citing the people of both Egypt and Canaan?
• Why do you think the church should have mourned over this sin rather than been proud? 
• Paul has already judged this man as spiritually part of the assembly in Corinth.  Why can he do this when he doesn't even 'judge' himself (see 4:3)?  Why leave judgement for the coming of Jesus in chapter 4, but exercise it here in chapter 5? (read ahead to chapter 6 for even more questions)
• Look at 1 Timothy 1:21-20.  What do you think Paul means there and here when he says 'deliver such a one over to Satan'?  How do you think that happens?
• What do you think it means 'destruction of his flesh so that his spirit may be saved'? (good place to use a 'study Bible' or commentary)
• According to verses 6 through 8, what is the effect of this sin on the church in Corinth?  I think it's clear from this passage the church celebrates the Passover.  What do you think is the significance here to Paul's reference to Jesus as our Passover having been sacrificed?  What do you think that means to them?
• The word, 'associate with' or 'company with' is made up of three words, 'together', 'again', and 'mix', in that order (see the 'Root Word' in the entry).  It's not an uncommon Greek word, but it's not used much in Scripture (3 times, twice in this chapter).  What sort of image does this bring to your mind?
• Why do you think Paul would not prohibit the people from associating with immoral people in the world?  Why be so harsh with the same people in the church?  How do you think church today approaches this problem?
• Look at the list of sins in verses 10 and 11.  Did you notice the list for those in the church is longer?  How do you see all these sins listed?  Do you see them as the same, requiring the same response?
• Consider verse 12 along with 4:5.  Paul clearly has two different things in mind here since he assumes they judge those within the church.  What do you think is the difference?
• If those outside the church are judged by God, do you think this relates to Paul's statements about judging in chapter 4?
• Paul quotes a phrase used in Deuteronomy over and over, almost thematically.  Look at Deuteronomy 13:5, 17:7,12, 21:21, and 22:21.  In each instance in Deuteronomy, how is the evil removed?  Considering verse 5, how closely do you think these concepts are related? 

I know this chapter is only 13 verses, but I think we have plenty of topic to discuss with it.  If these questions bring up more for you, then be sure to bring those to share as well.