Judges 1-8. “The Lord Raised Them up a Deliverer”

The judges in the book of Judges weren’t the type of judges we have today. Read Judges 2:16-18. What word would be a good synonym for judge? What were they supposed to do for Israel?

Answer: Honor would be the word I would choose for a synonym for judge. They were supposed to help Israel obey and keep the commandments of the Lord.

After reading Judges 1-3, briefly describe how well the children of Israel obeyed the Lord during the early reign of the judges. Cite several examples from your reading to support your assessment.

Answer: In the beginning, the children of Israel were very obedient. They asked the Lord about leadership and constantly kept the commandments because they knew that they couldn’t receive blessing unless they followed all of His commandments (Judges 1:1). In the future, they stopped listening to His counsel and commandments and the Lord punished them for their disobedience and forgetting Him (Judges 2:2). After they repented of their iniquities they quickly began serving the Lord again (Judges 2.4-5). After Joshua dies again the children of Israel ignore the Lord and His commandments, they worship false Gods, then God quits blessing them (Judges 2).

Read Judges 2:10-15 and the Institute Student Manual commentary for Judges 2:12-13, “Who Are Ball and Ashtoreth?” (pgs. 252-53).

Answer: Ball and Ashtoreth are false gods that the children of Israel begin to follow after Joshua dies.

Read Judges 2:10-19 and the Institute Student Manual commentary for Judges 2:11-13,

“What Resulted from Israel’s Not Driving the Canaanites Out of the Promised Land?” (pg. 252). Detail in writing what lessons you think parents can learn from these sources.

Answer: A valuable lesson for parents to learn is that if you take the Lord for granted then the Lord he will no longer bless your life. I do think that parents need to remember not to worship worldly things that aren’t God, this is an example that needs to be set by parents for later generations. Tribulations and trials will come either way, but depending on how much parents obey the Lord they will either be strengthened and progress or continue to neglect and not teach their children about God.