judges-1-5-resources-for-guys

 

Welcome!

Today we begin our study in the book of Judges.  If you don’t have your optional Journal yet, I want to encourage you to pull out a notebook and use it to write out your thoughts and reflections on this week’s study.

Inside the journal it teaches you how to use the SOAK method to study the Bible.  This is how the method works:

  • S – The S stands for Scripture – Read the chapter for the day.   Then choose 1-2 verses and write them out word for word. (There is no right or wrong choice – just let the Holy Spirit guide you.)
  • O – The O stands for Observation – Look at the verse or verses you wrote out. Write 1 or 2 observations. What stands out to you? What do you learn about the character of God from these verses? Is there a promise, command or teaching?
  • A – The A stands for Application – Personalize the verses. What is God saying to you?   How can you apply them to your life?   Are there any changes you need to make or an action to take?
  • K – The K stands for Kneeling in Prayer – Pause, kneel and pray. Confess any sin God has revealed to you today. Praise God for His word. Pray the passage over your own life or someone you love. Ask God to help you live out your applications.

The goal is to SOAK God’s word into your heart everyday and let it transform your life, renew your mind and create a deeper intimacy with God.

Let’s take a look at the book of the Bible we are about to study.

The Book of Judges Overview

Judges is a book about 12 judges who helped deliver the nation of Israel from one of the darkest and most oppressed times in their history. These judges were far from perfect but God used them in mighty ways.

As Joshua ends, we see the nation taking a stand for God. As we enter Judges; however, we see that the claim that Joshua made at the end of his book has come true. The people are following after other gods and there is a rapid decline – both as a nation and individually. The book of Judges focuses on sin and consequences. Sin grows when it is left unattended.

This book sounds a lot like today. Many choose to do what is right in their own eyes and follow after the ways of the world. But we can be like the 12 judges – who, though they were flawed and imperfect, decided to depend on God and be obedient to Him. Most of all, we can see that just like the judges – God’s mercy has come to our rescue over and over again.

Key Verse: Judges 17:6

“In those days, there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

Outline:

  1. The failure of Israel (Judges 1:1-3:6) – The nation of Israel had compromised God’s commands to drive out the inhabitants of the land.
  2. The Judges (3:7-16:31) – We see the nation of Israel sinning over and over again because of the compromise that they had made. Sin always has consequences.
  3. The Moral Failure of Israel (17:1-21:25) – Despite the efforts of Israel’s judges, the people would not turn their whole hearts back to God. They did what was right in their own eyes. The result was a decline of the nation – spiritually, morally, and politically.

Major Themes:

Compromise: Whenever a judge died, the people faced a decline and they compromised their standards. Society has rewarded compromise. We need to not compromise what we know is right from the standard of God’s Word.

Apostasy: We can expect decay when we value anything more highly than God. In Judges, idol worship and man-made religion led to a complete abandoning of their walk with God. We can have idols and man-made religion as well today by focusing on anything more than we do on our relationship with God.

Repentance: The decline, decay and defeat of the nation of Israel caused them to call out to God for help. When they repented, God delivered them. Idolatry gains a stronghold in our hearts and lives when we place anything above God. We need to watch for modern idolatry in our hearts and minds.

 

Here’s This Week’s Bible Reading Plan

Monday – Judges 1

Tuesday – Judges 2

Wednesday – Judges 3

Thursday – Judges 4

Friday – Judges 5

The Reflection Questions for the Week

{These questions are included inside the journal .  If you do not have the journal, I encourage you to reflect on these questions and answer them in your notebook.}

Chapter 1:

Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulan, Asher and Naphtali failed to drive the inhabitants off their land as they were commanded.

Name a time when you only partially did what God laid on your heart. How did that situation turn out?

Chapter 2:

Israel turned their backs on God and began to seek out new gods.

Is there something in your own life that you seem to seek out more than God?

Chapter 3:

Israel was tested to see if they would obey God’s commandments. Each time they failed the test.

Have you been tested in your Christian walk lately? In what ways?

Chapter 4:

Barak didn’t want to move forward with the plan God had already laid out for him without Deborah.

Name a time when you have been too afraid or unwilling to do what God has asked of you because you didn’t want to do it alone?

Chapter 5:

Deborah and Barak’s song tells us the people offered themselves willingly.

Do you offer yourself up willingly for God or do you struggle with giving over complete control?

The Verses of the Day

Monday:

Judges 1:2: The Lord said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.”

Tuesday:

Judges 2:10: And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.

Wednesday:

Judges 3:7And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

Thursday: 

Judges 4:14:  And Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?”

Friday:

Judges 5:31:  So may all your enemies perish, O Lord! But your friends be like the sun as he rises in his might.

Don’t forget to join me out on Instagram every morning at GuysInTheWord.

Please share in the comments:

Are you joining us?  Tell a little about yourself.  What is your name, where are you from and anything else you would like to share.

If you have any questions – ask below. 

I’ll see you back here this Friday as we wrap-up our week of Bible Study.

Johnathan

This post contains affiliate links.