JUDGES
READING PLANS + STUDY QUESTIONS
READING PLAN
ISRAEL INFLUENCED BY THE CANAANITES
GIDEON + ABIMELECH
JEPHTHAH + SAMSON
ISRAEL’S CORRUPTION
HOW TO USE
READ THE CHAPTERS IN THE BIBLE FOR EACH SESSION
ANSWER THE QUESTIONS + REFLECT ON THE READING
This study encourages going at your own pace, allowing each session to be a day, a week, or however long you need. Each session contains questions to be used for individual reflection or small group discussion.
This study was made to be used alongside Bible reading. Although we have created chapter summaries, there is no substitute for reading God's Word.
SESSION ONE: JUDGES 1-5
ISRAEL INFLUENCED BY THE CANAANITES
When the Israelites entered Canaan, God instructed them to drive out the current inhabitants. What did they do instead (Judges 1:28)?
How did God respond to Israel’s disobedience? How would the Canaanites negatively influence Israel (Judges 2:3)?
How does Judges 2:10 describe the new generation of Israelites after Joshua’s death?
Read Judges 2:18-19. How do these two verses describe the cycle of Israel’s disobedience and God’s deliverance?
According to Judges 3:4, what was the purpose of the Israelites’ oppression?
Throughout Judges, the Israelites rejected God and became oppressed. Eventually, they cried out to God, and God provided judges who led Israel to peace. How did the Israelites begin this cycle in Judges 3:7-10?
In Judges 3:12-30, how did Ehud defeat Eglon, the Moabite king?
What phrase is repeated in Judges 2:11, 3:7, 3:12, and 4:1? What do you think this phrase means?
In Judges 4:9, who did Deborah say would receive glory for the defeat of Sisera, the Canaanite army commander? How was this fulfilled in Judges 4:21-22?
After their victory, how did Deborah and Barak respond to God’s faithfulness? In what ways can you incorporate praise into your response when you experience God's faithfulness?
SESSION TWO: JUDGES 6-10
GIDEON + ABIMELECH
Read Judges 6:7-8. Instead of a judge, who did God first send? How are these two roles unique?
When God appeared to Gideon, how did Gideon respond (Judges 6:12-15)? When Gideon asked God for signs of His authority, did God comply?
In Judges 6:27, when did Gideon destroy the altar of Baal?
In Judges 7:2, why did God want Gideon’s army of 32,000 to become smaller? How many men ended up battling the Midianites? What was the result of the battle?
Gideon was skeptical and afraid as he entered his position of leadership. Based on Judges 8:22-32, how would you describe Gideon towards the end of his life?
After Gideon’s death, his son Abimelech wanted to rule over Israel. How did Abimelech gain authority in Judges 9:5?
Read Judges 9:21. Who was the surviving brother of Abimelech? Where did he go for refuge?
In Judges 9:53-55, who killed Abimelech? How was Abimelech deeply concerned about his image even in his dying moments?
According to Judges 10:6, which other gods did the Israelites worship? In Judges 10:14, to whom did God instruct the Israelites to cry out for help?
Read Judges 10:16. What do you think it means that God became impatient over Israel’s misery? Read a few different translations of this verse (ESV, NIV, KJV, MSG, etc.) and compare how they describe God’s feelings towards Israel’s suffering.
SESSION THREE: JUDGES 11-16
JEPHTHAH + SAMSON
What vow did Jephthah make to God in Judges 11:30-31? What was the result of this vow (Judges 10:34-35)?
How did Jephthah’s vow show a lack of understanding of God’s character and a lack of knowledge of God’s Word?
In Judges 12, why was Jepthah confronted by the people of Ephraim? What does this internal conflict reveal about the state of Israel?
Judges 13:2-5 foretells the birth of Samson. What does it mean that Samson would be under the Nazirite vow (see Numbers 6:1-21)?
Compare Judges 13:1 and Judges 14:3. What do you think it means to view something through God’s eyes instead of our own?
What did Samson do in Judges 14:6? How did Samson use this account in a riddle during his wedding feast?
How did Samson use 300 foxes, 150 torches, and the jawbone of a donkey to defeat the Philistines? Why would God lead the Israelites to victory in such an unconventional way?
According to Judges 13:25, 14:6, 14:19, and 15:14, where did Samson’s strength come from? In Judges 16:17, where did Samson believe his strength came from? What happened in Judges 16:28-30 when Samson called upon God for strength?
SESSION FOUR: JUDGES 17-21
ISRAEL’S CORRUPTION
How does the story of Micah highlight Israel’s rejection of God’s instruction? What does Judges 17:6 reveal about how the Israelites conducted themselves?
In Judges 17:13, why did Micah believe that God would give him prosperity? What assumptions was Micah making about God?
Who did the people of Dan consult when deciding which land to take for their own? How would you describe the character of the people of Dan?
Judges 19 recalls a horrifying account of the Levite man’s concubine. Why do you think this story was included in the Bible?
In Judges 20, the Israelites retaliated against the tribe of Benjamin for their actions against the concubine in Gibeah. Judges 20:35 says that “the Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel, and the people of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day.” What does it say about the Israelites that God was willing to destroy a segment of His own people?
The Israelites swore not to let their daughters marry the Benjamite men. How was the tribe not stamped out entirely?
How does Judges 21:25 summarize the entire book of Judges?
Way to go! You finished the book of Judges!
Thank you for reading through the Bible with Everyday Scripture.
Keep going — the story continues in Ruth!