Monthly Archives: June 2025

Answers for a study in the book of Judges” is a weekly post in addition to the regular “apologetics” posts on the weekend where the original questions can be found at the bottom of the study, and then answers appear here during the week. This gives you time to do your own research, and then check your answers. Keep in mind these will be basic answers with a little depth, but you can go much deeper for discussion if you’d like.

Note: Class presentation, videos, reflections and Bible study questions are posted on the weekend – Bible study answers (like these) are posted during the week.

Bible Study: The Book of Judges: Chapters 17 through 21

THE MORAL FAILURE OF ISRAEL

Chapter 17: Idolatry in the Tribe of Dan; Micah’s Idolatry

In this chapter we begin to see a huge departure from God’s Law, starting with Micah who steals silver from his mother, then returns it, then she makes some of it into idols, and then he makes a shrine and more idols, and then he decides he will consecrate one of his sons to be a priest (and they are from Ephraim, it does not say they are Levites). We then read about a young Levite who leaves Bethlehem in Judah and travels through Micah’s area. Micah talks him in to become his personal priest, thus assuming that the LORD would prosper him as if he had a real Levite with him (this is nothing more than idolization of the priest).

C = There is a complete loss of understanding, and proper practice, of the Mosaic Covenant and Law of God as seen in the way these people were misusing the structure and purpose of the Covenant, not to mention the repeated making and worshipping of idols in various forms.

J = No where to be found in this narrative.

Guiding Questions:

1. Who were the characters and what were their roles in this narrative? (See summary notes above)
2. Discuss: How many things do you see in this chapter that break the Moses Covenant and God’s Law for the Nation of Israel? (See underline parts in the summary notes above)

Chapter 18: Danites Seek Territory; Danites Take Micah’s Idols

Here we read a continuation of the narrative in chapter 17, with the introduction statement: “In those days there was no king of Israel.” The tribe of Dan had not yet taken their allotment of land as they should have much earlier, and they were sending men to spy out the land when they came across the house of Micah and his priest. They inquired of the priest if they would be successful in their campaign, and he told them they would. After they reported these things to their people, they returned and took the idols from Micah and they also talked the priest into going with them and leaving Micah, which he did. When Micah and his men tried to pursue them, they could not because the men of Dan were too strong. The men of Dan also conquered the people of Laish and took their land because they were isolated and too far from anyone who could help them. And they named the place “the City of Dan” and made idols to worship. They also took men from the tribe of Manasseh and made them priests so that they could worship these idols.

C = This is an important turning point, because we are told that the Danites, and sons of Manasseh as priests, would remain this way until “the day of the captivity of the land” which would happen several hundred years later when the Northern Nation of Israel would fall to Assyria and be assimilated into those people groups resulting in what was known at the time of Jesus as the people of Samaria (Samaritans). We can see how far these people of Israel fell away from God’s original intention of the Covenant and Law. This would result in a permanent loss of protection for the Northern Tribe of Israel. They were guilty of not following the Law by worshipping idols instead of the true God; they also made priests from the wrong tribe (Manasseh instead of Levi); and they did not worship at the designated place in Shilo, which would eventually become the place where the Temple would be constructed.

J = No where to be seen. God would be worshipped in Shilo at that time, and the people in the North would get further and further away from the true form of worship God had commanded.

Guiding Questions:

1. What did the men from the Tribe of Dan do to the house of Micah, and why? (See summary notes above)
2. Discuss: How far from the will of God had the people of Israel fallen at this time? Give some reasons why, as it relates to the Mosaic Covenant and Law of God. (See notes above in the covenant section C =)
3. Going Deeper: Research the later history of the Northern Nation of Israel: What tribes made up the Northern Nation; why did they split from the Southern Nation; what ultimately happened to them in 722 BC; and how does the Northern Nation of Israel relate to the people known as “Samaritans” during the time of Jesus?

From gotquestions.org – includes a short video on this topic as well:

“When people refer to the “lost tribes of Israel,” they usually have in mind the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom that fell to Assyria about 722 BC. These tribes are Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, and Joseph (whose tribe was divided into the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh). Most of the people of the Northern Kingdom were deported to ancient Assyria (2 Kings 17:6). Many of the Jews who remained in the land intermarried with people from Cutha, Ava, Hamath, and Sepharvaim who had been sent by the Assyrian king to inhabit Samaria (2 Kings 17:24; Ezra 4:2–11). Thus, the story goes, the ten northern tribes of Israel were “lost” to history and either wiped out or assimilated into other people groups. This narrative, however, is based on inference and assumption rather than on direct biblical teaching. Many of the Jews who remained in the land after the Assyrian conquest re-united with Judah in the south (2 Chronicles 34:6–9). Assyria was later conquered by Babylon, who went on to invade the Southern Kingdom of Israel, deporting the two remaining tribes: Judah and Benjamin (2 Kings 25:21). Remnants of the northern tribes would have thus been part of the Babylonian deportations. Seventy years later, when King Cyrus allowed the Israelites to return to Israel (Ezra 1), many (from all twelve tribes) returned to Israel to rebuild their homeland.”

Chapter 19: War Against the Tribe of Benjamin; A Levite’s Concubine Degraded

In this chapter we read about an incident that rocked the Nation of Israel, and it would forever change the nature of who they were. A Levite had traveled to Bethlehem to retrieve his concubine who had left him and was unfaithful to him, yet he went after her anyway. After spending several delayed days with her father, they left to return to the hill country of Ephraim where he was from, but since it was late they planned to stay in the square in the city of Gibeah, that belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. But an old man insisted on taking them in. As they were eating and drinking worthless men came and tried to take the Levite (in an apparent homosexual manner), but the owner of the house tried to stop them and give them his daughter and the man’s concubine. The man’s concubine was taken, then raped all night and killed. Ultimately the Levite cut her body up into twelve pieces, upon returning home, and sent it throughout Israel in protest of what happened.

Note: This narrative has a lot of similarities to that of Genesis 19 in the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah. In both stories, the men of the town wanted to have sex with the visitors (men), but were given the option of taking the women in the house instead. God spared the daughters of Lot, but the Levite’s concubine in this story did not survive. It appears judgment, in both cases, came from God, but in different ways and with different timing.

C = The chaos we are reading about is a direct consequence of “everyone doing what is right in their own eyes” and not following the Covenant commands of the one true God.

Guiding Questions:

1. Discuss what happened in this story and why? (See summary notes above)
2. Cross-reference: How does this narrative relate to what happened in Genesis chapter 19? (See note above at the end of the summary)
3. Going Deeper: What is a concubine as compared to a wife (in these ancient times)? (See below) Was this Levite outside God’s Law, and why? Yes, this Levite was outside God’s Law as he was to be ministering to his particular tribe and taking a concubine, and not a wife, was outside God’s original intention for marriage (see Genesis 1-2).

From gotquestions.org

“In the Bible, a concubine is a woman who lives with a man as if she were a wife, but without having the same status as a wife. Concubines in the patriarchal age and beyond held an inferior rank—they were “secondary” wives. A concubine could not marry her master because of her slave status, although, for her, the relationship was exclusive and ongoing. Early on, it seems that concubines were used to bear children for men whose wives were barren (see Genesis 16:1–4). Later, it seems that concubines were kept simply for sexual pleasure (see 2 Chronicles 11:21). Concubines in Israel possessed some of the same rights as legitimate wives, without the same respect.
Although it’s true the Bible nowhere explicitly condemns concubinage, a condemnation can be found implicitly from the beginning of time. According to Genesis 2:21-24, God’s original intent was for marriage to be between one man and one woman, and that has never changed (Genesis 1:27). As a matter of fact, a study of the lives of men like King David and King Solomon (who had 300 concubines; 1 Kings 11:3) reveals that many of their problems stemmed from polygamous relationships (2 Samuel 11:2-4).
The Bible never explains why God allowed men to have concubines. He allowed divorce and polygamy, too, although neither was part of His original plan for marriage. Jesus said God allowed divorce because of the hardness of men’s hearts (Matthew 19:8). We can assume the same hardness of heart led to polygamy and concubinage.
We can also surmise a reason based on the culture of the day. Unmarried women in ancient times were completely dependent on their family members, such as their fathers, brothers, etc. If for some reason a woman had no family members or her husband had died or divorced her, she would be left with few options for survival. Most women in ancient times were uneducated and unskilled in a trade. Providing for themselves was very difficult, and they were vulnerable to those who would prey upon them. For many women in dire situations, becoming a concubine was a much more suitable option than prostitution, homelessness, or death. At least a concubine would be provided a home and afforded a certain amount of care.
It appears God allowed the sin of concubinage, in part, to provide for women in need, although it was certainly not an ideal situation. Sin is never ideal. Christians should be reminded that, just because God allows a sin for a time, it does not mean God is pleased with it. Many Bible narratives teach that God can take what some people mean for evil and use it for good (e.g., Genesis 50:20).”

Chapter 20: Resolve to Punish the Guilty; Civil War, Benjamin Defeated

At the beginning of this chapter, we read that the sons of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba (this is usually reference of the entire Nation of Israel with Dan in the north and Beersheba, the last city in the south), went up to inquire as to what had really occurred. The Levite recounted what had happened and the men of Israel went up to demand that the tribe of Benjamin give up the people that had committed this crime, but they would not. This resulted in a civil war where Benjamin was attacked and completely devastated by the sons of Israel. We also read that the men of Israel wept over having to do this, and prayed to God each time before they went out, offering burnt offerings and peace offerings. The men of Israel, as in times past, laid a trap by drawing them away from the city and attacking from different directions, and they ultimately killed all but 600 Benjamin warriors who fled. They also destroyed the city and all the cattle that had belonged to the Benjaminites.

Note: In verse 18 we read that the sons of Israel consulted God as to who should go out against Benjamin first, and He said Judah shall go first. This is the first time we read about them actually consulting God, and they did it again in verse 23 when God had them continue the battle. We also read in verse 27 that the Ark of God was there (this is the only time it is mentioned in Judges).

C = We can note that this is the consequence of disobedience by the tribe of Benjamin, not only in protecting the people who had committed the heinous crime, but by originally not driving out the pagan Jebusites who lived with them and surely influenced them (see Judges 1:21).

J = Upon inquiring of the LORD, He had the sons of Israel send out the tribe of Judah first. Judah represents Jesus, who should always be first in all we do, and thus God used that tribe to lead the defeat of evil.

Additional note from the Life Application Bible: Phinehas, the high priest, was also the high priest under Joshua [Joshua 22:13]. The reference to Phinehas as high priest and the location of the tabernacle in Bethel instead of Shiloh probably indicates that the events of this story occurred during the early years of the judges.

Guiding Questions:

1. Who came up and assembled at Mizpah; what did they do and why? (See summary notes above)
2. How did the sons of Benjamin respond the sons of Israel’s request? (See summary notes above) Discuss why they might have responded this way, and why you think this whole event might have happened (cross-reference back to Judges 1:21 to help with your answer). (answers may vary here, but should include “But the sons of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem; so the Jebusites have lived with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.” Judges 1:21 (NASB). This indicates that they had not obeyed God’s command and the Jebusites had probably influenced them in their pagan ways and traditions.
3. Discuss: Is there any reason God usually sends out the tribe of Judah first (what do we know about what Judah represents)? (See the notes in J = section above).

Chapter 21: Mourning Lost Tribe; Provision for Their Survival

This chapter concludes the book of Judges with the people of Israel coming up to Bethel before the LORD and weeping and lifting their voices in sorrow for the tribe of Benjamin. They had sworn not to give their daughters to Benjamin in marriage, and now they had to figure out how to save the tribe from extinction. Then the sons of Israel went up against Jabesh-gilead and killed them for not coming up against Benjamin with them, but they spared 400 virgins and brought them to the 600 men who had survived and hid in the rocks during the battle. They also told the ones who did not get wives to lie in wait and “steal” women from the daughters who come out of Shilo.

C = We can see how bad it had gotten in Israel. They were making up their own rules as they went along, not consulting God as they should have (except for the beginning of the battle against Benjamin), thus they were now reaping the consequences of disobedience to God’s commands and Covenant Law.

NOTE: The last verse in Judges paints the picture as we head toward the period of the kings of Israel in the book of Samuel (after we read through Ruth):

“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25

J = The need for a Messiah was never so present as it is in the book of Judges. The people were coming to a point in their history where they will be asking for a king to rule over them, like the other nations have. God will honor this request even though it is Him that should be their king and LORD.

Note: The tribe of Benjamin eventually recovered from this slaughter. Saul, Israel’s first king, was from this tribe (1 Sam. 9:21). So were Queen Esther (Es. 2:5-7), and the apostle Paul (Rom. 11:1). But the tribe was always known for being smaller that the rest (as in Psalm 68:27).

Guiding Questions:

1. How does this final chapter of Judges conclude? (Summarize the story) (See summary notes above)
2. Going Deeper: How do we know that the tribe of Benjamin would eventually recover? Are there any Biblical figures that come from this tribe after this time? (See above in the “Note” section)
3. Copy verse 21:25. Discuss how this verse describes the condition of Israel at that time and the consequences it brought. (Answers here may vary; see verse above in summary notes – doing what is right in one’s own eyes is never the way to legislate a nation and will always result in chaos because what one person may believe to be right, is wrong in the eyes of many others).

Application

Now that we have finished this book, it is time to look at some application. This might include answering questions like…

How can this book and its teachings apply to us today? Are there lessons learned; are there reasons we should know this history; does it help us understand God’s character and love for His people and His foreshadowing the promise of His Son, etc.? (Answers will vary, but can include personal, cultural or timeless teachings for us today)

• Today, we are not under the Laws the Israelites were to follow from the Mosaic Covenant, including their rituals and regulations, because all has been fulfilled in Christ Jesus (Hebrews 9 and 10).
• Studying this history helps us see the different aspects of Jesus’ sacrifice and points us to God’s ultimate purpose fulfilled in Him.
• In the book of Judges, we get a clear picture of the consequence of living outside of God’s will, yet we also see a picture of God’s Hesed (unconditional love and commitment to His Word and Promise from the beginning of time).
• We get a clear portrayal of God’s patience as He withholds judgment and preserves the Nation in times of their defiance; even though He disciplines them along the way, He never leaves them.
• We also learn about the importance of God’s Promises as He unfolds the fulfilling of His Covenant to Abraham, and especially the Genesis 3:15 part of the Adamic Covenant.
• We see the importance of obedience by the people of Isreal to God’s commands [Mosaic Covenant], and this models the importance of our obedience to Christ Jesus.
• Even though our salvation is not based on our works in obedience to the Law (or anything else), because of God’s saving grace, we should want to follow the LORD in all we do, because we love Him.
• The various judges model righteous and faithful leaders for a period of time, and this gives us a picture or type of Jesus in the role that He will ultimately fulfill for eternity.

Please join us each week as we continue our case for the Bible with a study in the book of Ruth next week!

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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in!  Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.

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Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15