“Lesson 78: Judges 1–9,” Old Testament Seminary Student Material (2018)
“Lesson 78: Judges 1–9”
Lesson 78
Judges 1–9
Prepare to Learn
Prepare your mind and heart to be taught by the Holy Ghost. Be sure to eliminate any distractions that may interrupt your learning experience.
Begin your study with prayer.
Have you ever felt that you were not very important or useful to the Lord?
President James E. Faust (1920–2007) of the First Presidency once addressed those who feel this way. According to President Faust, what makes it possible for ordinary people to do remarkable works?
You can read the text for this video here: “Acting for Ourselves and Not Being Acted Upon,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 47.
Principles to Help Us
Many trials or challenges we face are the result of our own poor choices and can be difficult or impossible to overcome by ourselves. However, the Lord is ready to help and strengthen us if we come to Him.
Are you facing a trial or challenge that may have been caused by poor choices you have made?
As you study Judges 1–9, look for principles that can help us avoid unnecessary suffering and that can help us overcome trials and challenges even when we bring them upon ourselves through poor choices.
The Israelites’ Consequences
You will recall that the Israelites were commanded to drive out the wicked inhabitants of the land of Canaan (see Exodus 23:31). The Israelites were warned that if they did not obey this commandment, the Canaanites would “be a snare,” or trap, to them (see Deuteronomy 7:16).
Important messages in the scriptures are often emphasized by the repetition of certain words or phrases. Phrases repeated in Judges 1:21, 27–33 indicate that the Israelites failed to obey the Lord’s command to drive out the wicked from the promised land. As a result, the Lord sent an angel to the Israelites to teach them about the consequences of their disobedience.
Read Judges 2:1–3, looking for the consequences the Israelites would experience.
A New Generation
In Judges 2:4–10 we read that eventually all the Israelites who had entered the promised land with Joshua died, and a new generation of Israelites arose who “knew not the Lord, nor … the works which he had done for Israel” (verse 10).
Read Judges 2:11–13, looking for what this new generation began to do.
Consequences of Evil Influences
Baalim is the plural form of the word Baal. Baal and Ashtaroth were false gods of the Canaanites. Those who worshipped these false gods did so in corrupt and immoral ways, which included sacrificing children and breaking the law of chastity.
Using what you have learned from the Israelites’ actions in Judges 2:11–13, complete the following principle:
If we choose to associate with evil influences and temptations, then …
A Cycle of Sin and Deliverance
From the Israelites’ actions recorded in Judges 2:11–13, we can identify the following principle: If we choose to associate with evil influences and temptations, then they may lead us to sin.
Remember that just because someone may have different beliefs than you, this does not make him or her evil or mean that you cannot associate with the person. Those who lived in the land of Canaan were not only of a different faith, but they were also very wicked (see Deuteronomy 1–13), as you learned in lesson 71. They had refused to repent of their wickedness despite many opportunities to do so.
As a result of the Israelites’ sinful behavior, the Lord stopped protecting them from their enemies, and their enemies gained power over them. This began a cycle of sin and deliverance that continued throughout the time recorded in the book of Judges. Read each of the steps of this cycle, and think about how we can also experience this cycle when we sin.
1. Why might it be important for you to understand this cycle?
Judges
Following the death of Joshua (see Judges 1:1), the Israelites were led by a series of judges. These individuals were civic and military leaders who at times demonstrated the gift of prophecy. Some of these judges included Othniel (see Judges 3:5–11), Ehud (see Judges 3:12–30), and Deborah (see Judges 4:1–9, 15–24). In each of the accounts of these judges, we can see how the Israelites experienced the cycle of sin and deliverance. You may want to read one of these accounts, looking for this cycle.
For the remainder of this lesson, you will learn about how the Lord used Gideon, whom He had called as a judge, to help Israel repent and gain freedom from their enemies.
The Lord’s Instruction to Gideon
We learn in Judges 6:17–24 that the Lord showed Gideon a sign to assure him that his call came from God. This sign was a reward for Gideon’s faith and confirmed that the messenger who was sent to instruct Gideon was from God.
Read Judges 6:25–26, looking for what the Lord told Gideon to do before he delivered Israel from the Midianites.
What truth can we identify from the Lord’s instruction to Gideon?
The Lord’s Command—Replacing Evil with Righteousness
Notice that the Lord commanded Gideon to destroy the altar to the false god Baal and replace it with an altar to the Lord. One principle we can identify from Judges 6:25–26 is that if we desire to have the Lord’s help and strength, we must remove spiritually unclean and evil practices from our lives and replace them with righteous practices.
Read the following statement, looking for ways that we can replace evil practices in our lives with righteous ones:
“It is not enough to simply try to resist evil or empty your life of sin. You must fill your life with righteousness and engage in activities that bring spiritual power. Immerse yourself in the scriptures. Pray daily for the Lord to give you strength beyond your own. At times, fast for special blessings.
“Full obedience brings the complete power of the gospel into your life, including increased strength to overcome your weaknesses. This obedience includes actions you might not initially consider part of repentance, such as attending meetings, paying tithing, giving service, and forgiving others” (True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference [2004], 135).
2. Answer the following questions:
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What are some ways you can replace evil practices with righteousness?
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What righteous actions have helped you resist temptations to sin?
The Size of Gideon’s Army
Judges 6:27–40 recounts the following: Gideon did as he was commanded. The next day, the men of the city wanted to kill Gideon because he had destroyed their idols. Gideon’s father spoke in his defense, and the men of the city did not kill him. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he gathered a large army (see Judges 6:35; 7:3).
Read Judges 7:2, looking for what the Lord said about the size of Gideon’s army. The word vaunt in Judges 7:2 means to boast.
What did the Lord say could not happen if Gideon had a large army?
Reducing the Size of the Army
The Lord told Gideon that if Israel defeated the Midianites with a large army, the Israelites would boast about their own strength and fail to recognize the Lord as the source of their deliverance.
Read Judges 7:3–8, 12, looking for what the Lord instructed Gideon to do in order to reduce the size of the army. Also note the size of the Midianite army.
Quiz 1
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According to verse 3, how many people were originally in Gideon’s army?
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320,000
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32,000
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10,000
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300
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According to verse 7, how many people remained after Gideon reduced the size of the army?
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320,000
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32,000
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10,000
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300
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According to verse 12, the Midianite army was
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as large as Gideon’s initial army (32,000).
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not equipped with armor and weapons.
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smaller than the size of Gideon’s final army (300).
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so large that its numbers could not be counted.
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Following the Lord’s Commands
Imagine that an army went into battle armed only with trumpets, lamps, and pitchers. How effective do you think this army would be against an opponent using swords and shields?
We read in Judges 7:15–18 that Gideon did as the Lord commanded and prepared his army for war by equipping the members of his army with trumpets, lamps, and pitchers that could conceal lighted lamps. He instructed his men to do as he did when they arrived outside the enemy’s camp.
Read Judges 7:19–23, looking for what happened when Gideon’s army obeyed these instructions. Note that the “middle watch” referred to in verse 19 would have been from about 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. “Every man’s sword against his fellow” (verse 22) means that in the chaos and confusion of battle, the enemy’s soldiers fought among themselves.
What principle can we identify from this account about what happens when we faithfully follow the Lord’s commands?
Overcoming Our Challenges
From the account recorded in Judges 7:2–23, we can identify the following principle: If we follow the Lord’s commands with exactness and always acknowledge our dependence on Him, then He will help us overcome our challenges. The Lord’s commandments come from a variety of sources, including promptings from the Holy Ghost, scriptures, words of the prophets, and righteous counsel from parents and leaders.
3. Consider how you would answer both of the following questions. Then answer one of them.
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What are some ways in which the Lord might help us overcome our challenges as we faithfully obey Him?
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When have you or someone you know overcome challenges with the Lord’s help after following His counsel? If you cannot think of an experience, consider asking a family member or a leader to share an experience with you.
Repeating the Cycle
We read in Judges 8–9 that after the Midianites fled, Gideon’s army pursued them and destroyed some of them. After the victory, the Israelites wanted Gideon to be their king, but he refused and said the Lord should be their king. For the space of about 40 years, there were no more major battles. After Gideon’s death the Israelites returned to idolatry before they eventually repented and were again helped by the Lord, thus repeating the cycle of sin and deliverance. Gideon’s son Abimelech wanted to rule Israel, so he killed 70 of his brothers, who were potential threats to his reign, and was made king. He was eventually killed by the Shechemites, one of Israel’s enemies.
Obeying with Exactness
The following truths were identified in this lesson:
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If we choose to associate with evil influences and temptations, then they may lead us to sin.
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If we desire to have the Lord’s help and strength, we must remove spiritually unclean and evil practices from our lives and replace them with righteous practices.
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If we follow the Lord’s commands with exactness and always acknowledge our dependence on Him, then He will help us overcome our challenges.
Think about any commandments that the Lord may want you to follow with greater exactness. Be sure to act on any ideas or promptings you receive.
Answer Key
Quiz 1: (1) b; (2) d; (3) d