Frequently Asked Questions About the Old Testament

Session 11 – The Book of Judges

How could an entire generation grow up not knowing the Lord (2:10)?

The answer to this question is best summarized in verse 2:10, that this generation ";knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel." One generation had failed to instruct the next generation in the ways of the Lord and to tell the great stories of God’s love and faithfulness (as instructed in Deuteronomy 6:4-9). Thus, not only did the next generation grow up not knowing the Lord, but as a result they "did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals" (2:11). This should be a sobering reminder to all generations to be intentional in passing on their faith.

–Don Porter

Why did God decide to stop helping Israel (2:20-21)?

The summary here closely resembles the stern pronouncement of vv. 1-3 by the angel of the Lord. Violating the covenant meant a slower conquest of Canaan. The nations would be left there to test Israel’s desire to obey the Lord. The constant pressure from a pagan culture would prove who the genuine believers really were.

–NIV Bible Commentary

How could a woman be a leader in a patriarchal society (4:4)?

Deborah most likely ascended to prominence because of a power vacuum. With no male leaders stepping forward, Deborah took the initiative. Although it was rare for a woman to do what she did, there was no divine injunction against it (see Miriam, Exodus 15:10, and Huldah, 2 Kings 22:14). In fact, God blessed her for her trust in him, and the people recognized God’s hand upon her.

–The Quest Study Bible

What is "putting out a fleece,"and is it appropriate for us to do today (6:37-40)?

As in the account of Gideon, "putting out a fleece" often describes a specific action that "tests" God’s approval or disapproval with regard to a particular decision. We need to be cautious when seeking to follow Gideon’s approach to discerning the will of God. First, there are many warnings in Scripture regarding "putting God to the test (ex., Deuteronomy 6:16)." Second, there are very few examples of God’s people using this as a method to test God’s purposes. Whenever seeking to assure ourselves that we have heard the Lord’s direction, it is always prudent to make sure each proposed direction is supported (or not forbidden) by Scripture. One should also prayerfully consider the input of other mature believers (Proverbs 15:22).

–Don Porter

If the "Spirit of the Lord" was on Jephthah, how could he make such an unwise vow (11:29-31)?

There is no connection between the Spirit’s empowering of Jephthah and his vow. Possessing the Holy Spirit for a special assignment does not guarantee a person will be faultless in other areas of life. Jephthah’s vow was an attempt to strike a deal with God for a blessing instead of trusting him. What he got instead was grief.

–The Quest Study Bible

Could God be honored by a sinful act (human sacrifice), if it was to fulfill a vow?

No. Fulfilling a vow was a high priority in ancient times (Lev.5:4; Deut. 23:21-23; Joshua 9:19; Eccl. 5:1-5) and Jephthah apparently didn’t want to be humiliated by reversing his promise. But God had outlawed human sacrifice (Lev. 18:21; 20:1-5). God disapproves of sin, even one committed to fulfill a vow.

–The Quest Study Bible

Was it permissible to allow marriages to outsiders (12:9)?

Although the Bible clearly forbids marriage to a foreigner (Exodus 34:15-17; Deuteronomy 7:1-4), it was permissible to marry a person from another tribe (or clan) of Israel. The purpose of the law with regard to foreigners was to prevent the worship of pagan gods which was common to the religion’s of the neighboring nations. Similarly, many would read 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 as a similar warning against a believer in Jesus Christ marrying an unbeliever.

–Don Porter

If "the Spirit of the Lord" was upon Samson, why was he so morally corrupt (13:25)? Why would God select this type of leader?

Samson’s passions were his own, causing him to desire a wife who, contrary to God’s wishes, worshiped idols (Exodus 34:15-17; Deut. 7:1-4). But God remained involved in Samson’s life despite his sin. God was committed to using Samson’s failures as well as his successes and redeemed the situation to accomplish his purposes (see Romans 8:28). The writer of Judges, writing after the fact, seems to editorialize as he describes God’s sovereign involvement.

–The Quest Study Bible

Why wasn’t Samson more suspicious of Delilah (16:4-20)?

Delilah was a deceitful woman with honey on her lips and passion in her heart. Cold and calculating, she toyed with Samson, pretending to love him while looking for personal gain. If he didn’t realize what was happening after the first or second experience, surely he should have understood the situation by the fourth time! We think Samson is foolish, but how many times do we allow ourselves to be deceived by flattery and give in to temptation and wrong beliefs? Avoid falling prey to deceit by asking God to help you distinguish between deception and truth.

–Don Porter

Why would someone worship the Lord by making an idol (17:-4)?

This was a case of spiritual anarchy ("In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit (17:6)”). Happy to have her silver back, Micah’s mother dedicated it "to the Lord" to be made into an idol. In reality, they were not worshiping the Lord at all. They were "customizing" their faith by mixing it with pagan practices.

–The Quest Study Bible

Why sacrifice a daughter to protect a stranger (19:24)?

Influenced by the moral decay in his culture, the old man’s priorities were obviously misplaced. As people defined their values for themselves (17:6), society sank as low as human depravity would allow it to go. Though the old man’s values said homosexual rape was wrong, he considered the rape of his daughter a necessity to protect his guest. In those days women were often treated as property–objects rather than people.

–The Quest Study Bible

Where was the justice in all this killing (21:10-11)?

The lesson here is that there is no justice when people take morality into their own hands. God never told the Israelites to annihilate the tribe of Benjamin. He never told them to withhold their daughters from marriage to the survivors, or to massacre the men of Jabesh Gilead. This whole account, from beginning to end, shows innocent people suffering because the Israelites put their own interests first (17:6).

–The Quest Study Bible

Why would it be a bad thing that "everyone did as he saw fit" (21:25)?

While this phrase was first used as a warning against violating approved religious ritual (Deuteronomy 12:8), it applies to any and every action that refuses to take into account what God says about the matter. God and his laws are not in opposition to human freedom. People often do what is wrong, thinking it’s OK. Time tests the fruit of every action–but sometimes we have to live with undesired consequences (for example, AIDS; see Proverbs 14:12). That’s why doing "what is right in our own eyes" may actually be doing the very thing that God knows will lead to disaster (Judges 2:11; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6). God is not anti-freedom, but choosing his will rather than what we see fit protects us, and leads to life.

–Judson Poling