Judges 6:1-40 Bible Study Notes and Literary Lens for Bible Study

Bible Study Notes - Judges 6:1-40

How do you handle a crisis in faith?  How do you respond to bleak circumstances that appear to eclipse the presence and power of Almighty God?  In the sixth chapter of Judges, Gideon has a very frank conversation with an angel about the worth of divine help considering the oppression that Israel is suffering at the hands of the Midianites.  He asks the angel, “If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?  Where are all His wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?  But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.”  What do you do when you feel that Almighty God had abandoned you?  Consider the following ideas and questions as you study this biblical passage.

• In the first verse, note that the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord and He relinquished them into the hands of the Midianites.  God allows us to face the consequences of our choices.  What role do grace, mercy and repentance play in this divine plan of discipline?
• The Israelites were so oppressed by the Midianites that the Israelites hid in caves specifically to hide their food from the gypsy robbers.  Consider the very limited food supply of the Ancient Near East.  The land produced just enough food to feed the population.  A famine which was a severe agricultural occurrence was compounded by this social and geographical pressure.
• The Midianites and Amalekites greatly outnumbered the Israelites and severely oppressed them.
• In verse seven, the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of the Midianites.  This reminds one of the Israelites crying out to God about the oppression of the Egyptians.  Consider the possibility of the Church in America crying out to Almighty God regarding the plight of our youth.
• In verses 8 to 10, the Lord sends a prophet who reminds the Israelites of the Lord’s past faithfulness.  Yet, the prophet chastises Israel for their disobedience and service of other gods.  Let’s dissect this conversation.
• Consider the words the angel uses in addressing Gideon in verse 11, “The Lord is with you, mighty man of courage [fearless].”  Notice the potential that God sees in Gideon despite how Gideon sees himself.
• Let’s dissect with excruciating detail the conversation between Gideon and the angle in verse 12 to 16.  More particularly, let’s examine Gideon’s overarching question to the angel, “If the Lord is with us, why has all of this befallen us?  And where all His wondrous works of which our fathers told us?” 
• Consider Gideon’s response in verse 15, “My clan is the poorest in Manasseh and I am the least in my father’s house?”  Does Gideon suffer from severe low self-esteem?
• Verse 16 holds a continual assurance of God’s steadfast presence and His promise to empower the Israelites as they defeat the Midianites.
• In verse 17, Gideon asks for a sign of God’s promise.  Is this sacrilegious?  Is it an act of faith or faithlessness?  How does asking for a sign help in a crisis of faith?
• In verses 21 to 23, Gideon realizes that he has had a theophany (a very direct and personal encounter with an appearance of Almighty God).  Let’s discuss this common occurrence in the journeys of genuinely spiritual people.  Also, let’s distinguish between a theophany and an epiphany (a defining moment of true when one sees the truth with one’s inner eyes; a clear and distinct revelation of divine truth).
• In response to his theophany, Gideon removes the altars of the false gods in Israel.  The truth always demands a response.  An authentic encounter with the risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will not leave a person in the same condition in which he or she lived prior to meeting Christ.  (Verses 24 to 28)
• Let’s examine the conversation between Gideon’s father and the men of the town who wish to retain the altar to Baal and the Asherah poles.  (verses 29to 32)
•  The text returns to the concept of seeking signs of divine intentions with Gideon’s test with the fleece.  Perhaps, all of us have an opinion about the idea of using fleeces to ascertain the will of God.

Literary Lens for

Reading  the Bible as Sacred Literature

·       Engage the Bible as you would any other book of good literature.

·       Place yourself within the stories.

·       Activate your natural senses: (1) See the sights and settings, (2) Smell the odors of the settings,   (3) Taste the food,  (4) Hear the sounds of the streets and (5) Touch the bodies and clothing of the characters.

·       What new detail(s) leap off the page?

·       What new revelation emerges during this particular reading?

·       Consider the following eight elements of literary analysis.

·       Characterization – Who are the main and minor characters?  Can you relate to any of them?

·       Conflict – What is the major conflict around which the story or text centers?

·       Mood – What is the author’s frame of mind?  How does he use language imagery to relay his temperament?

·       Setting – what is the geographical and historical context out of which the story or text arises?  The Germans use the phrase, Sitz en Leben, (setting in life) to describe this literary technique.

·       Theme – are there any major or minor ideas and arguments?

·       Plot – what is the framework of the story?  Think of the unfolding of a story board in a movie?

·       Style – The French use the word, genre, to describe the type of writing.  Identify whether the story or text is a parable, narrative, proverb, historical account, prophecy, etc.

·       Point of View – does the author have a particular perspective about God that he wishes to communicate?