Growth Group Questions, Sunday November 16, 2008

Series: Life in the Promised Land

Judges 1:  Setting the Stage for Trouble

The Book of Judges is one of the more peculiar books of the Bible.  It covers one of the darkest periods of Israel's history, and is full of idol worship, war, treachery, violence, gross immorality, continuing failures, and God's continuing intervention to rescue his people.

On Sunday, we looked at the experiences of the tribes of Israel driving the Canaanites out of the Promised Land.  Because they failed to drive them out completely, they eventually adopted their idol worship practices.

Read Judges 1:19-21. 

1)  Judah had a number of initial military successes but failed when faced with iron chariots.  What do you think it was about iron chariots that caused them to lose courage?

2)  Do you think Judah's situation was a case of "tried and failed" or "failed to try?"  Personally, do you think past failures in your life have been caused more from trying and failing, or from failing to try?

3)  Some ardent atheists have adopted Judges 1:19 as evidence that God is weak when faced with strong opposition (i.e. iron chariots).  They believe that if they develop iron-clad arguments against the existence of God, they will defeat the opposing Christian arguments. 
Clearly, God looked weak as a result of Judah's failure to defeat the iron chariots, and Benjamin's failure to dislodge the Jebusites from Jerusalem.  Do these passages actually show that God was weak?  (For evidence, see Judges 4:2-3, 14-16 and 2 Sam. 5:7.)  Why would God allow himself to appear weak from our failures?

4)  How can you and I demonstrate God's strength to our world today?