Questions and ideas for group members and leaders for Judges 7

Judges 7 Questions

First, ask each group member to find a partner. 

Second, use the following icebreaker: Gideon’s name was changed to Jerubbaal. Have you ever experienced a name change anytime in your life? What were your thoughts about it? Why did it happen?

Judges 7:1–3

1. Why is Gideon now called Jerubbaal? It means “let Baal contend.” When Gideon destroyed the Baal altar and put one for the Lord in its place, his life was in danger. His father intervened and told the people that Baal could contend for himself.
2. Why did the Lord tell Gideon that he had too many men to fight? Israel might become proud and take the glory for the victory and not give glory to God.
3. What light does Psalm 20:7 shed on this idea? Some trust in chariots and horses, but our trust should be in the Lord.
4. Salvation does not come by works, but by grace through faith. Even if salvation were possible by works, why would it not be a good thing? It would cause us to boast and take the glory for our own salvation and not give glory to God.
5. What was the basis for the first pairing down of men with Gideon? Those that were fearful and trembling could leave. 
6. Do you think the men that left were ashamed or just relieved they didn’t have to go into battle? This is an opinion question. Ask group members to respond.
7. What do you think that Gideon must have felt when he says 22,000 of his 32,000 men leave? From a human point of view, he may have wondered what the Lord was up to. There were 135,000 Midianites plus camels. 
8. Has the Lord ever asked you to do something that from a human point of view made no sense? No doubt many have experienced this. How does Isaiah 55:8-9 help us to get perspective in a situation like that? Read and discuss.

Judges 7:4–8

1. What was the significance of pairing out more men based on how they drank water? The ones who did not get down on all fours and lap water like a dog, but knelt brought the water up to their mouth would be an indication that they were more alert and would be better in battle.
2. Does I Peter 5:8 give us insight and application for being alert today? Yes, it does. We must be alert in the spiritual sense because our adversary the devil is like a roaring lion.
3. Was the Lord engineering circumstances that would make Gideon and his mere 300 men be absolutely dependent on the Lord? Most definitely.
4. Does the Lord sometimes do likewise for us? No doubt he does, but we don’t always realize what he is up to.
5. What kind of men did Paul instruct Timothy to look for in II Timothy 2:2? Faithful.

Judges 7:19–23

1. If you were in the Midianite camp, what would you think if you were awakened from a deep sleep to the sound of 300 rams’ horns, the smashing of pitchers and seeing the light of the torches from the hills surrounding the camp? Ask several group members to share.
2. Have you found that sounds in the middle of the night are much more frightening than in the day? Oh yeah.
3. Can you recall another incident in the Old Testament when the Lord caused an enemy of Israel to hear loud sounds and be terrified?  In II Kings 7:6-7, as the Syrian army had laid siege to Samaria, the Lord caused them to hear chariots, horses, and a great army causing them to flee.
4. Can anyone recall in Revelation a future account when armies will turn on themselves as the Midianites did in our text?  See Ezekiel 38:21 against Gog and Zechariah 14:13 for armies surrounding Jerusalem.