Lesson
76 Judges 1–5 Dec 10th
Introduction
After
Joshua died, the tribes of Israel continued their conquest of Canaan. Some of
the tribes failed to drive out all of the inhabitants of the land of Canaan as
they had been commanded. The Israelites forsook the Lord by worshipping the false
gods of the Canaanites, and the Lord removed His blessing of protection from
them. Despite the Israelites’ disobedience, the Lord raised up judges to
deliver them from their enemies.
Note:
Before the lesson, assign one of the following scripture passages to each of
three students: Judges 3:5–11; Judges 3:12–30; and Judges 4:1–9, 15–24. Ask the students to be
prepared to summarize their assigned passage for the class.
I.
Judges 1–2 The
Israelites settle in the promised land and begin to worship false gods
---Invite
a student to read aloud the following statement by President Spencer W.
Kimball:
“One
man who had been a slave to alcohol most of his adult life became convinced …
that he must give up the habit and prepare himself for the temple. … With great
effort he quit drinking. He moved many miles away from the area where his
drinking friends lived and, though his body craved and ached and gnawed for
[alcohol], he finally conquered. He was at all his Church meetings, and was paying
his tithing. His new friends
in the Church seemed to fortify him. He felt good in the new activity, and life
was glorious. His wife was beaming, because now the whole family were always
together. This is what she had dreamed about all their married life.
“They
got their temple recommends and the happy day arrived and they drove to the
temple city for this great event. They arrived early and each had some errands
to do. As it happened, the husband ran into some old friends. They urged him to
go with them to the tavern [where alcohol was served]. No, he would not, he
said, he had other important things to do. Well, he could just take a soft
drink [soda], they urged” (The Miracle of Forgiveness [1969],
170–71).
---Do you think it would be all
right for this man to go to the tavern to have a soft drink? Why or why not?
---Ask
students to ponder situations in which unrighteous influences (such as
unrighteous friends, music, movies, social media, and Internet sites) may tempt
them to break the commandments.
---Invite
students to look for truths as they study Judges 1–5 that explain what can happen if we
place ourselves in situations in which we may be tempted by unrighteous
influences.
---Summary
of Judges 1: After Joshua’s death, when Israel
was strong and united, they put the Canaanites under tribute instead of driving
them out of the land (see Judges 1:28).
---What had the Lord commanded
the Israelites to do to the wicked people who lived in the land of Canaan? (See
Exodus 23:31.)
---Point
out that important points or messages in the scriptures are often emphasized by
the repetition of certain words or phrases.
---Invite
students to scan Judges 1:21, 27–33 and look for words or phrases
that are repeated in these verses.
---Based on the words and
phrases repeated in these verses, what message can we learn from Judges 1:27–33?
(The
Israelites had failed to obey the Lord’s instructions to drive out the wicked
people from the promised land.)
---Where did these wicked people
dwell after the Israelites moved into the promised land?
---Explain
that the Lord sent an angel to the Israelites to teach them about the
consequences of their disobedience.
---Invite
a student to read Judges 2:1–3 aloud. Ask the class to follow along
and look for the consequences the Israelites would experience.
---What do you think it means
that the wicked people in the promised land would be “as thorns in [the
Israelites’] sides”?
Remind
students that a snare is a type of trap used to catch animals. Display a snare
or trap (or draw a picture of one on the board).
---What do you think it means
that the false gods in the promised land would be like a snare to the
Israelites?
---After
students respond, write the following incomplete statement on the board:
If we choose to associate with evil influences and temptations, then …
---Invite
students to consider as they continue to study the events recorded in the book
of Judges how they might complete this statement.
---Summary
of Judges 2:4–10: The Israelites mourned after
learning of the consequences of their disobedience. 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” (Judges 2:10).
---Invite
a student to read Judges 2:11–13 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along and look for what this new generation began to do.
---What did the new generation
of Israelites do?
---Explain
that 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.
---Based on the Israelites’ actions,
how would you complete the principle on the board?
(After
students respond, complete the principle on the board so it conveys the
following truth: If we choose to associate with evil influences and
temptations, then they may lead us to sin.)
---To
help students understand this principle, remind them of the account of the man
who quit drinking alcohol and prepared himself to be sealed to his family in
the temple. Ask a student to read aloud what happened after the man was invited
to go to the tavern on the day of the sealing:
“With
the best of intentions he finally relented [and went to the tavern with his old
friends]. But by the time he was to meet his wife at the temple he was so
incapacitated [or drunk with alcohol] that the family went home in disgrace and
sorrow and disappointment” (The Miracle of Forgiveness, 171).
---How can this man’s experience
help us understand the danger of choosing to linger in situations where
unrighteous influences may tempt us?
---What are some situations in
which members of the Church might have to choose whether or not to be in
situations with unrighteous influences?
---Draw
the following diagram on the board, and invite students to copy it in their
class notebooks or scripture study journals.
---Explain
that the events recorded in the book of Judges show that the Israelites went
through a repeated cycle of sin and deliverance.
---Invite
a student to read Judges 2:14–15 aloud. Ask the class to follow
along and look for what happened after the Israelites sinned by worshipping
false gods.
---What happened after the
Israelites worshipped false gods?
---Write
The Israelites are afflicted by their enemies in box 2 on the board, and
invite students to copy it on their diagrams.
---Invite
a student to read Judges 2:16–18 aloud, and ask the class to follow
along and look for what the Lord did for the Israelites after they were
afflicted by their enemies.
---What did the Lord do for His
people after they were afflicted?
---Explain
that these judges were civic and military leaders. None of them were prophets like
Moses
and Joshua.
---According to verse 18, why did the Lord raise up judges
to deliver the Israelites?
(Point
out that footnote a explains that the phrase “for it
repented the Lord” means that the Lord had compassion on Israel. The word groanings
in verse 18 refers to the prayers they offered
while enduring oppression. The Joseph Smith Translation for
this verse indicates that the Lord hearkened to these groanings.)
---What do these verses teach
about the Lord’s feelings toward us when we are suffering, even when that
suffering is a result of our own sins?
(Students
may use different words, but make sure they identify the following principle:
The Lord has compassion on us in our suffering, even when our suffering is a
result of our own sins.)
---Write
The Israelites cry unto the Lord for deliverance in box 3 on the board,
and write The Lord raises up judges who deliver the Israelites from their
enemies in box 4. Invite students to copy these statements on their
diagrams.
---Invite
a student to read Judges 2:19 aloud. Ask the class to follow along,
looking for what happened after the Lord delivered the Israelites from their
enemies. Ask students to report what they find.
---What do you think happened
after the Israelites began to sin again?
III.
Judges 3–5
The Lord repeatedly raises up
judges to deliver the Israelites from their enemies
---If
you invited students to study Judges 3:5–11; Judges 3:12–30; and Judges 4:1–9, 15–24 before class, invite them to
come to the front of the class and summarize the accounts they read. Ask the
class to listen for how the cycle of sin and deliverance is repeated in each
account. If you did not ask students to study these accounts before class, you
could ask students to read the accounts aloud, or you could summarize them. You
might also summarize Judges 5 by explaining that after Deborah
helped deliver Israel from the Canaanites, she and Barak sang a song of praise
to the Lord.
---Why do you think the
Israelites continued to return to their previous sins after being delivered?
Refer
to the principle you wrote on the board earlier. Point out that the Israelites
returned to their previous sins as they continued to linger among unrighteous
influences. Ask a student to read aloud the following statement by President
Spencer W. Kimball:
“In
abandoning sin one cannot merely wish for better conditions. He must make them.
… He must be certain not only that he has abandoned the sin but that he has
changed the situations surrounding the sin. He should avoid the places and
conditions and circumstances where the sin occurred, for these could most
readily breed it again” (The Miracle of Forgiveness, 171).
---Invite
students to ponder what circumstances or influences they might need to abandon
so they can avoid sin.
---To
conclude, testify of the truths you have discussed, and invite students to act
on any promptings they may have received to apply these truths in their lives.
Commentary and
Background Information
Judges
1:8, 21. The status of Jerusalem during the time of the judges
It
may be helpful to note that Judges 1:8 and 1:21 seem to contradict each other by indicating
that two different tribes of Israel (Judah and Benjamin) controlled Jerusalem.
In fact, Judah had conquered and was in control of the southern half of the
city. The tribe of Benjamin controlled the northern half of Jerusalem, but they
did not fully conquer it and drive out the Jebusites until the days of King
David (see 2 Samuel 5:6–7).
Judges
2:11–15. How to avoid the worldly influences around us
Elder
Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave two suggestions
on how Latter-day Saints can avoid embracing worldly influences:
“We
cannot avoid the world. A cloistered existence is not the answer. …
“… How
then do we balance the need to positively contribute to the world and to not
succumb to the sins of the world? (See D&C 25:10; 59:9.) Two principles will make a significant
difference.
“1.
Let people know you are a committed Latter-day Saint. …
“2.
Be confident about and live your beliefs” (“In the World
but Not of the World,” Ensign, Feb. 2006, 54–55).
Judges
4:8–9. Deborah gives God the glory for the success of the military
In
Judges 4, we read that the Lord called a
woman named Deborah to judge Israel (see Bible Dictionary, “Deborah”).
Together, she and the military leader Barak delivered Israel from the
Canaanites. Judges 4 highlights Deborah’s strong faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ.
When Barak insisted that Deborah accompany the military to battle, she agreed
to go but gave full credit to the Lord for any success they would have and
sought no honor for herself (see Judges 4:8–9).
Understanding
the context of events recorded in the scriptures prepares students to recognize
the messages of the authors. Context includes the circumstances that surround
or provide background for a particular passage or account in the scriptures.
This information can clarify and help students better understand the accounts,
teachings, doctrines, and principles in the scriptures.
No comments:
Post a Comment