The Dark Days of Israels Judges A Study

I. Introduction to Lesson 17 A. This text gives preachers pause for thought. 1.

I. Hospitality to horror (19: 1 -30) A. Hospitality at Bethlehem (19: 1 -10).

I. Israel’s civil war: Israel vs. the Benjamites (20: 1 -47) A. B. C.

I. Brides for Benjamites (21: 1 -25) A. B. C. II. Playing one oath

A. About the treatment of women 1. Progressive deterioration in attitudes and actions toward

Copyright © 2009 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. This is the edited Power. Point presentation

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The Dark Days of Israel’s Judges A Study of the Book of Judges Lesson 17 Judges 19 – 21 Israel’s Sodom and Gomorrah December 13, 2009

I. Introduction to Lesson 17 A. This text gives preachers pause for thought. 1. The consequences for preaching this text with integrity could be severe. 2. It’s appropriateness in a mixed audience B. C. D. E. We are intended to understand this text in the light of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. Efforts to avoid homosexuality here are laughable. This text is not in chronological order. The structure of our text 1. Hospitality (19: 1 -10) to horror (19: 11 -30) 2. Civil war– Israel vs. Benjamites (20: 1 -48) 3. Brides for Benjamites (21: 1 -25)

I. Hospitality to horror (19: 1 -30) A. Hospitality at Bethlehem (19: 1 -10). 1. The story 2. Observations B. Horror at Gibeah (19: 11 -26) 1. The story 2. Observations C. Levite/priestly “piety” (19: 27 -30) 1. The story 2. Observations

I. Israel’s civil war: Israel vs. the Benjamites (20: 1 -47) A. B. C. D. E. F. Israel assembles at Mizpah (20: 1 -2) The Levite’s embellished explanation (20: 3 -7) Assembling for battle (20: 8 -17). First battle – Israel loses 22, 000 (20: 18 -21) Second battle – Israel loses 18, 000 (20: 22 -25). Third battle – Benjamites lose 25, 100 (20: 2648).

I. Brides for Benjamites (21: 1 -25) A. B. C. II. Playing one oath against another (21: 1 -14) Israel’s advice to Benjamin: How to catch a wife (21: 15 -22). A less-than-perfect ending (21: 23 -25) Conclusion A. B. About hospitality About homosexuality 1. Homosexuality is sin 2. Homosexuality is not the only sin 3. Selective judgment: The Israelites, like many Christians today, are harder on some sins than others (contrast conclusion 1 with conclusion 2).

A. About the treatment of women 1. Progressive deterioration in attitudes and actions toward women 2. Christianity should not demean women, but should esteem and protect them. B. C. D. E. F. G. About violence – abortion is a greater horror About hypocrisy in dealing with our sin There are no heroes in this text. Israel “saves” Benjamin, but by devious and underhanded means. God’s salvation is vastly superior. How will having a king help Israel (and us)?

Copyright © 2009 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. This is the edited Power. Point presentation of Lesson 17 in the series, The Dark Days of Israel’s Judges, prepared by Robert L. Deffinbaugh for December 13, 2009. Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit.