Pastor Ralph

Q2. (Judges 7:24-8:3) What does Gideon ask the Ephraimites to do? Why are they so angry? What do you learn from Gideon's approach to the Ephraimites' arrogance?

Q1. (Judges 7:16-22) Why does Gideon divide his army into three companies? What is the strategy with the trumpets, the empty jars, and the torches? Why did this strategy work?

Q6. (Judges 7:13-14) What does the rolling barley loaf mean in the Midianite's dream? Why does the Lord show Gideon this dream?

Q5. (Judges 7:5-6) What significance, if any, do you see in selecting the "lappers" from the "kneelers"?

Q4. Why do we demand that God's directions make sense to us before we'll follow them? What's the spiritual danger here? We're afraid of being -- or being perceived as -- religious kooks. How can we balance blind obedience with getting confirmation through spiritual people whose discernment we trust?

Q3. (Judges 7:1-3) Why did God feel Gideon's army was too large? Why was shrinking the army's size to a tiny band essential in restoring Israel's faith and allegiance? What kinds of pressures would Gideon be feeling not to obey God in shrinking his army? How was Gideon able to obey God fully in this?

Q2. (Judges 6:36-39) Why does Gideon put out a fleece before the Lord -- twice? Is this a sign of unbelief or of belief? Does this constitute testing God? How does it differ from the sinful testings of God the scripture warns against? When, if ever, should we ask God to confirm his direction with a sign? What is the danger of demanding a sign?

Q1. (Judges 6:33-35) What inspires Gideon to blow the battle horn and summon an army against the Midianites. What does Gideon have in common with other judges and leaders of his era? (Hint: see Deuteronomy 34:9; Judges 3:10; 11:9; 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14; 1 Samuel 11:6.)

Q5. (Judges 6:25-31) What kind of leader has Gideon's father Joash been up to this point? How does Gideon's action affect his father? Shouldn't Gideon have considered the impact on his father? How should this have affected Gideon's action? (See Matthew 10:34-38) In what sense is Joash a follower of Yahweh now?

Can a person be a "disobedient disciple"? Doesn't that represent an oxymoron? Did Gideon have a choice here? Do we have choices?

How are we to obey the commandment to "Honor your father and your mother" in the kind of situation Gideon finds himself? What justification does Gideon have for his action? (Matthew 10:37).

Q4. (Judges 6:25-27) What is the strategic significance of God's command for Gideon to tear down the Baal altar and Asherah pole? What positive thing is he to erect in their place? What risks are involved in this action. Why does Gideon do this at night? Is this night mission a sign of weakness or of faith?

What is God's answer to Gideon's self-image? (Judges 6:16) Does this spiritual principle apply to our lives as Christians? Can you recall any New Testament passages that teach the same principle? What is an appropriate prayer to pray in light of what God has taught you from this passage?

Q3. (Judges 6:12-16) How did God see Gideon? How did Gideon see himself? Whose self-perception is most accurate? How can our own self-perception prevent us from becoming what God has made us to be? What is God's answer to Gideon's self-image? What might be an appropriate prayer to pray in light of what God has taught you from this passage?

Q1. (Judges

Q2. (Judges 6:13) In what way does Gideon blame God for his troubles in verse 13? Is Gideon's assessment accurate? Why or why not? Why do we blame God? What's the danger and how can we stop short of this in the future?

I'm glad you've signed up for the Gideon study. Please tell us something about yourself. I'm the director of the study, Ralph F. Wilson. I'm the Ministry Development Pastor at Community Covenant Church, Rocklin, California. I have been developing online Bible studies since 1996.

Why was it important for Jesus -- and for us -- to grow "in favor with God and men" (2:52)? How is our relationship with people vital to our spiritual growth?

What does it mean that "the grace of God was upon him"? (2:40) Why was this necessary for Jesus? Why is it necessary for us?

Why did Jesus have to obey parents who were his spiritual inferiors? (2:51) How can our inability to submit to authority be crucial in our spiritual relationship with God?

Why was Jesus so engrossed in the Temple? (2:46-49) How was this interaction with Jerusalem's top teachers important for his own development? How did this represent something that was absolutely necessary for him to do? How did this relate to his calling?

2. How do you evaluate Jesus' carelessness in not going home with his parents when they left Jerusalem? (2:43-44) Was Jesus at fault or they? What is the difference between an error in judgment and sin, if any?

1. Since Jesus was already the Son of God, why did he have to "grow" in understanding and wisdom? (2:40, 52)

5. What expectations do Simeon and Anna have of the Messiah's salvation? What does this have to do with Jerusalem? With the Gentiles? With Jesus' own life? What kind(s) of salvation does Jesus offer today?

4. What place do praise and thanksgiving have in Simeon's and Anna's lives? What does this say about them? How do we nurture these in our lives? Why does our culture see long periods spent in prayer as wasted? How did Anna see it?