Judges 2; 4; 67; 1316



To encourage class members to seek influences that will strengthen them in living the gospel in a challenging
world.

Introduction

President Gordon B. Hinckley told of a time when he planted a young tree in his yard but neglected to use
supporting stakes to help it grow straight. In time, the wind caused the tree to lean badly to one side. President
Hinckley realized that if he had tied the tree to stakes, it would have been supported until it was strong enough
to resist the wind on its own. (In Conference Report, Oct. 1993, 7778; or -
  Nov. 1993, 59.)

Explain that we may sometimes be like that young tree, unable to withstand the wind (the temptations of Satan)
on our own. In the book of Judges we learn about some of the stakes that can support us:

Righteous parents
Faith in God
Righteous friends
Covenants

Draw on the chalkboard a young tree tied to four supporting stakes. Draw on the chalkboard a young tree tied
to four supporting stakes. As you progress through the four scripture accounts in the lesson, label each stake.

Led by Joshua, the Israelites conquered much of the promised land. After Joshua died, Israel was not united
under a single leader until the days of the prophet Samuel and King Saul. During this interval, 12 judges served
as Israels rulers and military leaders. Most of their reign was tragic as Israel went through the cycle of
apostasy, bondage, repentance, and delivery many times.

Offsetting the tragic parts of this history are stories of people who remained true, setting powerful examples of
how to exercise faith and courage in an apostate world. Deborah and Gideon were both righteous judges whom
the Lord raised up to deliver Israel. Deborahs faith was largely responsible for delivering Israel from a
Canaanite army. Gideons reliance on the Lord allowed his 300-man army to miraculously defeat the
Midianites.

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o In the book of Judges, the children of Israel experienced several cycles of righteousness and apostasy (see
the Cycle of Apostasy in Judges diagram on page 89). How did the rising generation of Israelites begin
the cycle of apostasy? (See especially Judges 2:10, 12, 17, 20, and 22. Suggest that class members mark key
words in these verses. Point out that the children of Israel left God and left the ways and the covenants of
their parents.)

Teach and discuss Judges 2:623.

Joshua passes onand is buried.

6 And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to
possess the land.
7 And the people aserved the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua,
who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.
8 And Joshua the son of aNun, the servant of the LORD, died, be  an hundred and ten years old.
9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north
side of the hill Gaash.
10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them,
which aknew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed
other gods, of the gods of the people that ere round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and
provoked the LORD to aanger.
13 And they forsook the LORD, and served aBaal and Ashtaroth.
14 And the aanger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of bspoilers that
spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer
stand before their enemies.
15 Whithersoever they went out, the ahand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as
the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up ajudges, which bdelivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled
them.
17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a awhoring after other bgods, and bowed
themselves unto them: they turned cquickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the
commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.

a
 18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of
the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it arepented the LORD because of their groanings by
reason of them that oppressed them and bvexed them.
19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted them
elve
more than their
a
fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own
doings, nor from their bstubborn way.
20 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed
my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;
21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:
22 That through them I may aprove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to bwalk therein, as
their fathers did keep t or not.

23 Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the
hand of Joshua.

This section in Judges continually references the promises made to and kept by the fathers.

Q: How have your parents or other family members strengthened you in righteous living?

Q: How can we recognize the early signs of apostasy?

Q: How might we appropriately help a family member or friend who seems to be falling away from the truth?

a

 



! (Hebrew: , "Lightning; Shine"),
!" (Arabic: al-Burq "lightning") was a military
general. He was the commander of the army of Deborah. Barak and Deborah are credited with defeating the
Canaanite armies led by Sisera, who for twenty years had oppressed the Israelites.

The story of the defeat of Canaanites under the prophetic leadership of Deborah and the military leadership of
Barak, is related in prose (chapter 4) and repeated in poetry (chapter 5, which is known as the So of
eborah). Judges 4

1 AND the children of Israel again did aevil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.
2 And the LORD asold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose
host a
Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
3 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred achariots of iron; and twenty years
he bmightily coppressed the children of Israel.
4 And Deborah, a aprophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
5 And she adwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in mount Ephraim: and the
children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
6 And she sent and called aBarak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the
LORD God of Israel commanded,
ay  Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand
men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin s army, with his chariots and his
multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.
8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, the I will
not go.
9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine
honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to
Kedesh.
10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and
Deborah went up with him.
11 Now Heber the Kenite, hha
of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself
from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which 
by Kedesh.
12 And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.
13 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, eve nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that
ere with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.
14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this 
the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine
hand: is not the LORD gone out abefore thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men
after him.
15 And the LORD adiscomfited bSisera, and all h
chariots, and all h
host, with the edge of the sword before
Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off h
chariot, and fled away on his feet.
16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of
Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; a there was not a man left.

Deborah said (in verse 9) that Barak would win, but Sisera would be killed by a woman.

In the battle at Mount Tabor, a cloudburst occurred, causing the river to flood, thus limiting the maneuverability
of the Canaanite chariots. Sisera fled, seeking refuge in the tent of a Kenite woman, Jael. Jael gave Sisera a
drink of milk and he fell asleep from weariness. Then she pounded a tent peg through his head. When Barak
came along, she let him see Sisera dead in her tent. Later Israel slew King Jabin.

Q: Why do you think Barak was willing to face Sisera if Deborah would go with him?

Q: What impresses you about Deborah? What qualities did she have that Barak may not have had? (See Judges
4:49, 14.)

Q: How have your friends helped you face difficult challenges or obey the Lords commandments?

[
  { 
 

{Briefly review the story of Gideon from Judges 6-711

Judges 6 to Judges 7

The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and He delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven
years. The Israelites took refuge in dens and strongholds in the mountains, and in caves. At harvest time, when
the crops which had been sown by the Israelites were ready for the reaping, the Midianites came with their
numbers of camels and ate up the crops. They were so many of them that when they left, the land was bare, with
no food for man or the animals.

The children of Israel cried out to God and wanted to know why this great trouble had come upon them, and He
sent them a prophet to tell them that it was because He had brought them up out of Egypt, and had delivered
them from all oppression, and He had told them not to worship the gods of the country in which they lived, for
He was the Lord their God. They had not obeyed Him, and for this they were being punished.

There was a man among the Israelites who did not want to worship any but God. His name was Gideon, and one
day as he sat threshing wheat by the wine-press to hide it from the Midianites.

Judges 6: 12-16

12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD 
with thee, thou mighty man
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16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be awith thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

The next day Gideon took ten of his servants and went up to the hill on which an altar had been erected to the
false gods whom the people were worshiping. He threw down the false altars, and built an altar to God in the
same place, and on it he made a burnt offering to God.

The next morning when the people saw what had been done, they cried out to one another. "Who has done this
thing?" they shouted. The men of the city went to Joash, Gideon's father, and they asked him to send his son
out, that he might be put to death. Gideon's father Judges 6:31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him,
Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death awhilst t
yet
morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because o e hath cast down his altar.

All the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and
pitched in the valley of Jezreel. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, and called a
great army together. Before he set out to save Israel, he wanted to be sure that he was the one chosen to do it, so
he said to God: "If I am the one chosen to this task, I should like a sign. I will put this fleece of wool upon the
earth. If the dew forms on the fleece, but not on the earth, I will know that it is indeed so."

God did so that night. Gideon returned to his army, and prepared for the battle. God told him that his army was
far too large,

Judges 7: 2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the
Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

God asked Gideon to send home all who were fearful and afraid. So twenty-two thousand went home, and ten
thousand remained. Yahweh said that it was still too large, and sent home all but three hundred.

That night Gideon went alone to the camp of the Midianites, and he heard one man telling of a strange dream. "I
dreamed," said the man, " a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came to a tent, and smote
it that it fell and overturned it, and the tent lay along." The other answered, "This is nothing else save that sword
of Gideon, for into his hand God has delivered Midian and the entire host. Gideon returned to his army with a
plan

Judges 7:
16 And he divided the three hundred men  to three companies, and he put a trumpet in every mans hand, with
empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.
17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp,
it shall be that as I do, so shall ye do.
18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all
the camp, and say, The
or of the LORD, and of Gideon.
19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that ere with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning
of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers
that ere in their hands.
20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands,
and the trumpets in their right hands to blow thal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.
21 nd they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.

Q: Why do some people feel, like Gideon, that the Lord worked more miracles in previous generations than he
does in theirs? (See Judges 6:13.) What is our role in the working of miracles? (See Moroni 7:3538.) How do
you know that God continues to work miracles today? How can we better recognize the quiet miracles in our
lives?

Q: (See Judges 7:2.) How do some of us today vaunt [our]selves? (Instead of recognizing that our blessings
and strength come from the Lord, some of us claim to have earned all that we have through our own efforts.)
How can we overcome this problem?

Q: What can we learn from Gideon? How has the Lord helped you do something that he asked you to do that
was difficult? (As class members share experiences, testify that when the Lord commands us to do something,
he will help us accomplish it.)

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Q: What was the deal with Sampsons strength? What is the significance of the hair? Why could he not cut it?

Judges 13: [
   

   
 


 

 
    
    
 



     
  
        
    
     

o Explain that Nazarites made covenants with the Lord to separate themselves from the things of the
world and become holy unto him. The Nazarite vow is set forth in Numbers 6:26, 8.)

As a Nazarite and a member of the house of Israel, Samson made covenants with the Lord. However, he
soon broke his Nazarite vow and his covenants as a member of the house of Israel.
p a. He married outside the covenant house of Israel (Judges 14:13).
p b. He was immoral with a harlot (Judges 16:1).
p c. He had his hair cut (Judges 16:420).
p
o What were the consequences of Samsons violation of his covenants? (See Judges 16:1721. He lost
his spiritual and physical strength, and the Philistines blinded him and bound him. If necessary, explain
that Samsons hair was not the source of his physical strength. Rather, his hair was a sign of his
covenant with the Lord, and when his hair was cut, the Lord took away his physical strength because the
covenant was broken.)
o The covenants we make with the Lord should be a source of strength, guidance, and commitment.

Q: How have covenants strengthened you? (One way covenants strengthen us is by helping us resist
Satans efforts to blind or bind us.)

 

Explain that in the book of Joshua the Israelites fought and won many physical battles against the Canaanites.
However, in the book of Judges the Israelites began to lose spiritual battles, letting themselves be influenced by
the Canaanites worldly practices and false gods. We face similar spiritual battles. Testify that we can succeed
in these battles as we (1) follow the ways of righteous parents and ancestors, (2) make good friends, (3) increase
our faith in the Lord, and (4) keep our covenants.