English: OBS Study Questions - English

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16. The Deliverers

What the Story Says

  1. How did the Israelites disobey God?

    The did not keep his laws, and they did not drive out the rest of the Canaanites from the land. Also, they began to worship Canaanite gods (#16-01).

  2. What pattern did the Israelites keep repeating?

    They would disobey God, so he would punish them by allowing their enemies to defeat them. When the Israelites repented, God would send a deliverer to rescue them (#16-02).

  3. Why was Gideon threshing grain in a hidden place?

    He was afraid the Midianites would find his grain and steal it (#16-05).

  4. What was the first thing that God told Gideon to do?

    God told him to tear down his father’s altar where his father worshiped an idol (#16-06).

  5. What two signs did God give to Gideon to prove that he would defeat the Midianites?

    God caused a sheep skin to be wet, but the ground around it to be dry. Then the next night, God caused the sheep skin to be dry, but the ground to be wet (#16-09).

  6. What did God do when 32,000 men cane to fight for Israel?

    God had Gideon send most of them home. He kept only 300 soldiers (#16-10).

  7. How did Gideon’s 300 soldiers attack the Midianites?

    The put torches in clay pots. Then they all broke the pots at the same time to show the torches, and blew their horns (#16-12), (#16-13).

  8. How did God help Gideon attack the Midianites?

    God confused the Midianites so that they attacked and killed each other (#16-14).

  9. What did the people do with the special garment that Gideon made out of gold?

    The people began to worship it as an idol (#16-16).

  10. Why did the people ask God to give them a king?

    They wanted a king who was tall and strong, and who could lead them into battle against their enemies (#16-18).

What the Story Means to Us

  1. All of the Israelites did what they thought was right for themselves. Does this mean they obeyed God?

    The Israelites did not think about God in the right way. Therefore, they thought it was right to worship idols, even though God had told them to worship only him. In this way, they disobeyed God.

  2. How many times did God send a deliverer to rescue the Israelites when they repented of their sin?

    Every time the Israelites repented of their sin and asked God to help them, he sent a deliverer to rescue them. This happened many times.

  3. Why did it take so long for the Israelites to ask God to save them from the Midianites?

    The Midianites stole all of the Israelites’ crops for seven years before they asked God to save them. Perhaps they forgot that he could rescue them. Or, perhaps they asked their idols to save them for seven years before they finally decided to ask God for help.

  4. What are some of the ways that Gideon showed that he was not very brave?

    Gideon was hiding from the Midianites as he threshed grain. He tore down his father’s altar at night because he was afraid of the people. God showed him two signs to convince him to attack the Midianites. And God sent him to the Midianite camp to hear a soldier talk about his dream so Gideon would not be afraid. In spite of this, God used him to save Israel.

  5. Why did God make Gideon send home all but 300 soldiers?

    God wanted everyone to know that the Israelites defeated the Midianites because God helped them. He did not want them to think their own strength save them. For that reason, he did not want Gideon to attack with a lot of soldiers.

  6. Were the people thankful that God send deliverers to rescue them from their enemies?

    The people were not happy that God only sent them deliverers. Instead, they wanted a king like all the other nations had.

Summary

God and the people did not change. The people always disobeyed God and worshiped idols. And God always punished them when they sinned and rescued them when they repented of their sin. This pattern happened many times to the Israelites. God powerfully helped Gideon to rescue them from the Midianites. But after that, they worshiped idols again. They would not obey God. They did not want God to be their king. Instead, they finally asked God to give them a king so they could be just like the other nations who worshiped idols.