7.28.24 Huddle
Opening Discussion
- What is your favorite Bible story?
Shortened Version
Read and Discuss
Judges 19:1a
In those days, when there was no king in Israel…
Judges 21:25
25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him.
- What are some ways the Israelites rejected God as their King?
- Without the Lord guiding us, why is what seems right to us actually wrong?
- What are some ways you see this being played out in our culture today?
- How can you make sure that you are relying on the Holy Spirit to guide you and not what just seems right to you?
Judges 19:16-30
16 In the evening, an old man came in from his work in the field. He was from the hill country of Ephraim, but he was residing in Gibeah where the people were Benjaminites. 17 When he looked up and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?”
18 He answered him, “We’re traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote hill country of Ephraim, where I am from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I’m going to the house of the Lord. No one has taken me into his home, 19 although there’s straw and feed for the donkeys, and I have bread and wine for me, my concubine, and the servant with us. There is nothing we lack.”
20 “Welcome!” said the old man. “I’ll take care of everything you need. Only don’t spend the night in the square.” 21 So he brought him to his house and fed the donkeys. Then they washed their feet and ate and drank. 22 While they were enjoying themselves, all of a sudden, wicked men of the city surrounded the house and beat on the door. They said to the old man who was the owner of the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him!”
23 The owner of the house went out and said to them, “Please don’t do this evil, my brothers. After all, this man has come into my house. Don’t commit this horrible outrage. 24 Here, let me bring out my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine now. Abuse them and do whatever you want to them. But don’t commit this outrageous thing against this man.”
25 But the men would not listen to him, so the man seized his concubine and took her outside to them. They raped her and abused her all night until morning. At daybreak they let her go. 26 Early that morning, the woman made her way back, and as it was getting light, she collapsed at the doorway of the man’s house where her master was.
27 When her master got up in the morning, opened the doors of the house, and went out to leave on his journey, there was the woman, his concubine, collapsed near the doorway of the house with her hands on the threshold. 28 “Get up,” he told her. “Let’s go.” But there was no response. So the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.
29 When he entered his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her into twelve pieces, limb by limb, and then sent her throughout the territory of Israel. 30 Everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has ever happened or has been seen since the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until now. Think it over, discuss it, and speak up!”
- Why is this story included in the Bible?
- How had the Benjamites slipped so far away from God that this seemed justifiable in their eyes?
- Is there anyone in your life that is taking steps away from the Lord?
- How can you help them get back on the right path?
Discipleship Questions
- How do you know when the Holy Spirit is speaking to you instead of just your own thoughts or whims?
- Is there anything in your life that you are doing because it feels right to you, but you know it goes against God’s plan?
- What needs to change in your life to submit that area to Jesus?
- Who can help you do this?
- What can you do to make sure you are following the Lord and not the culture?
Extended Edition
Read and Discuss
Judges 19:1a
In those days, when there was no king in Israel…
Judges 21:25
25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him.
- What are some ways the Israelites rejected God as their King?
- Without the Lord guiding us, why is what seems right to us actually wrong?
- What are some ways you see this being played out in our culture today?
- How can you make sure that you are relying on the Holy Spirit to guide you and not what just seems right to you?
- Who is the King of your life?
- How do you know?
Judges 19:16-30
16 In the evening, an old man came in from his work in the field. He was from the hill country of Ephraim, but he was residing in Gibeah where the people were Benjaminites. 17 When he looked up and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?”
18 He answered him, “We’re traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote hill country of Ephraim, where I am from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I’m going to the house of the Lord. No one has taken me into his home, 19 although there’s straw and feed for the donkeys, and I have bread and wine for me, my concubine, and the servant with us. There is nothing we lack.”
20 “Welcome!” said the old man. “I’ll take care of everything you need. Only don’t spend the night in the square.” 21 So he brought him to his house and fed the donkeys. Then they washed their feet and ate and drank. 22 While they were enjoying themselves, all of a sudden, wicked men of the city surrounded the house and beat on the door. They said to the old man who was the owner of the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him!”
23 The owner of the house went out and said to them, “Please don’t do this evil, my brothers. After all, this man has come into my house. Don’t commit this horrible outrage. 24 Here, let me bring out my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine now. Abuse them and do whatever you want to them. But don’t commit this outrageous thing against this man.”
25 But the men would not listen to him, so the man seized his concubine and took her outside to them. They raped her and abused her all night until morning. At daybreak they let her go. 26 Early that morning, the woman made her way back, and as it was getting light, she collapsed at the doorway of the man’s house where her master was.
27 When her master got up in the morning, opened the doors of the house, and went out to leave on his journey, there was the woman, his concubine, collapsed near the doorway of the house with her hands on the threshold. 28 “Get up,” he told her. “Let’s go.” But there was no response. So the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.
29 When he entered his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her into twelve pieces, limb by limb, and then sent her throughout the territory of Israel. 30 Everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has ever happened or has been seen since the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until now. Think it over, discuss it, and speak up!”
- Why is this story included in the Bible?
- Why didn’t the Levite cry out to the Lord to stop this injustice?
- How had the Benjamites slipped so far away from God that this seemed justifiable in their eyes?
- Is there anyone in your life that is taking steps away from the Lord?
- How can you help them get back on the right path?
- This story is similar to another story in the Bible. (See Genesis 19:1-11)
Genesis 19:1-11
The two angels entered Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in Sodom’s gateway. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them. He bowed with his face to the ground 2 and said, “My lords, turn aside to your servant’s house, wash your feet, and spend the night. Then you can get up early and go on your way.”
“No,” they said. “We would rather spend the night in the square.” 3 But he urged them so strongly that they followed him and went into his house. He prepared a feast and baked unleavened bread for them, and they ate.
4 Before they went to bed, the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, the whole population, surrounded the house. 5 They called out to Lot and said, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Send them out to us so we can have sex with them!”
6 Lot went out to them at the entrance and shut the door behind him. 7 He said, “Don’t do this evil, my brothers. 8 Look, I’ve got two daughters who haven’t been intimate with a man. I’ll bring them out to you, and you can do whatever you want to them. However, don’t do anything to these men, because they have come under the protection of my roof.”
9 “Get out of the way!” they said, adding, “This one came here as an alien, but he’s acting like a judge! Now we’ll do more harm to you than to them.” They put pressure on Lot and came up to break down the door. 10 But the angels reached out, brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 They struck the men who were at the entrance of the house, both young and old, with blindness so that they were unable to find the entrance.
- What are some similarities between these two stories?
- What are some differences?
- In the Judges account, why didn’t the Levite cry out to the Lord?
- How had the Benjamites become like the people of Sodom?
- What are some ways that some Christians have allowed the culture to shape them?
- How can we make sure that our church, and us as individuals, are following God’s word, and not just what we think is right?
Discipleship Questions
- How do you know when the Holy Spirit is speaking to you instead of just your own thoughts or whims?
- Is there anything in your life that you are doing because it feels right to you, but you know it goes against God’s plan?
- What needs to change in your life to submit that area to Jesus?
- Who can help you do this?
- What can you do to make sure you are following the Lord and not the culture?
Memorize it!
Judges 21:25
25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him.
Prayer TACOS
Thanksgiving- Thank the Lord for rescuing us out of a life of depravity
Adoration- Take time to worship the Lord
Confess to the times you’ve allowed the culture to determine your morality
Others- Pray for someone who is heading down the wrong path. Ask the Lord to help you talk to them this week about His goodness
Self- Ask the Lord to show you any areas of your life that lean more towards the culture instead of the Lord