Chapter Summary

The Danite invasion. Civil and religious confusion.

Discussion Questions for Judges, Chapter 18

1. According to Judges 1:34, the Danites failed to defeat and dispossess the enemy in the land given to them. Now they were coveting someone else's land. What is an example of how failure to obey God leads people into more sin?
2. After rejecting God's will to remain in the land given to them, the Danites nevertheless sought God's blessing in verse 5. Why do you think the Levite priest was the wrong person to consult?
3. The Danites asked the Levite priest to inquire of God, but there is no record of him actually doing so before reassuring them of God's favor in verse 6. What is the danger of speaking for God without a sure word from Him?
4. In verse 7, the five spies saw that the people of Laish were a peaceful people. How did this make them an easy target for the Danites?
5. On the way to capture Laish, why did the Danites stop at Micah's house? What was their motivation?
6. In verse 19, how did the Danites convince the Levite priest to leave Micah? How was their request of him improper?
7. Would a faithful Levite priest take the ephod, household idols, and carved images with him? What would a faithful priest have done?
8. When Micah lost his priest and his household idols, he said in verse 24, "What do I have left?" (CSB). What does this indicate about Micah's faith?
9. What words would you use to describe the Danites' destruction of Laish in verse 27?
10. Once the city had been captured and rebuilt, verse 30 says that the Danites "set up the carved image for themselves" (CSB). In what way is this type of false worship reminiscent of Romans 1:22-23?

Key Words/Phrase

Seeking inheritance, v. 1.

Characters

Micah, Jonathan, priests.

Strong Verse(s)

9, 10.