Bible study · Judges 12:1-15
Judges 12: At the fords of the Jordan
Read Judges 12:1-15 before you meet.
In a few lines
It wasn't the word "Shibboleth" that gave a man away at the fords; it was saying "Sibboleth" (12:6). The Gileadites had been taunted as "fugitives of Ephraim" (12:4), and at the fords the fugitives were Ephraim's own (12:5). It began with almost the same complaint Gideon had answered (8:1-3).
The verse to carry
“When I saw that you didn’t save me, I put my life in my hand, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me today, to fight against me?”
Judges 12:3
To talk about
1. The men of Ephraim were angry that they hadn't been called (12:1). When someone tells you they felt left out, what helps you answer them well?
2. At the fords a man was judged by how he said one word (12:6). Have you ever written someone off over something small? What would help you listen to them first?
3. Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9). Where is there a quarrel near you, at home, at church or at work, where you could help make peace this week?