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“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD.” — Isaiah 1:18
Come, Follow Me · Old Testament 2026 · Week 22
“The Lord Raised Up a Deliverer”
May 25–31, 2026Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–1610 chapters · 274 verses
After Joshua, “there arose another generation … which knew not the LORD.” Judges repeats a cycle: Israel turns to other gods, is oppressed, cries out, and the Lord raises up a deliverer. The deliverers are surprising: Deborah, a prophetess; Gideon, the least in his family, with only three hundred men; and Samson, strong in body but weak in will.
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Study guide
Judges is about what happens when a people forgets God, and how often He delivers them anyway. These notes help you see the cycle and the surprising deliverers.
How to read this week
Learn the cycle first. Judges 2:11–19 lays out the pattern. Mark each step as you see it repeat in chapters 3, 4 and 6.
Compare it with the Book of Mormon. The same pattern of prosperity, pride and humbling runs through Helaman (Helaman 12:1–6).
Notice who God uses. A woman when women rarely led (Deborah), the least son of a poor family (Gideon), an army shrunk to 300. God's power, not human strength, saves.
Read Samson as a warning. Great gifts, a holy calling, and repeated compromises. His story shows how gradually covenant-breaking can happen.
Look ahead. The repeated “no king in Israel” sets up Samuel, Saul and David, and points to the true King.
Judges in these chapters
After Joshua — A generation that didn't know the Lord (2:10)
Othniel, Ehud — The first deliverers (ch. 3)
Deborah and Barak — Victory over Sisera (ch. 4)
Gideon — Victory over Midian with 300 (chs. 6–8)
Samson — Twenty years judging Israel against the Philistines (chs. 13–16)
Images and ideas to recognize
Passage
Image
What it means
Judg 4:5
Palm tree of Deborah
A place of counsel and judgment.
Judg 6:37
Gideon's fleece
Seeking confirmation from God.
Judg 7:20
Lamps in pitchers
Light revealed when vessels are broken.
Judg 8:27
Gideon's ephod
Good intentions that become a snare.
Judg 16:17
Samson's hair
A sign of his covenant, not the source of his strength.
Judg 16:21
Blinded and grinding
The bondage that follows broken covenants.
Restoration connections
Helaman 12:1–6 — How quickly people forget the Lord when He prospers them.
Mosiah 29:13–25 — King Mosiah on judges and kings.
Ether 12:27 — The Lord gives weakness to make us humble, and makes weak things strong.
D&C 1:19 — “The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty.”
Questions for the week
What can you do so the next generation “knows the Lord” and His works (2:10)?
Where do you see the Judges cycle in your own life or in the world? How can you break it?
Gideon felt like “the least.” How has the Lord used your weakness for His work?
What helps you resist small compromises like Samson's?
How is Jesus Christ the deliverer Israel kept needing?
Conference talks & Church resources
Talks the Church's lesson points to this week, plus other Church resources that teach from these chapters.
Scholarly papers
Faithful scholarship from BYU and related publishers, tagged with the chapters each one discusses.
Podcasts & video
Come, Follow Me shows and episodes covering this week's reading.