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Judges 19-21
Right in
Whose Eyes?
Psalm 39:1-13 Walking Like a Shadow Or In His Shadow
1.“I said, "I will watch my ways, so that I don't sin with my tongue. I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me."4."Yahweh, show me my end, what is the measure of my days. Let me know how frail I am.5.Behold, You have made my days as a hand breadth. My lifetime is as nothing before You. Surely every man stands as a breath." Selah.6."Surely every man walks like a shadow. Surely they busy themselves in vain. He heaps up, and doesn't know who shall gather.7.Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You.8.Deliver me from all my transgressions. Don't make me the reproach of the foolish.9.I was mute. I didn't open my mouth, because You did it.10.Remove Your scourge away from me. I am overcome by the blow of Your hand.11.When You rebuke and correct man for iniquity, You consume his wealth like a moth. Surely every man is but a breath." Selah.12."Hear my prayer, Yahweh, and give ear to my cry. Don't be silent at my tears. For I am a stranger with You, a foreigner, as all my fathers were.13.Oh spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go away, and exist no more."Observations
39:4-6.Some days it seems life is short, not sweet, and then you die. Those days are usually the result of a disconnect in our relationship with God. If God is out of the picture, the thinking person realizes life is futile. In this Psalm David is having one of “those days” because he is being disciplined for his iniquity (vv 10-11).
39:11.
You can see how “prosperity theology” could catch on, with people who are prosperous thinking they're righteous. The converse isn't true either, e.g., Job, John the Baptist, OT prophets, etc.
39:12-13.
The Psalm ends on a upbeat note, with the disciplined believer wailing and in tears. Upbeat? He is praying and trusting in God to restore him, after owning his guilt.
Application
If God seems far away, guess who moved? Look at the map and get back on track.
Prayer
God, keep me mindful that life isn't worth living apart from You. Show me the error of my ways so I can walk in Your shadow. Amen.
Proverbs 11:9-13 The Power of Words
9.“With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but the righteous will be delivered through knowledge.10.When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices. When the wicked perish, there is shouting.11.By the blessing of the upright, the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.12.One who despises his neighbor is void of wisdom, but a man of understanding holds his peace.13.One who brings gossip betrays a confidence, but one who is of a trustworthy spirit keeps a secret.Observation
11:9-13.Our words are pretty powerful, they can build up or tear down. Our words are controlled by our spirituality and motives. We should be asking ourselves “Why do I want to say that?” If it's to bless the other person, say on. If not, say not.
Application
Put all your words through the filters of love and edification (building up the other guy).
Prayer
Lord, refine my speech so it accomplishes Your purposes in the lives of others. Amen.
Judges 19-21 Right in Whose Eyes?
The last chapters of Judges are considered the saddest in the OT because of the graphic imagery. Actually there are a number of equally horrifying descriptions of the consequences of Israel's disobedience in the prophetic books. Like the previous section, which gave a snapshot of Israel's theological failure, this one is a video of their moral failure, and describes how far God's people had departed from His revelation, because “every man did what was right in his own eyes.” The section is a fascinating study of how justice should be upheld without big government. Unfortunately only people committed to following the Creator's rules in community are capable of such self-government.
Judges 19 If Only...
1.It happened in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite living on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem Judah.2.His concubine played the prostitute against him, and went away from him to her father’s house to Bethlehem Judah, and was there the space of four months.3.Her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly to her, to bring her again...11.When they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said to his master, "Please come and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it."12.His master said to him, "We won’t turn aside into the city of a foreigner, that is not of the children of Israel; but we will pass over to Gibeah...."14....which belongs to Benjamin.15.They turned aside there, to go in to lodge in Gibeah: and he went in, and sat him down in the street of the city; for there was no man who took them into his house to lodge.20.The old man said, "Peace be to you; howsoever let all your wants lie on me; only don’t lodge in the street."21.So he brought him into his house, and gave the donkeys fodder; and they washed their feet, and ate and drink.22.As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain base fellows, surrounded the house, beating at the door; and they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may have sex with him!"25.But the men wouldn’t listen to him: so the man laid hold of his concubine, and brought her out to them; and they had sex with her, and abused her all night until the morning: and when the day began to dawn, they let her go.28.He said to her, "Get up, and let us be going!" but no one answered. Then he took her up on the donkey; and the man rose up, and went to his place.29.When he had come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel.30.It was so, that all who saw it said, "There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt to this day! Consider it, take counsel, and speak."Observations
19:1-3.In polygamous societies, concubine was considered a wife of inferior status, usually without a marriage contract or dowry. If she bore heirs, her status became that of a wife, but still within the pecking order. The servants of Rachel and Leah became Abe's concubines, bearing the namesakes of some of the twelve tribes.
None of the tragedies in this and the next chapters would have happened: if only the Levite's concubine wasn't unfaithful; if only she hadn't gone away; if only her father hadn't delayed the trip; if only the Levite wasn't into merry making; if only he listened to his servant; if only the people of Gibeah followed the law; if only the tribe of Benjamin removed evil from their midst, or were loyal to Yahweh and His assembled people, or weren't so proudly self-sufficient.19:11-27.
In a scenario intentionally similar to Sodom (Genesis 19; Rom 1) the God-forsaking men of the city want to rape a Levitical priest. There are no intervening angels in this God-forsaken place, and the woman dies as a consequence of the above chain of events, which from one perspective started with her own sin (or one could argue, the sin of the culture).
19:28-30.
The priest distributes parts of her body to the twelve tribes to spark an inquiry and justice.
Application
Sin is not a random act, but always has causes in a context. To eliminate it, first understand it. (See: Ain't Gonna Reign No More)
Prayer
God, help me discern the causes of my temptations and sin, so I can bring my ambitions and actions into conformity with Your perfect will. Amen.
Judges 20 Expensive Justice
1.Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, to Yahweh at Mizpah.2.The chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen who drew sword.3.(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) The children of Israel said, "Tell us, how did this wickedness happen?"4.The Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered, "I came into Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.5.The men of Gibeah rose against me, and surrounded the house by night. They thought to have slain me, and they forced my concubine, and she is dead.6.I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.7.Behold, you children of Israel, all of you, give here your advice and counsel."8.All the people arose as one man, saying, "None of us will go to his tent, neither will any of us turn to his house.9.But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it...11.So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.12.The tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What wickedness is this that is happen among you?13.Now therefore deliver up the men, the base fellows, who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel." But Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers the children of Israel.14.The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.15.The children of Benjamin were numbered on that day out of the cities twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men.16.Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men left-handed; everyone could sling stones at a hair-breadth, and not miss.17.The men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men who drew sword: all these were men of war.18.The children of Israel arose, and went up to Bethel, and asked counsel of God; and they said, "Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin?" Yahweh said, "Judah first."21.The children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites on that day twenty-two thousand men.22.The people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves, and set the battle again in array in the place where they set themselves in array the first day.23.The children of Israel went up and wept before Yahweh until evening; and they asked of Yahweh, saying, "Shall I again draw near to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?" Yahweh said, "Go up against him."25.Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed eighteen thousand men26.Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came to Bethel, and wept, and sat there before Yahweh, and fasted that day until evening; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh.27.The children of Israel asked of Yahweh (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,28.and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, "Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease?" Yahweh said, "Go up; for tomorrow I will deliver him into your hand."30.The children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day...35.Yahweh struck Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men...47.But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and stayed in the rock of Rimmon four months.48.The men of Israel turned again on the children of Benjamin, and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city, and the livestock, and all that they found: moreover all the cities which they found they set on fire.Observations
20:1-12.The response of the nation and ensuing events show that most of Israel were sensitive to God and His word. They are united in removing evil from their land. They first go to Benjamin who had the responsibility to police their own.
20:13-17.
People who don't listen to God, don't listen to fellow-believers, and eventually bring catastrophic judgment upon themselves. By choosing to protect the guilty and ignore the righteous, the Benjaminites violate their covenantal obligations, being disloyal to Yahweh and His people. Not good. The hubris of the tribe compelled them to take on the nation in a wrongful cause, even though outnumbered fifteen to one.
20:18-28.
Israel does what is right, and seeks counsel of God, getting an affirmative reply. But lose 22,000 and 18,000 men on the first two attempts, which appear to have been in accord with God's will. Before the third attempt, they fast and offer sacrifices and get a promise of victory. What went wrong with the earlier attempts? Maybe they neglected the sacrifices? Or maybe there's a lesson that failure to preemptively deal with sin harms everyone (Heb 12:15).
20:30.
This time Yahweh strikes the warriors of Benjamin through Israel so that only six hundred remain.
Application
Preemptively dealing with sin (both personally and corporately) takes effort, but not as much as removing it once it's taken root. This applies particularly to families.
Prayer
Holy God, I am committed to the holiness You desire regardless of the cost. Guide me in accomplishing Your purposes in my corner of the cosmos. Amen.
Judges 21 Rebuilding a Ruined Tribe
1.Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, "There shall not any of us give his daughter to Benjamin as wife."2.The people came to Bethel, and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely.3.They said, "Yahweh, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?"4.It happened on the next day that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.5.The children of Israel said, "Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up in the assembly to Yahweh?" For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah, saying, "He shall surely be put to death."6.The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, "There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.7.How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by Yahweh that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?"8.They said, "What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah?"9.when the people were numbered, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead there.10.The congregation sent there twelve thousand men of the most valiant, and commanded them, saying, "Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead11.This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain with a man."12.They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins, who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.13.The whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.14.Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead: and yet so they weren’t enough for them.15.The people grieved for Benjamin, because that Yahweh had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.16.Then the elders of the congregation said, "How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?"17.They said, "There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.18.However we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel had sworn, saying, ‘Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.’"19.They said, "Behold, there is a feast of Yahweh from year to year in Shiloh...20.They commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,21.and see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and each man catch his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.22.It shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us, because we didn’t take for each man his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them, otherwise you would now be guilty.’"23.The children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off. They went and returned to their inheritance, built the cities, and lived in them.24.The children of Israel departed there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.25.In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.Observations
21:1-7.Because the Israelites are concerned for the things on God's heart, they value their identity as His people. The sin of Benjamin in refusing to remove evil resulted in 600 male survivors and no prospect of lawful Israelite wives. No future for the tribe.
21:8.
The elder/leaders of the nation are grieved that justice has virtually eliminated a tribe and take responsibility to restore the remainder of Benjaminites. In the process they again execute justice on the residents of Jabesh Gilead, who were so unconcerned with justice that they valued their comfort and security over God's will. Like Micah in the last section, they wind up losing what they incorrectly valued, in this case their lives. The surviving virgins, are given to two thirds of the Benjaminites, to repopulate the tribe, which is probably better than death.
21:16-23.
Wives for the remaining Benjaminites are procured in an ingenious scheme that allows people to keep their vow to not “give” their daughters. The daughters didn't have much say in the matter, but in an age of arranged marriages, at least their husbands were faster than they were.
21:24-25.
See Digging Deeper.
Application
Seeking to restore those ruined by sin is a Godlike aspect of justice.
Prayer
God, help me see things from Your perspective, and do what is pleasing in Your sight. Amen.
Digging Deeper
Thoughts on Community Justice
21:24 The community leadership structure of the nation actually did well in condemning the wicked and removing the guilt of the concubine's blood from the land, so Yahweh could bless. The people were unified; they valued justice and obedience, and sought the Lord's counsel. They took no rest, and risked (and gave) their lives in the just cause of eliminating evil. The failure of Benjamin to police its own cities, necessitated the national assembly intervening over their “tribal sovereignty” to judge Gibeah. When an individual rebels against God and the rights of others, the local community has the responsibility to set things right. If the community fails in its responsibilities to execute justice, the tribal/state group must act. If the tribe fails, the nation must intervene to prevent God's judgment from falling on the land. It's because people are not innately good that government must reasonably act. If individuals can't rule themselves, they will be ruled by someone else. This theme will play out in the future history of Israel (Assyria and Babylon).
21:25 This verse, considered a summation of the Book of Judges, closes the 300 year history between the passing of Joshua, and the rise of the Kingship. It subtly makes the case for king, (as if a king would solve all their problems). If individuals and nations don't do what's right in Yahweh's eyes, but instead set themselves up as gods to determine right and wrong, they are setting themselves up for judgment.
God in a nutshell: God requires holiness and justice, but will let unholy, unjust situations exist, temporarily. God wants His people to seek what is right in His eyes (His will), and not do whatever they desire, especially if that negatively impacts the God given rights of others. Independence of God is the essence of sin.
Us in a nutshell: Sin can get pretty ugly. Our sin has a context of both causes and consequences. When we live independently of God and fellow believers we sin. We will eventually reap the consequences of our sin. Caring about what is right in God's eyes and seeking to correct the causes of sin can sometimes mitigate the consequences. Doing God's will often involves sacrifice of our lives, but then what are our lives for anyway?