1 Samuel 1:9

1 Samuel 1:9 says, So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.  Hannah arose early while they were at Shiloh.  Eli the priest was at a post by the temple after Hannah and her family had eaten.  He was one of the last two judges of Israel, though he wasn't included in the book of Judges.  Verse ten adds, And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.  Hannah was bitter in her soul because she had not been able to conceive and was being put down by Peninnah.  Sometimes, if people today believe that life is treating them unfairly, even Christians, they can become bitter in their soul instead of still thanking God for all that He has blessed them with.  Verse eleven continues, And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no rasor come upon his head.  Hannah made a vow to God concerning Him blessing her with a son.  It was an if-then vow, her obedience being dependent on God's blessing her with what she desired.   I believe that we should really avoid these type vows as Christians and be content in the Lord no matter what.  She said she would give her son to God and no rasor would come on his head, which was a part of the Nazarite vow.  I believe we should do our best to give our children to God if we are blessed with them, without any special requirements from Him.  Verse twelve states, And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth.  While Hannah was pouring out her soul to God, Eli saw her and watched her lips moving.  Verse thirteen adds, Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.  Since she was moving her lips without any words coming out, Eli thought she was drunk, even though it was early in the day. We should never make assumptions when we see someone in distress, but should actually ask them what is wrong and how we can help.  Verse fourteen continues, And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.   Eli then asked her how long she would be drunken and advised her to put away the wine.  He was actually being judgmental without knowledge of all the facts.  This is not how we should be as followers of Christ today.  Verse fifteen declares, And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.  Hannah didn't lash out at Eli's faulty assumption, but told him what was really going on.  She was not drunk, but was pouring out her soul in prayer, which had become bitter at least before her time in prayer.  Verse sixteen adds, Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.  Hannah asked Eli to not think she was a worshipper of Baal, but to know instead of her great complaint against God.  If we believe that we have a complaint against God as Christians today, we need to pour out our heart to Him, and if we are doing so, we need to pray that our fellow believers will support us and not wrongly judge us.  Hannah had done nothing wrong except become bitter in her soul.  Verse seventeen continues, Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.  Eli then told her to go in peace and asked that God would grant her petition.  Verse eighteen concludes, And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad..  Hannah asked that she might gain grace in Eli's sight, but it was God's grace that she needed.  Still,she left no longer sad and bitter in her thoughts.  If we pour out our soul to God, we should be able to go away with no more sadness and bitterness in our soul if we have truly turned the problem over to Him. 

1 Samuel 1:1

1 Samuel 1:1 says, Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:  Verse two adds, And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. We first have a record of Elkanah, who had two wives.  Matthew Henry points out that this was during the time of the last two judges of Israel, Eli and Samuel, who were not military men, but priests.  It then moves on to the reign of the first two kings, Saul and David, and their anointing by Samuel.  The book begins before the birth of Samuel though, when his mother Hannah, one of the two wives of Elkanah, was one barren.  Verse three adds, And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.  Elkanah was a Godly man and went out of his hometown to Shiloh once a year to worship and sacrifice to the LORD when two of Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas were the priests there.  So, evidently Eli's sons were priests as well, though they may have been so because of their birth and not by a calling from God..  Sometimes, a preachers child will be called to the ministry today, but simply being a preacher's child does not mean that a person is called into to preach.  Verse four states, And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:  Verse five adds, But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb.  When the time came for the family to eat their portion of the feast, Elkanah gave Peninnah and her children ample portions, but gave Hannah the choice parts of the feast.  Matthew Henry says Elkanah married Hannah first, and since she was barren, married Peninnah, who bore him sons and daughters, but that still did not make her the favorite of Elkanah.  Families divided by jealousy will never be happy families.  Neither wife was responsible for the situation, but they both suffered for it.  We as Christians may sometimes suffer for a situation that we have no control over, but if so, we need to continue to put our faith in God and ask Him for guidance in the situation.  Verse six continues, And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.  Peninnah is said to have provoked Hannah because she was barren.  This may have led to her feeling superior to Hannah, but if we are blessed by the LORD with things that others may lack, we should never feel superior to them as followers of Christ, and we certainly shouldn't put others down because of our blessings.  Verse seven says, And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.  This didn't just happen once, but happened year after year, leaving Hannah so upset by the provocation of Peninnah that she couldn't eat.  We should never put others down because we feel more blessed by God, but should offer them our support in their need and lift them up in prayer instead.  Verse eight adds, Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?   Elkanah asked why Hannah was so upset, asking her if he were not better than ten sons. Either he was oblivious to what was going on between Peninnah and Hannah, or he chose to ignore it. Though we should offer words of comfort to those in distress, that is not enough if we ignore the reason for their distress.  

Judges Review Concluded

Then we have an account of Samson, from his birth to his death.  He was dedicated to God to be a Nazarite even before he was born.  His birth was foretold by an angel, as was his being set aside as a Nazarite.  We as Christians today may not be visited by ab angel before the birth of a child, but we need to acknowledge that they are a gift of God and dedicate them to His service.  Samson never seemed to consult God in much that he did, but seemed to assume that his great strength would always bring him victory.  We should never go through even a day as followers of Christ without consulting God about our day, and we should always put our faith in Him and not our personal abilities.  Samson killed many Philistines before he married Delilah, but after he married her, he seemed to be more interested in pleasing her than in seeking God's will.  This should never happen in our life, and if it does, like Samson it may lead to our downfall.  After he was blinded and abused for a period of time, Samson asked God to give him the strength to defeat the Philistines one last time, and God did so.  If we have turned away from doing God's will in our life, we simply need to ask His forgiveness and He will forgive us.  There were other examples of the people of Israel following false gods and false priests, and we can never afford to do that.  The book of Judges closes with an account of the great sin committed by some of the tribe of Benjamin, their defense by the rest of the tribe, and their ultimate near annihilation in a war against the rest of Israel.   Hopefully, we as followers of Christ will never find ourselves at war with other followers of Christ.  We once again saw the effects of an ill thought out vow almost dooming the people of Benjamin, but their ultimate continuation by the people of Israel finding a way around the vow.  I believe if we make a vow to God, it should be inspired by our faith, and if it is, we will never have to look for a way around it.  We will next look at the book of 1 Samuel. 

Judges Review Continued

After Joshua died, the people asked who would go up against the Caanites, and God said Judah would go, and the people of Judah asked the people of Simeon to go with them, and they agreed, even though God had already promised to deliver Canaan into Judah's hands.  Though it is nice to have other Christians accompany us in our battles today, if God has called us, then He will give us success if we go alone.  We have the record of God raising up many judges, starting with Othniel,  Caleb’s nephew, who delivered them from the Mesopotamian rulers, and them shortly falling back into sin.   The next Judge, or deliverer, after the people called out to God again was Ehud, who delivered them from the Moabites.  The next judge was Deborah, a woman.  God works through many different people to accomplish His will, and we should not set limitations on who God can use.  Barak worked with her, but wouldn't go without her being there also.  Through Deborah's leadership, they were freed from the king of Canaan.  Again, the people of Israel soon turned away from God.  We have the raising up Gideon as a judge, and his doubts and testing of God with the fleece.  We should be able to trust God without testing Him.  We also have the reduction of Gideon's army from a large force to a few, at which time he really had to put his faith in God.  As Christians, we don't need larger armies in our battle against the forces of evil today, though it is nice if we do have them, but we really just need more faith in God.  Gideon by obedience to God and under His power was successful in delivering Israel from the Midianites.  Then, once again the people turned away from God.  We have the record of Abimelech killing the other sons of Gideon, his half-brothers, and claiming power over Israel, but not by God's appointment.  We need to beware of those who would claim power in the church today for their own glory and not by God's appointment and for His glory.  Jotham, the youngest and only other son of Gideon pointed out the error of the people following Abimelech.  God will have ready one to point out our error if we begin to follow false religious leaders today.  We have a record of the judges Tola, Jair, and then Jephthah, who delivered them from the Ammonites, but made a foolish vow which cost him his daughter's life.  We need to avoid making unnecessary vows to God, but if we make them, we need to keep them. After Jephthah, Izzan, Elon, and Abdon judged Israel, and we know little else about them.  They reigned for various periods of time.  We do not know even the names of all the people who have served and are still serving to deliver people from the forces of evil today, but that is okay, because God does.

Judges Review

The book of Judges is filled with what I refer to as cycles of faith.  The people of Israel would at first be faithful to God, though not always totally faithful, then God would bless them with prosperity, then new generation would grow up that didn't know God, and He would allow them to be defeated. They would then cry out to God, and He would raise up a judge to deliver them, and the cycle would repeat once again.  We as followers of Christ should never fall into this pattern, but we often do, except for the raising up of a judge.  Our Judge and Deliverer is Jesus Christ, and instead of Him being raised up again, we simply need to repent of any sin we might commit, and by our faith in Him, we will be restored to a right relationship with God.  Just as the people of Israel did not stop being God's Chosen People when they turned away from Him, neither do we stop being a part of God's kingdom if we allow sin back into our life once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Even though we like the people of Israel may stop receiving the blessings of God during such times, God stands ready to forgive us if we turn to Him again.  The book of Judges begins after the death of Joshua, when there was no successor appointed to rule over Israel.  We are told several times tha their was no king in Israel during these times, but they really didn't need one.  What they needed was a man, or in one case a woman, called by God to lead them under His direction.  This is what we still need today.  At least we will never be in this situation of not having a spiritual leader as Christians, because the Holy Spirit indwells us to guide our actions if we listen to Him.  We then have a record of the people of Israel conquering the Promised Land, though even then thay did not completely obey God, leaving some of the people in the land still alive.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we cannot leave any sin still alive in our life if we want to successfully follow Him.  Also, during their times when they forgot God they were without a judge, or leader of the nation.  Of course, God was really their ruler, if they had only allowed Him to be.  If we are without a preacher, or religious leader today, we still have the Holy Spirit to guide us.

Judges 21:16

Judges 21:16 says, Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?  The elders of Israel then asked how they were to provide wives for the rest of the men of Benjamin, since they had killed all the women of Benjamin.  Their solution had not eliminated the whole problem.  Sometimes, it may be more difficult to eliminate all the problems that our rash actions as Christians may cause than we might realize.  Verse seventeen adds, And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.  They said there must be an inheritance, or continuation of, the tribe of Benjamin, including the two hundred men who as yet had no wives.  Verse eighteen adds, Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.  Still, they had a problem, because they had sworn not to give their daughters as wives to the Benjamites.  This was a problem of their own making, and they were still looking to themselves for a solution.  We are not told that they consulted God before taking the vow or as they sought a way around the vow.  Of course, if we make a vow to God, we should not be looking for ways around it, and we should make certain that He has led us to it to start with.  Verse nineteen continues, Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.  They remembered that there was a feast of the LORD at Shiloh every year.  Verse twenty states, Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;  Verse twenty-one adds, And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.  The leaders of Israel said to the remaining men of Benjamin to come out of the vineyards at the feast when the women were dancing and claim themselves a bride and return to the land of Benjamin.  Basically, they were told to kidnap two hundred of the women of Shiloh, and the people of Shiloh were definitely not consulted about this plan.  If we are attempting to get around a vow to God we certainly should not do so at the expense of other people, especially others who are a part of God's people.  Verse twenty-two continues, And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty.  The leaders said when the men of Shiloh came to complain, that they would basically tell them that this was their fault because they had not reserved brides for the men of Benjamin during the war.  Of course, neither had anyone else of the people of Israel.  We should never expect just a few people to bear the responsibility of something that we as Christians have all caused.  They said that since the men of Shiloh had not given the women to the men of Benjamin, they had not disobeyed their vow.  Again, we should never make a vow to God and then try to find a way around it at the same time, especially at the expense of others.  Verse twenty-three says, And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.  The men of Benjamin did as they had been instructed to do.  The women as usual had nothing to say in the matter.  Verse twenty-five adds, And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.  After this, all the people of Israel returned to their own inheritance.  They had gathered against the tribe of Benjamin because of the actions of a few of their members, avenged the Levite for the death of his wife, and then devised a way to have the rribe of Benjamin continue to exist, so now they returned home.  I believe some of this was done at God’s direction, but not all.  Verse twenty-five continues,  In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.  At this time, there was once again no king in Israel, so the people did what was right in their own eyes.  Of course, there were still priests and God's law to go by, but they chose not to be guided by them, but by their own desires instead.  Even when they later had a king, they still often disobeyed God, the king included.  We as followers of Christ will always have the Holy Spirit to guide us, and should never be guided by our own desires.

Judges 21:7

Judges 21:7 says, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?  The people of Israel asked again how they could provide wives for the remaining men of Benjamin since they had vowed to God not to allow them to marry their daughters.  This is something they should have considered before killing all the women of Benjamin or before taking the vow.  This really wasn't something God had asked them to do.  We need to be careful that we do not make vows that will later limit God's kingdom, even if they seem good at the time.  Verse eight adds, And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabeshgilead to the assembly.  They then asked if there were any of the tribes of Israel who had not come to help in in fight, because if there were they would not have been involved in the vow either. and they said the camp of Jabeshgilead had not.  This was a city of the tribe of Gad,  according to Matthew Henry.  Maybe they felt too far removed to be concerned about what the Benjamites had done.  We, as God's people, need to always be united in the war against evil today.  Verse nine continues, For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there.  They knew this because the people had been numbered, or enrolled, as they gathered for the fight.  If there was a roll of Christians actively fighting against evil in the world today, would our name be on it?  None of us are called to sit on the sidelines in the war against the forces of Satan today.  Verse ten states, And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.  The people of Israel then assembled twelve thousand of the bravest men, and told them to go to Jabeshgilead and kill the people there, including the women and children.   We are not told that they sought God's guidance in this, but it was their attempt to correct a problem of their own making.  If we create a problem because of our own overzealousness, we need to always ask God before we do anything to attempt to correct it.  Verse eleven adds, And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.  These troops were commanded to kill every man and all the women who had lain with a man, or who were not virgins.  How they were to prove this and what age female it was to apply to is not clear, since they were told to kill the children as well.  Verse twelve continues, And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.  They found four hundred young virgins among the people of Jabeshgilead, and brought them to the camp at Shiloh. Again, I am not sure how they made the determination unless it was based on young women who were not married.  Sometimes, our criteria to determine who or who isn't a follower of Christ today may be made on faulty criteria as well.  There were only four hundred of them. Verse thirteen says,  And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them.  The people of Israel sent representatives to speak peacefully to the remaining Benjamites who were assembled at the rock.  If we find ourselves at odds with our fellow believers, the first thing we need to do is speak peacefully with them.  Verse fourteen adds, And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead: and yet so they sufficed them not.  The men of Benjamin came again into the people of God, and they were given the four hundred young women to marry, so that the tribe of Benjamin might continue.  Of course, there were six-hundred men, so this still left a problem.  Verse fifteen continues,  And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.   We are told that the people repented for what had happened to the tribe of Benjamin, but they then put the responsibility for it on God, even though He had never required them to take the vow they took, nor to totally destroy the people of the tribe of Benjamin, including women and children.  If our overzealousness as Christians causes problems today, we should never attempt to make God the cause of our problem. 

Judges 21:1

Judges 22:1 says, Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.  The men of Israel had sworn while they were at Mizpeh that they would not allow the man of of the tribe of Benjamin to marry their daughters.   Again, we are not told that this was something that they had consulted God about, though they may have and we just aren't told.  Either way, we need to consider all the implications of any vow that we make as Christians before we make it.  Verse two adds, And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;  Since they now gathered at the house of God and stayed all day lifting up their voices to him and weeping, we can assume that they had not considered all the implications of their vow, because I believe that if they had they wouldn't have been so regretful.  If we have made a vow to God in accordance with His will and under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, we should never later regret it.  Verse three continues, And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?  The people asked God in their distress why it had come to pass that there was one tribe, the tribe of Benjamin, lacking in Israel.  Of course, they were not totally lacking, because there was a remnant of six hundred men.  At least they were appealing to God at this point.  We should realize that God will always have a remnant of His people as long as this world stands.  Verse four states, And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.  The next day, the people of Israel rose early and built an altar to God and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings there.  If we as Christians have concerns about something that we believe is wrong today, we should get up early and go to God in prayer with our concerns.  Of course, Jesus Christ is the only acceptable sacrifice for our sins, so we must go to the heavenly Father through our faith in Him.  Verse five adds, And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.  They next asked who had not come up to the congregation when they were seeking God's will about whether or not to go to war with the tribe of Benjamin.  They added that anyone who had not done so was to be put to death.  Being an active part of doing what God directed them to do was an important part of being a part of His people, and it still is today.  Verse six continues, And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.  The people repented for the tribe of Benjamin, saying that there was one tribe cut off from Israel that day.  I believe that their repenting was not for going to war against Benjamin, which God ordained, but for their vow to not give any of their daughters as wives to the remnant of the men of Benjamin, of which there were still a few men.  We need to be careful that we do not promise something to God without first praying about it.

Judges 20:36

Judges 20:36 says, So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.  The Benjamites thought they were once again being victorious, which was what the men of Israel wanted them to think.  They were willingly given way, because of those lying in wait behind them. Verse thirty-seven adds, And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.  Those who were lying in wait attacked the city of Gibeah after the army of the Benjamites had been drawn away.  At times, we as Christians may be better off attacking the source of evil instead of individuals who are out and about doing evil under the power of that source.  Verse thirty-eight continues, Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.  The sign between those of Israel who were allowing themselves to be pursued and those lying in wait was a great smoke from the city.  Of course, this would mean that they had successfully taken Gibeah.  If we are working with others, we need some form of communication between us if we are to truly work together.  Verse thirty-nine states, And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.  The army of Benjamin managed to kill about thirty of the men of Israel, and expressed confidence in another victory.  We may lose some fellow believers in the battle against evil in the world today, and this may give the enemy more confidence, but we have already won the war.  Verse forty adds, But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.  The Benjamites looked behind them and saw the flame of the city, their stronghold, rising up to heaven.  In their confidence, they had not considered that this could happen.  People of the world in their battle against Christians often become too confident because they are used to winning battles and think nothing will ever change.  Verse forty-one says, And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.  When the men of Israel turned around to face them, the Benjamites knew that something was wrong.  It says that evil was upon them, but it was really the goodness of God's power that was upon them.  We do not need to meet evil with evil today, but need to meet evil with God's goodness.  Verse forty-two adds, Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.  Realizing that they had no city, no stronghold, to return to, the Benjamites fled toward the wilderness, but the people of Israel came out of the cities to fight against them.  Verse forty-three continues, Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.  The people of Benjamin were surrounded and began to be beaten down.  It would be nice if we as followers of Christ could surround and beat down our enemies today, but that is not going to happen in this lifetime.  Verse forty-four states,  And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.  Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin, who were called men of valor, fell in the battle.  This was not because the men of Israel were necessarily stronger or more filled with valor than the Benjamites, but because the men of Israel were empowered by God.  We cannot go into battle against evil today relying on our own strength, but must always be following God's will and empowered by the Holy Spirit.  Verse forty-five continues, And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.  Those of the Benjamites who were left fled, but were pursued hard.  Then, five thousand more were killed then, and another two thousand were killed in Gidom.  Verse forty-six continues, So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.  The people of Benjamin lost twenty-five thousand in the battle, and they were once again called men of valor.  Unfortunately, even though they were a part of God's chosen people, they were fighting against His will.  Being courageous without putting our faith in God is never going to bring us the everlasting victory, no matter how courageous we are.  Verse forty-seven says, But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.  Six hundred of the Benjamites fled to the rock of Rimmon in the wilderness and lived there for four months.  Verse forty-eight adds, And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.  The people of Israel then destroyed all the Benjamites and burned their cities as they came to them.  One day, everything that people put their faith in other than salvation through accepting Jesus Christ as one's personal Savior and Lord is going to be destroyed. 

Judges 20:27

JDG20:27 says, And the children of Israel inquired of the LORD, for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, The people of Israel once again inquired of the LORD in the presence ofvthe ark ofvthe covenant.  Matthew Henry said that before they had only asked God's spokesman if they should go and who should go first, as yet relying on their own superiority to win, but that they now humbled themselves before God and truly sought His power to see them through.  We as followers of Christ can never start to believe that we only need to pay lip service to God to be successful.   Verse twenty-eight adds, 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? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.  Phinehas, a grandson of Aaron, asked God if they should go against Benjamin their brother, or give up the war against him, or his tribe more specifically.  If we find ourselves at odds with others who profess to be Christians, we need to seek God's will in how to proceed in the situation.  God told them that they should go, and He would give them the victory.  It wasn't about their superior numbers, but about relying on God.  Verse twenty-nine states, And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.  This time, instead of going into the battle head on, the people of Israel had forces lying in wait outside the city of Gibeah.  Verse thirty adds, And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.  Then, part of the army of Israel went against the army of Benjamin as before.  The army of Benjamin was becoming very confident by now.  If the people of the world, those who do not believe in Jesus Christ or even God Himself are successful in their war against Christians in one battle, they will become more and more confident, but even if they think they are winning, the victory is still ours.  Verse thirty-one continues, And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.  Once more, the army of Benjamin went out to meet the army of Israel as they had before and seemed to be being successful once again.  Those who fight against us as Christians today may seemed to be successful, but we know the ultimate outcome.  Verse thirty-two declares, And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.  The people of Benjamin expressed confidence in their ability because of their prior success, but this time the army of Israel fled in order to draw them away from the city.  We as followers of Christ may not always be successful in a head to head confrontation with the world today, but even if we are seemingly defeated, as long as we continue to put our faith in God and live under His power and authority, we will never lose the war.  Verse thirty-three adds, And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.  Once the army of Benjamin was in pursuit of the army of Israel, those of the army of Israel that had been lying in wait came out, placing themselves between the army of Benjamin and Gibeah itself.  Verse thirty-four continues, And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near them.  Ten thousand Israelites came against Gibeah once the army of Benjamin was cut off from them.  At first, the battle was fierce, but the army of Benjamin soon began to realize that they were not being victorious this time.  We may be in a fierce fight against evil today, and we may lose a few Christians in that battle, but we will always ultimately be victorious.  Verse thirty-five concludes. And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword. We are told that God smote Benjamin that day, and not that the army of Israel did.  Twenty-five thousand one hundred of the army of Benjamin were destroyed that day.  When we as Christians are successful in our war against evil today, it will not be because we are superior in numbers, but because we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. 

Judges 20:18

Judges 20:18 says, And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.  At least the people of Israel were asking God for His guidance.  They asked who should go up first, and God said that Judah should go against the people of Benjamin first.  This would be God's chosen people fighting against others of God's chosen people.  We need to pray that we never reach that state as professed followers of Christ, but if we we do, we need to be on the side of those who are sure they have God's guidance.  Verse nineteen adds, And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.  The people of Israel arose that morning and encamped against Gibeah.  Verse twenty continues, And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.  They then arrayed themselves to fight against Gibeah.  I believe this means they basically besieged the city.  Verse twenty-one states, And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.  The people of Benjamin did not wait for the people of Israel to attack them, but went on the offensive instead.  The people of the world today still take the initiative in fighting against Christians.  The people of Benjamin were successful, destroying twenty-two thousand Israelites that day, even though the people of Israel were following God's guidance.  Even if we are following God's guidance today, it doesn't mean that we are always going to be victorious over evil in this lifetime.  Still, it is better to die in battle standing with God than to be victorious without Him.  Verse twenty-two adds, And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.  The people of Israel encouraged themselves, even though they had lost the battle.  We need to encourage ourselves by our faith in Jesus Christ if we lose a battle against the forces of evil today.  Verse twenty-three continues, (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)  They people of Israel then went and wept before the LORD and sought His counsel.  This time they didn't ask who should go next, but if they should go at all again.  If we lose a battle today, even though we have God's guidance in going into the battle, we cannot allow that to keep us from going back into the battle.  Of course, we need to seek God's guidance before we do.  Verse twenty-five declares, And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.  Verse twenty-five adds, And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.  The people of Benjamin were once again victorious, killing eighteen thousand of the people of Israel that day.  Matthew Henry points out that this was a total of forty thousand that had been lost in battle, which was the same number that had been sent back to resupply the army.  He also says that the people of Israel may have been too confident because of their numbers.  Verse twenty-six continues, Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.  At least the people of Israel did not give up on God, but returned to the house of God and wept, fasted and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to God.  We can never give up on God as Christians, even if we have lost battles in our fight against evil in the world.

Judges 20:8

Judges 20:8 says, And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house.  Verse nine adds, But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it;   All the men of Isreal took a vow to not return home until they went up against the people of Gibeah for what they had done to the Levite's wife.  Verse ten continues, And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.  They said they were going to take a tenth of the men of Israel to get provisions for the rest, who would be united in going against Gibeah.  They were not concerned about what would be best for them as individual tribes, but were united in doing what was best for the nation as a whole.  We need that kind of unity today, as a nation, but even more importantly as Christians.  We need to support one another to help us do what God leads us to do for the good of the country.  Veres eleven states, So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.  All the men of Israel were joined together as one against the city of Gibeah.  This had to have been a very scary sight for the people of Gibeah, especially for those men who had acted so badly toward the Levite and his wife.  If Christians were to join together to oppose evil in the world today, we might be a force large enough to cause concern to those engaging in terribly evil things.  Verse twelve adds, And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?  The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin to ask them what the wickedness was that was among them.  They didn't just overpower them, but gave them an opportunity to defend themselves.  We should always allow people to defend themselves in we hear something bad about them and we should never just attack anyone without knowing the truth, and we should give them an opportunity to explain themselves.  Verse thirteen continues, Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:  The people of Israel gave the tribe of Benjamin the opportunity to deliver the men of Gibeah so that they could be executed for their crimes, but they refused.  We should never attempt to keep those who need to from facing the responsibility for their actions, even if they are a part of our family.  Verse fourteen says, But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.  Not only would the people of the tribe of Benjamin not turn over the men, but they went to Gibeah to join with them in fighting against the people of Israel, of which they were a part.  As followers of Christ, we are all a part of God's family, and we should never fight each other, especially if the fight is caused by someone who has committed a great evil in the world.  Verse sixteen adds, And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.  The people of Benjamin had twenty-six thousand men who could draw a sword, plus seven hundred chosen men from Gibeah.  They were badly outnumbered.  Verse sixteen continues, Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.  Among them were seven hundred left-handed men who were highly accurate with a sling.  The people of Benjamin were so full of pride that they thought they could take on all of Israel.  If we are acting on our own as Christians, without relying on the power of God, all the self-pride in the world will not save us from an overpowering enemy.  Verse seventeen concludes, And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.  We are once more told that the army of Israel numbered four hundred thousand fighting men of war.

Judges 20:1

 Judges 20:1 says, Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.  The people of Israel were united as one after hearing about what had happened to the Levite's concubine.  No one authority called them together, but they came out of common decency, gathering at Mizpeh under the LORD.  Verse two adds, And the chief 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 that drew sword.  There were four hundred thousand men who could draw a sword there.  When we as followers of Christ encounter great evil in the world today, we need to come together to combat it, especially if that evil is occurring within the church, who are supposed to be God's people.  Verse three adds, (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?  The people of the tribe of Benjamin heard about the assembly at Mizpeh, but evidently hadn't felt compelled to gather with them.  When God's people gather today to fight against evil in the world, don't be surprised if some people who profess to be Christians remain on the sidelines.  Those gathered asked the Levite to tell them about this wickedness.  They went to the source to find the truth, and so should we at all times, but especially when we hear about some great evil event that has occurred.  Verse four states, And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.  The Levite, who is referred to as the husband of the woman, began to tell them what happened in Gibeah, a city of those who were a part of God's chosen people, when he and his concubine went there for help.  Verse five adds, And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead.  The Levite told them how the men there had assailed the house where they were staying so that they feared for their lives and had taken his concubine, and abused her until she died.  He didn't explain how they had gotten her and not him.  I believe that if we have somehow caused others to be harmed so that we can be protected we need to admit our responsibility.  Verse six continues,  And 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.  The Levite then told how he had cut the body of his concubine into pieces and sent a piece to all the tribes.  This definitely got their attention.  Verse seven concludes, Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.  The Levite, one of the priests of God's people, said they were all a part of God's people and asked them for their advice and counsel.  Today preachers should not assume that they have the answer in every situation, but should rely on the counsel of other Christians, since we are all a part of the priesthood of believers. 

Judges 19:22

Judges 19:22 says, Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.  Some men of the city, who it says were making merry with their hearts, which I believe means they were drunk, began to beat on the door of the old man demanding he send the Levite out so that they could have sex with him.  It says also they followed Baal, even though they were Israelites.   These were the people the Levite passed by a Gentile city to reach.  We should never assume that just because people are born into a Christian family or nation that everyone is a Christian and ready to help us when we are in need.  Verse twenty-three adds, And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly.  The old man, who was the master of the house and therefore responsible for the welfare of the Levite while he was in his house, went to the men and begged them to not do this wicked thing.  He still recognized that some things were totally outside God's will, but he was trying to reason with people who didn't.  We need to know and stand for what God's law says, but we need to also realize that not all people we encounter will acknowledge His law.  Verse twenty-four continues, Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.  The old man then made an offer that was not what God would have wanted, but was the same as made concerning Lot in Sodom.  He would send out his daughter and the Levite's wife for them to abuse instead.  We cannot propose one sin to keep another from happening.  Verse twenty-five states, But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.  Though it was the old man who originally offered his daughter and the Levite's concubine, who is also referred to as his wife at times, to the men, it seems that the Levite was the one who gave her to them.  He may have done this out of fear for his own safety, but we as followers of Christ should never allow someone else, especially someone that we should be protecting, to be abused simply so we can be safe.  The woman was abused all night.  Verse twenty-six adds, Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her lord was, till it was light.  The next morning, the woman returned to the house that her lord, the Levite, was in and fell down at the gate.  She returned to what should have been her place of safety, but it had proven not to be.  When we rely on the people of this world to keep us safe instead of putting our safety totally in God's hands, no matter what, we will find that we really have no place of safety.  Veres twenty-seven continues, And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.  When the Levite got ready to leave the next morning, evidently without his concubine, he found her fallen at the doorstep with her hand on the threshold.  We have to assume that since he made it safely through the night that he was no longer concerned about her.  Hopefully, we will never feel the same about people that we profess to love.  Verse twenty-eight declares, And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place. Instead of reaching down to help her out of compassion, concern, or even guilt, the Levite simply told her to get up so they could go, but she didn't answer because she had died.  As followers of Christ, we should never be this calloused about those around us who are being beat down and abused by life because they may interfere with our plans.  Verse twenty-nine adds, And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.  After the Levite got the body his concubine or wife back to his house, he cut her body into twelve pieces, and sent one to each of the tribes of Israel.  Even in death, the woman was not treated with any respect, even though what happens to our body after we die is really not important.  Verse thirty continues, And it was so, that all that 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 unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.  All that saw the pieces of her body said that there had never been so great an evil in Israel since they had been delivered from Egypt.  Evidently they were also informed of what had happened to the woman, and were encouraged to talk freely about what should happen because of what had happened to her.  

Judges 19:11

Judges 19:11 says, And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.  As the Levite and his wife were traveling on the way home, it was getting dark, and his servant said they should turn in to the city of Jebus for the night.  Since their travel was slow and there weren't that many places near by, this was a sensible suggestion.  Verse twelve adds, And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.  Since Jebus was not an Israelite city, but was a city of strangers, or Gentiles, the Levite refused to go there, saying instead they would go on to Gibeah.  We as Christians today are not to refuse to have anything to do with the lost people of the world, but are told that we are to be in the world, but not of the world.  Verse thirteen continues, And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.  The Levite told his servant that they would continue on to Gibeah or Ramah to lodge for the night.  These were cities of Israel where God's people were commanded by Him to help those in need.  This I believe was what influenced the Levite to travel on.  He expected the people in these cities to live by God's law.  We today should expect the same of those who are called by God's name, but to often it doesn't happen.  Verse fourteen states, And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.  The Levite and his group went on until they came to the city of Gibeah, in the tribe of Benjamin, who were a part of God's chosen people.  This would have seemed to be a safer place for them to stop.  Verse fifteen adds, And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging.  When they got into the city, no one took them in, so they remained in the street.  Gibeah may have been a city of God's chosen people by name, but it wasn't by action.  We as the church today must make certain that our actions are consistent with God's teachings, welcoming all who come to us, especially those in need.  Verse sixteen says, And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites.  After finishing his work in the field, an old man who was of the tribe of Ephraim but who was temporarily living in Gibeah came along.  This man still retained the virtue of one who followed God.  Not everyone who professes to be a Christian today lives by the virtues that God instills, but if we are truly a follower of Christ we must.  Verse seventeen adds, And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?  When the old man saw the Levite and his group in the street, he asked them where they were going and where thay were from.  I don't believe that he was just being nosy, but that he was genuinely concerned for them, which by even asking them showed more concern than anyone else in the city had shown.  We need to pray that we as God's people never become so lacking in compassion that we ignore those in need, especially our fellow believers.  Verse eighteen continues, And he said unto him, We are passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Bethlehemjudah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man that receiveth me to house.  The Levite told him where he came from and where he was returning to, and said that he was going to the house of the LORD there.  He then said that no one invited him into their house that night.  We need to pray that we are more like the old man than like the rest of the people of Gibeah.  Verse nineteen states, Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.  The Levite said that he had found provisions for all his needs except lodging.  He did not complain about his situation, but only said that they lacked lodging.  We should always be joyous about what we have instead of complaining about what we don't have as Christians.  Verse twenty adds, And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.  The old man told them to be at peace and let him provide for all their needs.  Had he just told them to be at peace, he would not have helped them at all.  If we just offer platitudes to people in need today, we are doing them no good.  We, like the old man, need to be willing to offer people in need real help.  Verse twenty-one continues, So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.  The old man brought them into his house and offered them real hospitality, as was expected of God's people.  We need to be willing to do the same thing today as followers of Christ. 

Judges 19:1

Judges 19:1 says, And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.  During this time, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite took a woman from Bethlehemjudah as his concubine.  Matthew says she was considered a concubine because the priest couldn't afford to pay a dowry to marry her.  Verse two adds, And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months.  We are told told the woman played the whore to the Levi, and returned to her father’s house.  Whether she was actually unfaithful and then returned to her father’s house or if she was just unfaithful by returning to her father’s house isn't totally clear, but either way, she betrayed her loyalty to her husband.  Any time we let anyone come between our spouse and us, we are really betraying them, because we are to forsake all others and hold only to them.  Verse three continues, And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father’s house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.  The Levite went after her, and spoke friendly to her.  He did not come berating her or condemning her, and he brought his servant and a couple of donkeys with him.  The woman then brought the Levite to her father’s house, and her father was glad to see him.  Even if someone has harmed or betrayed us, as followers of Christ we should reach out to them with the love of God under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse four states, And his father in law, the damsel’s father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.  The Levite stayed with the woman and her father for three days while her father provided for him.  They were now on good terms.  It is always better if we can be on good terms with our in-laws.  Verse five adds, And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel’s father said unto his son in law, Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.  On the fourth day, when the Levite was ready to leave, his father-in-law started to tempt him to stay.  As Christians, if our children are called away from us to serve God elsewhere, we should never attempt to get them to stay.  Verse six continues, And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for the damsel’s father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry.  His father-in-law then asked the Levite to stay another night and let his heart be merry. Though tempted by something that we might enjoy, we should never let anything keep us from doing what God has called us to do.  Verse seven says, And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him: therefore he lodged there again.  The Levite got up to leave, but allowed his father-in-law to talk him in to staying another night.  I believe that the Levite truly believed that he should be on his way, but allowed the fact that he was having a good time and the desire to please his father-in-law to keep him from doing what he believed he should do.  Once we know what God wants usxto do, we should not allow anything to keep us from doing it, nor even delay us from doing it.  Verse eight adds, And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel’s father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.  The next day, when the Levite was ready to depart, his father-in-law once again asked him to wait at least until the afternoon to depart.  His father-in-law was still attempting to keep them there.  Verse nine continues, And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the damsel’s father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home.  When the Levite got up to leave that afternoon, his father-in-law attempted once again to get him to stay, now saying it would be better to leave early in the morning, after just keeping him from doing that.  Sometimes, the arguments people make against us following God's will may seem to oppose earlier arguments, but we need to pray that we never use any argument to keep those closest to us from being about doing what God has called them to do.  Verse ten concludes, But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him.  The Levite would no longer be convinced to stay, but took his wife and two donkeys and left.  It wasn't the best time of the day to do so, but I believe the Levite just felt he had to get underway, before his father-in-law once again attempted to get him to delay his departure. As Christians, we should never do things that make it more difficult for others to do what God has called them to do. 

Judges 18:22

Judges 18:22 says, And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah’s house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.  The men of the house of Micah and the houses near him overtook the army of Dan.  At least his neighbors supported Micah, even if their purpose wasn't that good.  Micah would have been better off just letting the false religious items go, and so are we today if we have been allowing idols and false preachers to guide us.  Verse twenty-three adds, And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?  When they saw the army of Dan, they called out to them, and the army of Dan asked Micah what was wrong with him and why did he came at them with so great a company.  I am not sure how many neighbors went with Micah, but it was enough for the men of Dan to at least take notice.  When we oppose the people of the world today as followers of Christ, I hope it is for the right reasons, and they will take notice if enough of us do so.  Verse twenty-four continues, And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?  Micah said they had stolen his gods which he had made and his priest, and they had to ask why he was upset.  Both groups would have been better off without man made gods or a false priest.  We might be better off today if someone stole some of the things that get between God and us.  Verse twenty-five states, And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.  The leaders of the army of Dan basically told Micah to be quiet before they killed his household and him.  The army of Dan certainly wasn't following God's leadership, but neither was Micah.  Those who follow after the false gods of the world today will often be at war with each other.  Verse twenty-six adds, And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.  When Micah saw that the army of Dan was too strong for them to defeat, he turned back and went home.  It is too bad that he didn't turn back to God at the same time.  Losing idols ot the world is a good thing, but only if it leads us to turning to God.  Verse twenty-seven continues, And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.  The army of Dan continued on their way to Laish with their idols and false priest, and successfully defeated the people there and burned the city.  They likely thought that God had given them the victory, but since they had never consulted Him and had brought idols with them, they were likely successful simply because they were the stronger force.  As Christians, if we are successful in defeating those that oppose us today, we need to make sure it is because we are following God's guidance and not simply because we are physically stronger.  Verse twenty-eight says, And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Bethrehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.  There was no one else to oppose them, because they were a long way off from any opposition.  The army of Dan built another city there and lived in it.  Though this was their part of the Promised Land, they had left God out of their claiming it, and went even farther by bringing false gods with them when they did so.  Heaven is our Promised Land, but we will never get there by any other means than by putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  After we do, we cannot continue to put our faith in the false gods, or idols, of the world.  Verse twenty-nine adds, And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.  They renamed the city Dan, in name of their father.  They were not giving God the glory.  There are still people today who profess a form of Christianity, but still want everything that they do to bring honor and glory to themselves instead.  Verse thirty continues, And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.  After claiming the city, the people of Dan set up the graven image to worship, and Jonathan and his sons became their priests, but not God's priests.  If we are following the leadership of a particular preacher today, we need to make sure that he is called by God and preaches His word.  Verse thirty-one concludes, And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.  They set up the graven image of Micah to serve.  They continued to serve this graven image for a long time, even though they were a part of God's chosen people.  If we are followers of Christ, we cannot afford to have idols in our life. 

Judges 18:7

Judges 18:7 says, Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man.  The spies found the people of Laish to be ill governed and ill prepared to defend themselves.  There was no one to put them to shame for the way they lived.  They lived as though they were as secure as the Zidonians, who Matthew Henry says were surrounded by water.  We cannot afford to live life as though we have all the security in the world because of the power of the government, and we cannot laze around simply doing what pleases us as Christians.  We must put our faith in God and live in obedience to His will.  Of course, these people of Laish were not a part of God's chosen people, and a majority of the people of the world today are not Christians, and we cannot afford to emulate them.  Verse eight adds, And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye?  When the spies returned, the people of Zorah and Eshtaol asked them for their report.  Still, other than consulting the paid Levite of Micah, we are not told of anyone consulting God, and this should be our first step in everything we do as followers of Christ.  Verse nine continues, And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.  The spies told them that the land was good and to be not slothful and go up and possess it.  Of course, if this was indeed a part of the Promised Land it would have been good and should have already been possessed.  Verse ten states, When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth.  The spies then told them that they would encounter people who felt that they were secure and that it was a large land, but that God had given them the land.  Again, there was no evidence of God having promised this at this time, thoughthis had beenHis promise5hat they had yet to follow through on.  We should never promise victory over evil as long as we are in the world by claiming God has promised it if we have not consulted Him.  Of course, we know we have everlasting victory if we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, but we are not promised a material or physical victory in every situation in the world.  Verse eleven adds, And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.  The people of Zorah and Eshtaol sent six hundred men of war to claim the land.  They felt confident in themselves.  Though God could have brought victory with even fewer people, they had to be seeking his guidance in order to assure this happening. We should never act out of self-confidence as followers of Christ, but should always rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. Verse twelve continues, And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim.  Verse thirteen concludes, And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.  The men got to the house of Micah on their way to claim the land. They were back where the paid Levite lived, and they had followed his prophesy that they would be successful.  We need to beware of anyone who is supposedly serving God, but is doing so only for material gain.

Judges 18:12

Judges 18:12 says, And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim.  Verse thirteen adds, And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.  After camping once on their way, they came to the house of Micah.  This time, there were the six-hundred soldiers as well as the five spies.  I am not sure how Micah felt about having that many people there, and I am not sure they really had a lot of concern for Micah.  Verse fourteen continues, Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.  The five spies told them that there was an ephod, a teraphim, a molten image and a graven image in the house of Micah, and asked what the others thought they should do about it.  As a part of God's chosen people, they should have destroyed them, but they didn't ask God what to do about it.  If we come across idols in our life today, we don't need to debate about what to do about them, but need to simply get rid of them under God's guidance.  Verse fifteen states, And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.  They then went to the house of the young Levite and saluted him.  They still had not consulted Micah about what they might do.  Verse sixteen adds, And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.  Verse seventeen continues, And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.  While the six bundled men of war stood by the gate with the young Levite, the five spies went in and took the ephod, the teraphim and the graven and the molten images.  These things had not been ordained by God, but actually went against His law, but this army wanted them to signify His presence and blessings.  The things of the world that many people see as sign of God's blessing or presence may often be just idols that we are worshipping.  Verse eighteen says, And these went into Micah’s house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?  After the men took the carved image and the molten image, or idols, and also the ephod, and the teraphim, they asked the priest what he was going to do.  Had he been a real priest, devoted to doing God's will, he would have said that he was first going to pray about it, but we find no evidence of his doing so.  I believe that when we have any choice to make as followers of Christ today that we should first pray about it.  Verse nineteen adds, And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?  They told the priest to keep quiet and come with them, asking if it were not better to be a priest to a whole tribe of Israel than to one house.  Preachers today should never be tempted to move to a new place of service simply because it is larger.  Verse twenty continues, And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.  The young priest was happy, and took the ephod, the teraphim and the graven image and went into the midst of the people.  Still, neither the priest nor the soldiers had asked God about any of this.  We as Christians should never go about doing anything that we say is for God if we haven't gotten His approval for what we are doing, and we can be certain that if what we are doing goes against His laws that He is not leading us to do it.  Verse twenty-one concludes, So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.  They also took some of the children and the cattle with them.  They were not satisfied with just stealing the things associated with God, but took material possessions as well.  Of course, these things associated with God really didn't have anything to do with Him.  If we start chasing after idols, we may never be satisfied, but may always want more and more.

Judges 18:1

Judges 18:1 says, In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.  This was another period of time when Israel had no king, which Matthew Henry says was part of the reason that some of the people of Dan had not claimed their inheritance of land.  He also points out that this land was now under the control of the Philistines.  Now, for whatever reason, this part of the people of Dan decided it was time for them to check out the possibility of claiming their inheritance.  We as followers of Christ should never be content to just live off what the faith of others may have accomplished for God, but we should seek what He wants us to do, and the sooner the better.  Verse two adds, And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there.  The people of Dan sent five spies, who were said to be men of valor, to spy out the land of  their inheritance.  When they got to Mount Ephraim, they came to the house of Micah, and lodged there.  They had yet to enter the land that they were supposed to be spying on.  Of course, we aren't told that God was behind this endeavor either, but if God has called us to do something, we do not need to stop short of what He has called us to do.  As we will see, now that they were nearly to their destination, they would suddenly decide to see if God was with them.  Verse three continues, When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here? They heard the young Levite, and recognized him, maybe from his earlier wanderings, and began to question him.  They first asked who brought him there.  If we hear someone professing to be a preacher today, we need to first ask who made them one.  If the answer is anything other than the call of God, we need to beware of them.  Relatives or even a local body of believers thinking that a person should be a preacher is not enough.  They then inquired about the place of worship that He had made there.  Again, as Christians today, we need to make sure that the place that we worship is one that God ordained and one that follows His laws.  Verse four states, And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest.  The young Levite told them about his deal with Micah, and his being Micah's hired priest and making the idols.  As Christians, we should never use our relationship with God for our benefit materially.  Verse five adds, And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.  These spies asked to young Levite to ask council of God as to whether or not the way which they went would be prosperous.  Matthew Henry points out that they had already passed by Shiloh and had not sought out the high priest for guidance, but now they sought guidance from this shabby Levite to be their oracle.  In this whole situation, we see no evidence of anyone seeking God's guidance until now,and now they sought that guidance from the wrong source.  Before we even undertake any spiritual quest, we need to first ask God if this is His will.  Verse six continues, And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go.  This priest for hire told them what they wanted to hear, and that was to go in peace, because God was with them. Sometimes, we want someone to tell us that what we are doing is going to be successful more than we want to know what God says, and we may seek out someone who will tell us it is more than seeking out a true believer in God to give us guidance, and this is a dangerous thing to do.

Judges 17:7

Judges 17:7 says, And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.  We are told of a young Levite from from the tribe of Judah,  Matthew Henry says this was on his mother's side of the family.  He evidently liked to wander around, which left him in need.  We are not told that he followed God's direction in doing this.  Veres eight adds, And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.  After leaving Bethlehem in Judah, the young Levite eventually came to the house of Micah.  Matthew Henry lists two or three reasons why he may have left, but none says it was by God's guidance.  Whatever reason we as followers of Christ have for moving around the country today, or even from church to church, especially as preachers, we need to make sure that it is in accordance with God's will.  Verse nine continues, And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.  After Micah asked him where he came from, the young Levite said from Bethlehemjudah, and said that he was looking for a place to live.  Again, nothing is said about either asking for God's guidance in the situation, even though both were by birth part of His chosen people, and one was a part of those set aside to be priests.  Spiritually, it doesn't matter if we are born into a Christian family or not, because in order to be a part of God's family, we must be reborn through putting our faith in Jesus Christ.  Also, if we are in the ministry, it must never be because we have chosen to be, nor because of who our parents may be, but it must be because God called us into the ministry.  Verse ten states, And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.  Micah made a proposition to the young Levite.  He asked him to become his personal priest, and said he would pay him and provide for his needs if he did so.  We should never attempt to buy the services of a preacher today, even if is simply because we believe that what we give to the church should give us a greater authority in the church.  Certainly, a preacher should never be influenced in deciding where they will serve because of how much it pays.  Verse eleven adds, And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.  The Levite was content to live with Micah, and became like a son to him.  Still, neither had sought God's guidance in the situation, and if we a Christians today have not sought God's guidance, it really doesn't matter how content we may be in life nor how close we may become with others, because we must first seek God's will in every situation.  Verse twelve declares, And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.  By his own authority, and not by the authority of God,  Micah consecrated the young Levite.  We are not told that God anointed him though.  If we are to be consecrated to to ministry today, it must be God that consecrates us, and not just a person or group of people.  Then, we are never to be supported by only one person and then serve them exclusively.  Since we are a part of the priesthood of believers, we should always look, not to others in the church, but to God to see what He has called us to do.  Verse thirteen adds, Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.  Micah believed that God would have to do good to him because he had his own priest.  We cannot force God's blessings on us, no matter how many religious symbols we may display around our home.  Even wearing a cross does not force God to bless us, but only a personal relationship with Jesus Christ brings God's blessings to us, and they are not material, but spiritual.  

Judges 17:1

Judges 17:1 says, And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.  Verse two adds, And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son.  We are told of a young man, named Micah, who came to his mother confessing that he had taken the eleven hundred shekels of silver that she had been looking for.  She had cursed whomever had stolen her money, but when her son returned it, she asked he be blessed of the LORD, though it seems that the money was more important to her than her son or the LORD.  We should never allow material things to be more important to us than our family and we certainly should never allow them to become more important than God.  Verse three continues, And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.  The woman said that she had wholly dedicated the silver to the LORD, but then said it was to be used to make a graven image, which was against God's law.  We cannot give something to God while at the same time specifying that it is to be used for something that goes against His law.  Of course, I personally think that what we give to God should come with no strings attached.  Verse four states, Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah.  Though the woman said she had given the eleven hundred shekels to the LORD, she only used two hundred to make the graven image.  She did not carry through on her promise, but since she was using the money to make an idol instead of it being used for God's glory and by His leadership, it really didn't matter.  We should always give to God what we promise to give Him, but if we are giving it to be used for ungodly purposes, it doesn't matter if we claim that we are giving everything to Him.  The idol was kept in Micah's house.  Verse five adds, And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.  Micah then made an ephod and a teraphim, which are associated with worshipping God, and consecrated one of his sons to be his priest.  Though Micah was called a young man, he was evidently old enough to have a son old enough to serve as a priest, but Micah did not have this authority to make his son a priest.  Only God can call someone as a priest, or I believe more accurately as a pastor today.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, which comes by His call, we are all a part of the priesthood of believers. Then, we are called to a particular role of service in His kingdom, but our parents nor we ourself can ever just decide what that role will be.  Verse six continues, In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.  In those days Israel was without a king or a judge, and everyone did what they felt was right in their own eyes.  God's people, or at least those called by His name, were not seeking His will, and that is a place we never want to be as Christians.