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.