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. And the children of Israel inquired of the Lord, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 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(Judg. 20:26-28).
If we read the above verses in isolation, we might be led to believe that the nation of Israel as a whole (with the exception of the tribe of Benjamin) was on the right track, following the dictates of God. We would be heartened to see them turning to the Lord for guidance and direction before taking action and would assume their day-to-day lives were likely modeled on the same principle. Sadly, all of our assumptions would be wrong. In those days, there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes (Judg. 21:25). Although the horror that had been perpetrated in Gibeah had temporarily united them and turned their focus to God, it was only a reflexive response to the tragedy of the moment.
Even as they sought the Lord’s directives regarding warring with the tribe of Benjamin, they allowed their anger at the situation to push them into making rash oaths (21:1,5) against the Benjamites. Oaths that would, if kept, ensure the extinction of the tribe. After their anger cooled, they realized their mistake and regretted their vows, but they were not further motivated to seek God’s guidance. Instead, they fashioned their own solution. And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children. And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man. And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 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 (21:10-12). These men who went to war over a single murder now cheerfully ordered the slaughter of an entire village, convinced that it would ‘fix’ their mistake and allow them to remain honorable and blameless before God.
This sort of twisted moral thinking is alive and well today. We call ourselves Christian and respond to violent tragedies with the appropriate words of outrage and prayer, but we pointblank refuse to strictly align ourselves with the directives of His Word even as we claim to worship Him. We will go to war over what we see as the transgressions of others, but we are blind to our own missteps and misplaced allegiances, arguing that we are only doing what is necessary to ensure the survival of Christianity in an increasingly hostile world. Loving and trusting God means following Him at all times—not just when it is convenient to do so. It means obeying and championing His Word in all things—not just the parts we find ‘acceptable’ by modern standards. Most of all, it means humbling ourselves before Him and earnestly praying, as Christ taught us to pray:
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven(Matt. 6:10).
Thought for Today: Dismissing God when His morals do not align with our interests is a sure sign of lukewarm faith.
Christ Revealed:As our Deliverer (Judg. 20:26-28). As we pray and seek the Lord’s will, He delivers us from all evil forces. Our Lord Jesus Christ . . . gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God (Gal. 1:3-4).
Word Studies:20:5 forced = raped; 20:6 lewdness and folly = licentiousness and disgrace; 20:13 Be’li-al = worthless perverts; 20:34 sore = fierce; 20:35 drew the sword = were experienced soldiers; 20:38 sign = signal; 20:40 flame ascended up to heavenwent up in flames; 20:41 amazed = terrified; 20:42 turned their backs = retreated, fled; 20:43 trod them down = overtook them; sunrising = east.
Pray for Staff:Ryan McCrary • Government Officials: Rep. Gerry Connolly (VA) • Country: Vatican City (842) Rome, Italy • Major Languages: Italian, Latin • Religious Freedom • Roman Catholic • Prayer Suggestion: Rejoice that our Savior lives (John 20:15-18).
Optional Reading:John 21