Judges 20:18-21 “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.”

 ”Then the children of Israel arose and went up to the house of God to inquire of God. They said, “Which of us shall go up first to battle against the children of Benjamin?” The Lord said, “Judah first!” So the children of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah. And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel put themselves in battle array to fight against them at Gibeah.“ ”Then the children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and on that day cut down to the ground twenty-two thousand men of the Israelites.“

‭‭Judges‬ ‭20‬:‭18‬-‭21 ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Went up to the house of God to inquire of God: In the first battle, Israel sought the LORD - yet they were defeated. We can speculate that though they inquired of God, they still trusted in the might of their army and in the goodness of their cause, but not in the LORD.

b. The children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and on that day cut down to the ground twenty-two thousand men of the Israelites: This was a staggering, severe loss in the first battle of this small civil war. After this first day of battle it seemed that single tribe of Benjamin might successfully resist the other tribes of Israel.

i. Perhaps there was something wrong in the way that Israel sought the Lord before this battle; or, it is also just as likely that this was simply part of God’s plan to discipline and correct His disobedient nation.

ii. The American President, Abraham Lincoln, in his second inaugural address, spoke on this very theme in relation to the American Civil War:

Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” (1865)

iii. Perhaps, something of the same dynamic was at work with Israel at this time – God correcting a disobedient nation through the tragic loss of 22,000 soldiers of Israel. (Guzik)

I’m reminded of another time in the OT that the Israelites were defeated because of sin!

The Sin of Achan

”And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water. Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord God, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!“

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭7‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Achan sinned because he had taken forbidden spoils of war from the Jericho campaign and buried them under his tent. 

“the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.”

Discipline from the Father can come to the Christian when we hide sin. Let us examine our hearts today for anything that displeases Him.

Dear Heavenly Father, reveal to us today anything that displeases You and guide us to repent, forgive and give us a heart of Jesus. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, amen.

Blessings 

Judges 20:12-17 Citizens of the Kingdom of God?

 ”Then the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has occurred among you? Now therefore, deliver up the men, the perverted men who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and remove the evil from Israel!” But the children of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brethren, the children of Israel. Instead, the children of Benjamin gathered together from their cities to Gibeah, to go to battle against the children of Israel. And from their cities at that time the children of Benjamin numbered twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who numbered seven hundred select men. Among all this people were seven hundred select men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair’s breadth and not miss. Now besides Benjamin, the men of Israel numbered four hundred thousand men who drew the sword; all of these were men of war.“

‭‭Judges‬ ‭20‬:‭12‬-‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. But the children of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brethren: The other tribes of Israel did the right thing in asking the tribe of Benjamin to deliver up the men who committed this crime. They sought to justly resolve the crisis without full war. But the tribe of Benjamin committed a great sin by putting loyalty to their tribe before obedience to God’s Law.

i. Modern followers of God can make the same mistake today when they put the interests of their own nation before the interests of the Kingdom of God. It is important for Christians to remember that they are citizens of the Kingdom of God first (Philippians 3:20).

b. Seven hundred select men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair’s breadth and not miss: The tribe of Benjamin not only failed to support the just cause of the other tribes, they actively resisted the other tribes with an assembled army. The army included this division of seven hundred select men.

i. And not miss: The Hebrew word translated miss is literally sin. This illustrates the principle that the word “sin” literally means to “miss the mark” - whether you are off by an inch or a yard.

c. Besides Benjamin, the men of Israel numbered four hundred thousand men: The tribes of Israel prepared for a small civil war against the tribe of Benjamin. Israel was right in believing that the greatest good was not unity. Unity apart from justice and truth is unity not worth having. (Guzik)

”For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,“ Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I can’t wait to go home! As the world turns, it moves farther away from the Lord! People are suffering, food prices are soaring and inflation is at the highest it’s been in my lifetime. All we can do is point people to Jesus Christ and pray. 

Recently my wife and I started leading a thirteen week twelve step program at our church using the Life Recovery Bible and the General LRB Workbook. On the way home after the meeting we were listening to Christian radio and the speaker revealed that in the US there are currently 14 million people in twelve step programs trying to deal with life struggles!

Please pray for these people and the twelve step programs to be centered around the Holy Spirit, to be drawn to Jesus Christ and that they can learn how to deal with life struggles.

Blessings 

Judges 20:8-11 Corrupts

 ”So all the people arose as one man, saying, “None of us will go to his tent, nor will any turn back to his house; but now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: We will go up against it by lot. We will take ten men out of every hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to make provisions for the people, that when they come to Gibeah in Benjamin, they may repay all the vileness that they have done in Israel.” So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united together as one man.“

‭‭Judges‬ ‭20‬:‭8‬-‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. So all the people arose as one man: This was an encouraging response in a very dark time. They came together in unity and decided to bring justice to the people of Gibeah.

b. They may repay all the vileness that they have done in Israel: This was extreme, but a valid and proper fulfillment of God’s command to Israel Deuteronomy 13:12-18.

(Guzik)

”Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”“

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭33‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Brethren, do you go to church on Sunday and follow the world on Monday? The people of Gibeah didn’t suddenly become corrupt, they slowly started down the slippery slope of sin until it overtook them. The same can happen to followers of Jesus! Study your bible, get involved in church activities and go where the Lord leads you. Separate yourself from the world before the corruption rubs off on you!

Are you putting on the full armor of God? Ephesians 6

Blessings 

Judges 20:3-7 Mob’s

 ”(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) Then the children of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this wicked deed happen?” So the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “My concubine and I went into Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, to spend the night. And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and surrounded the house at night because of me. They intended to kill me, but instead they ravished my concubine so that she died. So I took hold of my concubine, cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of the inheritance of Israel, because they committed lewdness and outrage in Israel. Look! All of you are children of Israel; give your advice and counsel here and now!”“

‭‭Judges‬ ‭20‬:‭3‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Tell us, how did this wicked deed happen: The children of Israel wanted to know, so they could do something about this outrage.

b. They intended to kill me, but instead ravished my concubine: The Levite spun the story to his own advantage. What he said was true, but he didn’t mention the cruel and callous way he abandoned his concubine to the mob. (Guzik)

How did Jesus handle mobs? 

John 6:15 Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.

Mobs are forceful, cruel and callous! 

Let us learn from Jesus and never become part of a mob because it never ends well!

The Levite was wrong for abandoning his concubine to the mob in such a cruel and callous manner!

How did angels handle a mob?

”But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.“

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭19‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Mobs are blinded with hatred!

May we never fall into mob mentality!

Blessings 

What does this bible say about rioting?

https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-rioting.html

Judges 20:1-2 Utterly Destroy!

”So all the children of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, as well as from the land of Gilead, and the congregation gathered together as one man before the Lord at Mizpah. And the leaders of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand foot soldiers who drew the sword.“ Judges‬ ‭20‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. So all the children of Israel came out: It was a positive sign to see Israel gather for such a reason. This showed that they were willing to deal with the problem of sin in their midst.

i. “A great moral passion flamed out. Underneath all the degeneracy was a true stratum of religious conviction, which in the presence of the iniquity of the men of Gibeah sprang to life and action.” (Morgan)

ii. It seems that the crime of Gibeah shocked the conscience of Israel. Today it seems that the crime at Gibeah would be material for tabloid news, cable television, daytime talk shows, and talk radio - more than a national call to righteousness and repentance.

b. The leaders of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves: Deuteronomy 13:12-18 instructed Israel how to deal with such abominations among them. It said they must first test the truth of the accusations. If the charges were true, they must then utterly destroy those who committed such an abomination. (Guzik)

“If the charges were true, they must then utterly destroy those who committed such an abomination.”

Can you imagine what our world would be like today if the above statement was carried out on people that committed crimes? Unfortunately because of mankind’ wickedness we won’t have it until Jesus burns everything up a creates a “new earth”!

”Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.“ Revelation‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I can’t wait until that day, can you?

Blessings 

Judges 19:27-30 Compound of beast and devil!

 ”When her master arose in the morning, and opened the doors of the house and went out to go his way, there was his concubine, fallen at the door of the house with her hands on the threshold.“ ‭‭Judges‬ ‭19‬:‭27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

”And he said to her, “Get up and let us be going.” But there was no answer. So the man lifted her onto the donkey; and the man got up and went to his place.“

‭‭Judges‬ ‭19‬:‭28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Get up and let us be going: This is a painfully clear demonstration of the heartlessness of the Levite towards his concubine.” (Guzik)

”When he entered his house he took a knife, laid hold of his concubine, and divided her into twelve pieces, limb by limb, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel.“

‭‭Judges‬ ‭19‬:‭29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Divided her into twelve pieces, limb by limb, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel: This was an obviously grotesque way to deliver a message, but the method worked. It was tragic that the Levite did not show this kind of concern for righteousness earlier.” (Guzik)

”And so it was that all who saw it said, “No such deed has been done or seen from the day that the children of Israel came up from the land of Egypt until this day. Consider it, confer, and speak up!”“ Judges‬ ‭19‬:‭30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Therefore, what are we here for? Why would the Lord allow this in the Bible?

Clarke’s commentary from yesterday says it all: “Rascals and miscreants of the deepest dye; worse than brutes, being a compound of beast and devil inseparably blended.”

If mankind Isn’t restrained by the word of God we would all become “a compound of beast and devil inseparably blended.” Mob mentality would rule.

It’s Jesus Christ, Bible study and devotionals that help me put on the full armor of God.

Thank you for allowing me to send you this devotional and keeping me accountable!

Blessings 

Judges 19:23-26 Wickedness!

 ”But the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brethren! I beg you, do not act so wickedly! Seeing this man has come into my house, do not commit this outrage.“ ‭‭Judges‬ ‭19‬:‭23‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

”Look, here is my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine; let me bring them out now. Humble them, and do with them as you please; but to this man do not do such a vile thing!”“ ‭‭Judges‬ ‭19‬:‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

”But the men would not heed him. So the man took his concubine and brought her out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until morning; and when the day began to break, they let her go.“ ‭‭Judges‬ ‭19‬:‭25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The man took his concubine and brought her out to them: Though the perverted men of Gibeah were clearly guilty, so were the Levite and the host of the home. They clearly should have been willing to sacrifice themselves before their daughters and companions.

i. Each person in this sordid drama was guilty, except of course for the concubine herself.

· The wicked men of Gibeah who were more like men of Sodom and Gomorrah than men of Israel.

· The master of the house who was willing to sacrifice his own daughter.

· The Levite who cared nothing for his concubine. (Guzik)

And they knew her and abused her: When describing the full meaning of the original Hebrew, Adam Clarke, due to modesty, did not translate the meaning into English. He left it in Latin so only the learned could understand the full implications of the wickedness and perversion of the men of Gibeah.

i. “One can easily see why the concubine had left her husband in the first place. She was virtually sacrificed to save his skin as the men sexually abused her all night.” (Wolf)

ii. Clarke on Gibeah’s sinful men: “Rascals and miscreants of the deepest dye; worse than brutes, being a compound of beast and devil inseparably blended.”

iii. Centuries later, Israel still remembered this crime at Gibeah, and used it as an example of wickedness. They are deeply corrupted, as in the days of Gibeah (Hosea 9:9); O Israel, you have sinned from the days of Gibeah (Hosea 10:9). (Guzik)

”Then the woman came as the day was dawning, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her master was, till it was light.“ ‭‭Judges‬ ‭19‬:‭26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Wickedness 

Wickedness still exists around us today and all you have to do is open your eyes 👀 to witness it. My wife watches tv shows like, Unsolved Mysteries, Cold Case Files where they re-examine unsolved murders and solve them with new technology. Watch a few of them and you will quickly see the wickedness of men and women! 

One day it will come to pass:

”The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.“

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭20‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“And they were judged, each one according to his works.” Let that sink in!

Have you been washed clean with the blood of Christ?

Blessings