Juízes 20

Juízes 20

Morgan adds that “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." Guzik makes a sad but probably true statement - 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. And the congregation assembled as one man to the LORD at Mizpah - Locate Mizpah (also spelled "Mezpah" = watchtower) on the map above - it was 8 miles N of Jerusalem (Jos 18:26; 1Sa 7:5) and was S of Bethel and Shiloh. This is where Samuel later gathered the tribes to intercede for the them (read this great story in 1Sa 7:5-17; cp 1Sa10:17). The word "to" in Hebrew is a preposition that denotes motion toward, in this case "toward Yahweh." What does "to" or "toward" the LORD mean? Not sure. But they were not at Shiloh or even at Bethel (where the Ark was in those days for reasons that are unclear - Jdg 20:27). Also although the congregation assembled as one man there is no record of prayer or what the LORD God would have Israel do. The phrase as one man clearly speaks of their unity of purpose and is repeated in Jdg 20:8-9 and Jdg 20:11 so that the sons of Israel were united in their opposition to the evil that had taken place in Gibeah. The fact that there was still considerable unity among the 12 tribes is additional evidence to support this event occurred relatively early in the period of Judges (cf the event in 1Sa 11:7). Predictably, since they did not inquire of what God would have them do, the nation reacted from their fleshly instinct with burning indignation (Jdg 20:30). After all they must have reasoned the Israelites had been guilty of numerous sins since the Exodus, but never of anything so repulsive as this. They needed to appraise the situation and then plan a course of action. As in the case of Saul's appeal in [1Sa11:7], the nation "came out as one man" (Jdg 20:1). They came even from the distant borders of Israel, including many from Gilead in Transjordan. Keil and Delitzsch —The expectation of the Levite was fulfilled. The congregation of Israel assembled at Mizpeh to pass sentence upon Gibeah, and formed the resolution that they would not rest till the crime was punished as it deserved (vv. 1–10). But when the Benjaminites refused to deliver up the offenders in Gibeah, and prepared to offer resistance, the other tribes began to make war upon Gibeah and Benjamin (vv. 11–19), but were twice defeated by the Benjaminites with very great loss (vv. 20–28). At length, however, they succeeded by an act of stratagem in taking Gibeah and burning it to the ground, and completely routing the Benjaminites, and also in putting to death all the men and cattle that they found in the other towns of this tribe, and laying the towns in ashes, whereby the whole of the tribe of Benjamin was annihilated, with the exception of a very small remnant (vv. 29–48). A C Gaebelein Summary…CHAPTER 20 The Horrible War 1. The Levite's story (Jdg 20:1-7) 2. The uprising (Jdg 20:8-11) 3. The slaying of the Israelites (Jdg 20:12-25) 4. Benjamin exterminated except six hundred men (Jdg 20:26-48) This and the concluding chapter bring before us the awful harvest of what had been sown. "For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Gal. 6:7). They had sown the wind and now reaped the whirlwind. Violence and lawlessness result in the slaying of 40,000 Israelites and 23,000 of the tribe of Benjamin. Nearly the entire tribe was wiped out. From Dan to Beersheba into the land of Gilead they gathered at Mizpeh to hear the story of the Levite. Benjamin refused to give up the wicked men and instead of humbling themselves, acknowledging the dreadful guilt and bringing the guilty ones to judgment, they gathered themselves together to fight their own brethren. Their company was small in comparison with the mighty host of Israel . The divine counsel was that Judah should go up first to battle with Benjamin. What a contrast with the beginning of the book! There they were to fight against the common foe; here against their own brethren. "But to be fit to be used of God to deal with evil involves much more than readiness to be His instrument. They are too ready, as we see in the result. Their wrath is too prompt, too implacable, too unsparing. Theirs is the reckless haste of vengeance, and not the solemn discrimination of divine judgment. They remember not their own sins, bring no sin offering to God, no tears of penitence. They build on their numbers; no doubt on the justice of their cause, also, but in self-righteousness and without self-suspicion. Thus they go up to smite, and they are smitten heavily, disastrously. Benjamin, the wrong-doer, is wholly victorious." Here too are the lessons for God's people in judging what is evil amongst them. Then the children of Israel went to Bethel (House of God) and with prayer and fasting waited on the Lord and brought the offerings. Then the Lord gave them the assurance of victory. Benjamin is smitten, their women and children are wiped out. Only six hundred men escaped to the rock of Rimmon. All their cities were burned. To even greater scenes of violence, bloodshed and dissolution this poor world, which has rejected God and His beloved Son, is hastening on. Judges 20:2 And the chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, took their stand in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 foot soldiers who drew the sword. drew the sword - Jdg 20:15,17 8:10 2Sa 24:9 2Ki 3:26 Judges 20 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ISRAEL CALLS A SOLEMN ASSEMBLY And the chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, took their stand in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 foot soldiers who drew the sword - Chiefs Hebrew "corner, cornerstone". Israel was "the people of God", though the actions of Benjamin belied that title. The leaders bore the solemn responsibility of meting out the proper punishment for the crime, and a large army supported them. The phrase drew the sword indicates these were not farmers who milked cow but were trained to cut and slice!