This week, we shall be finishing the study of the Book of Judges of the Old Testament and
begin the study of I & II Thessalonians of the New Testament.
(1) After two major defeats which saw the loss of some 40,000 armed men, what do you think was the reason that sustained these Israelites to try the 3rd assault, instead of conceding defeat and disbanding?
(2) What was the tactic used by the Israelites in their third attempt to defeat the Benjamites?
(3) Such a tactic (of ambush) still cost the lives of 30 men initially on purpose. Would you be willing to be one of these 30 men? Why or why not?
(4) What if the Benjamites lost the first and second battles, what would they (the Benjamites) have done?
(5) In other words, what did the first two victories do to the minds and hearts of the wicked Benjamites?
(6) How many Benjamites were killed in this 3rd battle and how many of them were left?
(7) At this complete defeat of the Benjamites, can we get a sense of what really caused them to be so defiant and not surrender the guilty men, instead choosing to defend them at all cost? Consider these given points:
a. Their crime was undisputable
b. Their crime was most wicked
c. The whole of Israel had now turned on them
d. The Israelite army was backed by the High Priest on God’s behalf
(8) Pause and reflect on the main message to you today. How may you apply it to your life?
“The Lord responded, ‘Go, for tomorrow I will give them into your hands'.” (Jdg. 20:28)
In the reading of early history of the people of Israel, I often get the sense that they are a people easily disheartened, especially during the period in the wilderness under the leadership of Moses: Their quick complaint at the pursuit by the army of Pharaoh even though they just witnessed nine miraculous deeds of the Lord (Exod. 14:11); the complaints of a lack of water time and again (Exod. 15:24, Num. 20:5); and many more incidents too numerous to quote.
Even though during the period of Joshua’s leadership, we see a more mature people, yet still at the defeat of Ai, we see that the people immediately melted and their morale dissipated (Jos. 7:5).
So, it is really refreshing to read that in spite of their loss of 22,000 and 18,000 in two attempts to defeat the Benjamites, there was no complaint against the Lord and there was no sign of turning back, only weeping. Well, not just weeping only, but the presentation of burnt offerings and fellowship (i.e. peace) offerings, and continuous inquiry of the Lord (Jdg. 20:26-27), preceded by fasting.
Yes, some of the subsequent actions were indeed very questionable, but they have demonstrated a rare moment of spiritual maturity—that of not giving up, not complaining, but with acts of dependency on the Lord, with an attitude of contrition as demonstrated by their fasting and the presentation of both burnt offerings (which pointed to the need of redemption and forgiveness) and fellowship offerings (which expressed their desire for reconciliation with the Lord).
Why did they show such spiritual maturity amidst a time when “everyone did as he saw fit”? I believe because this was one occasion when their spiritual slumber was awaken by such unprecedented wickedness in their midst that (1) they had come to understand the desperate need to get rid of such wickedness in their land, and (2) as a result, they were certain of the justification of their course in the eyes of the Lord.
In a rare moment of godly righteousness, they have given us an important lesson in staying on course. As long as we are certain that what we do is of the Lord and that it pleases Him, irrespective of the immediate outcome, do not lose heart and do not blame God for any setback, but continue to persevere with an attitude of contrition, self-examination and total dependence on the Lord.
(1) What was the purpose or intention of making such an oath in Mizpah?
(2) Do you find their weeping before God rather puzzling? Why or why not?
(3) In waging a war against the Benjamites, how justified were the Israelites?
(4) Did the punishing of the Benjamites necessarily entail the extermination of the Benjamites?
(5) What might have caused the near extinction of the tribe of Benjamin?
(6) What did they say in their weeping?
(7) What then did the weeping at Bethel represent?
(8) What did the offering of burnt offerings and fellowship (i.e. peace) offerings represent following their weeping?
(9) What do their actions teach us about reconciliation with our fellowmen and with God?
(10) Notice that there were two separate oaths involved concerning the punishment of the Benjamites: (a) the oath of not giving their daughters in marriage to the Benjamites (21:1), and (b) the oath to put to death anyone who failed to assemble at Mizpah (21:5). What did they resolve to do to secure the continuous existence of the tribe of Benjamin?
(11) Do you agree with what they did? Was this the reply of God in response to their weeping?
(12) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Co. 3:6)
The punishment of the Benjamites for their harboring and protecting the wicked men by the Israelites was marked by two oaths:
(1) the oath of not giving their daughters in marriage to the Benjamites (21:1), and
(2) the oath to put to death anyone who failed to assemble at Mizpah (21:5).
Both were really unnecessary; both were made in rashness.
Yes, their cause was totally justified and in fact demanded by the Law of Moses to get rid such wickedness among them. While both oaths were meant to express their determination not to have anything to do with the sins of the Benjamites and to do their part in getting rid of the wickedness, they erred in these ways:
- Such determination did not have to be expressed by oath but by action.
- The goal of punishment, if they understood the heart of the Lord correctly, is always restoration.
Because of this oversight, in their zeal and amidst the heat of battle, their punishment took the form of extermination. That might also have to do with their loss of 40,000 men as well, and without much thought, they turned the last battle into an act of revenge.
But we need to give them credit for an almost instant recognition of their sin. Their weeping followed by the burnt and fellowship offerings (Jdg. 21:3-4) indicated their remorse, if not repentance. However their contrition only led to more bizarre solutions in order to make amends for themselves.
It is true that it is against the Law of Moses that they should renege on their oaths, (Lev. 19:12; Num. 30:2), but Keil and Delitszch is right when they quoted partly from Buddeus that
“they ought to have acknowledge(d) their rashness openly, and freed themselves and the nation from an oath that had been taken in such sinful haste. Wherefore, they would have acted far more uprightly, if they had seriously confessed their fault and asked forgiveness of God, and given permission to the Benjamites to marry freely. In this way there would have been no necessity to cut off the inhabitants of Jabesh from their midst by cruelty of another kind.” (K&D, Judges, 335)
(1) The Israelites might have wished that there would be enough virgins from Jabesh Gilead (likely from the ½ tribe of Manasseh in the east) for the remaining Benjamites. Just for the sake of interest, how many women were they short? (Jdg. 20:47; 21:12)
(2) What did they resolve to do to help the remaining 200 men of Benjamin?
(3) Simply based on this latest story from chapter 19 to chapter 21, how fitting is the biblical comment in 21:25?
(4) List all the “right motives” of all the characters in the story.
(5) List all the wrong things that they have done under the right motives.
(6) In your opinion, how should the Levite handle the brutal rape and murder of this concubine?
(7) What’s wrong with the oath they had taken as mentioned in 21:1?
(8) What wrong might they have done in their inflicting of punishment on the Benjamites?
(9) What should they have done in perpetuating the tribe of Benjamin?
(10) What else have they done that befits the comment that “everyone did as he saw fit”?
(11) Was it really because “they had no king”?
(12) As we come to the end of this book, spend a moment to reflect (through the notes you have taken) on what might be the major lessons you have learned from this book.
(13) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
Here is a recap of the judges—1. Othniel, 2. Ehud, 3. Shamgar, 4. Dehorah, 5. Barak, 6. Gideon, 7. Tola, 8. Jair, 9. Jephthah, 10. Ibzan, 11. Elon, 12. Abdon, 13. Samson, 14. Eli, 15. Samuel. (The last two judges are mentioned in 1 Sam.)
“In those days, Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.” (Jdg. 21:25)
As we come to the close of the Book of Judges, I would like to share with you the insight of Sidlow Baxter as he rightly attributes this saddest period of history of the people of God to “failure through compromise” as follows:
“Every page of the book contributes to the driving home of this central truth. Of course, the exploits of the Judges teach the lesson that a return to the true faith brings renewed victory; yet in their teaching of this, they but accentuate the main, stark reality, that all the failure is due to compromise.
“How did it all begin? Well, in the opening chapter, we are told that the nine and half tribes which settled in Canaan did not destroy or even drive out the Canaan nations, as God had commanded. They suffered them to remain…Incomplete mastery of an evil at the outset always means constant trouble from it afterwards, and often defeat by it in the end. So was it with Israel. So has it been with others. Let us beware of ourselves! It is no use taking hold of a nettle with a tender hand. It is ruinous folly to try half-measures against sin! The Divine command to Israel was austere, but necessary. Israel allowed quarter to the foe, and lived to rue it.
“Next, in the second and third chapters, we find the successive steps of further compromise. Having only partially mastered the Canaanites, Israel now makes leagues with them (ii, 2)—a thing which God has prohibited. Then, having made league with them, Israel intermarries with them (iii, 6)—another thing God has prohibited… (and ) bows to their idols, forsakes Jehovah and serves Baal and Ashtaroh (ii, 13; iii, 6)…The Judges who were mercifully raised up to recall and deliver Israel, stopped the rot for the moment, but it set in again worse than before as soon as the grave silenced each Judge’s voice…
“Yes, this is the tragic story of this book of Judges—failure through compromise. Let the words burn into the mind, and burn out any easy-going toleration of the unholy or questionable thing. We can never enjoy God’s promised rest for long if we tolerate only partially crushed sins to continue with us. If we make league with questionable things because they seem harmless, we shall soon find ourselves wedded to the desires of the flesh again, and down the heights to which God has lifted us.“
(Sidlow Baxter, Explore the Book, pp. 13-14)