#404 The Thing You Cannot Keep

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.

2 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.

3 (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?

4 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.

5 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.

6 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.

7 Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.

8 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.

9 But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it;

10 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.

11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.

12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?

13 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.

14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.

15 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.

16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.

17 And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.

18 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.

19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.

20 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.

21 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.

22 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.

23 (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.)

24 And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.

25 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.

26 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.

27 And the children of Israel enquired of the Lord, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

28 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.

29 And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.

30 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.

31 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.

32 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.

33 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.

34 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.

35 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.

36 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.

37 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.

38 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.

39 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.

40 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.

41 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.

42 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.

43 Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.

44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.

45 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.

46 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.

47 But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.

48 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. Judges 20 KJV

The tribes are now gathered together to hear the testimony of the Levite. This same story could be verified by the servant and the old man, but 12 pieces were sent out and it does not appear that Benjamin cares to respond. He is his own state apparently and has developed his own morals based upon a culture that has come to stomach that which God says is wrong. Some would say that while it may make them feel uncomfortable or find such acts as done to this woman disgusting, it is not their business. I have heard some say that while I may not appreciate the actions of others, if it is an accepted part of their culture, then it is not wrong. If society decides right and wrong though, there is no wrong. It is that reed blowing about in the wind. I could say that Hitler was wrong, but if there is no God, then it is merely my opinion. I could say that cannibalism is wrong, but again, if there is no God then there is no absolute decree that all created men are under, stating that "thou shall not kill." I could say that rape is wrong but without such moral absolute as being made in the image of God, then it is the rule of power, the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest. Israel, though watered down, knows better than this and they assemble against Benjamin, they ask for the evil doers, but blood is thicker than wine and Benjamin will give a middle finger to justice. This could all be over with, they could have it resolved and justly, but they prepare to go to war in defense of the wicked. 

These also are sayings of the wise:

To show partiality in judging is not good:
²⁴ Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent,”
    will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations.
²⁵ But it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
    and rich blessing will come on them. Proverbs 24: 23-25

On the first day Israel is strong in their resolution, asking God, who shall go up first. Judah is the answer, that he shall be first among his brethren, as Christ shall come forth from the line of David, and shall at first suffer much. 22,000 men are destroyed. The cause was just, the enemy was in the wrong, so what happened? Weeping they go to inquire of the Lord, shall I go up once again, the second day? Is this worth it? Did we hear you right? You may be more than unpopular for saying what God says, for stating that someone is in the wrong, that this is sin, regardless of government or culture. But so you know, that this is a privilege to know that you are wrong, to have the words of God, that it is a blessing to be the bearer of such news, to suffer for righteousness, and be hated by all men for Christ's sake, read on. They go up the second time and yes a Holy and just God is still opposed to sin, and no we may not decide that it is finished. The toll rises to 40,000 and a sobriety not known before settles over all of Israel, except Benjamin, for he assumes he is in the right or that might be greater than right. Now I must look at my own heart, at that moat in my own eye, for he who is without introspection is also without conviction and in danger of God's final judgment. The man who sees himself as righteous in himself has not found the light of day, he has eyes but they do not function. They fasted, offered peace offerings and burnt offerings before the Lord. They humbled themselves, for there is no gloating in such loss, all men are born dead in their trespasses. What makes you different than any man that you may hold your head up before a just and holy God? What has brought you to the knowledge of your sin, God's forgiveness, His mercy? On the third day is the promise of deliverance, they have taken up this cause, humbled themselves unto death, but God will resurrect them to the dismay of their enemies, their cousins. There is no picking your battles here, no settling, no voting for what is right or wrong. It is right because God says it is and it is wrong because God has called it sin, and you are not God, humble yourself in the sight of the Lord. No one that died here could claim it unjust under the law, for they were all dying anyway. With sin comes death and all had sinned, and I must laugh at myself that I am at times so easily offended by nothing, but take so little offense at my own sin. God hates sin, He is holy and therefore cannot but respond to it by His just nature, or He is not holy nor just. Look at the flood, Sodom and now Gibeah, no one is righteous, not even those of the circumcision, only Christ and only the promise of Him kept history from ending, the life of Him gave hope and the example of righteousness, His death satisfied the Just. God, please change my heart, the heart of my wife, my children and my friends, that they be born again and justified by faith in your Son. Forgive our pride, our self righteousness and let us live to the glory and honor of your Son. 

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’[b] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’[c] John 15:18-25