Ah, the long overdue finale to my reading on the final chapters of the book of Judges (egads, what a mouthful, too long winded, old chap, i may say... )
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1) They went and sat in the city square, but no one took them into his home for the night. (Judges 19:15)
Very glaring on the inhospitilaity of the people in the city, as compared to Abraham's response while he was a nomad. Does that make us city dwellers more cold-hearted and inhospitable? Makes me wonder...
2) "You are welcome at my house," The old man said. "Let me supply whatever you need. Only don't spend the night in the square."
Well, at least there's one hospitable man there in the city. But his ended his sentence on an ominous tone.
3) Everyone who saw it said, "Such a thing has never been seen or done in, not since the days Israelites came out of Egypt. Think about it! Consider it! Tell us what to do."
I wondered to who did teh Isralelites address that question...
4) "Who of us shall go up first to fight the Benjamites?"
"Judah shall go first."
"Shall we go up again to battle against the Benjamites, our brothers?"
"Go up against them."
"Shall we go up again to battle with Benjamin our borther, or not?'
"Go, for tomorrow I will give them into your hands."
(Exchange between the Israelites and God from Judges 20:18 till Judges 20:28)
On that day twenty-five thousand Benjamite swordsmen fell, all of them valiant fighters. But six hundred men turned and fled into the desert to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months. The men of Israel went back to Benjamin and put all the towns to the sword, including the animals and everything else they found. All the towns they came across they set on fire. (Judges 20:44-48).
This was just an aweful description of destruction amongst the Benjamites. My stomach turned when I read the destruction mentioned in these line. Yet this act was actually brought about by Benjamites' own sinfulnesss and stiff-neckedness, against God and His laws.
Also, I think the whole Israeli nation was punished, not just the tribe of Benjamin. In all, they lost 22,000 (Israel, 1st day)+ 18,000 (Israel, 2nd day)+ 30 (Israel, 3rd day)+ 25,100 (Benjamites, 3rd day) = 65,130 men from the 3 days of fighting. In essence, this was God's pronouncing His punishment upon Israel for not fulfillling His commmandments to follow Him wholeheartedly. Scary, very scary...
6) In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. (Jusge 21:25)
The last verse of the book...
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