Message 10
Chapters 17—21
(2)
Scripture Reading: Judg. 19, Judg. 20, Judg. 21
Before we consider chapters nineteen through twenty-one, I would like to give a further word concerning the application of the account of Micah’s house of idols (17:1-13) to the situation in Christianity today.
Any teaching or practice among Christians that is not according to the Scriptures is an idol. In the recent rebellion among us, a teaching regarding autonomy was promoted. Those who teach this stress that every local church is absolutely autonomous. However, this is contrary to the Scriptures and produces local sects. This teaching has become an idol.
In the United States every state is autonomous in business affairs, but the fifty states are not fifty different nations. On the contrary, there are fifty states but one nation. Likewise, each local church is autonomous in its business affairs, but the teaching that each local church is absolutely autonomous in every way within its locality is an idol. Nevertheless, some are using this teaching to spread division.
Every item in the Lord’s recovery must be according to the Bible. For example, calling on the name of the Lord and pray-reading are scriptural practices (Gen. 4:26; 13:4; Eph. 6:17-18). When we call on the name of the Lord, our inner man is refreshed. When we pray-read the Word, we are fed.
The difference between the churches in the Lord’s recovery and Christianity is that the local churches in the recovery try their best to do everything according to the Bible, the Word of God. The Bible reveals that the church as the Body of Christ is universally and uniquely one. Because all the members of the Body of Christ exist on earth in different cities, this unique Body of Christ is expressed among people on earth in many cities — one city, one church. Whereas Catholicism, the denominations, and the independent groups are “houses of Micah,” we meet as a local church, as the church in a particular city. In the Scriptures there are no house churches, street churches, state churches, or district churches. Instead, there are local churches. The local church in a city is a part of the Body. Therefore, we practice the local churches, and we also practice the universal Body of Christ.
The intrinsic significance of the books of Joshua and Judges is that these books show us the detailed points of how to possess Christ, keep Christ, and enjoy Christ. We have seen that, according to the record in Judges, in the degradation Israel became chaotic in government, in worship, and in morality. Such a people surely could not gain Christ and enjoy Him. But we thank the Lord that, in the midst of the chaotic situation, there was a person — Boaz — who had the highest standard of morality. As we will see when we come to the book of Ruth, according to typology Boaz was one who enjoyed Christ very much.
Let us now look into what is recorded concerning Israel in the last three chapters of Judges.
Chapter nineteen is a record of Israel’s sodomitical corruption in their morality.
Judges 19:1-26 tells a story of corruption. In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite dwelling in the far end of the hill country of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah (v. 1). The concubine went about as a harlot and departed from the Levite to her father’s house, to Bethlehem in Judah, for four months (v. 2). Her husband rose up and came after her to speak to her affectionately and to bring her back (vv. 3-9). He brought her from her father’s house, went through Jerusalem, and came to Gibeah, which belonged to Benjamin. He sat in the square of the city, but no one took them into his house to lodge them (vv. 10-15). In the evening an old man out of the field from his work saw the wayfarer in the square of the city and brought him and his concubine to his house and took them as his guests (vv. 16-21).
While they were making their hearts merry, the worthless men of the city surrounded the house, beating on the door. They spoke to the master of the house, saying, “Bring out the man who went into your house that we may know him” (v. 22). The old man, the master of the house, came out and said to them, “No, my brothers; do not do this evil thing, I beg you. Since this man has come into my house, do not commit this folly. Here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. Let me bring them out, I beg you; and humble them and do to them what seems good in your sight. But to this man do not do such folly” (vv. 23-24). But the worthless men did not want to listen to the old man; so the Levite took hold of his concubine and brought her out to them; and they knew her. They abused her all night long until morning (v. 25). In the early morning the concubine came and fell at the entrance of the old man’s house, where her lord had been until it was light (v. 26).
According to verses 27 through 30 the story of this corruption was spread throughout all the territory of Israel. The Levite rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way. He discovered his concubine fallen at the entrance of the house with her hands upon the threshold (v. 27). He spoke to her, but there was no answer. He then put her upon the donkey and went to his place (v. 28). When he came to his house, he cut her up limb by limb into twelve pieces and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel (v. 29). When everyone saw this, they said, “No such thing has ever happened or been seen since the day the children of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt until this day. Consider it, and take counsel and speak” (v. 30).
In chapters twenty and twenty-one we have an account of the terrible slaughter among their tribes.
All the children of Israel from Dan as far as Beer-sheba, with the land of Gilead, gathered as one man unto Jehovah. The leaders of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the congregation of the people of God at Mizpah, four hundred thousand footmen who drew the sword. The children of Benjamin heard about it (20:1-3a).
The Levite, the husband of the woman who had been murdered, told them the story of the wickedness and folly of the men of Gibeah. Then he asked all the children of Israel to give their advice and counsel (vv. 3b-7).
All the people rose up as one man, saying that none of them would go to their tents nor any of them return to their houses. Rather, they would go up against Gibeah by lot. Thus all the men of Israel, knit together as one man, were gathered against the city (vv. 8-11).
The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, requesting them to deliver up the worthless men who were in Gibeah, for they would kill them and put away the evil from Israel (vv. 12-13a).
The Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the children of Israel. The children of Benjamin gathered together at Gibeah from their cities to go to battle with the children of Israel, with twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, apart from seven hundred choice men from Gibeah. These went out against four hundred thousand men of Israel who drew the sword, men of war (vv. 13b-17).
The children of Israel went up to Bethel and inquired of God as to which of them should go up first into battle with the children of Benjamin, and Jehovah said, “Judah first” (v. 18).
The children of Israel and the children of Benjamin came into the battle, and on that day the children of Benjamin slew twenty-two thousand men of Israel (vv. 19-21).
The children of Israel went up and wept before Jehovah into the evening. They inquired of Jehovah, saying, “Shall I again approach the battle with the children of Benjamin my brother?” Jehovah said, “Go up against him” (vv. 22-23).
On the second day the children of Israel went to fight with the children of Benjamin, who slew another eighteen thousand men among the children of Israel (vv. 24-25).
All the children of Israel went up to Bethel and wept before Jehovah, fasting until the evening and offering burnt offerings and peace offerings before Jehovah. They inquired of Jehovah, saying, “Shall I again go out into battle with the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease?” Jehovah answered, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand” (vv. 26-28).
The children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day and set themselves in array against Gibeah as at other times. First, the children of Benjamin slew about thirty men of Israel. Then the children of Israel destroyed twenty-five thousand one hundred men of Benjamin, by Jehovah striking them down before Israel (vv. 29-35).
The ambush of Israel hurried and rushed against Gibeah and slew the whole city (even though about thirty men were slain by the children of Benjamin) and burned the city. Then the children of Benjamin turned before the men of Israel toward the wilderness, but the children of Israel overtook them and killed twenty-five thousand of them on that day (vv. 36-46).
Six hundred men of the children of Benjamin turned and fled into the wilderness. The men of Israel returned to the children of Benjamin, striking them, both the entire city with the cattle and all that was found there. Moreover, all the cities that were found they set on fire (vv. 47-48).
The children of Israel were grieved concerning Benjamin their brother that one tribe had been cut down from Israel (21:1-6, 15).
In verses 7 through 24 we see that the children of Israel planned to get wives and possessions for the remnant of Benjamin. They sent twelve thousand of the valiant to destroy the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead. These captured four hundred young virgins to be wives of the Benjaminites (vv. 7-14). In addition to this, the elders of the assembly commanded the Benjaminites to catch the daughters of Shiloh to be their wives, and the children of Benjamin did so (vv. 16-23a). Then the Benjaminites went and dwelt in their inheritance and they rebuilt the cities and dwelt in them (v. 23b).
The book of Judges concludes by saying that in those days there was no king in Israel; each man did what was right in his own eyes (v. 25).
