Judges 20:1-28

Judges 20:1-28

The story of the Levite and his concubine continues in Judges 20. After sending pieces of the woman to every tribe in Israel with a note about what had happened, the entire nation of Israel gathered at Mizpah to discuss the matter. The Levite told them what had happened and explained how it was the men of the tribe of Benjamin in that city who were at fault (for Gibeah was part of Benjamin’s territory). The Levite was seeking advice for what should be done as a result of this tragic situation. Israel decided that the best way to deal with the situation was to go up against Gibeah. They did not want to go up against their brothers, those of Benjamin, but they did expect them to give up the ones who were responsible.


When the tribe of Benjamin refused to cooperate, the other 11 tribes of Israel had no choice but to go to war against not only Gibeah, but Benjamin as well. They went to Bethel to inquire of the Lord, and He told them to send Judah into battle first. Apart from Benjamin, it seemed as if the nation was returning to God in this moment of crisis. It took an awful situation to grab the nation’s attention, but maybe that was the point. Tough times are not always a result of disobedience. Storms in life are sometimes used to strengthen us in our faith. But there are those times that God uses life’s storms to grab our attention, to cause us to turn back to Him. This particular instance caused Israel to turn to Him for advice as they prepared to cleanse their nation of these evil deeds.

As the day of battle drew near, Israel found themselves in a dilemma. They had never intended to go into battle against their brothers. They only wanted to get rid of the ones responsible, Gibeah. However, when Benjamin chose not to deal with Gibeah’s sin and took their side in the situation, Israel had no choice. Furthermore, when they went to God with their concerns, He instructed them to go up against Benjamin as well. As we have seen previously, it is not always easy to go up against a brother and sister in Christ and show them their sinful ways. We fear that we will be seen as judgmental. However, we are called to confront them about their sin in a loving way so that they can be forgiven and restored. Of course, we should have always recognize our sin as well and be willing to accept the same concerns from others. As Israel exhibits in this passage, it is not easy, but it has to be done for it is commanded by God.

After a setback in battle, Israel wondered if they were doing the right thing. They lost 18,000 men during the first day. They inquired of God once more and made offerings to Him. He assured them that they would find victory the next day. For the first time in quite a while, Israel was truly worshipping God and going to Him for advice before they made major decisions. They had returned to God for the time being. This shows how God is not only a God of wrath but also a God of love. He had promised Joshua that when Israel began to live in disobedience, He would remove His blessings from them, and that is seen countless times in the book of Judges. But He also promised Joshua that when Israel returned to Him, He would protect them, guide them, and be with them. Here at the end of the book of Judges, Israel was once again experiencing God’s blessings, even in the midst of a storm.

Now this does not mean that obedience will result in a life that is free of storms. Just because we follow God does not mean that everything in life will be easy and perfect. Storms will still come, and they will still be painful; however, God will be with us through it all. He will be there for us to turn to for guidance, like Israel was doing in Judges 20. Even when we turn our backs on God and find ourselves reverting to our sinful ways, we can still return to God. By repenting of our sins we will find that the same God who disciplined us (in order that we would return to Him), will also forgive us.

Matt