Judges 20:18 – 28 “The Israelites set out, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, “Who of us shall go up first to fight against the Benjamites?” “Judah will be first,” the LORD replied. The next morning the Israelites set out and camped near Gibeah. And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took up their battle positions at Gibeah. And the Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day.
But the Israelite army took courage and again took their battle positions in the same place where they had arrayed themselves on the first day. They went up and wept before the LORD until evening, inquiring of Him, “Should we again draw near for battle against our brothers the Benjamites?” And the LORD answered, “Go up against them.”
On the second day the Israelites advanced against the Benjamites. That same day the Benjamites came out against them from Gibeah and cut down another 18,000 Israelites, all of them armed with swords.
Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, where they sat weeping before the LORD. That day they fasted until evening and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD. And the Israelites inquired of the LORD. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there, and Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before it.) The Israelites asked, “Should we again go out to battle against our brothers the Benjamites, or should we stop?” The LORD answered, “Fight, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hands.”
40,000 Israelites die in the first two days of battle against Benjamin! And these losses have taken place after the Israelites have already asked God for guidance. At this point, the Israelites are ready to give up; however, they do the most intelligent thing possible. Rather than sitting and lamenting, the Israelites all go up to Bethel where the Tabernacle is located. There the Israelites pray, weeping before the Lord and fasting until evening. In addition, the Israelites present burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord as required by Moses. Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, is serving as high priest.
Why is this act of worship so important? The Israelites have realized that while they have asked God for guidance, they have not worshiped Him. Now as the Israelites are worshiping, God gives them assurance. Notice that on the previous two days, the Israelites asked for – and received – directions; however, God gave them no assurance.
APPLICATION: 40,000 casualties in two days! If that kind of loss happened today, social media would light up in a blaze of indignation! There would be calls for a halt to the battle, and people would be furious.
The question here is this: did the Israelites do anything wrong on the first two days of the battle? The Israelites asked God for guidance, and God advised them what to do; yet, their losses were catastrophic. No, the Israelites did nothing wrong, nor were they misguided. When we are facing evil, we must be prepared for setbacks and for losses. The Israelites did everything properly, but the very best thing they did was to assemble before the Lord, pray and fast, and offer sacrifices. Did God NEED those sacrifices? Of course not! An all – sufficient, all – powerful God needs nothing. But the ISRAELITES needed that time of prayer, of repentance, and of worship.
What is the lesson here for us? When we are confronting evil and nothing appears to be happening, we need to double down and pray harder, search our hearts for anything that is hindering our efforts, and above all, worship.
How much difference was there between the Benjamites as a whole and the men of Gibeah? Evidently, there was very little difference if the rest of the Benjamites could go to war on behalf of those in Gibeah. But how much difference was there between the Benjamites as a whole and the rest of the Israelites? Probably not that much. Again, the Israelites were reaping the results of having failed to teach their children the laws of God and His ways. Despite the covenants the Israelites made with God as described in Deuteronomy 30, they had refused to follow the Lord and were wandering around becoming more confused instead.
When the Israelites came to the end of their own resources, they truly sought the Lord. And that seeking eventually brought victory. But what a price the Israelites had paid before they were willing to ask God for help and to worship Him!
How many of us are trying to make it on our own? We feel we have things figured out – oh, we might want a little divine guidance once in awhile, but really, we can handle things….. we think. And then we face sudden calamities – sickness, accidents, economic downturns, not to mention natural disasters such as fires, floods, and storms. Suddenly we realize the ice on which we have been skating is actually very thin indeed. The Israelites waited until things were really going wrong before they came before the Lord. Don’t be like the Israelites! Worship God now! Worship Him daily! Study God’s Word, the Bible, and let its truths nourish and strengthen your spirit. Then when calamities arise, you will be prepared mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You that You are always ready to hear us and that You care for us far more than we can possibly imagine. Help everyone who reads these words to seek You and to worship You in spirit and in truth. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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