Burunche’s Blog

Ruth 2:1 – 12 “Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a prominent man of noble character from the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go into the fields and glean heads of grain after someone in whose sight I may find favor.” “Go ahead, my daughter,” Naomi replied.

So Ruth departed and went out into the field and gleaned after the harvesters. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech. Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and said to the harvesters, “The LORD be with you.” “The LORD bless you,” they replied. And Boaz asked the foreman of his harvesters, “Whose young woman is this?” The foreman answered, “She is the Moabitess who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab. She has said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the harvesters.’ So she came out and has continued from morning until now, except that she rested a short time in the shelter.”

Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Do not go and glean in another field, and do not go away from this place, but stay here close to my servant girls. Let your eyes be on the field they are harvesting, and follow along after these girls. Indeed, I have ordered the young men not to touch you. And when you are thirsty, go and drink from the jars the young men have filled.” At this, she fell on her face, bowing low to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you should take notice of me, even though I am a foreigner?”

Boaz replied, “I have been made fully aware of all you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth, and how you came to a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay your work, and may you receive a rich reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have taken refuge.”

God’s timing is perfect! Just as Ruth and Naomi trudged into town wondering where they would sleep and how they would survive, the barley harvest was starting. Farms were small, and the workers from various households went out to harvest the grain.

Deuteronomy 24:19 says, “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.” Ruth and Naomi were both widows and sojourners, having just come to Bethlehem.

When Naomi sent Ruth out to glean, she knew that Ruth had the right to do so. But what about the young men working in the fields? Who would protect Ruth from being raped? God in His mercy led Ruth to the part of the field belonging to Naomi’s late husband’s kinsman Boaz. In the small town of Bethlehem, everybody already knew about Ruth’s dedication to Naomi, despite the fact that Ruth was from Moab and no Israel. By this point, the people of Bethlehem probably knew everything about Ruth and were favorably impressed. As soon as Boaz learned that Ruth was working in his field, he arranged for her to be protected and to have water and shelter with his workers.

APPLICATION: Many times, we feel as if all our efforts are fruitless! We strive to do the right thing; however, we are firmly convinced that nobody sees us and nobody cares. But God is omniscient, all – knowing, and God cares deeply about each one of us.

One of the most encouraging things about the story of Ruth is the way in which God provided and protected both Ruth and Naomi. They made a long difficult journey from Moab back to Bethlehem. Upon reaching Bethlehem, Ruth was able to find work that would help feed the two of them. And God gave Ruth favor with Boaz, here described as a “prominent man of noble character.”

Several years ago, a popular song told us that “God is watching from a distance.” But those words are totally inaccurate. God is not watching from a distance; God is as close to us as our heartbeats. God cares about each one of us as if we were His only child. It is rank heresy to claim that God is a distant Deity who is standing back waiting for us to make a mistake so that He can punish us. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Far from being distant and uninterested, God is passionately interested in every aspect of our lives. It is we who have created a gap between ourselves and God.

Each of us has a problem: we are sinners. By ourselves, nothing we can do will be sufficient for us to earn our way into heaven. But John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes on Him should not die, but should have everlasting life.” That “whosoever” means that everyone who believes on God and the blood sacrifice that Jesus made for our sins will have eternal life. God has done what we ourselves were unable to accomplish. But there are conditions.

We must face the fact that we are sinners. We need to pray to God and confess that we are sinful and unable to help ourselves. We then need to ask God to forgive our sins and to help us to live for Him and not for ourselves.

PRAYER: Father God, we confess that we have continually done wrong things and that nothing good or noble that we do will get us into heaven. Thank you for sending Jesus as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, dying in our place. Please forgive our sins and help us to live for You the rest of our lives. Amen.

Ruth 1:19 – 22 “So Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole city was stirred because of them, and the women of the city exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”

“Do not call me Naomi, (pleasant) ” she replied. “Call me Mara, (bitter) because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.”

So Naomi returned from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.”

Poor Naomi! Ten years ago, Naomi’s family left Bethlehem with Naomi, her husband, and two sons. Perhaps there may have been several servants and a number of donkeys. Now Naomi is returning as a widow whose sons are dead, accompanied only by her daughter – in – law and a single donkey. When Naomi left, she was tall and graceful and her hair was jet black. As the wife of a wealthy man, Naomi was clothed beautifully and wore a few tasteful gold ornaments. Now Naomi’s hair has turned white from the stress of her bereavement, and her once – cheerful face is marred by sadness. Instead of the fine linen Naomi used to wear, she is clothed in the sack cloth appropriate to mourners. There are no ear rings or nose rings or bracelets or necklaces. Naomi’s feet are shod in worn – out sandals and gritty from the dust of travel. Little wonder that the women of the city are exclaiming, “Can this be Naomi?”

Although Naomi’s appearance has excited comment, the biggest change is Naomi’s personality. Once Naomi was one of the most positive and encouraging people in Bethlehem, truly living up to the meaning of her name. Now Naomi doesn’t even want to claim her name but insists that people should call her “Mara” or “bitter instead because she feels God has abandoned her.

APPLICATION: Ever feel that God has abandoned you and that you are in a deep deep hole with no way out? Welcome to the ranks of those who have suffered! It’s amazing but when you are in the midst of a problem with no visible way out, there are ALWAYS those who are more than willing to offer advice – most of it rubbish!

Several years ago, we returned to America after a very difficult first missionary term. The group that sent us out had overlooked enormous problems with the project to which they sent us. Our living situation was a nightmare for several months. When we attempted to correct some of the problems, we found ourselves misunderstood and severely criticized by the very people who had sent us there.

Once we returned to America, we found ourselves surrounded by well – intentioned friends with no understanding of our situation. We soon learned that it was those who had suffered the most themselves who were the most helpful. I finally told one sympathetic friend who did understand our situation that I didn’t want to hear from anyone else who had not earned their Ph. D. in suffering! We certainly understood how Naomi must have felt when she returned bereaved and penniless to Bethlehem.

BUT in Naomi’s story, there is a tiny ray of hope, no more than a gleam on the horizon. “And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.” Naomi had no idea that the timing of Ruth’s and her arrival was so important, but God did. All the way from Moab, God guided Ruth and Naomi so that they would arrive in Bethlehem precisely at the correct time. The barley harvest was starting, and farmers needed as much help as possible. Good workers were in short supply, and Ruth was a good worker. God was about to graphically demonstrate that Naomi was wrong and that He had neither testified against her nor afflicted her.

Our story also had a happy ending. God used the struggles we endured during our first missionary term to teach us a number of important lessons very quickly. During our first time in Ghana, we became acquainted with leaders of the Assemblies of God Ghana Church. Eventually the AG Ghana Church invited us to work in their clinic in Saboba, Northern Region, launching us on the continuation of our missionary careers. But our sufferings during our first term were necessary and educational. We learned to trust God and not ourselves, particularly when it appeared that all might be falling apart.

Do you feel that you are in a deep hole? Call out to God! No matter how restricted your hole is, there is always room for God in there. And once there is room for God, He will give you a way out. But be prepared for the way to be tough; most of us learn our most important lessons the hard way. And hang in there! God is not through with you yet.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You that even when our situations look bleak, You are already making a way for us. Thank You that You love us and care for us. Thank You also for leading us through difficulties so that we can be stronger and more compassionate to those around us. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Ruth 1:6 – 18 “When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had attended to His people by providing them with food, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the land of Moab. Accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road leading back to the land of Judah.

Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you to your mother’s home. May the LORD show you loving devotion,a as you have shown to your dead and to me. May the LORD enable each of you to find rest in the home of your new husband.” And she kissed them as they wept aloud and said, “Surely we will return with you to your people.” But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb to become your husbands? Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons, would you wait for them to grow up? Would you refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.”

Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home.”

But Ruth replied: “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her.”

This is one of the most wonderful stories in the Bible, and it comes in the same time period as the Book of Judges, which makes it even more remarkable. Naomi must have been a fantastic lady! One of my friends once described her mother – in – law as her “mother – in – love.” Ruth and Orpah might have agreed with that description.

By now, Ruth and Orpah have been widows for a little while. In that culture, young women would readily re – marry, and there were probably men lined up waiting to marry both these ladies. But Naomi had been so kind and so loving to Ruth and Orpah that they didn’t want to leave her for anything. Finally, Orpah was persuaded to go back, but Ruth absolutely refused. Poor Orpah! This is the last that we ever hear of her. We don’t know if Orpah remarried, nor do we know what happened to her and her family once she returned to Moab. What would have happened to Orpah had she gone on with Ruth and Naomi? Perhaps Orpah would have become as famous and as highly regarded as Ruth. But Orpah chose to return to her familiar life in Moab and idolatry.

Ruth’s dedication to Naomi was incredible. Why was Ruth so willing to leave her own people and to risk remaining as an outcast among the Israelites? The only real answers were love and spiritual hunger. Ruth loved Naomi so much that being separated from her appeared worse than death. Ruth was even willing to leave her traditional gods behind to worship Naomi’s God, and this might be part of the key to the whole thing. Of all the family, it appears that Naomi was the only one who remained a true worshiper of the One True Living God once the family left Bethlehem. Hungry for truth, Ruth saw something in Naomi that was worth giving up everything else – a relationship with a real God and not an idol.

APPLICATION: It was Blaise Pascal who wrote,”“What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace?

This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself” Blaise Pascal Pensees

An “abyss” is a deep or seemingly bottomless chasm. Sometimes people have paraphrased Pascal by describing this abyss as a “god – sized vacuum.” No matter how one describes it, Pascal was correct. Only an infinite God can fill a hole that stretches to infinity.

The questions for us as we read this story are these: Are we choosing the safe and familiar, or are we willing to let God really fill the abyss in our lives and lead us into a fearful and glorious unknown future? Have we really let God fill up all the emptiness in our lives, or are we trying to fill it with food, work, sports, or other obsessions? As long as we choose anything less than God, we will remain unsatisfied and unhappy.

St. Augustine in his Confessions said, “Our hearts are restless, until they can find rest in you.” Today, let us ask God to show us anything we have tried to substitute for Him in our hearts. May God help us to truly find our rest in Him.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving for us and for caring for us so much that You choose to be with us. Open our eyes to see the things we have been trying to substitute for You. May we reject everything that is not of You and may You fill our hearts and our lives. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Ruth 1: 1 – 5 “In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the land of Moab. The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah, and they entered the land of Moab and settled there.

Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons, who took Moabite women as their wives, one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. And after they had lived in Moab about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and without her husband.”

WHAT’S IN A NAME? The name “Bethlehem” literally means “house of bread,” indicating that the area was fertile. “Elimelech” means “my God is king,” while “Naomi” means “pleasant.” But when famine came, Elimelech failed to live up to his name and chose to move to Moab where the people worshiped Chemosh and Astarte. (Astarte was the fertility goddess and her rites always included sexual orgies.)

Why would Elimelech move when others did not? Some people have speculated that Elimelech was originally very wealthy and that he moved to Moab to avoid disgrace. (https://baptistbulletin.org/the-baptist-bulletin-magazine/may-06-issue/moving-to-moab-was-elimelech-wrong/)

Whatever the reason, this move turned out to be disastrous. Elimelech died – perhaps soon after the family had settled in Moab. Naomi’s two sons married Moabite women, something God had forbidden the Israelites to do. There is no mention of any children being born to either of these two men. Ten years after the move, both Mahlon and Chilion died, leaving Naomi alone. The name “Mahlon” can mean “a dance,” indicating something joyful; however, it can also mean “sickness.” “Chilion” can mean “completion;” however, it can also mean “destruction or wasting.” Traditionally, many Jews have believed that the negative meanings of these names indicate the failings of these two men that led to their untimely deaths. Mahlon is suspected of having committed acts of profanation by worshiping his wife’s god Chemosh. Chilion might have also fallen into idolatry, bringing condemnation upon himself.

APPLICATION: Many times, we are confused about which way to go and we are tempted to choose the course that is most expedient. We don’t intend to stay in a questionable situation for very long; we only want to be there temporarily while we wait for things to work out somewhere else.

In some accounts of this story, Elimelech and his family are described as intending to “sojourn” in Moab, that is, to stay there only for a short time and then to return to Bethlehem. But temporary measures have a way of becoming permanent. As the months turned into years, the family became less and less interested in returning to Bethlehem. If the family were to survive, Elimelech would have to start some kind of business; he might have been required to make routine sacrifices to the local gods to do business in Moab. The sons probably made friends with the young people in their new location; certainly, they married Moabite girls. Was Naomi was able to find some women her own age with whom she could socialize, or was she the sole person in the family who longed to return to Bethlehem?

At any rate, the move to Moab proved to be a disaster! Elimelech evidently died shortly after the move. Ten years later, Mahlon and Chilion both died as well, leaving Naomi bereaved and penniless. Naomi’s only remaining relatives were Orpah and Ruth, her two daughters – in – law. Now Naomi was a stranger, an outsider with nobody to care for her or to support her. In a culture in which family was paramount, Naomi had lost her support system; her only viable option was to return to Bethlehem.

What lessons can we take from this part of the story? Each of us needs to search our hearts, our minds, and our lives to see where we have compromised. What “temporary” solutions have we allowed to become permanent? Are we trapped in a living situation that has become toxic? Are we trapped in a profession that has become a burden but that we fear to leave? Have we allowed a family problem to fester when we should have addressed it long ago? Have we settled for less than God’s best for our lives and the lives of our family members because we are afraid to make a change? May God help us to ask ourselves the tough questions and then to make necessary changes!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You that You are infinitely capable and that You have only the best for us in mind! Open our eyes to see where we have compromised and then to return to Your plans for our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

SUMMARY OF JUDGES

The book of Judges has some of the saddest and goriest stories in the entire Bible. Part of the sadness comes from the repeated comment “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

These people whom God intended to be holy and righteous and to demonstrate His faithfulness and His goodness to the whole earth refused to teach successive generations about Him, preferring to worship idols instead. The results were predictable; in fact, God specifically warned the Israelites what would happen if they failed to teach their children about Him.

Deuteronomy 6:6 – 15 tells us “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. “So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you have eaten and are full— then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name. You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you (for the Lord your God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the Lord your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth.”

Many times when things go wrong, we choose to blame God, conveniently forgetting that we ourselves may be the source of our own problems. An old spiritual says, “It’s me, it’s me, it’s me, Oh Lord! Standing in the need of prayer! Not my brother, not my sister, but it’s me, Oh Lord! Standing in the need of prayer.”

Judges forces us to face tough questions. Who is going to teach our children about God? If we fail to do so, nobody else will. In the spiritual world, there are only two choices, only two paths. Either you are moving closer to God and away from Satan, or you are moving closer to Satan and away from God. And if we fail to teach our children about God, who will teach our grandchildren and what will they learn? May God help us to study His Word, being confident that if we ask Him for help and guidance, He will give it!

PRAYER: Father God, HELP! We are in danger of losing our children because we don’t know how to teach them about You. Please help us! Please guide us! And help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 21:1 – 25 “Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.” So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly. “Why, O LORD God of Israel,” they cried out, “has this happened in Israel? Today in Israel one tribe is missing!” The next day the people got up early, built an altar there, and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings. The Israelites asked, “Who among all the tribes of Israel did not come to the assembly before the LORD?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah would surely be put to death.

And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel. What should we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?” So they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah?” And in fact, no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly. For when the people were counted, none of the residents of Jabesh-gilead were there. So the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men and commanded them: “Go and put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead, including women and children. This is what you are to do: Devote to destruction every male, as well as every female who has had relations with a man.” So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young women who had not had relations with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. Then the whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon. And at that time the Benjamites returned and were given the women who were spared from Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough women for all of them.

The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a void in the tribes of Israel. Then the elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?” They added, “There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out. But we cannot give them our daughters as wives.”

For the Israelites had sworn, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to a Benjamite.”

“But look,” they said, “there is a yearly feast to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”

So they commanded the Benjamites: “Go, hide in the vineyards and watch. When you see the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, each of you is to come out of the vineyards, catch for himself a wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. When their fathers or brothers come to us to complain, we will tell them, ‘Do us a favor by helping them, since we did not get wives for each of them in the war. Since you did not actually give them your daughters, you have no guilt.’” The Benjamites did as instructed and carried away the number of women they needed from the dancers they caught. They went back to their own inheritance, rebuilt their cities, and settled in them. And at that time, each of the Israelites returned from there to his own tribe and clan, each to his own inheritance. In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

What a mess! 600 Benjamites survived by escaping and hiding near the rock of Rimmon in the wilderness. Once the Israelites had vented their anger on Gibeah and the Benjamite cities, they return to Bethel, where they worship the Lord and slowly come to their senses. Rather than celebrating victories, the Israelites are now grieving for the near – loss of one tribe. Now the Israelites realize that 600 Benjamites have survived, but what is going to happen? In the heat of their anger, the Israelites have sworn not to give their daughters as wives to the Benjamites. The Israelites get tricky and ask which city in all of Israel has failed to send warriors to fight against Benjamin? Unfortunately, the city of Jabesh – Gilead east of the Jordan has failed to send any warriors to help the rest of the Israelites. This failure is a violation of the oath sworn by those settling that area when Moses gave them that land. The Israelites send warriors who wipe out all the inhabitants except for 400 virgins whom they bring back as brides for the Benjamites.

But this still leaves 200 Benjamites without brides. No problem! The Israelites cook up a scheme in which the 200 Benjamites kidnap girls from Shiloh as they are performing their annual dances. The kidnapping absolves the families of these girls of any blame, since they have not actually given the girls in marriage. (Of course, nobody is interested in the feelings of the poor virgins forced into these marriages!)

APPLICATION: As a female reading these verses, I have always felt terribly sorry for the poor girls forced into these marriages; however, these practices were fairly common in those times. But were these schemes God’s perfect will for this situation? My personal reaction is no! Elders from the eleven remaining tribes of Israel could have gone to Jabesh – Gilead and negotiated for those girls; there was no reason that the innocent inhabitants had to be massacred. (And the question is, how much loot did those 12000 soldiers collect when they were attacking Jabesh – Gilead?) At least with respect to the girls from Shiloh, their families and their city were left intact. But even there, had the Israelites actually sought the Lord on this matter, there would have been a better answer.

The saddest part of this entire story is the final verdict in verse 25: In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Who is King of your life? From whom do you get your guidance? Are you allowing the Ruler of the Universe to counsel you, or are you doing what is right in your own eyes?

PRAYER:Father God, help us to look to YOU and only YOU for our help and our guidance. Be King of our lives! Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 20:29 – 48 “So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah. On the third day the Israelites went up against the Benjamites and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as they had done before. The Benjamites came out against them and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the people as before, killing about thirty men of Israel in the fields and on the roads, one of which led up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah. “We are defeating them as before,” said the Benjamites. But the Israelites said, “Let us retreat and draw them away from the city onto the roads.”

So all the men of Israel got up from their places and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar, and the Israelites in ambush charged from their positions west of Gibeah. Then 10,000 select men from all Israel made a frontal assault against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce. But the Benjamites did not realize that disaster was upon them. The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords. Then the Benjamites realized they had been defeated.

Now the men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin because they were relying on the ambush they had set against Gibeah. The men in ambush rushed suddenly against Gibeah; they advanced and put the whole city to the sword. The men of Israel had arranged a signal with the men in ambush: When they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city, the men of Israel would turn in the battle. When the Benjamites had begun to strike them down, killing about thirty men of Israel, they said, “They are defeated before us as in the first battle.” But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, the Benjamites looked behind them and saw the whole city going up in smoke. Then the men of Israel turned back on them, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had come upon them. So they fled before the men of Israel toward the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and the men coming out of the cities struck them down there. They surrounded the Benjamites, pursued them, and easily overtook them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east. And 18,000 Benjamites fell, all men of valor.

Then the Benjamites turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and Israel cut down 5,000 men on the roads. And they overtook them at Gidom and struck down 2,000 more. That day 25,000 Benjamite swordsmen fell, all men of valor. But six hundred men turned and fled into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months. And the men of Israel turned back against the other Benjamites and struck down with the sword all the cities, including the animals and everything else they found. And they burned down all the cities in their path.”

This whole mess started because the men of Gibeah did the unthinkable and their relatives stuck up for them. Had the rest of the Tribe of Benjamin sanctioned the men of Gibeah, all would have been well. But one bad decision led to another and now disaster was overtaking the Benjamites.

After the Israelites seriously sought the Lord, repented, and worshiped, God gave them new strategies to conquer the Benjamites. The Israelites mounted an ambush, drawing the Benjamites away from Gibeah and then torching Gibeah. The Israelite soldiers in hiding then attacked, destroying the Benjamite soldiers and all the cities in the Tribe of Benjamin. By the time these battles were over, the Tribe of Benjamin was nearly annihilated, all because they refused to discipline their own people.

APPLICATION: What made the difference between the first two days of the Israelite attacks and the third day? v. 35-36 “The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords. Then the Benjamites realized they had been defeated.” God made the difference. The Israelites who were killed the first two days were just as brave and just as strong as those who defeated the Benjamites. It was God who made the difference.

When the men of Gibeah raped that poor young woman, they failed to consider the fact that God was watching. And when the Benjamites insisted on supporting the men of Gibeah, thus approving of their horrific acts, God was also watching.

Many times we feel that God is completely removed from our actions and that He will not intervene. But God is NOT removed and God DOES care.

PRAYER: Father God, help us to realize that You are intimately involved in all of our affairs. Help us to remember that You care about everything we do, everything we think, everything we plan. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

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.

Judges 20:1 – 17 “Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the congregation assembled as one man before the LORD at Mizpah. The leaders of all the people and all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of God’s people: 400,000 men on foot, armed with swords. (Now the Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) And the Israelites asked, “Tell us, how did this wicked thing happen?” So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: “I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night. And during the night, the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house. They intended to kill me, but they abused my concubine, and she died. Then I took my concubine, cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance, because they had committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel. Behold, all you Israelites, give your advice and verdict here and now.”

Then all the people stood as one man and said, “Not one of us will return to his tent or to his house. Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will go against it as the lot dictates. We will take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to supply provisions for the army when they go to Gibeah in Benjamin to punish them for the atrocity they have committed in Israel.”

So all the men of Israel gathered as one man, united against the city. And the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has occurred among you? Hand over the wicked men of Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge Israel of this evil.” But the Benjamites refused to heed the voice of their fellow Israelites. And from their cities they came together at Gibeah to go out and fight against the Israelites. On that day the Benjamites mobilized 26,000 swordsmen from their cities, in addition to the 700 select men of Gibeah. Among all these soldiers there were 700 select left-handers, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair without missing. The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mustered 400,000 swordsmen, each one an experienced warrior.”

Leviticus 19:34 ”You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”

Deuteronomy 22:25 “But if the man encounters a betrothed woman in the open country, and he overpowers her and lies with her, only the man who has done this must die. Do nothing to the young woman, because she has committed no sin worthy of death. This case is just like one in which a man attacks his neighbor and murders him. When he found her in the field, the betrothed woman cried out, but there was no one to save her.”

A horrible crime has taken place! The men of Gibeah in the tribe of Benjamin, Israelites who should have sheltered strangers whether or not they were fellow Israelites and who should have protected all women, have raped and murdered a young woman after attempting to rape her husband when the couple and their servant sought a night’s lodging in their city. While alive, this young woman probably cried as loudly as she could for help, but those who should have helped her attacked her instead. According to the laws of Moses, every one of the rapists should have been stoned, but they were not punished at all.

The outraged husband has cut his wife into pieces and sent the pieces throughout Israel in a demand for justice. When all the other tribes of Israel meet, the Benjamites are fully aware of the meeting but make no attempt whatsoever to attend. While the Benjamites might feel that they are merely siding with their brothers, in fact, they are doing something far worse. By refusing to attend this meeting, the rest of the tribe of Benjamin are graphically demonstrating that they actually approve of these heinous crimes.

APPLICATION: Several years ago, we were associated with a project whose leader asked me to assess its performance. Unfortunately, the more closely I examined things, the more I realized that this facility was operating along non – scriptural lines. Once I completed my report, the Holy Spirit spoke quietly to my heart and said, “What will you do now? Remember, silence implies consent. If you do not protest the wrong practices, you are agreeing with them.” We wrote out a statement indicating the practices with which we could not agree and offering to help the project address these problems. The leader became infuriated and dismissed us; however, we had peace because we had followed the Lord in this matter.

“SILENCE IMPLIES CONSENT.” Today, many of us are being bullied into ignoring practices that are immoral and unconstitutional. Some of us may find ourselves facing the loss of our jobs for our refusal to compromise. In such situations, what do we do? Only God can give us the correct answers; however, remaining quiet has far – reaching consequences. Later on, when things become far worse, our initial silence may be used against us. Far better to speak up in the beginning than to regret at the end. May God help each of us to stand firm when our faith is challenged!

PRAYER: Father God, you know the struggles we are facing. You know that many of us are being forced into untenable positions. Lord, help us to remain firm in our faith and to speak up. Send your warring angels to protect all who are standing for righteousness. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 19:22 – 30 “While they were enjoying themselves, suddenly the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have relations with him!” The owner of the house went out and said to them, “No, my brothers, do not do this wicked thing! After all, this man is a guest in my house. Do not commit this outrage. Look, let me bring out my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine, and you can use them and do with them as you wish. But do not do such a vile thing to this man.”

But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. Early that morning, the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, collapsed at the doorway, and lay there until it was light. In the morning, when her master got up and opened the doors of the house to go out on his journey, there was his concubine, collapsed in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. “Get up,” he told her. “Let us go.” But there was no response. So the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.

When he reached his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her limb by limb into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel. And everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has been seen or done from the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until this day. Think it over, take counsel, and speak up!”

This story describes unimaginable depravity. First, the people of Gibeah have refused to harbor strangers in total rejection of their own culture. Now the men of Gibeah are thronging at the door, demanding that the young Levite be given to them so that they can rape him. Instead of a stranger needing shelter and protection, all these men can see is fresh meat for their lusts! The old man from Ephraim feels so strongly about protecting the young Levite that he offers his own virgin daughter as well as the Levite’s concubine for these men to rape instead. When the men refuse to listen, the Levite thrusts his concubine out the door, abandoning her to be raped all night until she dies at the doorstep of the house where the Levite is safely ensconced.

This story teaches on many different levels. One constant theme is the duty of right – thinking men in those days to strangers. Travelers were to be welcomed, sheltered, fed, and cared for. Even today, this tradition holds true in many parts of the world. In Ghana, we have had friends who have given us their beds, fed us the best food they had and heated bath water for us – all as a matter of course because we were travelers whom they were welcoming into their homes.

What has happened to the men of Gibeah that they have become obsessed with homosexual liaisons? The only possible answer is that these men have completely forgotten the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Successive generations of parents have failed to teach their children the things of God and this depravity is the final result.

Women and girls reading this story might be outraged at the outcome for the poor concubine. Why didn’t the Levite let his concubine remain indoors where she would be safe, rather than abandoning her to the mob? This young man might be from the tribe of Levi; however, his actions are not those of a holy man who knows the ways of God. In the first place, the Levite could have married this girl; however, he had gotten away with making her a concubine, paying a far cheaper price and automatically giving this girl far less status than that of a wife. The girl’s father probably thought that having his daughter allied with the tribe of Levi would give his whole family a boost in status, not realizing that he was giving his daughter to a man who would sacrifice her to save his own skin. But even had this girl been a wife, the reality was that women counted for far less than men on the social scale. (One other minor detail: there is no record to indicate that the Levite was sorry for having so poorly planned their travels that they wound up in Gibeah in the first place.)

The Levite returned home where he would be safe and then cut the girl into pieces, sending each piece throughout Israel. This terrible action was to wake up the rest of Israel to the moral mess into which Gibeah of the tribe of Benjamin had sunk.

APPLICATION; We read this story and feel morally superior. After all, WE would NEVER consider such horrible things…. Oh? How many of us or our children are addicted to violent video games such as Grand Theft Auto? Several years ago, in a small town in Georgia, a teenager who had been repeatedly playing that video game murdered a local police officer who had previously befriended him. The only explanation that could be found was that this young man had practiced murder and mayhem in a video game to the point that he was acting out the things he had been practicing.

St. Paul warned the Philippians, “ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things..”(NIV)

People training to become airline pilots spend long hours in flight simulators, practicing maneuvers until they can perform flawlessly and automatically. This practice is necessary so that in an emergency, pilots will be able to save their planes and the lives of all traveling with them.

What kind of things do you find entertaining? How about your kids? What videos are they watching online? What kind of online gaming are they involved in? The general trend with games has been to become more violent and increasingly perverted. You become what you watch and what occupies your mind. The process happens gradually. We should be striving to become more noble and more loving, not more depraved.

PRAYER: Father God, help all of us to check those things that entertain us and to turn away from anything that does not please You. Help us to know You and to love You more each day than we did the day before. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.