King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Saturday, April 06, 2024
Chapters: Judges Chapters 19-21
Message: Mindless Direction
Hello My Friend,
Yesterday I left the house for work with my route planned out, but by the time I got to the third store I decided to take another route and “wing it” the rest of the day. Well, I nearly killed myself when I came to an intersection trying to remember which way I needed to go first. To be honest, it seemed like I was not the only one who felt lost and had no direction yesterday as people were all over the road. I kept telling myself how important it is to have some direction in our lives or all we end up doing is wasting precious time driving around in circles or endangering ourselves. This is why God gave us His Word, it is our map to guide us in the right direction.
[Acts 8:30-32,35 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.]
After Jesus ascended up into heaven He sent the Holy Spirit to direct those who are saved on how to direct those who are not. The Apostles were the first people to preach the Gospel and if it were not for the Apostles who were willing to sit with those who wanted to know the truth we would not have the New Testament today. Now, with that said, everything written in the New Testament is only a copy of what was written in the Old Testament, the only difference is the account of Jesus being here in the flesh. One cannot “wing it” when it comes to their salvation, they must know the right direction to God if they want to live, [John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.]
I am not going to lie, I did not want to read the chapters for today and procrastinated as long as I could to start reading and writing about it, then my husband so humbly reminded me that people need Jesus. As we come to the end of the reading of Judges, we learn of what happens when people have no Godly direction in their lives, or I should say an entire nation. A Levite had a concubine, this is a woman he was not legally married to, known as a common law wife so that they could keep within the Law of not committing fornication. The woman cheated on him and went back to live with her father, then four months later he went to get her.
[Judges 19:1-4 And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah. 2 And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months. 3 And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father’s house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him. 4 And his father in law, the damsel’s father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.]
[so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.] For some reason the man did not want the Levite and his daughter to leave, perhaps it was God who was attempting to keep them from leaving. Nevertheless, this went on for two more days, the Levite decided that he was no longer going to be detained and left with his servant and wife. Well, because he left so late in the day they only got half way before it was too dark to go any further.
[Judges 19:9-12 And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the damsel’s father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home. 10 But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him. 11 And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it. 12 And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.]
[that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.] The Levite did not want to stay in a town that was not inhibited of one of the tribes of Israel, thinking that it would be safer to find a place to stay the night. Well, it turns out that they probably would have been safer in the strange town as the people of Gibeah were not very hospitable, in fact, they were quite the opposite.
[Judges 19:15-16,20-22 And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging. 16 And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites. 20 And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street. 21 So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink. 22 Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.]
[certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about,] These were wicked men, sodomites, all under the influence of not only the alcohol spirits they were drinking, but the devil himself. The old man knew what the men of the town were capable of and did not want to expose the man to them, but what he did was terrible.
[Judges 19:24-26 Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing. 25 But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go. 26 Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her lord was, till it was light.]
[and abused her all the night until the morning:] I tear up whenever I read this, this woman may have not been God’s choice for the man, nor lived a Godly life, but she did not deserve to be handed over to these wicked men. The woman made it to the door of the house, but died there.
[Judges 19:27-30 And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold. 28 And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place. 29 And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel. 30 And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.]
[Up, and let us be going. But none answered.] I do not know what angers me more about this whole situation the fact that she was abused or the disregard of her life. This man went to all the trouble to bring her back when he was not even willing to fight for her in the first place. We can wonder why God does not intervene with things like this, but the honest truth is that He does attempt to reach them to avoid these situations all together, but since they will not follow His direction they end making things worse. One cannot expect God to improve a situation if they are not willing to follow His direction, [Isaiah 1:16-18 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.]
[There was no such deed done nor seen] I will say this, I remember the state I was in before I gave my life to Christ, the things I saw, the things I did and allowed in my life, it was nothing that I had ever seen before. My sin brought me down so low that I became a victim of someones wicked deeds not once, but twice in my life. I praise God for His mercies in that He looked pass my sin and loved me and protected me even when I was at my worst, [2 Corinthians 7:11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.]
The most amazing thing about God is that He will even take the bad and use it to his advantage. Now, as you imagine when the other tribes started getting these packages of a woman’s body parts they started questioning what was going on. God, would use this situation to both judge the Benjamites for their sin and bring the other tribes to
[Judges 20:1-2,7-10 Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh. 2 And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword. 7 Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel. 8 And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house. 9 But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it; 10 And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.]
[And all the people arose as one man,] For the first time in decades, the Israelites joined together to go after these wicked men. However, that was not going to be easy, in fact, the Benjamites refused to turn in the men. This actually started a civil war, but it also started something else, they started praying to God.
[Judges 20:13-14,18,20-21 Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel: 14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel. 18 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first. 20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah. 21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.]
[went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God,] Their plan was not really God’s plan, in fact, their plan was that the ones who did this must die, and each tribe will take turns going to Gibeah to fetch them out. They may have asked God who to send, but still followed their own direction. Why did God send them when He knew that so many would die? Actually, it took them losing another eighteen thousand more men, before they went to God the correct way.
[Judges 20:26-28,31 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. 27 And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand. 31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.]
[And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD,] Do you see what they did? They all humbled themselves before God, praying, fasting, seeking forgiveness of their sin, and reconciliation with Him. This is what all Christians need to be doing right now as the wicked are taking over this country, [James 4:5-6,8-10 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.]
Does God want to see so many people suffer and die in hell? No! That is a choice every individual has to make. Why do you think He sent Jesus? He does not want one soul in hell. God’s people may get afflicted, some may even die in their sin, but there are two things that we need to remember. One; God never leaves nor forsakes one soul who puts their faith and trust in His Son. And two; We are saved by the grace of God alone and nothing can never change that. While God nearly destroyed the Benjamites, He did save six hundred men.
[Judges 20:34-36,41,46-47 And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near them. 35 And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword. 36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah. 41 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them. 46 So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour. 47 But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.]
[for they saw that evil was come upon them.] It may seem like God is sitting on the sidelines, but that is far from what He is doing. At this point, those men knew that God was serious, but the sad thing was that only six hundred of them were willing to wave the white flag and surrender to Him. God, will not force anyone to follow His direction, but if we choose Him then we must if we want to live. All sin is actually wicked to God, but He truly is merciful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all our unrighteousness as long as we are sincere in our confession of our sin, [1 John 1:7-10 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.]
We are to never count anyone out, the Benjamites may have started this whole mess and defended the ones who were a part of it, but God did not count them all out. After the war, peace came to Israel once again, but there was still a problem, the four hundred men left of Benjamin, had no women and the other tribes vowed not to give their daughters to these men.
[Judges 21:1-4,6-7 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife. 2 And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore; 3 And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel? 4 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. 6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day. 7 How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?]
[that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?] God, will never leave one of His behind, He made a promise that every tribe would be saved from extinction, and He makes the same promise to every person who receives Christ as their Saviour. Actually, there are two tribes that will not be a part of the kingdom, and that is the tribe of Dan and Ephraim, due to the fact that they brought idol worship to Israel.
[Revelation 7:4-8 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. 5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. 6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. 7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. 8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.]
[And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin] This means that they turned their hearts away from their hatred of them and came together with God’s help to find a solution to keep their heritage from dying off.
[Judges 21:17-21 And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel. 18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin. 19 Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah. 20 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards; 21 And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.]
[There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin,] God, never leaves one of His behind, if we are saved, then we are all part of Christ. Yes, we are going to suffer affliction for sin, and tribulation for making wrong decisions, and we may even offend someone ourselves, but that is where repentance and forgiveness go hand in hand, [Luke 17:1-3 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! 2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.]
Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [Judges 20:27-28 And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.]
Today’s Prayer: God, As one of Your children I know that there are going to be times when we suffer not for our own sins, but from others who are sinning. While I do not always understand the affliction I face sometimes, I do understand that every thing I go through has a purpose and blessing behind it. Lord, help me get through the life that You have put me in by faith and obedience to Your Word, keep my eyes on You so that I am prepared to handle any affliction, and let me not do what is right in my own eyes, but Yours. Show me the way to endure all the suffering I face so that You can get the glory for giving me victory from all my battles. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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