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: Tuesday, April 06, 2021
Chapters: Judges 19-21
Message: Repent And Forgive
Hello My Friend,
I’m not going to lie to you, these last three chapters in Judges are not my favorite, I believe they are the saddest of the entire Bible. On top of that I just finished my studies on the Revolutionary War, so many people lost their lives so that we can be a country that is free to choose how to live and to worship God freely as they see fit. America’s youth today have no idea who God is, let alone Jesus, they are doing what is right in their own eyes and turning into a godless society that has no respect for the freedoms they possess. We hear how badly American’s are being oppressed as our governments rush to aid those who are crossing over our borders illegally, but what exactly have Americans done for their country? Sometimes the strangers are the ones who are most grateful for what they are receiving and who we need to take a lesson from. Today’s reading reminded me of when Jesus healed the ten lepers, only one, the stranger, returned to thank Him, [Luke 17:18-19 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.]
I will tell you what, this past year I have truly come to realize something very valuable, make sure whomever you choose your spouse, make sure they have likeminded faith. We think that we have the power to get people to see God the way we see Him, but the truth is, we have no more power than God does. We need to be willing from the very beginning to give our heart to God before God will change our heart. The crazy thing is, unless they are reprobates, God never gives up on anyone, His mercies are upon them just as much as He is upon us. As we close the Book of Judges, we come to the sad story of what happens when we do what is right in our own eyes instead of letting God be our guide. A Levite had a concubine, this is a woman who he was not married to through ceremony, rather common law. The woman left him and went back home to her father, four months later he came to get her, introducing them to adultery, homosexuality, rape, and murder.
[Judges 19:1-3,8-10 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. 8 And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel’s father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them. 9 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.]
[But the man would not tarry that night,] Why her father wanted to keep them detained for so long is a mystery, but he should not have left so late in the day as it would be nightfall before they got into familiar territory. Nevertheless, as they traveled and it grew darker, they found themselves in Jebus, which at that time was where the Jebusites lived. When the Levite’s servant suggested they camp out there, the man refused as he did not feel comfortable in a town where there were no Jews. They ended up in Gibeah, a town of the Benjamites, and was sadly much like Sodom.
[Judges 19:11-12,14,16,20-21 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. 14 And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin. 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.]
[which was also of mount Ephraim;] The old man was not a Benjamite either, he lived and worked Gibeah, and knew very well how dangerous it got in the night as the Benjamites began drinking. The old man knew what the men of the town were capable of and did not want to expose the man to them, but he did not make the wisest decision either as he was willing to let them defile his own daughter, but they only took the man’s concubine.
[Judges 19:22,24–26-28-30 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. 24 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. 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.]
[Bring forth the man that came into thine house,] These men were sodomites, and would have abused the man just as they abused her. This woman may have not been God’s choice for the man, but she did not deserve to lose her life the way she did. And the man should have listened to his servant and lodged in Jebus. This is why we cannot always trust those who say they are a Christian, sometimes their lifestyles are worse than those in the world and our being exposed to it would bring suffering to us, [I John 4:1,3-4,6 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.]
Never underestimate the power of God in the hands of His anointed, He will not tolerate those who hurt or subject them to such evil. Now, God was well aware of what the Benjamites were doing, but all the tribes were living in some kind of sin, He was about to turn this mess into a message by getting all the tribes to turn to Him. Now, a meeting was held by the tribes to decide what needed to be done about the men who brought all this evil. The decision, the ones who did this must die, but the Benjamites refused to turn them in and a civil war began, resulting in Judah loses twenty-two thousand men.
[Judges 20:11-14,18-22 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man. 12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you? 13 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. 19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah. 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.]
[and asked counsel of God,] So, why did God allow so many lives to be lost? Well, the answer is in the Scripture. Once again they ask God if they can go up against the Benjamites, and lost eighteen thousand men. Then as the quote goes, “The third time is the charm.” Once again, they go to God, this time the entire congregation stood before the Tabernacle, brought offerings, prayed and fasted.
[Judges 20:26,28,31,33,35 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. 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. 33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah. 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.]
[and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings] 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 we Christians need to be doing right now as the wicked are taking over this country, []
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, but there are two things we need to remember, God never leaves nor forsakes one soul who puts their faith and trust in His Son. And God gets the vengeance on those who hurt His people. God did deliver Israel, and literally destroyed, all but four hundred Benjamite men, who had nothing at all to say to God. After the war came peace, but there was still a problem, the four hundred men left of Benjamin, and the tribes vowed to not to give their daughters to these men, they asked God what they needed to do.
[Judges 21:1-6,12,15 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. 5 And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death. 6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day. 12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. 15 And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.]
[And the people 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. 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, that may not be sinful, rather out of God’s will. And we may even offend someone ourselves, and that is where repentance and forgiveness go hand in hand. First, we are to repent, and then we are to forgive as we have been forgiven, [Luke 17:3-4 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.]
Jesus Christ 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 Yours, I know the importance of seeking You for help. There have been times when I have made decisions out of ignorance or even lust, and was chastened until I repented. Then there are times when I suffer because I was around others whom have sinned. While I do not always understand the affliction I face, I do understand that every thing I go through will have a blessing behind it. As long as I seek You with a pure heart, and listen to Your decision, I know that something good will come out of it. Lord, Lead me and guide me in this life that You have given me, by faith and obedience to Your Word, keep my eyes on You so that I am prepared to handle the affliction that comes. Let me not do what is right in my own eyes, but Yours. Keep me humble, always coming to You in prayer and fasting. Show me the way to endure all the suffering I face so that others will see Your Son. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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