The End of Chaos

· The second conclusion of Judges. Corresponds to Israel’s initial failure to drive out the people of the land.

o Failure to maintain the integrity of Israel’s territory will ultimately harm the integrity of Israel’s national identity.

o All this is wrapped up in Israel’s failure to maintain the integrity of its covenant with God.

· Israel in miniature.

o The Levite and the Concubine demonstrate the current condition of Israel.

§ Spiritually and morally lost.

· Building of suspense and tension in the reader; a sense of urgency and inaction.

· The irony builds as the Levite intentionally avoids staying in Jebus because they are foreigners.

o He would rather stay with his own people.

· Perhaps he would have been better off in Jebus.

· When the Levite finally finds lodging, it is from another person who is not from Gibeah.

o Perhaps he wished to take them to his house because he knew that it was not wise for them to shelter in the middle of town.

· The Benjaminite men of Gibeah prove to be “worthless men.”

· Deuteronomy 15:9 (ESV)

9 Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin.

· Deuteronomy 13:13 (ESV)

13 that certain worthless fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known,

· Proverbs 16:27 (ESV)

27 A worthless man plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.

·

This story bears a striking similarity to the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. And it is meant to…to show how far Israel has fallen. Complete moral corruption.

Gibeah is the new Sodom.

· Hosea 9:9 (ESV)

Hosea 9:9 ESV

9 They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah: he will remember their iniquity; he will punish their sins.

· We read this horrifying account, and it is deeply uncomfortable for the reader..

o There is no place where an upright person can find solid ground.

§ Every character is chaotic, twisted, and unpredictable.

· Chapter 19 demonstrates what happens when everyone departs from the lord.

o When the standard by which we judge our actions becomes, “It seems right to. me.”

The problem isn’t the sins of the people in this story, but of sin itself. The declaration of independence from God that was in mankind from the garden.

· Genesis 3:5–6 (ESV)

Genesis 3:5–6 ESV

5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

· The root of sin is doing what is right in your own eyes; being ruled by glands, feelings, and self.

o It constitutes rebellion against God, and it is our chief problem in the world.

· It can show itself in debauchery, like we see here in Judges 19, which are extreme and most have no difficulty in decrying as evil,

o We must be careful and examine ourselves, for rebellion can show in other ways as well.

· Rebellion against God can also show itself in apparent righteousness, like we see in the story of the rich young ruler.

· Mark 10:17–22 (ESV)

Mark 10:17–22 ESV

17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

o He lacked humility and excelled in performative self-righteousness.

If we profess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, it must result in the rule of God over our lives, starting at the level of our desires.

· Or else, we are really no better than the men of Gibeah.

o For we are still just doing what seems right to us.

· God doesn’t grant extra credit for outward purity.

· Romans 2:6–11 (ESV)

Romans 2:6–11 ESV

6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.

6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.

· What is good? Love the lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

o Love your neighbor as yourself.

· Deuteronomy 21:9 (ESV)

Deuteronomy 21:9 ESV

9 So you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord.

· Israel is as “one man”

· 400,000 men trained for war.

· The Levite’s account is notable for its self-centeredness.

o He casts himself, rather than his concubine, as the primary victim.

· An impressive level of unity.

o We have rarely seen such unity in the book of Judges.

· The reason for their unity is tragic, because it is unity in outrage against their wicked brothers.

America’s civil war is still the greatest loss of American life because all the deaths on both sides were American.

So, there is a tinge of tragedy against the greatness of what was accomplished: the preservation of the union and the liberation of the slaves.

· One is left asking, why couldn’t Israel have been this united against the people who were their external enemies?

· Benjamin’s unity is also tragic because they choose solidarity with the wicked men of Gibeah.

Blood is thicker than covenant.

· Benjamin musters for battle, including 700 men from Gibeah, who are specially trained slingers.

o Being left-handed, they threw stones from the left toward men who were trained to hold their shield in the left hand, leaving their right side vulnerable.

· The stage is set for one of the most tragic events in the history of Israel.

· The initial battle mirrors Judges 1.

o Judah is appointed to go up first.

§ Before, they were going up against the Canaanites.

§ Now they were setting out to destroy their brother.

· The first two days of battle are disasterous for Israel.

o They lose one-tenth of their number in two days. (40,000)

·

· The third day is reminiscent of their earlier battle against Ai in Joshua 8.

o A feigned retreat to draw the enemy out from a fortified position.

· The remaining men of Benjamin are bottled up at Rimmon Rock (600).

o All the rest of Benjamin is put to the sword and to fire.

· Their solidarity with the evil men of Gibeah has resulted in them coming under the same condemnation of the ban…utter destruction.

· One is right to ask, what is God doing in this chapter?

· First, we must understand that the chaos of this time does not mean that God is not present or at work.

o In fact, we see in verse 35:

· Judges 20:35 (ESV)

Judges 20:35 ESV

35 And the Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel, and the people of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day. All these were men who drew the sword.

35 And the Lorddefeated Benjamin before Israel, and the people of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day. All these were men who drew the sword.

o Benjamin’s defeat isn’t just a terrible military defeat.

§ It was orchestrated and carried through by God as an act of judgment.

· On Gibeah for their wickedness.

· On Benjamin for their deliberate association with Gibeah.

§ Israel was the instrument of God’s judgment.

· But why did He permit them to suffer the terrible defeats of days 1-2?

o This is the mystery of God’s discipline of His people.

§ Perhaps it was meant to show Israel the necessity of alignment with the lord and for repentance.

o What we see is that Israel is led to a place where they must endure sufferings and continue to pursue Him.

· What is not in question is that Israel is within the grace of God, despite their sufferings.

o Three times they inquire of the lordand three times he answers them.

o God has left them a means of grace, the Tabernacle at Bethel.

§ When they desire to pursue obedience before Him, He is always found.

· By contrast, Benjamin is cut off.

o Divine judgment is most clearly shown in their separation from the life of God and fellowship with Him.

· This is a warning for us.

o That such a thing won’t happen to us.

o That there will always be time to reckon with our sin later.

o Jesus warned us of this in Matthew 11 after warning of the coming judgment.

· Matthew 11:25–26 (ESV)

Matthew 11:25–26 ESV

25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.

o He warned us that the time of repentance is always now for those who are aware and convicted of their sinfulness.

· Mark 4:24–25 (ESV)

Mark 4:24–25 ESV

24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. 25 For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

o The risks of ignoring this are summarized by Paul in Romans 1; God gives us up:

· Romans 1:24 (ESV)

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,

· Romans 1:26 (ESV)

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;

· Romans 1:28 (ESV)

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

· On the other hand, the Christian who perseveres has great comfort from the Lord, even in the darkest trials.

· Hebrews 10:19–22 (ESV)

Hebrews 10:19–22 ESV

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

· The story of Judges 20 closes with Israel surrounding the last of the tribe of Benjamin, bent on utterly destroying them.

· Once the destruction and vengeance had run their course, cooler tempers prevailed.

o Wrath quickly turned to sorrow.

· All of Israel wept because their heads had cleared enough that they began to grieve the loss of a family member.

o Their overwhelming sadness is shown in their cries—the language of grief.

· Judges 21:3 (ESV)—a missing piece

3 And they said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that today there should be one tribe lacking in Israel?”

· Judges 21:6 (ESV)—an amputation

6 And the people of Israel had compassion for Benjamin their brother and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel this day.

· Judges 21:15 (ESV)—a hole

15 And the people had compassion on Benjamin because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

· Further, they realized that they had put themselves in a trap, because in their anger, they had all vowed to destroy Benjamin, to the point of denying any Benjaminite from marrying their daughters—a death sentence.

o To turn back would be to break an oath.

· Engaging in some strange logic, Israel comes up with a loophole to avoid their bind.

o The city of Jabesh-Gilead had refused to assemble.

· So, Israel conspired to execute justice on the traitorous village, but to leave the young women alive.

o These women belonged to a village that had not taken the oath, so they were not bound by the oath.

· Israel and the remnant of Benjamin make peace and the women taken from Jabesh-Gilead are given in marriage to them.

o Finally, the terror is over, and there is hope for the future.

· Yet, there are not enough wives for the remnant, and there remains a note of sorrow.

o Israel longs to be whole again.

· Still insisting on keeping their oath, the men of Israel come up with another solution, another loophole.

o The yearly feast at Shiloh.

· The solution was that if the Benjaminites stole their wives, it didn’t count as the Israelites giving them in marriage.

o Everyone was just going to look the other way.

· Israel may have been on the right side, but they are still just as morally and ethically flawed as Benjamin was.

· Thus, Benjamin is preserved at that time, and the war comes to an end.

· What are we to think of this chapter?

o It’s complicated.

o Israel is right in their reasons for taking action, but extreme in the way they pursue justice.

§ There is consistency and confusion together—chaos and ambiguity.

· Yet, what we see at work beyond it all is the lengths to which God’s grace will go to pursue and preserve His people.

o Sodom was utterly destroyed, yet a remnant of Benjamin remains.

· And the last verse is both judgmental and hopeful.

· Judges 21:25 (ESV)

Judges 21:25 ESV

25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

· God is not done with us because of our sin.

· Psalm 103:8–14 (ESV)

Psalm 103:8–14 ESV

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. 14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

8 The Lordis merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 13As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. 14For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

· The hope in this final statement is that Israel will someday have a king.

· Psalm 78:70–72 (ESV)

Psalm 78:70–72 ESV

70 He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; 71 from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance. 72 With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand.

· Israel endured because of God’s gracious intention to save a people for Himself.

· God’s grace is far more tenacious than His people’s depravity.

o He insists on holding us fast even in our sinfulness and inability.

· For beyond David’s day came an even greater Savior king.

· Acts 13:23 (ESV)

Acts 13:23 ESV

23 Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.

· The end of Judges is about as clear a representation of the gospel as you kind find in the Old Testament.

· Israel at the end of Judges shows us the kind of society we get when everyone is free from God.

· It proclaims to us the reality of sin; that we are enslaved to it in our desire to be free from God.

· John 8:34 (ESV)

John 8:34 ESV

34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

· Even the faithful can get her if we do not commit our way to the Lord each and every day.

o Submitting to His law as our rule of life.

§ To love and honor Him with everything we’ve got.

§ To love our neighbor and seek their good.

· The end of rebellion against God is chaos.

o But chaos doesn’t necessarily mean the absence of God, his grace is precent with us so that we can endure trials and suffering.

o It’s an opportunity to be refined by Him.

· The end of chaos isn’t bad if God is at work.

· Hebrews 12:5–11 (ESV)

Hebrews 12:5–11 ESV

5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

· But there is an end to chaos—our Lord Jesus Christ.

· In his coming, he inaugurated the end of sin and chaos by bringing peace.

o Freeing us from its power and freeing us to live for God again.

· Ephesians 2:14-18 (ESV)

Ephesians 2:14–18 ESV

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

· And we look forward to the day when he will come again and make a final end to sin and death.

· Revelation 21:1–4 (ESV)

Revelation 21:1–4 ESV

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

The End of Chaos

Introduction

Context

Total Corruption in Israel (Judges 19)

1-2: Beginning of the Story

3-9: Hospitality in Bethlehem

10-13: Bypassing Jebus

14-15: Callousness in Gibeah

16-21: A Compassionate Sojourner

The Resurrection of Sodom

22: Attack

23-24: Adjuration

25-26: Affront

27-28: Apathy

29-30: Appeal

The Terror of God’s Judgement

The Tragic Unity of Israel

1-2: Assembly

3-7: Report

8-11: Decision

The Intransigence of Benjamin

12-13: Refusal of Extradition

14-17: Preparation for Battle

Victories for Benjamin

18: Direction from Yahweh

19-22: Defeat in battle

23a: Weeping before Yahweh

23b: Direction from Yahweh

24-25: Defeat in battle

26: Weeping before Yahweh

27-28: Direction and assurance from Yahweh

Victory for Israel

29-36a: General Report

36b-48: Detailed Report

God’s Enduring Grace

1-7: Dilemma from oath

8-9: Possibility for solution

13-15: Imperfect peace.

16-18: Dilemma from oath

19: Possibility for a solution

Conclusion