When There is No King Pt. 3 - Judges 20-21

Judges: In Need of a King  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  46:00
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Here we are at the end of the book of Judges. There are two chapters left, and we are going to get through them today.
When we started with the conclusion to this book, we noted that it falls into two stories that are designed to encapsulate the depth to which Israel has fallen as a nation. Idolatry, brutality, immorality, rape, etc. all seem to be part of the nations MO. This is just who they are now. The Canaanization of the people is complete. They have embraced the way of life that is so far from God and his word and have chosen the things of the world, that the only thing they deserve is to be wiped off the face of the map like Sodom and Gomorrah were hundreds of years prior.
But God is a gracious God, holding fast to his covenant that he made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, even though the people have forsaken the Covenant keeping God.
Last week in particular we saw the lowest point in the book. A people doing what was right in their own eyes leads them to follow after the way of Samson, who sought after what was right in his eyes. That led to gang rape and murder.
This week we find the aftermath of that episode. The people rise together to take matters into their own hands. They finally seem to realize that all is not well. These things aren’t right. We have to make a course correction here. But as they go about doing that, they end up embracing solutions that further show their distance from their God.
So often not only are our own sins ugly and create a mess, but often our own solutions to the messes that we make only demonstrate our own lack of wisdom.
Let’s move into our text. Again, this is on the heels of the 12 tribes each receiving a piece of the Levite’s concubine in the mail.

Ugly Solutions: Holy War

Judges 20:1–7 ESV
1 Then all the people of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled as one man to the Lord at Mizpah. 2 And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 men on foot that drew the sword. 3 (Now the people of Benjamin heard that the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the people of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this evil happen?” 4 And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. 5 And the leaders of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house against me by night. They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine, and she is dead. 6 So I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed abomination and outrage in Israel. 7 Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, give your advice and counsel here.”
This is a remarkable turnout at this event. There is clearly outrage that such a thing has been done, and they are they are there to hear the story. The Levite explains what happens, though we noted the ambiguity in his words last week, and now they are ready for action.
Judges 20:8–11 ESV
8 And all the people arose as one man, saying, “None of us will go to his tent, and none of us will return to his house. 9 But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot, 10 and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the people, that when they come they may repay Gibeah of Benjamin for all the outrage that they have committed in Israel.” 11 So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man.
Notice the unity of the tribes. They arose as one man. They gathered united as one man. They have unity in their purpose, their course of action, their resolve. They are going to repay Gibeah for their crimes.
They are carefully planning their attack. They establish supply lines, anticipating that this won’t be a small skirmish, but an all out war.
As we come to this stage of the book, one wonders where these men have all been. They have failed to rise up with Samson against the Philistines, they were hesitant to join Gideon, Barak, and others. But here, now that the enemy is their own countrymen, they band together for war.
Notice also that they intend to cast lots to determine how they will move forward. Remember that as we will revisit that in a moment.
Judges 20:12–17 ESV
12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What evil is this that has taken place among you? 13 Now therefore give up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and purge evil from Israel.” But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel. 14 Then the people of Benjamin came together out of the cities to Gibeah to go out to battle against the people of Israel. 15 And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day 26,000 men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men. 16 Among all these were 700 chosen men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. 17 And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered 400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war.
The Benjaminites were given the opportunity to act in judgment over their own city, but not only did they decline that invitation, but they banded together to defend their city against the rest of Israel.
Judges 20:18–19 ESV
18 The people of Israel arose and went up to Bethel and inquired of God, “Who shall go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Judah shall go up first.” 19 Then the people of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah.
There are few points of interest here. This is the first time the people inquire of the Lord. They did not ask whether they should go up in war against their own brothers. They had already decided, we’re going. But they did ask who should go first.
Earlier the text also tells us that they planned to cast lot to determine who would go up first. Here it says that they inquired of the Lord. It seems that the people, and the narrator recognize that the lot is cast but every decision is from the Lord, as the book of Proverbs says.
So perhaps they cast their lot, Judah’s name came up first, so they conclude “The LORD said, Judah shall go up first”.
Later on we will read that there was a priest present. Perhaps he inquired of the Lord and got a word through other means. The text leaves a bit of ambiguity on that front.
What is even more interesting is that if the Lord did give a clear audible answer that Judah should go first is how that ended up turning out:
Judges 20:20–21 ESV
20 And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin, and the men of Israel drew up the battle line against them at Gibeah. 21 The people of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and destroyed on that day 22,000 men of the Israelites.
22,000 men die. Why? Didn’t the Lord say for Judah to go up? Why do they run into the meat grinder? The text begins to build tension and suspense as the story unfolds.
Judges 20:22–23 ESV
22 But the people, the men of Israel, took courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had formed it on the first day. 23 And the people of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until the evening. And they inquired of the Lord, “Shall we again draw near to fight against our brothers, the people of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go up against them.”
Now they ask what they should have asked at the start. should we go up? Through some means God instructs them, go ahead.
Judges 20:24–25 ESV
24 So the people of Israel came near against the people of Benjamin the second day. 25 And Benjamin went against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed 18,000 men of the people of Israel. All these were men who drew the sword.
We’re now up to 40,000 casualties, and not a single mention of a single casualty among the Benjaminites. What is happening? Why are they going out and failing so miserably when the LORD is the one who said to go out? Let’s read on.
Judges 20:26–28 ESV
26 Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept. They sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 27 And the people of Israel inquired of the Lord (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28 and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days), saying, “Shall we go out once more to battle against our brothers, the people of Benjamin, or shall we cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand.”
They come before the Lord devastated. They are weeping, they offer their sacrifices. They don’t understand why things are failing. They ask once again, this time, adding the alternative “shall we go....or shall we cease?”
They are told. Go. The rest of the chapter records the result of that battle. I’m going to read it in its entirety and then offer my comments.
Judges 20:29–48 ESV
29 So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. 30 And the people of Israel went up against the people of Benjamin on the third day and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. 31 And the people of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city. And as at other times they began to strike and kill some of the people in the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the open country, about thirty men of Israel. 32 And the people of Benjamin said, “They are routed before us, as at the first.” But the people of Israel said, “Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the highways.” 33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar, and the men of Israel who were in ambush rushed out of their place from Maareh-geba. 34 And there came against Gibeah 10,000 chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard, but the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was close upon them. 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. 36 So the people of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. The men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, because they trusted the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah. 37 Then the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush moved out and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. 38 Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in the main ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city 39 the men of Israel should turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel. They said, “Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.” 40 But when the signal began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven. 41 Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that disaster was close upon them. 42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel in the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them. And those who came out of the cities were destroying them in their midst. 43 Surrounding the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah as far as opposite Gibeah on the east. 44 Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of them men of valor. 45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. Five thousand men of them were cut down in the highways. And they were pursued hard to Gidom, and 2,000 men of them were struck down. 46 So all who fell that day of Benjamin were 25,000 men who drew the sword, all of them men of valor. 47 But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon and remained at the rock of Rimmon four months. 48 And the men of Israel turned back against the people of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, the city, men and beasts and all that they found. And all the towns that they found they set on fire.
The Holy War is complete. Benjamin is destroyed, all by 600 men.
All this, because Israel failed to do what they needed to back in chapter one.
The zeal they brought to the table against their own countrymen should have been directed toward the Canaanites back in chapter one. because it was not, the tribe of Benjamin became so thoroughly Canaanized that it seemed to them that the best option was to wage their holy war against them.
Is this the solution that was needed? Only because God’s word was rejected.
Israel was rotting from the inside out. There was a cancer in their land.
Treating cancer is never fun. For the sake of this illustration, let’s say that we’re talking about a preventable form of cancer develops in someone because of poor lifestyle choices. How is it treated?
Surgery, and often various forms of chemo or radiation therapy that are designed to kill the damaging cancer cells, but all of those things damage the whole body. It would have been better and easier to live a healthy lifestyle and to make healthy choices than it is to try to deal with the preventable cancer on the back end. When the cancer began, it wasn’t a massive issue that threatened a life, but when its ignore or undetected, it grows and spreads until the only options are the devastating options.
In many ways it seems as though that is what has happened in Israel. Rather than honor the Lord as King, they have forsaken him, and have allowed a cancer to grow and spread, and now it must be dealt with in gruesome ways.
I used cancer as an illustration. It many ways that illustration falls short. This was a solution of their own creation. Imagine someone has cancer, and surgery is the right solution, but they decide to operate on themselves. It’s going to create other issues. And how will those be solved?
Look at chapter 21 where we see more ugly solutions

Ugly Solutions: Stolen Wives

Judges 21:1–4 ESV
1 Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, “No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin.” 2 And the people came to Bethel and sat there till evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly. 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?” 4 And the next day the people rose early and built there an altar and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
As the people gather together they are despondent. This isn’t the usualy party that is experienced after a great military victory. They won....but they were defeated…because they were fighting their own brothers.
They cry out to the lord “why has this happened in Israel” How did we get to this point?? How has it come to this??
There is almost an accusatory tone to their words, perhaps a sentiment of “why did you let this happen?
A holy war…not against the wicked Canaanites, but against the wicked Benjaminites, who might as well have been Canaanites at this point.
but the people could not stand that a whole tribe should be eliminated, so they devised a plan.
Judges 21:5–7 ESV
5 And the people of Israel said, “Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to the Lord?” For they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.” 6 And the people of Israel had compassion for Benjamin their brother and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel this day. 7 What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them any of our daughters for wives?”
The people are in a predicament. They don’t want the tribe to be eliminated, but they took an oath that said they won’t intermarry with them. What are they to do? Ah Ha! Who is missing, who hasn’t taken the oath, and whom we took an oath to destroy?
Judges 21:8–12 ESV
8 And they said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah?” And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead, to the assembly. 9 For when the people were mustered, behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there. 10 So the congregation sent 12,000 of their bravest men there and commanded them, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword; also the women and the little ones. 11 This is what you shall do: every male and every woman that has lain with a male you shall devote to destruction.” 12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins who had not known a man by lying with him, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
The people of Jabesh-Gilead weren’t there to make an oath not to intermarry, AND since no one came the rest of the people were obligated to destroy them because they promised such a fate to anyone who wasn’t there....boom! loophole! We’ll just get all the virgins of marriage age and kill everyone else.
That’s their solution to this crisis. They think they found a loophole that allowed them to keep all their vows, and yet still provide a wives for the Benjaminites.
Except, if they really were considering this a holy war, according to Law, everything in Jabesh Gilead would have been under than ban, including the virgin women. They think they found a legal loophole, but they neglected that detail.
But this still wasn’t enough! There are 600 men who need wives, and they only got 400 from Jabesh!
Time to find more loopholes.
Judges 21:13–15 ESV
13 Then the whole congregation sent word to the people of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon and proclaimed peace to them. 14 And Benjamin returned at that time. And they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead, but they were not enough for them. 15 And the people had compassion on Benjamin because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
Judges 21:16–24 ESV
16 Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?” 17 And they said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel. 18 Yet we cannot give them wives from our daughters.” For the people of Israel had sworn, “Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin.” 19 So they said, “Behold, there is the yearly feast of the Lord at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.” 20 And they commanded the people of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in ambush in the vineyards 21 and watch. If the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards and snatch each man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. 22 And when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us, because we did not take for each man of them his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them, else you would now be guilty.’ ” 23 And the people of Benjamin did so and took their wives, according to their number, from the dancers whom they carried off. Then they went and returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the towns and lived in them. 24 And the people of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.
Once again, we find the people trying to find loopholes in their oaths. Someone noted about this that they are perhaps adhering to the letter of the law, but ignoring the spirit of it.
They find these young women participating in some religious festival, and they literally kidnap the girls and force them to be the wives of these men.
There is some seriously sad irony in these events.
Daniel Block wrote this commentating on this test:
It does not seem to matter to the elders of Israel that these same Benjamin have only recently defended their fellow tribesmen after they had gang-raped a young woman.... The rape of an individual has multiplied into the rape of four hundred victims of war and two hundred innocent merry maidens.
Friends, sin will lead us to places, and it will create messes, and we will think that we have the solution to het out of t he mess, but the truth is that if we continually neglect God and His word, and he reject his kingship over our lives, even when we eventually come to the realization that there is a problem, and that there is a serious cancer that needs to be addressed, if we fail to repent and turn to him, even our solutions are going to be egregious. The measures we will take to correct what is wrong will only lead to more heartache and more disaster.
And with that, the author closes the book with one final verse:
Judges 21:25 ESV
25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
None of this was right in the eyes of God. The people were a king unto themselves. And as a result, the whole society suffered greatly.
There is a way that seems right to a man, the end is the way of death. We must submit to Christ.
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