Leviticus 5:1-13 – Living a God-honouring life

Leviticus 5:1-13 is still dealing with the sin offering. These verses specified some attitudes and behaviors that a sin offering would be warranted. Firstly, verses 1-4 deal with what a witness to an offense must do. God expected every member of the community to be a responsible member. In the interest of justice and truth, anyone who was aware of a wrong committed was duty-bound to come forward and report the offense. Whether he had seen or heard about it, the witness had an obligation to make it known. God would not tolerate a passive, nonchalant attitude. Remember, the consequence of an individual’s sin could adversely affect the community. Hence a person who was aware of it was obliged to make known so that the sin could be dealt with. If he failed to do so, he would have committed an offense, and a sin offering had to be made. God wants communal responsibility.     

Secondly, other matters that required a sin offering include touching anything ceremonially unclean, from human to beast. Thirdly, like them, any false oath made by us is also offensive to God. The gravity of making a false declaration is a serious matter to God. He requires that we be accountable for the word we say and how we say it. He expects us to be truthful. Any falsehood must be dealt with and a sin offering must be made to restore one’s fellowship with God.

Knowing that the poor would not be able to afford an animal for the sin offering, God made provision for them in verses 7-10. They could bring two fowl - either two turtledoves or two pigeons. One would be offered as a sin offering and the other as a  burnt offering. Verses 11-13 tell us that for the very poor who could not even afford the fowl, they could bring “a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering.” Our God is very reasonable and compassionate.

As one who loves God, none of us should see the willingness of God to forgive to continue to live life nonchalantly. His graciousness towards us should propel us to be more circumspect concerning holy living. Sin is breaking trust with God and causes a breach in our fellowship with Him. It must be dealt with so that we can stay connected to God. John Piper has a list of interesting things that define sin. Here's is what he says: 

“Sin is the glory of God not honored. 

The holiness of God not reverenced.

The greatness of God not admired.

The power of God not praised. 

The truth of God not sought. 

The wisdom of God not esteemed. 

The beauty of God not treasured. 

The goodness of God not savored. 

The faithfulness of God not trusted. 

The commandments of God not obeyed. 

The justice of God not respected. 

The wrath of God not feared. 

The grace of God not cherished. 

The presence of God not prized. 

The person of God not loved. 

That is sin.”

Let us not take sin lightly so that we may honor God in our living!

Leviticus 4 – Sin is serious and must be seriously dealt with

Leviticus 4 contains instructions on making an offering for sin that a person had committed. This whole chapter talks about how sin committed ought to be dealt with. Verses 3-12 deal with the sin committed by the high priest; verses 13-21 deal with sin offering for the community; verses 22-26 deal with the sin committed by the leader; and verses 27-35, the sin committed by any individual of the community. God is no respecter of man, whether one is a religious leader, a governmental leader or just an ordinary member of community, sin is sin and had to be atoned for.  So, the God of the community would call everyone from the priest to the ordinary member of His community into accounting for the sin he or she had committed.

This offering would be better referred to as a purification offering rather than sin offering. Why? It’s because Leviticus 8:15 prescribes this offering to be made in consecrating a newly constructed altar. Then again in Leviticus 12:6-8. God required this offering be made after a woman's childbirth and in Leviticus 15:25-30, it was also to be made for women that had an issue of bleeding. Hence it seems more apt to refer to this sin offering as the purification offering. Having said that, we must not minimize sin. Any sin committed is offensive to the Lord and an offering would be made to restore one's fellowship with Him.

There are a few things for us to note: Firstly, a bull would be required for the sin committed by the high priest. Verses 4-12 elaborate on how the offering had to be made. “He shall bring the bull to the doorway of the tent of meeting before the Lord and he shall lay his hand on the head of the bull and slay the bull before the Lord. Then the anointed priest is to take some of the blood of the bull and bring it to the tent of meeting, and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil of the sanctuary. The priest shall also put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense which is before the Lord in the tent of meeting, and all the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of the burnt offering which is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. He shall remove from it all the fat of the bull of the sin offering: the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat which is on the entrails, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys (just as it is removed from the ox of the sacrifice of peace offerings), and the priest is to offer them up in smoke on the altar of burnt offering. But the hide of the bull and all its flesh with its head and its legs and its entrails and its refuse, that is, all the rest of the bull, he is to bring out to a clean place outside the camp where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire; where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned.”

Secondly, for the sin of the whole congregation when it was discovered, the same offering prescribed for the high priest and how it had to be offered must be offered. Thirdly for a leader whose sin had been discovered, his sin offering would be a male goat without defect and finally, for the sin of an ordinary member of the community, that person must offer a female goat or lamb, but without defect. The prescription of the animal and how it was to be offered commensurate with the rank and responsibility of the person who made the offering. This is congruous with the principle that to whom much is given, much is also required. A person called into service in the temple and a leader would have a greater accountability to God and the people, hence when they faltered, they would be more culpable than those not in their position.

The whole exercise of the sin offering reminds us that God views sin as a grievous matter. He is not only concerned for the sin of an individual but also that of the community regardless of whether the offender is a pastor, a leader or an ordinary member.  The effect of sin is not just limited to the offender, it will affect and impact the whole community. It behooves us to be mindful that our wrongful act can affect others. Sin is a grievous matter that must be dealt with. Let us not trifle with sin and incur the wrath of God.

Leviticus 3:1-17 – Be at peace with God, self and fellowmen

In Leviticus 1, we have instruction concerning the burnt offering. And in Leviticus 2 the instruction is on how to present the grain or meal offering to God. When we come to Leviticus 3, we find instruction on how to offer peace offering to God.  What is the purpose of the peace offering? Leviticus 7:11-16, tell us that the peace offering can be given as a thanksgiving offering, a vow offering or merely as a freewill offering.

In this offering, the worshipper could bring an animal from his herd or flock. In other words, it could be anything from the cattle, a sheep, a lamb or a goat. There is no specification that the offering must be a male animal. It could be a female as well. But the animal must be without defect. This again tells us that we must offer to the Lord our best. Unlike the burnt offering, fowl could not be offered in the peace offering. Why? The peace offering would include a meal. A turtledove or a pigeon wouldn’t be adequate to feed the invited guests.

Again, this offering is first presented at the altar of sacrifice. The worshipper making the offering wold then lay his hand on the head before slaying the animal. The Aaronic priest would then sprinkle the blood on the altar. Then the fats covering the entrails, the fats covering the kidneys, as well as the fats on the loins, plus the lobe of the liver will be removed, burnt and offered to the Lord on the altar. This offering includes several parties: God, the priest, the person offering and his guests. There must first be peace with God before we can ever have peace with fellowmen. That’s the reason there will be a meal in the presence of the Lord. God in a sense would become the host. 

Here are some thoughts for us. There is a price to peace. It always comes with a cost. The peace offering always comes on top of the burnt offering. This tells us that any praise, prayer or thanksgiving we offer to God must be grounded on the atonement. No matter what service we render to God, it will be acceptable only because of the sacrifice Christ had made for us. The word peace is telling. It speaks of health, wholeness, and well-being. It also suggests the freedom from strife and antagonism. More and more we are discovering that wholeness and well-being is not just a matter of physical well-being. It includes the well-being of the spirit, the soul and the mind. The wholeness God wants us to have is not just about clinical wellness but also spiritual wellness. Our peace with God makes possible the peace we seek within oneself and with our fellowmen. Christ is our peace!

Leviticus 2:1-16 – Be dedicated to God

In Leviticus 1, God shows what a worshipper must do when he wants to draw near to worship Him. He must begin with the burnt offering. In this offering, the whole animal, except for the skin and entrails or guts, would be burnt on the altar.  It represents the yielding of one’s whole life to the LORD. And we all must begin that way in our relationship with God. We begin by surrendering and consecrating our lives to Him. Leviticus 2 then introduces us to the second of five offerings. It’s called the grain offering. In the King James version, this offering is referred to as the meal offering. Another translation called it the cereal offering. In the New American Standard Bible, this offering is referred to as the grain offering.

More important than what this offering is called, it is what it symbolizes. The grain offering speaks of the dedication of one’s life, especially one’s labor. As a worshipper brings a portion of his grain as an offering, that portion would represent all the grain was offered to God. It was to be given as a memorial. Why a memorial? It was a feast to recall the blessings God had poured out on the worshipper’s life. And we all need such a feast to constantly remind us of our blessed relationship with God. Our partaking of the monthly communion is a memorial feast to remind us of our blessed relationship with God through Christ. In the grain offering, one would also be signaling to God that he is wholly present before the Lord.

Notice also three types of grain offering are described here: in verses 1-3 the offering of uncooked gran; verses 4-13 the offering of cooked grains; and verses 14-16, the offering of the first fruit of one’s grain. If cooked grain was to be offered, there were also three ways it could be prepared. It could be baked in the oven, or baked using a baking pan for those who were not rich, the offering could be prepared with the frying pan. Again, like the burnt offering what is prescribed here is also for economic reason.  God only expects of us to offer according to what we can give.

Coming to the ingredients to be added to the grain offering, God wants it to be leaven free. Leaven speaks of corruption. It’s a reminder for us to offer to God a life free from the corruption of the world. Besides, the offering must be seasoned with salt. It is speaking of being faithful to God’s call to holy living. Here God reminded them to offer the first fruit of their grain. The first fruit speaks of an early harvest that often took place before the season of harvest. God wanted the offering to be made with incense, which speaks of joy. Giving to God must be a delight. God loves a cheerful giver.

How then are we to offer our life in dedication to Him? We give the best. We offer it with our being wholly present before Him. Don’t just be in the service but our minds are elsewhere. Be wholly conscious before the Lord. We also offer ourselves free of the leaven of the decaying influence of the world. We offer him a “salted” life, a life faithfully lived to model the holiness we are called into. And we give to Him as sweet incense, joyfully offered to a God who is worthy of our best.         

Leviticus 1:1-17 – Drawing near to God

Interestingly, the word Leviticus used for the title of the book was adopted from the Greek version of the Old Testament. In the original, its title meant “instruction to the priests.” This book is God’s instructions given through Moses. He was only able to receive the instructions from outside the Tent of meeting. For he could not go into the Tent because God’s glory had filled it. So, unlike the other times when he could speak to the LORD in close proximity, this time he could only stand outside the Tent of meeting to receive God’s instructions.

The phrase in verse 2, “When any man of you brings an offering to the LORD…” gives us the clue as to the reason for this book. This book prescribes for us the way we sinful and unholy people can draw near to our holy God, the LORD. He has made the provision so that sinful as men could be, they could have access to draw close to worship Him. Without a burnt offering, there was no way any one of them could approach the LORD.  Atonement had to be made before a sinful person could come near to God. The burnt offering God had prescribed here was the way anyone could have excess to commune with Him. Leviticus 1 described the burnt offering, one of the five types of offering prescribed by God.

The animal for the burnt offering could be a ram from the herd, or a sheep or a goat from the flock or any fowl such as a turtledove or a pigeon. But any of those animals brought for the burnt offering had to be perfect and without blemish. The animal to be offered, be it a ram, sheep or goat must be a male. Concerning a fowl to be offered, the gender was not mentioned. The reason God had given them a wide variety of animals or fowl to choose from was chiefly because of economic reason. It shows that He would not want to leave anyone out. Even a poor person could bring a fowl which was cheaper. A meaningful sacrifice to God must cost the worshipper something. Like King David, we must not offer anything to God that will cost us nothing. Take note that every part of the sacrifice was offered to God. This speaks of yielding totally to the Lord. It speaks of surrender and dedication. This is an important step in a believer’s life.

The burnt offering is a type of Christ being offered to God without any defect. As the animal to be offered was killed at the altar, Christ gave Himself at Calvary as an offering for us. The Cross is like the brazen altar where the sacrifice would be offered. The burnt offering is the sacrifice that opens the way to God. Our journey with God can only begin with Christ who has given Himself as our burnt offering. It is also a symbol of total yielding. In coming to God, we must first yield ourselves totally at the altar where Christ had given Himself for us. Let us, therefore, draw near to God through Christ to dedicate ourselves to Him. He is the only way we can have excess to God to offer our lives to Him in worship and service.

Leviticus 1:1 – Be ready to hear from God

Moses was God’s chosen leader for His people. He was one whom God had granted the privilege of going into His presence on many occasions. When God wanted to make Israel His chosen people and royal priesthood, He summoned Moses up to His presence on Mount Sinai. He wanted to communicate this plan of His to His people through him. Then when He wanted the Tabernacle to be built so that He could be with His people, He again beckoned him up to Mount Sinai. There He showed him the pattern and plan and instructed him to build it accordingly. What about the time Moses negotiated and pled for mercy for the people of Israel after they had incurred the wrath of God by building the golden calf? On all those occasions, Moses had the honor to commune with God close-up. But once the Lord had taken up residency in the Tent of meeting, Moses’ access to God’s presence was restricted. So, in Exodus 40:34-35 we are told that ^“Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”

Here in the opening verse of Leviticus 1, we see the continuation of that scene. Moses could not enter the Tent of meeting because God’s glory had filled it. His presence had filled the Tent. The closest Moses could come was outside the tent. God spoke to him from within the tent and gave him instructions on matters pertaining to worship. The thought we have here is about Moses posturing himself to hear from God. He was in a stance of readiness to receive God’s instruction. Do we always assume this disposition? Do we adopt an ever-ready attitude to listen to God? Are we like Moses, always milling around the presence of God so that we can hear His beckoning immediately? This first verse of Leviticus challenges us to be ever ready, whether in attitude or posture, to be ready to respond to God when He speaks. We must take the time and draw near to His presence if we want to hear from God. Like Mary of Bethany in John 12, let us make time to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to His heart.   

Introduction to our journey into the book of Leviticus

The People of God is a called-out community to offer worship to the one and only true God. This was precisely the reason Moses told Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go - so that they could go and worship God. Moses, we understand, was the author of the first five books of the Bible, collectively known as the Torah or the Law. Of the five books, we have already covered Genesis and Exodus. Today we prepare to begin our reflection into the book of Leviticus, the third book of the Law. This is probably one book many of us would rather skip because of the feasts, the offerings, and many things described in this book that make understanding it hard. People generally would shun what is difficult to decipher. Yet without denial, when it comes to worshipping the one true God, there are so many rich truths this book has to offer to us.   

Most of us think that Leviticus is a book that talks about the Levites, yet in it, we find only about three chapters or so dedicated to talking about the Levites. A closer look will tell us that it’s a book prescribing how the one true God ought to be worshiped and how the Levitical priesthood ought to do it. Remember the Israelites just came out of Egypt with much of the excess baggage. They saw how the Egyptians worshipped their deities. But now that they had been called to worship Jehovah alone, how should they do it? The worship of Jehovah God was to be central to their communal life, it should not be done haphazardly. Besides, the Israelites were dealing with a holy God and any flippancy, and what constitutes true worship must be defined and dealt with for Jehovah God to be rightly honored.   

The book of Leviticus began with the people of Israel at the foot of Mount Sinai. The Tabernacle had already been constructed and set up. The glory of God had filled this unique temple, built according to the pattern God specifically gave to Moses at Mount Sinai. Instructions must now be given to the Levitical priesthood and the people of God on how they ought to worship and serve this one true God. So, we find in this book instructions on things pertaining to worship. We will find teachings on the sacrifices, the feasts, the holy days including the year of Jubilee. One primary truth that will stand out is that God is holy, hence, the people of God must seek to be holy. Let us be prepared in heart and mind to hear what God will speak to us through this book. It may be a hard and arduous journey, but anything that will lead us to offer true worship to God aptly and appropriately should be given attention. We know that any truth that will lead us to know God and worship Him rightly will be worth our time and effort. So, let’s begin the journey!

Judges 21:15-25 – God must be given first place in our life

We can see that the Israelites still had some concern for the tribe of Benjamin. For they were still a family after all. Like all of the tribes, the people of Benjamin could trace their origin to Jacob. So despite their wrong, the Israelites did not want to see them extinct. So, they devise a way to over-write the pledge not to allow them to marry any of their women. So they punished the Israelites from Jabesh-gilead for their failure to turn up at Mizpah, destroyed that city and killed everyone, except for 400 virgins. They gave the virgins to be the wives of the Benjamites hiding at the Rock of Rimmon. But there was still a shortage of 200 women because there were a total of 600 surviving Benjamites.  So they devised another plan to find another 200 women for the Benjamites to prevent the tribe from going into extinction. Although this quest to get them another 200 women for the Benjamites was not as pugnacious, it was nonetheless equally inexplicable.

This was what they did. They had those 200 Benjamites who needed wives hid in the vineyard during an annual feast celebrated in Shiloh. These were to rush out and seize for themselves the women of Shiloh who could come out dancing during the celebration. Each was to grab for himself a wife from those dancing maidens.  It was truly sad to see the Israelites so prepared to denigrate a feast held to celebrate and commemorate the goodness of the Lord for a deceptive purpose. To think that these were people who had protected those rapists who abused the concubine of the Levite at Gibeah. How bizarre could the story get?

They were even prepared to deny any justice to the brothers or fathers who raised a complaint when their sisters or daughters were seized. The Benjamites executed this plan perfectly. Each unmarried Benjamite came out and grabbed one of those dancing maidens at the celebration in Shiloh. It was truly despicable and an uncivilized way to secure a wife but yet what was done was tolerated.  So in appallingly, all 600 of the remnant Benjamites each found a wife. Returning to occupy the town, they would then began to rebuild the tribe.  Having accomplished their purpose, the rest of the eleven tribes then dissolved and returned to their respective territories. The Book of Judges concluded sadly in verse 25 saying,  “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

The blatant violation of the virgins of Jabesh-gilead and the dancing maidens of Shiloh was horrifyingly despicable. Yet the people of Israel would condone such a thing. It tells us how low Israel, as a people of God, had sunk. While their attitude of wanting to preserve the tribe of Benjamin was admirable, the way they went about doing it was perverse to say the least. But how else could we expect from a people who had become self-centred and devoid of any reverent for God? Every act of seemingly honoring God was incidental and unintentional. It was conducted to achieve their end and satisfy their selfish desires. They had shown how disrespectful they were to a God who had shown them unrelenting mercy and grace. What lesson can we glean from their irreverence? We must be careful about doing anything that could bring dishonour to God. It must begin with our attitude. Matthew 6:33 is a good attitude to adopt. We must seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. And this we must do relying on the Holy Spirit to empower us. Let us do it for the glory of God.           

          

Judges 21:8-14 – Look before you leap

Feeling sorry that they could lose the whole tribe of Benjamin completely, the Israelites began to feel remorse. They regretted their action of making the pledge not to allow them to marry any of the women from the other tribes. They thought of a way to circumvent the path that they had made. They remembered that when they called for all of Israel to gather at Mizpah to deal with the Benjamites, there was a group of brethren visibly absent from the assembly. They were the men from Jabesh-gilead, for not a single one of them turned up for what considered as an urgent task.

In another rash decision, they sent a troop of 12.000 men to annihilate the whole city. They were told, in verses 10-11“Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones. This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every man and every woman who has lain with a man.” They were told to spare the virgins. So, when they came to punish the people of Jabesh-gilead, they found 400 virgins whom they spared. They did this because they wanted to erase the effect of one rash vow. In their scheme, they selected to implement another so that they could circumvent the one made rashly earlier.   

The 12,000 who went up to punish the people of Jabesh-gilead and brought the 400 virgins back to Shiloh where the Tabernacle was pitched. The united tribes then raised an olive branch to the 600 Benjamites hiding in the Rock of Rimmon. So those remnants of the Benjamites returned and married the virgins. However, there was a shortage and 200 of them who could not find a wife.

The people of Israel had shown that they were men who were given to impulse.  They had consistently shown how impetuous they could be. They would be better served had they taken time to reflect and think through before the act. The paradox of life is that while we are asked to strike while the iron is hot, we are also required to look before we leap. Let’s remember to strike while the iron is hot but with after thoughtful and careful deliberation. It is always more difficult to undo a wrong move taken. Hence, we must always keep in view the God-honoring objective we desire to accomplish. May the name of our God be glorified in every endeavor we undertake!   

Judges 21:1–7 – Be careful about making vows

The tribe of Benjamin was severely punished for protecting some worthless men who committed the atrocities at Gibeah. One would wonder how could thinking people become so illogical to prevent the guilty ones from being punished? This happens because they were blinded by pride. All they needed was to surrender those guilty ones and a national calamity could have been averted. But they didn’t. All because of pride. The rest of Israel was also just as guilty of playing into pride. Had they been more composed, they would not have rushed in to punish the Benjamites so mercilessly. Both sides had suffered losses and one tribe was now near extinction. Except for 600 of the Benjamites who fled and hid at the Rock of Rimmon, the rest of the Benjamites were annihilated.

Before the Israelites went to punish their brethren, the Benjamites, they made a rash vow never to allow their daughters to marry any Benjamite. But in the aftermath of the war, they realized that they had done a foolish thing. Now they were ensnared by their own words. If they carried out their oath, one of their fellow tribes would be extinct. Now they were scratching their head to devise a plan that could help them to circumvent their own oath. They were essentially looking at how to break the spirit of the law without breaking the letter of it.

Bemoaning the thought of losing a tribe due to the consequence of their stupidity, they gathered the next day before the Lord at Bethel. There they grieved before Him. They came before the Lord with offerings and sacrifices seeking to find a way to heal the breach in their nation. At least they still had some compassion. For they were concerned that one of their tribes would forever be wiped of their existence.

This incident brings to mind what the Lord Jesus said about letting our yes be yes and no, no. Anything more is like treading on thin ice. We put ourselves in needless consequence by making a thoughtless and rash vow. Haven’t we been ensnared like this before? Next time before we make a vow, think carefully what we are going to say. Take a piece of advice from Solomon in Ecclesiastes 5:1-3, “Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore, let your words be few.” Obey this sound advice! 

Judges 20:36-48 – Laern to count the cost

What started the conflict between the rest of the tribes of Israel and the Benjamites was what a group of worthless Benjamites did to the concubine of the Levite in Gibeah. The Benjamites did not want to surrender the worthless men from among them who raped and eventually left the concubine of the Levite to die. Of course, the Levite himself was not free of blame. He further stoked the fire of anger by dismembering his concubine’s dead body into twelve pieces and sent them throughout the territory of the Israelites. He did it to incite anger and provoke a war against the Benjamites. It was a personal vendetta. The Israelites on their part acted too hastily. They took side with the Levite and did not consider the consequence of the action which they were about to take. They proceeded hastily to take the Benjamites to task, and in two failed attempts they lost 40,000 men in two battles.    

The two defeats woke them up. So, they repented with weeping and fasting and earnestly seeking the Lord for direction. They even came to the Lord with burnt offerings and sacrifices. Seeing their contrition, the Lord responded and told them to go ahead and punish the Benjamites. With a new strategy and the Lord’s approval, they proceeded to deal with the Benjamites. One group of them first approached the city of Gibeah and made it look as if they were attacking the city. The complacent Benjamites thought they could just go out and destroy them just like what they did the previous two times. The Israelites then faked a retreat and lured the Benjamites away from the city to enable another group of Israelites who were hiding nearby, waiting in ambush, to burn down Gibeah. That was precisely what the second group did – set the city aflame.  

Then smoke that arose from the burning city was to be a signal for those Israelites who faked the retreat to stop faking and start to fight back. This was when the Benjamites saw the column of smoke that rose from Gibeah which was in flames. They were terrified and lost the will and spirit to fight. The Israelites who had set Gibeah on fire then came out and joined the larger group of Israelites and killed 18,000 of them. The rest of the Benjamites attempted to escape into the wilderness, 5000 of them were caught and 2,000 killed in the process. In total, in verse 35 we are told that 25,o00 of them were killed. Six hundred of the Benjamites hid in the Rock of Rimmon for four months. Then the Israelites returned to the city of Gibeah, killed everyone including all the cattle. So the whole city of Gibeah was totally annihilated. The Benjamites were punished and destroyed for their unwillingness to deal with the worthless men who committed the atrocity of raping the Levite’s concubine and left her to die. In life, all it takes is a few fellowmen to start a needless brawl. All this can be boiled down to pride and ego. If each party had taken the time to look at how the conflict was started, they would have dealt with it differently.

A lesson to take away is this: it is foolhardy for anyone to embark on a venture without considering the cost. Always count the cost to be sure that we have the capacity to finish an undertaking with success without incurring any losses. One should not get into a conflict or a venture without a worthwhile reason. The needless cost of suffering from the result of failure is one too many. It is also one too frequent when one does so without calculating the cost. So, learn to count the cost!     

Judges 20:29-35 – Only with God can we find victory

One important step to take before we embark on any venture is to seek the Lord and know His heart before one embarks on it. We must not just approach Him cursorily but earnestly. Coming to the Lord with a cavalier attitude is bordering on contempt. He is holy and deserves to be treated with the utmost seriousness. When we are serious with Him and earnestly seek His heart, He makes it His business to respond to us. According to Jeremiah 29:11-13, He already knows the plan He has for us. He has a plan of welfare and hope and future for those who are His. He wants us to have answered prayers. When we know that He answers prayers, it will be a great motivation to seek Him. And when we do that with our whole heart, we will find Him. This is His promise to us “You will find me if you search for me with your whole heart.” So when the Israelites woke up to the realization that they needed to seek the Lord earnestly, they did so. Then He answered them and said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.” He not only promised them success but gave them the specific time they ought to launch the attack.

By this time the Benjamites had grown in confidence. They must have thought that they could not lose for they had already beaten them twice. So they were carelessly emboldened and did not take care to rethink their plan. People are often like that. When we have been successful in previous times, we tend to take things for granted. That attitude spelled trouble for them. For the united Israelites had already wised up and they found a strategy to attack the Benjamites. The Israelites first set an ambush around the city of Gibeah to catch them by surprise. Then a group of them approached the city and frontally attacked the Benjamites and then faked a retreat. Thinking that they were running away, the Benjamites were lured into pursuing the fleeing Israelites. When they came to an open space, they found themselves attacked from three directions. And in a fierce battle, 25,100 of the Benjamites were demolished.  

The victory of the Israelites highlights for us the need for us to seek the Lord earnestly if we are to have a victorious venture. The defeat of the Benjamites shows us that we should not be over-confident just because we have had successes previously. We must always take the time to evaluate our strategy. If we have been successful, we need to hone our process and seek to do even better. If we have failed, we must find out where we have gone wrong and make the needful amendment and adjustment.  In our spiritual journey, we must seek to have an overcoming strategy in our combat against the devil, the world and the flesh. We must seek God and find our strength in Him. Together with Him, we shall move on from strength to strength and gain victory upon victory, and experience glory upon glory. Remember, these are only possible when we are on the Lord’s side. Be sure to stay with Him in life!    

Judges 20:26-28 – Seeking God’s strategy for life

Someone said that it is insanity to do the same old things and expect a different result. Perhaps, the Israelites had wised up after losing the first two battles. It’s sad to think that it had to take two tragedies to wake them up. But the heartening truth is they truly sought the Lord this time before they went about dealing with the Benjamites. It would be foolish if they did not take time to evaluate their mistake and make the necessary adjustment. So, they woke up from their failures and made an adjustment to the battle strategy. They fine-tuned the way they consulted the Lord. We can see the progression in the way they sought the Lord. Initially, they merely assumed and ask who should go up first in the battle. When they lost, they wept till evening before the Lord, then asked if they should go up against the sons of their brother Benjamin. Knowing how bent on punishing the Benjamites, even if the Lord should say no, they would still go ahead regardless.

In this third battle, before they launch into the fray, they had the decency to seek the Lord earnestly. They came weeping and fasting before the Lord. This could be an indication of their repentance. Then they added sacrifices and offerings. In addition, this third time around they also asked for specific direction. They did not presume that the Lord wanted them to go into battle. Their question to the Lord this time was, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?” They were not so bent on doing their own will this time. Then the Lord’s reply was “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.” They had the assurance of victory this time.

What we can learn from the Israelites’ third effort to deal with the Benjamites is their earnestness to seek the plan of the Lord. The first two times they were acting on impulse. They just wanted to show how mighty they were, thinking that their larger force could crush the Benjamites. We not only need God’s approval concerning any venture, but we also need His strategy. We learn not to take things for granted. If we are to live a victorious life, we must always seek the Lord, know His heart and adopt His strategy. Only then can victory be secured. The Bible exhorts us to “Seek the Lord while He may be found!” Let our response be, “Your face Lord do I seek.”!  

Judges 20:18-25 – Don’t act presumptuously

Determined to give the Benjamites in Gibeah a lesson, the Israelites from all the other tribes sought the Lord concerning which tribe should lead them in this campaign. The Lord indicated the tribe of Judah should take the lead. It is sad to think that one man could stir up civil war and hatred. However, led by Judah the Israelites went to confront the Benjaminites at Gibeah. In this round, the Benjamites were victorious in the fight. They came out of Gibeah and fell 22,000 of the Israelites. At the beginning of this chapter in verse 2, we are told that the combined men of the other tribes were about 400,000 fighting men. Of this group, they took out one-tenth, about 40,000, to handle the quartermaster duties. This would still leave them with a force of 360,000 men. Logically they should win the battle hands down. Yet the Benjamites’ manpower totalled only 26,000 was able to kill 22,000 of the 360,000 Israelites. Despite the initial loss, the Israelites recouped. After some weeping before the Lord, they were told to go up against the Benjamites again. In this second round, they lost again. Another 18,000 men were taken out. In total all the other tribes lost about 40,000 men in the two rounds of the battles.

What should puzzle us is why with such a large force they still lost twice to the Benjamites? Why were they not able to win despite the numeral advantage? Didn’t they inquire of the Lord? We are not explicitly told that they did. Why then did the Lord allow them to go through these two losses. The text did not provide any reason. So using our sanctified imagination, we can speculate a few reasons. Firstly, when they went to inquire of the Lord, they already wanted to go up against the brethren. The question should not have been who should lead us? But Lord should we go and fight our own brothers? Or Lord, is there a better way to deal with the situation? They just assumed and asked the Lord who should lead them into battle with their brethren. Secondly, they could have assumed that with a much bigger force, they would have no problem taking the Benjamites down. They were being too presumptuous. Numerical number alone does not equate advantage. Thirdly, they were probably unaware that among the Benjamites, there were 700 choice men who were left-handed. These could sling a stone with dead accuracy. In other words, they could get a person without getting close.

The lesson we glean from the first two lost battles of the Israelites is: We must not act presumptuously. Don’t assume that with a bigger number, we will have the advantage. Might is not necessary strength. Wisdom is far better than might. In dealing with wrong, we need to have a clear objective and not just bulldoze our way. Helping the offender see the wrong is more important than just bent on punishment. Don’t play God in dealing with wrongs. Be clear before any encounter.   

Judges 20:8-17 - Let wisdom and not aggression prevail

Moved by the dramatic and eloquent account of the Levite, those gathered at Mizpah decided to teach the Benjamites at Gibeah a lesson. They were moved by impulse and wanted to jump into action straight away. They assumed that the Levite’s account was trustworthy. In life, we should not act just because someone else has our ears first. In any conflict, we should act only after we clearly understand the situation. A thinking person would have asked what’s the need of cutting up the body of the concubine even if he was seeking justice? No doubt the atrocity did to her was indescribable but why mutilate her body further? Isn’t this to incite anger and cause an all-out war against the Benjamites? So, the Israelites that gathered pledged not to return to their home without launching a campaign to punish the Benjamites at Gibeah. They set aside a tenth of the 400,000 men to administer the ration and food for the fighting men while the rest marched on to Gibeah.

   

One thing we need to do when provoked is not to act in haste. By acting in haste, we needlessly put innocent people at risk. Psychologically speaking, between the moment one is provoked and the moment one takes action there is a short gap that a person can choose how he or she will respond. If a person pauses and takes the time to weigh the situation, needless troubles can be avoided. The Benjamites were particularly guilty of not doing this. The issue here is that not every one of them committed the rape, only some worthless fellows did it. All they needed was to surrender the guilty men and the matter could have been settled without much bloodshed. The Benjamites chose to shelter the guilty ones at the expense of a peaceful resolution. They even chose the side of wrong instead of right.  

Instead of dealing with the sin objectively, the Benjamites chose aggression. In so doing they had shared the guilt of those rapists. The people of Benjamin were prepared to go to war with the rest of their fellowmen from the other tribes. There are a few thoughts to consider. A peaceful resolution is always better than aggression. For this to happen, people must learn to look at the situation objectively. Only the guilty one should be dealt with. When we know someone is guilty, not exposing and dealing the wrong is condoning it. Condoning a wrong can harm the larger fellowship in the end when they had to be drawn into needless conflicts. We need wisdom to avoid unwarranted conflict. Let us be guided by wisdom and admit when wrong and then repent and change for the better. The Bible exhorts us to be at peace with all men. Let’s go for it!     

Judges 20:1-7 – Watch out for misplace priority

In Judges 19:29, we saw how the Levite when he reached home, dismembered the body of his dead concubine, which he had brought home, into twelve pieces. He then sent them into the territory of Israel. Judges 19:30 tells us that when all who saw the dismembered pieces of the Levite’s concubine said, “Nothing like this has ever happened or been seen from the day when the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day.” That was the response the Levite had hoped for. He was seeking justice for what he supposed to be the injustice done to him and his concubine by the Benjamites at Gibeah. Despite the personal errors he himself had committed he did not think that he had done anything wrong. Essentially, he was blindsided by his own self-centeredness. This is the thing that always blinds a person to his or her own wrongs in life. Self-centred people can see the speck of dust in other’s eyes but fail to see the log in their own. We must learn not to be blind-ended by our own blind spots. This can be dealt with through an honest appraisal of one’s own life. Changes can never be made when we have no self-awareness.      

Remember that these events took place shortly after they had entered the promised land. Though Joshua had died, there was still a strong sense of unity among the tribes of Israel at this point. The Israelites then organized an assembly. Judges 20:1 said that “…from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, came out, and the congregation assembled as one man to the Lord at Mizpah”. All the tribes except the Benjamites. By not turn up, the tribe of Benjamin had indicated that they were siding with their fellowmen at Gibeah. The leaders of the other tribes and 400,000 of their fighting men gathered there in consultation. The phrase, “…assembled as one man to the Lord,” suggests a spiritual overtone. But was this the case? Did they do it for the Lord? What did they do that suggested that they were doing it for the Lord?  It would be better if they had prayed corporately and sought a God-guided direction.

In this account, we saw how dramatically and eloquently the Levite had presented his case. He certainly knew how to arouse people’s emotion. He called what the Benjamites at Gibeah did, “a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.” He did not tell them his own wrong but instead misrepresented the story. He claimed that they wanted to kill him. And he failed to tell them that it was he who had pushed his concubine out to them to preserve himself. All that he wanted was to show how morally upright a person he was. Everything was so wrong up to now. This incidence of the Levite shows us how needful it is to be true to self. There is a need to build our moral fibre. His life was so wrong right from the start. In having a concubine, he already showed how unfocused he was toward his family. By not having the gall to stand up against the Benjamites he showed how cowardly a person he was. By throwing his concubine out, it showed his self-adsorption. These and much more if we want to pick on him. Suffice to say that his life tells us what can happen to us if we have misplaced priority. Let us love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. When we have this priority, we will seek His Kingdom first and His righteousness. All else will then be added unto us. This is Christ’s promise!    

Judges 19:27-30 – Act and live right and harvest right

Caring not for the safety of his concubine, the Levite left her to fend for her own life. Nowhere in this passage did he show any concern for what happened to her, not even the least bit. One wonders how he could have slept peacefully that night? How could his conscience remain so unperturbed? His couldn’t care less attitude could not have been developed overnight, could it? For him to reach this stage meant that his present lifestyle and attitude had been developed through a series of impropriety over time. The same can be said of the rowdy mob. It is impossible to believe that they just became so disorderly at the spur of the moment. What we see in the attitude of the Levite and the mob underscore for us the need to examine our lives more carefully. We need to pause periodically before the Lord for a time of introspection. Like David, we need to constantly pray Psalm 139:23-24:

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.                     

The Levite literary threw his concubine under the bus. He left her at the mercy of the unruly mob, who gang-raped her the whole night. They abused her unabashedly. This once supposedly godly community had become so shamefully unrecognizable. Here was hedonism personified. Everyone simply indulged and took debauchery to its height. Each man took his turn to satisfy his own lust. As daybreak neared, and they were finished with the concubine, she was also almost finished. Left to struggle home she finally collapsed at the doorstep. How did the Benjamites become so beastly? This could only be the result of a developed sinful lifestyle. They had stayed so disconnected with God and His word for so long that they were oblivious to the sinful development in their lives. Sin became so ingrained in each life so insidiously. The mindset became like that only because they did not take time to know the word of God. Their conscience had not been rightly and carefully cultivated with the Word of God.  

These words in Judges 19:27 that says “When her master arose in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way,” tells us that the Levite was not even the least bit concerned for his concubine. It was as if he had the intention to leave her behind in whatever state she had become. He only did something when he saw her cold and lifeless body lying at the doorstep and couldn’t respond to him. He calmly picked her up, saddled her on his donkey and left for the hill country of Ephraim. Verse 29 says, “When he entered his house, he took a knife and laid hold of his concubine and cut her in twelve pieces, limb by limb, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel.” He wouldn’t have done this to her if he had even a little compassion for her. Obviously, he did not love her. She was an object to satisfy his hurt ego. How sad!

The Levite had shown his cowardice. He was so self-centred that he cared only for his life and personal pride. What he did to his concubine was to incite the community to take pity on him and seek revenge on his behalf. Come to think of it, all these did not take place long after Joshua went off the scene. Sadly, these took place shortly after his death. All these were described to tell us the depth of the people’s depravity. The whole community was morally depraved. The concubine’s harlotry caused her to end up sexually abused. The Levite sacrificed his concubine to save himself. It caused the life of his concubine. His intended journey to seek reconciliation with her became a futile journey. He ended up with nothing. The law of reciprocity is true. We always reap what we sow. Check the seeds we are sowing if we don’t like the crop we are harvesting.      

Judges 19:22-26– The need to build a high moral compass

Settled into the house of that kind host, the Levite and the host were celebrating and having a meal. He must have reckoned that this would be a safer place than Jebus. Little did he suspect that he would encounter the worst danger in Gibeah. What he thought would be a peaceful night would soon turn out to be a nightmare. His pleasant experience was shattered when some worthless men, a bunch of homosexuals, came pounding at the door of the house. These worthless men demanded that the kind man surrender the Levite to them so that they could sodomise him. How deplorable! Trying to be a good host, the kind old man offered to them his own virgin daughter and pled with them not to do anything to his guest. How degrading! That is how low the moral of that time had sunk!

They were living in a male-dominated society, and women took a secondary position. That account for why he would protect the Levite, but disregarded his own virgin daughter. Gallantry would have demanded that he protects his daughter, but he failed to do so and thus, disqualified himself as a man of honour. Though he was a generous and hospital man, his moral was in question. Here is a special message to all fathers. God expects us to protect our daughters. They are His sacred trust to us. Woe be unto us if we fail to protect them from harm and ensure their safety and security. 

Continuing with the account, we see that the Levite sought to prevent the mob from getting any wilder, so he took his own concubine and thrust her to the mob. This is another degrading act. He considered his own life more precious than that of his concubine’s. The mob then raped his concubine and ravished her body all night. Finally, they left her to straggle to the house of the host. And when she reached the door her utterly abused body reached the final point. She could take it no longer, so she collapsed and breathed her final breath. 

The moral insensitivity of the Levite and the host was as terrible as the moral depravity of the Benjamites. All three parties, the Levite, the host and the Benjamites had warped minds. To prevent a homosexual rape, they allowed a heterosexual rape. How could a society that should have placed God at the centre of their community sink so badly? All these indicate to us how low an ebb was their spirituality and morality. What could be the cause? Clearly, it was because they had taken God for granted and did not take time to build their relationship with Him. And over time they drew farther apart from God. Had they taken the time to know God and His word, these atrocities could have been avoided. This incidence highlights how needful it is for us to stay true and faithful to God and His Word. When one’s relationship with God is not strongly developed, one’s moral compass will also take a beating. Here we see how needful it is for us to diligently build a strong bond with our God so that we will be able to act righteously through life.   

Judges 19:10-21 – The blessing of being hospitable

Turning down his father-in-law’s offer to delay setting out, the Levite set out for home with his concubine and a servant. After some distance, the day was almost over and the night was falling, the three were near Jebus. This was a Jebusite city that was later captured by David years later and renamed Jerusalem. The servant then suggested that they should lodge there for the night. But the Levite refused to do so as it was a city belonging to foreigners. He would rather that they pressed on to either Ramah or Gibeah. Mistakenly, he must have thought that they would be safer staying in a place inhabited by fellow Israelites. So, the trio headed for their intended destination.

When they arrived at Gibeah, it was nightfall and dark for the sun had set. They entered the city and sat in the public square. This was a time where the hotel industry was virtually unknown, so they could not find a place to check-in for the night. But in the law that God had given through Moses, fellow Israelites were expected to be hospitable. This concept of being hospitable grew out of their nomadic lifestyle and the tough desert living. The issue is not so much about good manner as it was a moral thing to do, to provide safety to travellers. It was a virtue to be honoured by the Israelites. Even travelling foreigners could count on the generosity of the Israelites. For God had prescribed this standard, telling them that they were once “…strangers in a strange land.” Yet when they came to Gibeah, no one was willing to put them up for the night.

Lo and behold, there was at least an old man who understood their plight. This man was also from the hill country of Ephraim and had been dwelling in Gibeah, occupied by the Benjaminites. When he saw the Levite, his concubine and his servant intending to spend the night in the public square, he knew how exposed to the danger they were. He offered them his home for the night. Though the Levite accepted the kind offer to stay in the old man’s house, he assured him that he had enough sustenance for his team. For he had enough straws and food for his donkeys and wine and bread for themselves. He did not want to presume on the old man’s generosity. The kind man, however, insisted that they accept his hospitality and his provision. The Levite then accepted the offer.  

There is a lesson on hospitality that we can learn from this incidence. As Christians, we cannot deny the uncomfortable feeling about welcoming a stranger. Yet the New Testament clearly instructs us to welcome strangers and to practice hospitality. To be honest, welcoming strangers and being hospitable can be uncomfortable. They don’t come naturally for many of us. But we will be surprised to realize that just like the two men on the Emmaus road, when the stranger drew near, they realized how their hearts were strangely warmed. As Jesus was to the two friends on Emmaus Road, the person whom we host may yet bring a word of comfort to us on Jesus’ behalf in a time of need.