Latest / Bible in a Year with Jack Graham / Obliteration of Benjamin - The Book of Judges

Transcript

Obliteration of Benjamin - The Book of Judges · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother,
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: and said, This is one tribe cut off from Israel
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: this day. Judges 21.6 Today, Lord, I realize that through
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: the reading of Judges 20 and 21, I can now
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: see that sometimes you allow battles and fights in my
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: life to serve as realignment for my focus and as
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: recentering for my devotions. With this truth, as I go
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: into my battles, help me to realize that you are
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: my strength. Help me to realize that you've always been
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: my shield. And I ask that you forgive me for
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: relying on anything else other than your power and your
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: glory to bring me through the tough times. Like the
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: children of Israel banded together as one, I thank you
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: that you are assembling an army on my behalf, to
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: help right the wrongs of the enemy. I decree and
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: declare that even though the battle may seem lost, I
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: will double down, strengthen my resolve, and declare victory over
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: my enemies until I see the manifestation of your promised ending.
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: I stand in awe of your faithfulness towards me, because
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: even in my worst, You still pursue me with outstretched
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: arms and a glorious future for me. In Jesus' name, amen.
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with us today. Continue your time
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: with God by listening to today's Bible story, brought to
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: you by BibleInAYear.com.
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: Obliteration of Benjamin In our last story, we learned about
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: the downward spiral of Israel. Everybody did what was right
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: in their own eyes, paying no attention to God's law
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: or example. Some men from the tribe of Benjamin brutally
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: raped the concubine of Levite. As a message to the
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: people of Israel, the Levite tore his concubine into pieces
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: and spread her limbs to all the twelve tribes of Israel.
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: The message was received loud and clear. Now we see
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: the rest of Israel take note. They rise up against
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: the Benjamites and a civil war breaks the backbone of
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: God's people. Inspired by the book of Judges.
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: the Dallas, Texas area with today's episode. of the Bible
• 2:55
  Speaker 3: in a Year podcast. In yesterday's episode, we heard the
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: terrible story of Levite and his concubine, how his callous
• 3:03
  Speaker 3: sinful heart and careless ways led to the brutal rape
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: and ultimate death of his concubine. Seeking to gather people
• 3:10
  Speaker 3: across Israel to execute judgment on the perpetrators in Gibeah,
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: the Levite sent her body parts out across the land
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: to all 12 tribes. Today, We'll hear the story of
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: how the people responded to his call for action. And
• 3:26
  Speaker 3: we'll see how the retaliation against Benjamin led to a
• 3:29
  Speaker 3: civil war in Israel, who will now war within itself,
• 3:33
  Speaker 3: straying further and further away from God's plan for his people.
• 3:38
  Speaker 3: There will be no winners in this war, just a
• 3:41
  Speaker 3: broken nation that desperately needs salvation from their own sinful behavior.
• 3:46
  Speaker 3: Let's listen now to today's reading.
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: The limbs of the Levites' concubines swung in front of
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: all twelve tribes. They looked both disgusted and terrified at
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: the sight. The Levites' story of what happened that night
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: spread like weeds. Every chief listened as they were told
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: of the men of Benjamin raping and murdering the woman
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: in place of the Levite man. Upon hearing the news,
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: a strange resolve came upon each tribe. It was almost
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: as if they were realizing just how far Israel had
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: fallen from the will of God. All the people of
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: Israel assembled together as one nation. Four hundred thousand able-bodied
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: men with swords gathered at Mizpah to hear the Levites'
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: story and seek the counsel of God. The tribe of
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: Benjamin heard of their gathering, but decided to remain home.
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: The leaders brought the Levite out in the open to
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: share his story. There the Levites spoke of his travels
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: and how the men of Benjamin sought to rape him,
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: but instead brutalized his concubine and left her for dead.
• 4:55
  Speaker 2: All the people spoke as one man, saying, Benjamin shall
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: not go unpunished. We will take the men who have
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: done this and go up against them. So the eleven
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: tribes finally united as one nation to rise up against
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: the tribe of Benjamin. Together they made provisions and prepared
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: for war. They marched towards Gibeah and camped at its outskirts.
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: The next day the tribe sent men into the city
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: to speak with the leaders. They spoke together, saying, What
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: has possessed you as a tribe? Give up the men
• 5:29
  Speaker 2: who killed the woman so we can purge Israel of
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: this evil. The Benjamites refused. Corruption had made its way
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: into the innermost parts of their collective heart. They knew
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: no sense of nobility, no mercy, no remorse. All they
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: knew was that Israel wanted to take away the freedom
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: for them to commit evil. The disdain of Cain seeped
• 5:53
  Speaker 2: its way into their minds. They raised an army to
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: fight against their brothers. 26,000 Benjamites drew their swords and
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: stormed the valley of Gibeah. Among the men were 700
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: mighty Gibeonite warriors. Their swings were fast and their aim
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: was impeccable. They could sling a stone at a hare
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: and aim true. The people of Israel rose from camp
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: to Bethel. There they met with God as Abraham did
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: years before them. With Benjamin approaching fast, the Israelites inquired
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: of God, saying, Who shall lead the charge first against Benjamin?
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: This was the first time Israel had reached out to
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: the Lord in years. Their prayers were like rusted metal
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: left alone for years to collect dust. Yet God heard
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: their prayers like a sweet aroma. God did not delay
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: in responding to them. Send Judah first, God commanded. So
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: the tribe of Judah arose and descended towards the battlefield.
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: Tribe clashed with tribe, brothers clashed with brothers, and the
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: blood of Benjamin and Judah painted the grass below them.
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: The Benjamites overpowered Judah and struck them down with a
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: colossal force. Twenty-two thousand men fell that day. and the
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: tribe of Benjamin puffed its chest in victory. Yet courage
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: did not leave the people of Israel. They stood before
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: God again, determined to reinstate him as their commander and king.
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: They wept before God and asked if they should rise
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: up again against Benjamin. Go up again, God said boldly.
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: So again, they formed a battle line in the same field.
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: The Benjamites raged towards them like a pack of wild wolves.
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: Israel planted their feet firmly in the ground and raised
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: their shields. Benjamin leapt towards them with swords and spears.
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: Israel crumbled before them. Eighteen thousand men were torn limb
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: from limb under the brutal claws of Benjamin. Again the
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: people of Israel limped their way up the mountain towards Bethel.
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: There they fell before God and sacrificed to him. They fasted, prayed,
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: and wept. Defeat had snapped them out of their apathetic days.
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: On that mountain, the children of Israel communed with their Lord.
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: A sweet intimacy could be felt among them as they
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: raised their voices to their king. There they asked God again,
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: Shall we go up against Benjamin? The Lord spoke again,
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: this time promising them victory, saying, Go up against Benjamin,
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: and I shall give them into your hand. The men
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: of Israel sent thirty men to clear the roads surrounding Gibeah.
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: There they slew the men who kept guard over the roads.
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: Then they hid in waiting, ready to ambush Benjamin when
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: they crossed to the valley. At the end of the road,
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: ten thousand men waited for war. When the time came,
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: the armies of Benjamin marched up towards Israel on the roads.
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: There they were met with an Israelite onslaught. The battle
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: was bloodier and more terrifying than any battle they had
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: experienced before. Men tumbled in the dirt, strangling the life
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: out of their kinsmen. Swords flew through the air like spears,
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: and blood caked the dirt road. The Benjamites outnumbered the
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: Israelites two to one, yet they could not fathom why
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: they were losing. But the people of Israel knew. The
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: commander of heaven and earth had gone before them. The
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, rose his fist against
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: the tribe of Benjamin. The god that crushed the Egyptians
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: and parted the seas had returned to bring justice and
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: peace once again. The Israelite army gave some ground to
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: Benjamin to lure them into a false confidence. While this
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: was happening, the men waiting on the road rushed towards
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: the city of Gibeah to burn it to the ground.
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: Just as the Benjamites were gaining momentum, they turned to
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: see their city up in flames. Their spirits broke, and
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: they tucked their tails and ran into the wilderness. The
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: tribe of Benjamin spread across the land, splitting up to
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: escape Israel. Eighteen thousand Benjamites fell in the wilderness. Five
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: thousand were slashed on the highways. Two thousand of them
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: were captured and killed in the town of Guidom. A
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: total of 25,000 men bowed under the righteous sword of
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: the Almighty God. All of Benjamin was utterly destroyed under
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: sword and flame. There were no festivals of victory. There
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: were no feasts or music celebrating the warriors. No, there
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: was only sadness. A tribe of Israel had been obliterated
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: for their wickedness. In actuality, it was a wickedness they
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: themselves were not too far from committing. THE MEN AND
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: WOMEN OF ISRAEL WENT BACK TO BETHEL AND SAT THERE
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: UNTIL EVENING BEFORE GOD. THEY WEPT AND MOURNED THEIR FALLEN BROTHERS.
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: WHY HAS THIS HAPPENED? THEY ASKED GOD. TODAY THERE IS
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: A TRIBE MISSING IN ISRAEL. THE PEOPLE ROSE UP EARLY
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: THAT NEXT MORNING TO OFFER SACRIFICES TO GOD. YET THE
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: TRIBE OF BENJAMIN WAS NOT TOTALLY LOST. THERE STILL REMAINED
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: A FEW SURVIVORS FROM THE ARMIES OF BENJAMIN. God sought
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: to restore them and bring the tribe back into the
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: family of Israel. God spoke clearly, saying, There was one
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: family of Israel that did not fight alongside you. The
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: people of Jebesh Gilead abandoned Israel in their greatest hour
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: of need. Go up against them and slay them. Then
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: you shall give the virgin daughters of that family to
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: the survivors of Benjamin. So Israel enacted vengeance on Jebesh
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: Gilead for their betrayal and abandonment. Then 400 of the
• 11:47
  Speaker 2: young women in that tribe were married to the young
• 11:50
  Speaker 2: men of Benjamin. Together, the young men and women rebuilt
• 11:53
  Speaker 2: Gilead and restored the tribe of Benjamin. They had returned
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: to God when all hope seemed to be crumbling before them,
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: and God saved them once again. Yet the story of
• 12:05
  Speaker 2: disobedience and lawlessness does not end yet. The people of
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: Israel lived without a king to rule them or a
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: God to worship. They did what was right in their
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: own eyes and walked the line between good and evil.
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: Yet the Lord follows them, seeking to restore them to
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: himself and protect them from danger. For God made a
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: covenant with them, and although they broke their promises time
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: and time again, the Lord would never fail.
• 12:39
  Speaker 3: We begin today's reading as all the tribes of Israel
• 12:43
  Speaker 3: are coming together in response to the message sent by
• 12:45
  Speaker 3: the Levite, all except Benjamin. Even though they had strayed
• 12:49
  Speaker 3: far from God, the sight of the dismembered woman's body
• 12:52
  Speaker 3: part was too much for Israel to overlook. Something had
• 12:57
  Speaker 3: to be done. Justice had to be accomplished. The Levite
• 13:01
  Speaker 3: recounts to them the story of the horrors he was
• 13:03
  Speaker 3: met with in Gibeah and how the men of the
• 13:06
  Speaker 3: town brutalized his concubine and left her dead. Missing from
• 13:10
  Speaker 3: his description is his own culpability and how he had
• 13:15
  Speaker 3: sacrificed this woman for his own safety. The 11 tribes
• 13:20
  Speaker 3: resolved that the men who did this must be brought
• 13:22
  Speaker 3: to justice. But when they sent a delegation down to Gibeah,
• 13:26
  Speaker 3: the Benjaminites refused to hand them over. Rather than gather
• 13:30
  Speaker 3: up the guilty, they gathered up an army. This, of course,
• 13:34
  Speaker 3: gets very ugly. And so the people of Israel approached
• 13:37
  Speaker 3: God seeking his guidance. This was no small step. For
• 13:42
  Speaker 3: so long they had cared very little for what God
• 13:44
  Speaker 3: had to say, and this horrific act had turned them
• 13:47
  Speaker 3: back to him, hopefully. God told them to fight against Benjamin.
• 13:53
  Speaker 3: Judah was the first tribe to go up against them,
• 13:55
  Speaker 3: and they suffered a crushing defeat. The army of Benjamin
• 13:59
  Speaker 3: was strong and intent on winning. Evil, though it will
• 14:02
  Speaker 3: never win in the end, will sometimes prevail momentarily. Israel
• 14:07
  Speaker 3: was not deterred, and weeping, they went to God. He
• 14:10
  Speaker 3: told them to strike again. This time another 18,000 of
• 14:14
  Speaker 3: Israel's men fell to Benjamin. Now they not only wept,
• 14:19
  Speaker 3: but fasted and prayed to God and offered offerings to
• 14:22
  Speaker 3: the Lord. It was a closeness that God had not
• 14:25
  Speaker 3: experienced with his children in many years. God responds in
• 14:29
  Speaker 3: Judges 20, 28 with these words, Go up, for tomorrow
• 14:33
  Speaker 3: I will give them into your hand. emboldened, they fought again,
• 14:38
  Speaker 3: this time winning a fight that they should have lost.
• 14:41
  Speaker 3: It was not in their own strength they returned. It
• 14:43
  Speaker 3: was because of God's favor and protection and power. Now,
• 14:48
  Speaker 3: there are two very important lessons here. First, just because
• 14:51
  Speaker 3: God says go does not guarantee victory. Twice he told
• 14:56
  Speaker 3: them to fight, and yet they lost. Was God breaking
• 15:00
  Speaker 3: a promise, not making good on his word? Not at all.
• 15:03
  Speaker 3: He never promised victory, He only told them to go
• 15:06
  Speaker 3: and obey him. Secondly, when God does make a promise,
• 15:10
  Speaker 3: he will always deliver in his own way and in
• 15:13
  Speaker 3: his own time. Notice when God spoke to them a
• 15:16
  Speaker 3: third time, he told them to go and they would win.
• 15:20
  Speaker 3: And they did because God said so. The tribe of
• 15:25
  Speaker 3: Benjamin was all but wiped out, but God still had
• 15:28
  Speaker 3: a purpose for them, and he heard the cries of
• 15:30
  Speaker 3: their remnant. The men of Benjamin needed wives to marry,
• 15:33
  Speaker 3: so God delivered them to the town of Jabesh-Gilead, who
• 15:37
  Speaker 3: had failed to join Israel in their pursuit of justice
• 15:40
  Speaker 3: and fight against Benjamin. The men were slaughtered, and the
• 15:43
  Speaker 3: daughters were given in marriage to Benjamin. At the end
• 15:46
  Speaker 3: of the day, there are no real winners here. And
• 15:50
  Speaker 3: though justice was served and Israel returned for a moment
• 15:53
  Speaker 3: to God, their sinful and rebellious ways were far from over.
• 15:58
  Speaker 3: The cycle would begin again. Disobedience, discipline, disaster. But through
• 16:06
  Speaker 3: it all, God remained watchful as a concerned parent waiting
• 16:09
  Speaker 3: for the time to rescue his people. Dear God, thank
• 16:12
  Speaker 3: you for your word and the promise of your enduring
• 16:16
  Speaker 3: eternal faithfulness to Israel and to all your people. May
• 16:20
  Speaker 3: God help us always to obey you and boldly follow
• 16:23
  Speaker 3: you no matter what. Help us to trust in you
• 16:27
  Speaker 3: at all times no matter what happens. In Jesus' name, amen.
• 16:33
  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
• 16:36
  Speaker 3: I'm Jack Graham of Dallas, Texas, and you can download
• 16:39
  Speaker 3: the Pray.com app and make prayer the priority of your life.
• 16:44
  Speaker 3: It is our prayer that you would know Jesus Christ
• 16:47
  Speaker 3: in a personal way. Jesus and knowing him is the
• 16:51
  Speaker 3: key to understanding the Bible. Jesus is on every page
• 16:56
  Speaker 3: in the pathway of Scripture. So I pray that you
• 16:59
  Speaker 3: would know him and look to him for eternal life.
• 17:02
  Speaker 3: As we see all of these stories, some of them
• 17:04
  Speaker 3: very sordid, we realize just how desperately we all need
• 17:08
  Speaker 3: the Lord. So invite Christ into your life and receive
• 17:12
  Speaker 3: him as your Lord and Savior. I would also encourage
• 17:15
  Speaker 3: you to download the Pray.com app and let others know
• 17:19
  Speaker 3: about this podcast. And if you want more resources on
• 17:23
  Speaker 3: how to know God and experience his presence in your life,
• 17:27
  Speaker 3: be sure to visit jackgram.org. God bless you.
• 17:36
  Speaker 2: This episode is sponsored by MediShare, an innovative healthcare solution
• 17:41
  Speaker 2: for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.