Judges 20:8-48 — Israel suffers massive defeats punishing one of her own, routs that could have been avoided had they humbled themselves as Joshua did

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The tribes of Israel recognized the evil done by some in Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin (Judges 19). Yet the disaster that came upon the avenging armies twice didn’t convince all of Israel that a greater evil — a pagan priesthood — was allowed to remain. How do we respond to bad things that happen to good people?

Food for thought from the discussion

When did Judges 19-20 occur in the history of Israel? How do we know this occurred early in Israel’s history in the land? Which judge was in power at the time? Why isn’t the judge mentioned by name? When did they consult God? What kind of consultation was that? How is this story connected to the establishment of the city of Dan and the grandson of Moses?

Was God happy with the situation recorded in Judges 20:8-48? Was there a trial of the guilty parties from Gibeah, as the Torah requires for those worthy of capital punishment? Where was the trial conducted? Was it performed in the town where God had established a trial? Were the high priest, the judge or God Himself consulted early in this story?

Judges 20:12-13 — The Benjaminites were asked to turn over the Gibeahites and only the wrongdoers of the town, not all of them. Why did the Benjamites refuse to comply?

Judges 20:18 — Now the tribes of Israel consult God. Where did they consult Him? Why is “Bethel” mentioned, when the tabernacle of God was in Shiloh at this time? What do they ask Him and why? Why does God say, “Judah is first”? What does “right hand first” mean? Why didn’t God tell them where they were going wrong?

What happened in Joshua 7 with the town of Ai and the sin of Achan? How does that help us understand this story? How does the lesson of these accounts help us understand James 1:2-8?

Judges 3:5-8 tells us how Othniel rose up as a judge of Israel? The events of Judges 19-20 may have preceded the conquest of Israel by the king of Aram. How many battles took place before the tribes of Israel finally consulted God? (Judges 20:26) How many Benjaminite men remain? To where did they flee?

There are about 1,100 Benjamite fighting men missing from those originally mustered, those killed and those who retreated? Who and where are they?

Reader: Jeff. Speaker: Daniel Agee.