Welcome to Judges study number 20. Lord willing, this is the next to the last study in the book of Judges. As we get into chapter 20 verses one through 48, we're down to the last two chapters that'll demonstrate the chaos that ensues in times of apostasy, not only in Israel as we're seeing in Judges, but this applies to any nation. Psalm 917 says, the wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God. And we see Israel going in the direction of hell. and only kept from total destruction by the mercy of God. And that was due to his everlasting covenant with Israel that he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and not really because of Israel, as far as the people themselves were concerned. And the same thing's true about Israel today, by the way. So in this chapter, we're going to see the tribe of Benjamin has gone full-blown sodomite, which we saw in chapter 19, and now they're going to suffer dire consequences as a result, with nearly the entire male population of Benjamin totally wiped out. Pretty amazing story. We'll get right into it with a word of prayer. And Father, we just ask you for your help. It's your book and only by your spirit can we truly come to a spiritual understanding as these things are spiritually discerned. Help us to be humble before you, teachable, and with a desire to be changed by your word and to help others when possible. For your glory, in the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen. So verse one says, then all the children of Israel went out and the congregation was gathered together as one man from Dan even to Beersheba with the land of Gilead unto the Lord in Mizpah. So this is after the Levite man's concubine had been raped to death. It's a horrible thought. But it's what happened, for example, on October 7th with Hamas attacking the Jews in Israel. After this happened, our accountant, Judge 19, the husband of this concubine, who herself was this whore who had been whoring around. It's just a terrible story all around, but he took her body and cut it into 12 pieces and sent it all around the other tribes. It resulted in a national outrage. We've seen this in my lifetime, numerous times, but as an adult I've seen it. You might remember the Rodney King riots of 1992 in Los Angeles. King, it was a bad thing that the cops were abusive and everything, but it was crazy how people got so invested in it and lost their minds. And then as recently as 2016, I saw people going at each other at their throats over an ape named, I think it was Harambee at the Cincinnati Zoo that was shot. It's the craziest thing. And, of course, the George Floyd BLM Antifa riots of 2020. Just madness. And, you know, Americans can live with the murder of millions of unborn children and not say a word, but an ape gets shot or, you know, a dude dies of a fentanyl overdose because a cop had a neck hold on him or something. There's riots and everything. It's just an excuse for the most part. People are crazy. But this national outrage we're seeing here in our text isn't anything like that nonsense because it's legit. It's from 11 other tribes that they have their own terrible moral and religious failures. And they're going to put forth their best, the seals and green berets and special forces of their day now to deal with what Benjamin has done, which is a terrible thing. that they've done to this concubine, but it's because it's not just her. This is culture issues. It's social issues. It's totally across the board. Israel's just become a bad place and the tribe of Benjamin is just utterly wicked. Verses two and three continue and say, and the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in assembly of the people of God. 400,000 footmen that drew sword. Huge crowd. Take four Ohio State football crowds of 100,000 about each game. Four of those. together to make this army. Verse 3 says, Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were going up to Mizpah. Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness? How did this happen? The tribe of Benjamin's being called out. And we're gonna hear eyewitness testimony from the husband of the deceased, verses four through seven. And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gebeah that belonged to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge. And the men of Gebeah rose against me and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me and my concubine, have they forced that she is dead. Verse six, and I took my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel. Verse seven, behold, ye are all children of Israel. Give here your advice and counsel. It's time for the whole nation of Israel, all the tribes to come together against this wickedness. And this moving testimony is a call to action. And verses eight through 10 continue. And all the people arose as one man saying, we will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house. Verse nine, but now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah. We will go up by lot against it. So they're gonna choose, force by casting lots. It's basically like putting your names in a hat kind of thing. Verse 10, and we will take 10 men of 100 throughout all the tribes of Israel and 100 of 1,000 and 1,000 out of 10,000 to fetch vital for the people that they may do when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel. So a tenth of the men would be sent for the food and vittles. We've explained how Alexander Scorby says victuals, as it's spelled, should be pronounced vittles. And they'll go after the food and the necessities so that this huge army, which would still have 390,000 people in it, I believe, is that the number? Well, no, 360,000 people. It's quite a task to feed and take care of an army, and then one this size. It's just amazing. That's why a lot of armies, they rape and pillage. Well, they don't have to rape, I should say, but they loot and pillage. It's what Sherman's army did. the march to the sea during the Civil War. But verse 11 continues, so all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man. This is 11 tribes united. Everyone in those tribes was supportive of the war effort, so it was like they were just one man. America has enjoyed mass support for Revolutionary War, and each side had that kind of unity in the Civil War. The war between the states. But we saw that kind of unity in World Wars I and II, not so much since then. But even then, it wasn't quite like this. They just came together with a shared purpose and commitment. But before shots are fired, an attempt is made to round up the guilty men and avoid mass conflict. And that's kind of the way it is with Israel in the October 7, 2023 war with Hamas. If Hamas would have given up the hostages and then turned over the people responsible for that, tens of thousands of lives could have been saved. But here we are in the past, seeing the future repeating the past, really, when we look at present day. events Verse 12 says in the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin saying what wickedness is this that is done among you? verse 13 now therefore Deliver us the men the children of Belial which are in Gibeah that we may put them to death and put away evil from Israel but the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel and so Benjamin's The tribe of Benjamin's true colors, their sodomite rainbow colors, shine through. And verse 14 says, but the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah to go out to battle against the children of Israel. Benjamin's men were wicked like the men of Sodom. Wicked as hell. This is the right way of putting it. And we're going to fight to protect these sodomite rapists, is the message Benjamin sends. They should have handed them over. But verse 15, and the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the city's 20 and 6,000 men that drew sword beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered 700 chosen men. Now, verse 16, among all this people were 700 chosen men left-handed. Everyone could sling stones at an air breath and not miss. I just have to say this, I've heard this in two, three churches I've been in over the years, I've heard people say, doesn't being left-handed have something to do with being a sodomite? That doesn't have anything to do with anything here. It's a statement of fact. It's telling you how the Benjamite armies are consisting of these people with these skills and so forth. The fact is, if you look closely, it'd actually be saying the opposite. Because of all the 26,000 men, 700 are said to be left-handed. So that would mean that almost all these sodomite benjamites were actually right-handed. Only a tiny fraction, 700, were left-handed. But the fact is, either association is illegitimate. That's not what this information says or means. Doesn't have anything to do with one or the other. It's not left-handed or right-handed. There's sodomites that are left and right-handed. There's straight people who are left and right-handed. So just drop that idea if you've been taught that. It's nonsense. And in verse 17 says, and the men of Israel beside Benjamin were numbered 400,000 men that drew sword. All these were men of war. So it's pretty lopsided, 400,000 against 26,000, but it's on. Verse 18, and the children of Israel arose and went up to the house of God and asked counsel of God and said, which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first. Now notice that they didn't ask whether or not they should go up. They didn't ask if the Lord would go with them. Lord just said, send Judah. So they did. It doesn't turn out well. Verses 19 through 21, and the children of Israel rose up in the morning and encamped against Gebeah. Verse 20, and the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah. Verse 21, and the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day 20 and 2,000 men. Now that didn't quite even the odds, but that's quite a slaughter. 22,000 to how many Benjamites died, it doesn't say. Almost looks like it might have been just 22,000 to zero. In verse 22, and the people, the men of Israel encouraged themselves and set their battle again in a ray in the place where they put themselves in a ray the first day. And the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until even and asked counsel of the Lord saying, shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin, my brother? And the Lord said, go up against him. So this time they ask, should we go? And the Lord says, go. But again, they don't ask if he'll be with them. They don't ask if they'll win. And they don't really, we'll see in a second here, they're not up to this point really approaching God properly with the humility and with the blood. I believe the key to this whole thing. I'll just mention this. Most commentators skip this. They don't even touch it. I'm not saying that to toot my horn. I'm just saying it's a strange thing. Verse 24 says, and the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day. Verse 25, and Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again. 18,000 men, all these drew the sword. 40,000 men in a couple of days gone from the other 11 tribes fighting against this wicked Sodomite nation, tribal nation of Israel called Benjamites. I just believe it is as it is. The Lord sent up Judah and let them get what they had coming. I really believe this. Then a contingent of the United Tribes of Israel went up and God let them have it again. Why? Because there was no repentance. They didn't approach God through the blood of sacrifice, but after having their hat handed to them twice, to put it nicely, they get back to the Bible. Verse 26, then all the children of Israel and all the people went up and came into the house of God and wept and sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until even and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. Verse 27, and the children of Israel inquired of the Lord for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days. Verse 28, and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days, saying, shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin, my brother, or shall I cease? Now, look at the difference, the response of the Lord here. It says, and the Lord said, go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into thine hand. They hadn't asked, they hadn't approached him with repentance and humility and with the blood of sacrifice, and even they should have heard his words. He didn't promise to give them victory in the two previous conversations they had with the Lord. If you approach Jesus Christ as Acts 20, 21, Paul describes repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, then you'll be saved. You'll have the victory. But people approach God on their own terms and think, I'm approaching God. At least I'm doing something. At least I believe in God. At least I'm going to church. I got baptized. I got my name on the church roll. I'm giving money to the church sometimes. None of that matters one bit if you haven't approached God with humility and repentance. acknowledging your sin and your need, having a repentant heart and mind, turning from your sin and false belief, whatever it was before, turning empty-handed toward God with faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. That means you are now trusting in what He did, His payment, His shed blood, His victory over death as He came out of that tomb after three days. You don't approach Jesus that way, you're not getting anywhere with Him. And you can sing, I'm proud to be an American. God bless America. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. There's all kinds of people in hell who sang gospel music, who went to church. That's the kind of thing you ought to be seeing when you see how men approaching God on their own terms, it always blows up in their faces. But this time they confessed their sin, and God was faithful and just to forgive them of their sins as they approached him by the blood of sacrifice with faith in God's word. So God says, okay, this time you'll whip them. Verse 29, and Israel set liars in wait round about Gebeah. Verse 30, and the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day and put themselves in array against Gebeah as at other times. In verse 31, and the children of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city. And they began to smite of the people and kill as at other times. So you still get a few in the highways of which one goeth up to the house of God and the other two Gabiah in the field, about 30 men of Israel. So compared to, you know, 40,000, 30. And these, we just assume these are guys that probably had it coming. God let them have it. But it's all a ruse as we saw back in Joshua chapter 8, the same sort of things going on here. Verse 32, and the children of Benjamin said, they are smitten down before us as at the first. Now they're getting cocky and arrogant, but the children of Israel said, let us flee and draw them from the city unto the highways. And verse 33, and all the men of Israel rose up out of their place and put themselves in a ray at Baal Tamar. And the liars and weight of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah. So it's a trap. Verse 34, and there came against Gibeah 10,000 chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore, but they knew not that evil was near them. Verse 35, and the Lord smote Benjamin before Israel, and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day, 20 and 5,100 men. All these drew the sword. So the Lord is with Israel in spite of Israel, actually, just as the Lord has been with America, not because our people are so wonderful and good and holy and such, but because there have been a remnant of believers, and we have as a nation supported Israel, and we have a remnant who stand against abortion, against Sodom. If all that ever changes, you can flush America down the toilet, certainly will change after the rapture. That's why I don't believe we see America in Bible prophecy. Verse 36, so the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten, for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites. because they trusted unto the liars and wait, which they had set beside Gebeah. So Israel conceded to Benjamin in order to draw them out and pull them into this trap. And they ended up just destroying Benjamin. Verse 37, and the liars and wait hasted and rushed upon Gebeah. And the liars and wait drew themselves along and smote all the city with the edge of the sword. Verse 38, now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liars and wait that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city. Very similar to Joshua 8 again. Verse 39, and when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about 30 persons for they said, surely they're smitten down before us as in the first battle. Verse 40, but when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven. And so this is kind of a retelling, explaining how it all happened that Benjamin got caught in this pincer move, as it's called. Verse, what'd I leave off? Verse 41, and when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed, for they saw that evil was come upon them. And so now the tide has turned, and verse 42, therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them. Later, it's the kind of thing called a pincer move. I remember G. Gordon Liddy on talk radio in the late 90s talking about how the military schools of America and other countries study the Bible and study Joshua 8 and Judges 20. And this is how, for example, Ulysses S. Grant knew in 1862 as he came from the north to join Farragut's amphibious operation from the south around Vicksburg, and the same thing took place there. We don't have time to get into other examples, but you'll find that in military history. Verse 43, thus they enclosed the Benjamites roundabout and chased them and trod them down with ease over against Gebeah toward the sun rising. Verse 44, and there fell of Benjamin 18,000 men. All these were men of valor. But that's just the beginning as the slaughter continued. Verse 45, and they turned and fled toward the wilderness under the rock of Ramon. And they gleaned of them in the highways 5,000 men and pursued hard after them unto Gidom. and slew 2,000 men of them. Verse 46, so that all which fell that day of Benjamin were 20 and 5,000 men that drew the sword. All these were men of valor. You may recall they started with 26,000 men. Verse 47, but 600 men turned and fled to the wilderness under the rock Ramon. and abode in the rock Ramon for months. And verse 48, and the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin and smote them with the edge of the sword as well the men of every city as the beast and all that came to hand. Also they set on fire all the cities that they came to. We're down to our last minute. But the bottom line is when all is said and done, there were only women and children remaining in Benjamin. One of the darkest days in the history of Israel. A tribe was almost totally wiped out. But if you're wondering how the tribe of Benjamin survived this horrible thing to the point that we still end up with King Saul of Benjamin and then later Saul of Damascus became the Apostle Paul. He was of the tribe of Benjamin. Saul will come about 1100 BC and Paul shows up 1400 years after this event. Well, you'll have to either read ahead, chapter 21, or join us next time as we'll go through verse by verse the final chapter of Judges.