The Humbling Work of God
It is no secret that Israel is a mess by the end of Judges. They have a civil war brewing in the wake of the events of Judges 19. The man whose concubine was killed shares edited details of the story to garner support for a retributive attack on the Benjaminites. Judges 20:4–5 (ESV) And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. 5 And the leaders of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house against me by night. They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine, and she is dead. Note the lack of informing them HE offered her to them so he could save his own skin. His statements betray the root problem of Israel - "pride." God is going to her bring low. The tribe of Benjamin, we find out is strong and skilled with slings. They are also fortified in the highland. As the battle commences, we see Israel slowly be humbled by God through a series o...