Judges 21:23-24 – Wives for the Rest
Following the advice of their Israelite brethren, the men of Benjamin go to Shiloh and hide themselves in the vineyards at the time of a feast. When the young women of the town come out to dance in celebration the men of Benjamin rush them and carry off enough women to be the brides of the remaining 200 Benjaminites who do not have wives. Once again, hundreds of women are taken by force and married to the survivors of Benjamin. After nearly obliterating an entire tribe of their nation, forcing 400 women of Jabesh-Gilead into marriage, and encouraging the capture of the young women of Shiloh, the armies of Israel return to their homes.
Israel has sunk so low, morally and spiritually, that not only do they turn a blind eye to the injustice of forcing women into marriage against their and their families’ wills, they encourage and actively participate in such wrongdoing. What began as a demand for justice in the case of the Levite’s concubine ended with injustice on a broader scale and the near-destruction of one of the tribes of Israel.
At the same time, we see that God has sovereignly caused the Israelites’ faithlessness to return upon them. He has used these circumstances, including the foolish decisions and sinful desires and actions of the people of Israel, to bring about His good purpose of disciplining His people and calling them to repentance. Over the next few days, we will consider a few of the ways that the LORD has been pleased to use these events for His glory and our good.
Questions
- What are some things we see in Judges that show Israel’s deep spiritual and moral decline?
- For what purposes might God have allowed this civil war?
Prayer Points
- Thank God that He uses even our foolish decisions and sinful desires and actions for His good purposes.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.