Bible Studies
When Men Do What Is Right In Their Own Eyes (Judges 20-21)
Series: Studies in the Book of JudgesIntroduction:
1. The book of Judges is first about following the Lord. Second, it asks, “Who will lead us?” 2. And so, the book of Judges calls on men to follow the Lord and asks for leaders who will lead in the way of the Lord. 3. But the book illustrates how Israel forsook the Lord and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. They did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and forgot Him. The judges serve to illustrate the decline. The leaders in Israel became worse and worse until leadership evaporated and every man did what was right in his own eyes. 4. The writer of the book of Judges illustrates the level of their gross immorality with an event of unparalleled horror.a. A Levite had been traveling with his concubine.
b. Turning in for the night at Gibeah, a town of Israel, they had been attacked by the men of the city intent on homosexual rape.
c. In what seems to be an attempt to save his own life, his concubine is given to the rapists.
d. They ravish her all night, torturing her to death.
e. The Levite cut her body into 12 pieces and sent it throughout Israel.
f. In moral outrage they determined to do something. They assembled in Mizpah with blood on their breath.
5. Reading Judges 20:1-7.Discussion:
I. War is the result when moral outrage combines with doing what is right in one’s own eyes (20:1-17).A. You might be thinking, “Israel should have taken up arms in this case. She should have gone up against Benjamin to punish them against all the disgraceful acts that they had done.”
1. It seems this is the universal judgment of those assembled in Mizpah.
2. But what about God’s judgment in the matter?
3. Sometimes God does not think like we think.
4. But they did not seek God’s counsel.
B. Some today act without counsel from God.
1. They bomb abortion centers.
2. They attack back if attacked.
a. They do it on a national level.
b. They do it on a personal level.
3. I am not saying that we should not be morally outraged. I am not saying that we should not defend the lives of the innocent. I am saying that we have a responsibility to do what is right in God’s eyes and not just do what is right in our own eyes.
4. God is for justice, yes, but He is not for taking personal revenge (Rom. 12:14, 19ff). God does not intend for the innocent to be taken advantage of (Rom. 13:1ff) yet calls for us to turn the other cheek (Matt. 5:38ff). And no I am not a pacifist! But I am not an advocate of simply doing what is right in my own eyes either.
5. When we are morally outraged we may allow our emotions to overrun the will of God.
a. We feel justified.
b. Therefore assume our actions are “right.”
6. These are the ingredients of war—between nations, within a community (ex. church), between families (feuds), within a family (divorce).
D. Observe Israel’s “right” actions.
1. Investigated with the Levite what happened (3b-7). He told what happened from his perspective. Assumed no responsibility for giving the concubine to them.
a. They accept his outrage as their own.
b. “Shouldn’t they be outraged?” Outrage is appropriate!
c. But there is no consult with God. They have only consulted with the victim of a crime. And now they proceed to act in the way the victim demands.
d. How many times has someone come to you with an issue and you immediately sided with them?
2. Israel continues its investigation by going to the Benjaminites (12ff).
a. “Deliver up the worthless fellows in Gibeah.”
b. “We are not here to fight with everyone, just the guilty.”
c. The Benjaminites feel threatened and take a defensive posture. They did not consult with God.
1) Were they siding with the moral position of the rapists? Maybe, maybe not.
2) Sometimes people just feel threatened when you start mustering an army against them and so they act to defend themselves.
3) “Your kid hit my kid on the playground. Turn him over to me and I will handle it.” The Benjaminites refuse to extradite the worthless fellows.
4) Besides that the Benjaminites are not wimps. They have 26,000 swordsmen + those of Gibeah. Seven hundred were left-handed. Each one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. They were crack shots, snipers, if you please. They were significantly out-numbered (400,000 to 26,700, 15-1 ratio).
II. The war ensues (20:18ff).A. After Israel has determined to go to war she inquires of God as to who should go up first and God identifies Judah. God does not promise success.
B. The first day (19-23).
1. 22,000 lost in Israel.
2. Wept and inquired of the Lord.
3. “Go up again.” No promise of victory.
C. The second day (24-28).
1. 18,000 lost in Israel.
2. Wept, fasted, offered sacrifices, inquired of the Lord at Bethel where the ark of the covenant was.
3. “Go up. Tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”
D. The third day (29ff).
1. 30 men of Israel lost.
2. Began to withdraw and Benjamin thought they are being victorious like before.
3. And so they were drawn away from the city, but they were drawn into an ambush.
4. Gibeah was set on fire and 25,100 in Benjamin were destroyed. The text suggests that Israel pursued the Benjaminites relentlessly and why shouldn’t they? Israel has lost tens of thousands to the Benjaminites.
5. 600 from Benjamin fled to Rimmon.
III. Grief is the result when you do what is right in your own eyes.A. Israel grieved over the loss of Benjamin.
B. Now they are wondering how to fix the problem that they have created.
1. When you do what is right in your own eyes you dig yourself a hole and then need to fix it.
2. They have sworn not to give their daughters to the sons of Benjamin in marriage, but they do not want the tribe to be totally lost.
3. “What are we going to do now?” This is a frequent question of those who do not consult God’s will and operate on their own thinking.
a. Most times there is no good answer. In this instance God remained silent.
b. You should have done what God said to begin with and then you would not be in this fix.
C. Their solution is two-fold.
1. Destroy Jabesh-gilead and take 400 virgins from there (after having killed their families) and give them to Benjamin. Think about how they are treating these young women!!! Think of the grief they experienced. But there are not enough virgins to go around.
2. The other part of the plan involved allowing the other men of Benjamin to capture (kidnap) daughters from Shiloh at the annual feast there (21:19ff).
a. They would protect the men of Benjamin from the women’s fathers and brothers.
b. Observe how they are using their power.
c. Note their disrespect for these women and their families. Think of the grief they experienced.
D. What Israel has done is they have created a situation and have solved it by kidnapping girls and forcing them to be sex-slaves. Are they more righteous then the Benjaminites? The Benjaminites had raped the concubine and now they were authorizing the rape of these daughters of Shiloh. Are they doing what the Lord wants?
Conclusion:
1. These are the consequences of abandoning the Lord. 2. This is what happens when leadership does not direct in the way of God. 3. Everyone just does what is right in his own eyes. 4. The powerful crush the innocent and the innocent have no voice. 5. Would you rescue the innocent? Would you save the lost? Then you must lead them in the way of the Lord.
