Day 95: The Sin of Benjamin

Today's readings: Judges 19-21 and Psalm 148.

I. Judges 19 is an odd and disturbing story that shows how far Israel had fallen spiritually and morally during this period. It begins with a Levite having a dispute with his concubine, who leaves him to go to her father's house. After a bit, he goes after her to reconcile and is welcomed by the father, who delays his departure a few times (why, I don't know). Eventually, the Levite does leave, with his concubine. They stay in Gibeah, thinking that it would be safer than Jerusalem for the night. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't find anywhere to stay, and no one offered them hospitality (a big taboo in the Ancient World). An old man finally did and brought them to his house. In a scene reminiscent of Sodom in Genesis, some wicked men surrounded the house and demanded that the Levite be handed over so they could have their way with him. The old man refused, but then offered his own daughter and the concubine to them instead. The wicked men abuse them all night, and in the morning, the concubine falls dead at the doorway. This was bad enough, but now it gets even darker. The Levite takes her body home, carves it up into 12 pieces, and sends these remains throughout Israel to evoke outrage over what had happened.

Disturbing.

It worked though. In the next chapter, the other tribes of Israel attack the tribe of Benjamin for the atrocity at Gibeah. They demanded that the wicked men be handed over, but were refused. The Israelites seek God's guidance and then attack. They were defeated, consulted the Lord again, and then were victorious. Thousands died on both sides, and Gibeah was destroyed by fire. The wicked men should have been handed over, but instead they deemed tribal loyalty more important than justice. More tragically, Israel is spiritually compromised and tearing itself apart.

Judges 21 concludes the book with a sense of tragedy instead of triumph. The tribe of Benjamin was nearly wiped out in the civil war. Israel regretted the bloodshed but felt trapped by their rash oath to not give their daughters to any Benjaminites. To resolve the problem, they attacked Jabesh-Gilead, slew the men, and gave the 400 female survivors to the Benjaminites. To get the other 200 wives they needed for them, the Israelites abducted dancing young women at a festival in Shiloh. All the tribes return home.

Yeah, deeply compromised morally.

II. Psalm 148 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes (verse numbers removed):

A psalm of praise in which all creation is called to glorify God. The summons begins at the top of the created order with the angelic realm and works down from the sky above to the earth below, reaching to the depths of the sea. Living and nonliving creatures are participants in this cosmic chorus of praise. Israel, in particular, is the people whose mission is the worship of the one true God. Psalm 148 is one of the primary inspirations behind the Song of the Three Young Men in Dan 3:28-68. (p. 956)

That's it for today!