Judges 20:1-16.  We are not done yet with the story of the Levite.  When we left the story yesterday he had cut up his dead mistress and sent parts of her body to leaders of each of twelve tribes (See “The Twelve?”).  And the leaders were out raged.  In todays reading we find the leaders calling an all Israel meeting.  The meeting took place in Mizpah.  Mizpah was about 7-1/2 miles north of Jerusalem in the Benjamin’s territory but near the border with Ephraim’s territory.  It was about 3 miles north of Gibeah where the woman was abused.  It looks like the leaders were more than outraged they were going to do something about this evil act.  They had an army of 400,000 men ready.  Although verses 1 says “all the sons of Israel …came out” it looks like the tribe of Benjamin was not there.  Verse 3 tells us that the Benjamites “heard that the sons of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.”  As we will see they were going to taken sides with their “brothers” in Gibeah.  One last interesting note from these first few verses.  Verse 2 tells us that the leaders took their stand in “the assembly of the people of God.”  Could this be a break in the cycle of disobedience? Let’s continue.

At the end of verses  3 the leaders look into what has happened. In verses 4-6 the Levite tells his story.  It is interesting that the Levite is back.  Remember that the man was identified as a Levite at the beginning of the story but through out the rest of chapter 19 he is only called the man.  The word for man can mean husband.  And it looks it look like it is the word in Hebrew that is usually used to talk about a husband.  There is another word in Hebrew, “chathan”, that is used a few times to mean husband.  Chathan is used a several times to mean bridegroom but it is mostly used to mean son-in-law of father in law.  That is the word used by the author in Judges 19:4-5.  It seems that the main idea of that word is that there is some sort of legal relationship.  In the 2/16/12 post when I tried to describe what a concubine is I said she was sort of a mistress or girlfriend.  She was not a wife.  But there was some sort of legal connection.  She was definitely equal to a wife though.  The only other word used for husband in Hebrew is “bawal” and it’s main idea is one of ownership.  that word is not used in Judges.  In this story the Levite  sure didn’t act like much of a husband, or a priest for that matter.  So it is interesting that the author goes back to that description.  I think the point is that, now that there is an assembly (That word (v. 2) often had a religious “feel” to it like the word church.  It could also be a military assembly.  Both ideas are combined in verse 2) of the people, that the guy wanted to be thought of as the Levite, the priest and so the author of Judges brings that out.

Look at how the “Levite” describes what happened (Judges 20:4-6).  What parts did he leave out?  Hmmmm, the part about him throwing her out to save his own skin.  Hmmm,  the part about sleeping all night while she was tortured.  Hmmmm, the part about sleeping in.    Hmmm, the part about how casual he was about her being dead.  Sure he was mad and sent his little bodygram (like a telegram only more gruesome) around, but I get the feeling it was because he wanted his little woman toy back.  He does say he cut her up and mailed the parts around  because what guys did was lewd and disgraceful.  But throwing her out was just as bad, in our legal system he would be seen as an accessory to the crime.  then the priest comes out in him as he challenges the people to “give their advise” about what ought to be done.  Seems a little self-righteous to me.

Proverbs 18:17 tells us there are tow sides to every story.  Deuteronomy 17:6 tells us that we need two or three witnesses before we act, that was God’s law.  By the time of Jesus, Jewish law required that some one facing death for their actions must have a chance to defend themselves.  And there was a waiting period and a sort of second trial  (none of which happened in Jesus’ rial by the way).  Did you notice that they all assembled as “one man to the LORD” (verse 1).  the were waiting to hear from Yahweh and the “priest” steps up and what does he tell them to do?  Think for yourself.  He didn’t bother to point them to God at all, which was his job.

The people decide to sent messengers through out the tribe of Benjamin and demand that the men of Gibeah be turned over for execution.  I hope that they had in mind just the guilty guys, but as we will see tomorrow, their quick decision and action will result in innocent (or at least less guilty) people getting hurt.  The reading today ends with a count of the population of Benjamin and a description of an elite fighting force that the tribe had.  This is a dark note just like the mention of it getting dark as the Levite and his entourage (his group) approached Gibeah.  This kind of information hints that a battle is coming.  In fact verse 14 says that that is their intention.  And Benjamin only has 26,000 total people and only 700 “Navy SEALs”, against an army of 400,000.  These are the worst odds we have seen in the whole book of Judges.  And it looks like the Benjaminites don’t have God on their side.

We will have to wait until tomorrow to see how this goes but for today what can we learn.  It may seem like I am a little sympathetic to the people of Benjamin, and I am.  It’s not that i am on the side of the men of Gibeah who committed the crime.  As I said yesterday or the day before this is the ugliest story in the Bible from a human point of view.  The actions of all involved have been the worst.  Even the old man offered his daughter as a trade.  And the people, the other eleven tribes, are running way ahead of God.  they are just listening tot he priest and running down a path to war.  Evil should be dealt with but God had given the Israelites rules and they were not following them.  As always in the book of Judges they were doing what they thought was right.  In a way the Benjaminites are the least guilty.  Notice that the voice they are not listening to is the voice of the people.  And the people had not really bothered to listen to God.  They were acting like they were but were not really listening to Him.  We are like that we advise ourselves and pretending that we are getting advise from God.  But it’s just our own voice, or the voice of the crowd.  We need to slow down when the mob is all up and yelling, especially when it is an offended religious mob.  I remember a story like that some where else in the Bible.  Wasn’t the crowd yelling something like, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him”?  Now you probably want to crucify me.  Jesus was innocent and the guys from Gibeah were not.  Yes they needed to be punished nd that was what the Israelites needed to do, but they need to follow the rules.  And to do that they needed to learn the rules.  There is no place in God’s world for mob action.  James 1:20 says, “the anger of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God”.  James tells us that instead that we need to be “quick to hear, slow to speak , and slow to anger”.  We also need to be careful to deal with our own sins before we start in on others (Matthew 7:3).  In the end God is watching and all evil will be dealt with, we do need to do our part, but our parts needs to start with us and in all needs to be by His rules.  God help me not be soft on sin but let me start on myself first.  Let me remember to alway live by your rules.  Let me never be a part of a mob even if it is a mob that says they are serving you.  Help me remember to get both sides of the story.  And let me alway remember your side, a side of forgiveness and restoration.  I know in the end you will judge.  If you can be so patient with me I should be patient with those around me.  Let me be salt and light.

Seems like a little bit of overkill for one town.