A Hard Victory (Part A)

As always, motivating to see a united stand against evil, and it is going to be as motivating to see them remain united in the face of defeat, but they had a duty to perform. They are ready for it as best as they can be, and they appear to be disciplined troops, which is mark leadership on positive mark on the leadership that they are under, this is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Judges. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching that cares Pastor Rick in Judges chapter 20 as he begins a brand-new message called a hard victory. Judges chapter 20 hard, victory is before us that a lot of lessons and a lot of information. I won't comment too much as I like to do on the battle scenes because there's so much information elsewhere that I don't use of my time there, but the perversity that was in this town of Gambia is now going to cost the nation heavily is a lot of bloodshed is going to take place in this chapter, and it took carnage and courage together to purge the land of this entrenched evil. I was deeply embedded in, and Benjamin not only the sexual perversity, but that the the arrogance in the total resistance to being corrected. Just a tribe that had gone Rogan and almost wiped them out completely. If it were not for the restrain restraint showed by the other tribes of the had an alternative. The other child of the other tribes that came against Gibeon for the heinous crime they committed. As we read in chapter 19 left them with no alternative because of their impenitent spirit in one of the lessons out of this chapter is that in resisting evil things can go violent and be very fierce, not just one episode of violence but a very intense experience of Paul warns us of these things also did of course so many other places in Scripture, but one that stands out. That is a very appropriate preface to this chapter is Paul's comment on spiritual wickedness because that was behind all of this, the bloodshed that exists ever. The madness spiritual wickedness.

Ephesians 6 we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places spiritual places and that is showing up in the lives of these combatants from Benjamin's tribe not only again with a violent. They were obnoxious. Wickedness was just grabbed hold of them and the lessons are are here for us so we look now at verse one.

So all the children of Israel came out from then to Bathsheba, as well as from the land of Gilead and the congregation gathered together as one man before Yahweh at Mizpah. Well, you remember that last chapter concluded with that grotesque dismembering of the Levites, concubine, and then he sent pieces throughout the tribes to rally them to war. Well, it served its purpose.

It's interesting, or its good to see that even the Transjordan Tribes are to have tribes on the east side of the Jordan. They also are gathered here against this. Remember, this is the early days of the book of Judges of Israel's time in the promised land. Phineas, who is the grandson of Aaron who served with Moses and Joshua is the high priest so he still alive and at that time stamp that this is early in their history in the promised land, you would expect to find this in the in the back end of the book after Sampson you know everything just fell apart and know that's that's not the case. Well, here the nation is stirred to action. A great moral passion has flamed out, but a great wicked passion reared its head to meet it head on that as a lesson for us. You going to do righteous things in this life. If you going to stand up for your faith if you going to attack that which is wrong, you can end up with a fierce opponent. It is not a trivial or a light matter and will going to see a tribe that was you cannot account for why this tribe.

Benjamin double down against righteousness.

You just cannot or does early in their history except spiritual wickedness just like the times we live in what's in back of the madness that were looking at these days it's Satan spiritually is no way to deny these things and and call yourself a child of the Lord in student of Scripture.

It is very very clear. Well, these things in Israel, and these things today in the church are not random. There is an antagonist and he has many assistance and they are determined to do harm.

They hate human beings. They will never change. Their doom is sealed but until execution of sentences is administered. We've got a deal with this, but is worth it. One of the lessons when I get out of this is in the face of defeat. We have no reason to not get back in it until we get the victory now here in verse one, where it says all the children of Israel from then to Bathsheba of Bathsheba, all of all of the leaders. These are the men of war, all the leaders of the people have have come together for this. They they have understood how awful this is and that it has to be met head on. It's sad to see churches look the other way in the face of blatant sin and that will ruin a congregational rule in the church. God cannot bless that church of the turn their back on on blatant and you obnoxious sin standing in the Zeno staring down righteousness as these Benjamite's were doing they would just not receive correctional get to that.

If you don't know the story was also sincere in verse one congregation gathered together as one man before the Lord and that's a certainly a positive that God is in this that you would think you would think okay. They went to the Lord at Shiloh and they sought him nicely to bless them and they got there doing a good thing they're fighting wickedness and and then just this.

This should be smooth sailing, being right is not enough to dislodge such evil as this is not enough to be right you got also be close. That's one of the big lessons out of this chapter I enjoy being right is not enough. We've got to walk with the Lord. The ark of the covenant may be shuttled back and forth from Shiloh to the battlefield can't tell for sure we know that will be in their future history. This mention of Mizpah. There are six of them in the Old Testament mentioned this one is near Gibeon where the crime was committed with the murder of the concubine and all of the other perversity that went along with it. This Mizpah is only 4 miles or so from and about 15 from Shiloh, so not on say that because later going to see the elders going to the house of the Lord in shallow and Shiloh so that they can get the victory.

Mizpah's disassembly ground throughout the Old Testament, even into the Maccabean era. Well anyway verse two and the leaders of all the people all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God. 400,000 foot soldiers who drew the sword so the artist came with them. Those who control the sword so this is a big force 400,000 men at almost half a million troops a serious show of force, but that combat skills are questionable. How many of these men have seen combat with Joshua while we like to think a lot with the way the story unfolds, you get a suspicion that some of these guys were inexperienced good things do not go well in the first two battles. They go horribly wrong.

These 400,000 that would that's about a 15 to 1 matchup with Benjamin's 27,000 25,000 Facebook it to the number little bit. You would think this would be a victim of an easy victory is not. And of course, this would not be all the men of war.

In Israel they would leave, they probably had about 600,000 men for war and they would leave the home garden. The various tribes.

It would not leave their people unattended in verse 23 now know the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah, then the children of Israel said tell us how did this wicked deed happened.

Okay, so they want that there launching their investigation inquiry they need scriptural justification that there there pretty sure they've got another one about all these trips with them and they want to go over this again and of course the Old Testament is full support for their action probably Deuteronomy 13 is where the largest justification from Scripture would come for them. Benjamin's crimes were not only heinous but numerous in verse four, so the Levi, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, my concubine and I went into Gibeon, which belongs to Benjamin to spend the night in the minute Gibeon verse five rows against me and surround the house at night because of me. They intended to kill me, but instead they ravished my concubine so that she died. Well I'm going through this, as though your appointment. We talked about last session. The concubine of also, in some cases was also a a secondary wife and that that's why he refers to his wife and concubine. This guy of course is a despicable person this Levite is nothing redeeming about him, but he leaves out a critical part of the story that he threw her to the wolves rather than stand up or face them himself and I don't think it was right.

Nothing anybody else does either. In Genesis 49 Jacob had prophesied about his son Benjamin's descendents. He said Benjamin is a ravenous wolf in the morning, he shall devour the prey and at night he shall divide the spoil we have.

We are watching Benjamin behave as a ravenous wolf in verse six. Now, so I took hold of my concubine cut her in pieces and center throughout all the territory of the inheritance of Israel because they committed lewdness and outrage in Israel close no love mentioned in this story just this grotesque act to seek justice as it it it it is a selective indignation is really seems like to me more upset that he is been personally offended, doesn't even name.

She's dehumanized in the story and it is again one of he is one of the most despicable characters in the Scripture.

There are some that are that match. This may be go a little further, but he's he's in there. He continues in this six verse because they committed lewdness and outrage in Israel what he commit by tossing her out the door and stepping out the next morning as I get up a just cold. The Hebrew word there for lewdness denotes a severe sin of vile sin that was would meet with capital punishment and evidenced by the nation's responses dismembering her and sending her throughout the tribes were adults in this with the word teaches here and we can skip around this, but it is repulsive to us now should be and it was revolting and as much to them and in that day arose again, they would not have gathered like this. The social breakdown… Spiritual, it's a sin matter, and we must not lose sight of that in the midst of the days we live in. We are still to be those who seek love those who stay close to the Lord, and those who keep our faith strong. If these tribes had ignored this end and the sin would've engulfed the nation and there would be no Jewish people to produce the Messiah.

And of course that wasn't going to happen and were watching what it cost to fight against this blitz by Satan to destroy the nation one entire tribe could be so infested with sin.

Where would this goal with if if someone doesn't do something verse seven he still speaking the Levi look all of your children of Israel give you advice and counsel here and now of the strong voice. He's just, you know, indignant. We gotta do something and as true though that part of his true but I think you should went down with the ship commanded of your K views On your ship and was thinking you hear something on the announcement. Contrary to popular belief about women and children first. We do it differently here that's me you're Going to stop. We saw that a few years ago, Italy And got off the ship.

The ship is sinking anything.

I'm going to help. Charles is in jail right now that the same guy descended. I don't verse eight.

So all the people rose as one man saying none of us will go to his tent, nor will any turned back to his house well is true sometimes. Such horrific news some atrocity like this comes down the road and it makes ordinary sin seemed to not matter so much. This is so bad when when the last time that I guess we can really say we've seen something like this. I will my first guess would be the Holocaust. I mean everybody was just you. Are you kidding me a lot.

Everybody there's always that percentage but most normal sensible, rational people would be just greatly alarmed arms to do something about this verse nine but now this is the thing which we will do to give me a again Gibby is with a crime was committed. We will go up against it by lot now in verse eight where they make the pledge. None of us will go to his tent.

They don't know the horror that's coming. They don't know how much is going to cost them. They think they've got 400,000 troops. Gibby is got less than 30,000. This should not really be that difficult. They are wrong. That's a little lessons for us whatever spiritual endeavor.

We take on. We better be ready and ready in the sense of the things going wrong not as planned. So we hear it's war verse 10 we will take 10 men, out of every hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel.

100 out of every thousand thousand out of every 10,000 to make provisions for the people that when they come to give you an Benjamin. They may repay all the vileness that they have done in Israel. This is a combat supplier quartermaster Corps.

This signals to us that these guys had a new war leaders not necessarily all the troops but the leaders who knew they would need logistics. We gotta have in overwatering than swords and supplies going to the front and ethnology take the adverse out there lost love, faster, and it also means that this is how war was done in the when we read about war in the earlier chapters. In the later chapters of the Old Testament.

We know that the date that there were those that knew how to general war, Marshall war, so it just keeps it real to us. Verse 20. So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city United together as one man. Again, perhaps using Deuteronomy 13 verses 12 through 15 two just to have the scriptural grounds for this.

It's always motivating to see a united stand against evil, and it is going to be as motivating to see them remain united in the face of defeat, but they had a duty to perform and they are ready for it as best as they can be, and they appear to be disciplined troops, which is a mark of the leadership on a positive mark on the leadership that they are under verse 12 then the tribes of Israel sent men to all the tribe of Benjamin saying what is this wickedness that has occurred among you, so they are again trying diligently trying to make sure that their justified when they go at these offenders. Verse 13 now therefore deliver up the men. The perverted men who are in Gibeon, that we may put them to death and remove the evil from Israel but the children of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brethren and the children of Israel arrogance the child of depravity or a child of depravity. They refused to budge flat out said no we know about the crime were not going to deal with it and you are not going to deal with. So they go all they had to do is hand over the criminals they knew they were and not handing them over. They honored the vileness to the death they went to their deaths. Almost 600 of them defending sickness.

We see it today. The advocates of the deplorable of these men are deplorable and their advocating this wickedness and those who are determined to extricate execute justice to rid them of rid themselves of the land of this evil again. They had no idea what how fiercely violent the opposition was going to be verse 14. Instead, the children of Benjamin gathered together from their cities to give ear to go to battle against the children of Israel so they put family before God put their tribe, their people, their team, something was before God, or that it already been the case in their lives as individuals and adjust just like leaven spread throughout Benjamin. So they double down. This solidarity is perverted.

It is not admirable. Luke chapter 14 verse 26 with the church needs to read this from time to time because it's so easy to to stumble here if anyone comes to me and does not hate his father, mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters, yes and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Of course I sent the hatred Bee Gees is not promoting hatred Seesmic he's making a contract is as compared to love you have for me all a lovely be hatred and it is.

I was watching a children's show one of the characters that I love them so much as compared to me you hate him, and it was funny, not because of you know the Scripture verses were weighed hundred. That's the point that the contrast not saying you have to hate the other person. It's you know, we say, why would Jesus say it like that is easy answer for that, so you never forget.

As you hear it said like this you don't forget it.

It may nag you may know on you to get to the bottom of what we discussed at the bottom. I hope at least for me.

I'm good right away here in verse 14 to go to battle against the children of Israel again that deep Benjamin they're willing to die defending their tribal unity the tribal sovereignty. How dare you come here and tell us will I thought you were in the scene with him in this with the Lord to their sin affected all the land and they knew it they said if we don't deal, would Benjamin God's going to deal with us going to be worse. Another New Testament verse that we know well.

First Corinthians 5. The church that needed to hear this, they benefited from it.

Your glorying is not good.

Do you not know that a little leaven leavens long when when Paul said that there was a man in the church committing in an egregious sin in the church with yakking it up a lot with showing grace to get over is not that bad' crazy. I do not. I'm JM telling him not even then I'm telling you is wrong is a do you not know your glorying, your your thinking that you showing grace is not good. He says a little that little leaven if you don't fix that is gonna take over your church and they did fix verse 12 verse 15 and from their cities at that time the children of Benjamin number 26,000 men who drew the sword besides the inhabitants of Gibeon numbered 700 Selectmen, who thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Judges cross reference radio is the teaching ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. If you'd like more information about this ministry, we invite you to visit our website cross reference radio.com you will find additional teachings from Pastor Rick available there, and we encourage you to subscribe to our podcast by doing so you will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio. You can search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast that work just follow the links and cross reference radio.com that's all the time we have for today. Join us next time to continue learning more from the book of Judges right here cross reference rate