Obliteration of Benjamin

Disgusted and terrified at what had happened in Benjamin, the rest of Israel had decided to assemble and seek the will of God for what they should do. As one nation, the 11 other tribes rose against the tribe of Benjamin. Peaceful negotiations were fruitless, and war ensued. Battle after battle, Israel lost to the tribe of Benjamin until God gave them victory. But no celebration followed this victory; instead, there was mourning as Israel had brought one of its brothers to the brink of extinction. Our vengeance, if even for a right cause, often brings more harm than good.

We heard the story of the Levite and his concubine in yesterday's episode, how his calloused heart and careless ways led to the brutal rape and, ultimately, the death of his concubine. Then, seeking to gather people across Israel to execute justice on the perpetrators in Gibeah, the Levite sent her body parts out across the land to all 12 tribes. Today we’ll hear how the people responded to his call for action. And we’ll see how the retaliation against Benjamin led to a civil war in Israel, which will now war within itself, straying further from God’s plan for His people. There will be no winners in this war, just a broken nation that desperately needs salvation from its ways.