Judges 20:17-23

Israel Defeated in Two Battles Judges 20:17-23

17 And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
18 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first.
19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.
20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.
21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.
22 And the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.
23 (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until even, and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the Lord said, Go up against him.)

9.

Why was Judah selected to lead in the battle? Judges 20:18

Judah had led in the exodus. Her standard went first whenever the armies of Israel marched. It was the tribe of Judah who led in the conquest and settlement of Canaan (Judges, Chapter s one and two). It would have been very unusual for another tribe to have taken the lead in this instance, since Judah had repeatedly been chosen for such responsibilities. The people of Israel asked God to indicate which tribe was to go first, and God again chose Judah.

10.

Why was Israel defeated when God approved? Judges 20:21-25

God was testing the devotion of the other tribes to their sense of duty. Furthermore, some significance is to be attached to the absence of any expression of genuine sorrow as they began such an unpleasant but necessary task as punishing the criminals at Gibeah. Before the first battle, they asked counsel of God (Judges 20:18). Before the final battle all the children of Israel, and all the people (Judges 20:26) went up and came to the house of God. On this occasion they wept, offering burnt-offerings and peace offerings. There must have been sin in the minds of the people of Israel therefore as they went into the first two battles. They had gone in their own self confidence; but when they finally trusted the Lord completely, He gave them victory.