Scripture

And the Israelites returned and slaughtered every living thing in all the towns – the people, the livestock and everything they found.

Observation

The Israelites go up to Bethel, weeping and fasting. They ask the Lord if they should fight the men of Benjamin. The Lord tells them to go, and He will give them a victory.

So they again surround Gibeah. This time, they plan to draw the warriors of Benjamin away from the town and then send men in to burn the town.

So the men of Israel kill 25,000 strong warriors and destroy the people and livestock of the nearby towns.

Application

The righteousness of the land was restored at a terrible cost. Tens of thousands of people on both sides were killed.

While many wars in history have been of dubious worth, there is no doubt that the second world war was a just war. The Axis powers of Germany, Italy and Japan sought to impose dictatorship on most of the world along with abominable ideologies. Millions of people died, and the prosperity of the world was set back by 20 years or more, but it was right to destroy these awful powers.

Many christians like to think that we can live in comfort and separation from the evil of this world. The fact is that we are all impacted by the sin of ourselves and of others. When God’s Kingdom is fully established, we shall all be holy and righteous.

Prayer

Lord, when I look at the evil in the world, I am dismayed. I thank you that you will bring an accounting for all of this. Amen.