Army of 400,000 gather at Mizpeh                      verse 1- 3 

Then all the children of Israel went out

            and the congregation was gathered together as one man

                        from Dan even to Beer-sheba – with the land of Gilead

to the LORD in Mizpeh

And the chief of all the people – even of all the tribes of Israel

            presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God

                        four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword

(NOW the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel

were gone up to Mizpeh)

THEN said the children of Israel

            Tell us – how was this wickedness? 

Levite communicates his story                            verse 4- 7 

And the Levite – the husband of the woman that was slain

answered and said

I came into Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin

I and my concubine to lodge

And the men of Gibeah rose against me

and beset the house round about upon me by night

and thought to have slain me

and my concubine have they forced

that she is dead

And I took my concubine – and cut her in pieces

            and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel

                        for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel

BEHOLD – you are all the children of Israel;

give here your advice and counsel   

Eleven tribes to attack Gibeah                            verse 8- 11 

And all the people arose as one man

saying

We will not any of us go to his tent

neither will we any of us turn into his house

BUT now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah

we will go up by lot against it

And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel

and an hundred of a thousand – and a thousand out of ten thousand

to fetch victual for the people – that they may do

                                    when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin

                                                according to all the folly that they have

wrought in Israel

So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city

            knit together as one man 

Army of 26,000 of Benjamin gathered                verse 12- 17 

And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin

saying

What wickedness is this that is done among you?

Now therefore deliver us the men – the children of Belial

which are in Gibeah that we may put them to death

and put away evil from Israel

But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren

the children of Israel

BUT the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together

out of the cities to Gibeah

      to go out to battle against the children of Israel

And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities

twenty and six thousand men that drew sword

      besides the inhabitants of Gibeah

                  which were numbered seven hundred chosen men

Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men left-handed

every one could sling stones at a hair breadth – and not miss

And the men of Israel – besides Benjamin

were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword

all these were men of war 

Eleven tribes go to Bethel to seek God                verse 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 

Eleven tribes defeated by tribe of Benjamin       verse 19- 23 

And the children of Israel rose up in the morning

and encamped against Gibeah

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

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

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

(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?) 

Eleven tribes defeated a second time                   verse 24- 25 

And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin

the second day

And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the SECOND DAY

and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again

eighteen thousand men – all these drew the sword 

Eleven tribes head to Bethel again                      verse 26- 28 

Then all the children of Israel and all the people – went up

and came to the house of God – and wept

      and sat there before the LORD

and fasted that day until even

      and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings

before the LORD

And the children of Israel inquired of the LORD

(for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days

and Phinehas – the son of Eleazar – the son of Aaron

stood before it in those day)

saying

Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin

my brother – or shall I cease?

And the LORD said

Go up – FOR tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand 

Eleven tribes set an ambush on the third day     verse 29- 31 

And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah

and the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin

      on the THIRD DAY

and put themselves in array against Gibeah

as at other times

And the children of Benjamin went out against the people

and were drawn away from the city

      and they began to smite of the people – and kill

as at other times

in the highways of which one goes up to the house of God

      and the other to Gibeah in the field about thirty

men of Israel 

Benjamin saw victory                                          verse 32 

And the children of Benjamin

said

They are smitten down before us

as at the first

But the children of Israel

said

Let us flee – and draw them from the city to the highways 

Eleven tribes kill 25,100 from army of Benjamin  verse 33- 35 

And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place

and put themselves in array at Baal-tamar

      and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places

                  even out of the meadows of Gibeah

And they came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel

and the battle was sore

BUT they knew not that evil was near them

And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel

and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day

twenty and five thousand and an hundred men

all these drew the sword 

Benjamin defeated                                              verse 36- 37 

So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten

for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites

      BECAUSE they trusted unto the liers in wait

which they had set beside Gibeah

And the liers in wait hasted – and rushed on Gibeah

and the liers in wait drew themselves along

      and smote all the city with the edge of the sword 

Benjamin deceived in their thinking                   verse 38- 45 

Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel

and the liers in wait that they should make a great flame

with smoke rise up out of the city

And when the men of Israel retired in the battle

            Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel a

bout thirty persons for they said

            Surely they are smitten down before us as in first battle

BUT when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke

            the Benjamites looked behind them – and behold

the flame of the city ascended up to heaven

And when the men of Israel turned again – the men of Benjamin

were amazed

                        FOR they saw that evil was come on them

THEREFORE they turned their backs before the men of Israel to the

way of the wilderness

BUT the battle overtook them

            and them which came out of the cities

they destroyed in the midst of them

Thus they enclosed the Benjamites round about – and chased them

            and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah

toward the sunrising

And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men

            all these were men of valor

And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon

            and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men

and pursued hard after them unto Gidom

and slew two thousand men of them 

Eleven tribes continue to destroy tribe of Benjamin verse 46- 48 

So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men

            that drew the sword – all these were men of valor

BUT six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness to the rock Rimmon

and abode in the rock Rimmon four months

And the men of Israel turned again on the children of Benjamin

            and smote them with the edge of the sword

as well the men of every city

                                    as the beast – and all that came to hand

            also they set on fire all the cities that they came to   

 

COMMENTARY:              

 

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

 

: 6        And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel. (2154 “lewdness” [zimmah] means infamy shameful behavior, wickedness, depraved, corrupt, degenerate act or practice, a wicked deed, or mischievous purpose)

DEVOTION: The children of Israel were doing what they thought was right in their own eyes while being concerned with what was right in the eyes of the LORD. They were not worshiping the LORD in spirit and in truth. They thought they could depend on their works in the past that were pleasing to the LORD to help them in the present.

They were wrong. Even though the children of Benjamin in the city in question were worse sinners than the rest of Benjamin they were willing to defend them against the rest of Israel.

They were protecting fellow descendants of Benjamin just because they were related to them rather than using the standard of the LORD that was set down in HIS commandments regarding the proper relations between men with other men. They wanted to be united with their fellow descendants of Benjamin.

We can’t defend those who attend our church that are doing things that the LORD says are sin, just because they are fellow members of our church. The Bible has standards that all Christians must follow and if we find that there are individuals who are members of our church who are sinning against the LORD, we need to ask the LORD for guidance to correct their behavior in love and discipline.

The LORD wants out churches to be pure in HIS eyes not in our eyes. This means that we have to make sure that we are in proper fellowship with the LORD ourselves and then try to correct our fellow church members in love through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

This takes prayer and fasting, so that, we do it in the right Spirit and not in our own spirit. Once we have the mind of Christ we need to go in love and deal with those in our church that are not obeying the Word of God. This is not easy but if the church is to grow in the LORD, they have to make sure that sin is dealt with regularly.

The Pharisees were good at looking down on people and we have to make sure that this is not the spirit in which we do things.

We have to be humble and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit through prayer and fasting to help fellow believers return to the right relationship to the LORD. No pride should enter out lives. Thinking that we are better than those we want to discipline as we should tell ourselves “there go I but for the grace of God.”

CHALLENGE: Do we deal with those who are not living as they should in a spirit of meekness and prayer? Or are we dealing with them in a spirit of pride? Only we can answer these questions?

 

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

 : 13      Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel. (1100 “Belial” [baliya’al] means wickedness, ungodly, evil, naughty, worthless, good for nothing, unprofitable, base fellow, trouble maker, vile, or destruction)

DEVOTION:  It seems in every society there is a group of individuals who are pure evil from the perspective of the LORD. These are individuals who look for ways to commit evil. They think nothing of obedience to the LORD. They are out for their own pleasure at any cost to others.

These individuals were the ones who in the town of Gibeah wanted to have sexual relations with the Levite but accepted his offer of have relations with his wife instead. He was wrong but they were even more vile than the husband if it is possible. Disobedience to the commands was a way of life to these men.

The children of Israel gathered to end the lives of those who committed the crime but the children of Benjamin would rather defend a relative instead of ending the conflict with judgment on these men. They chose to defend the rights of these men to do moral evil. They would rather fight then judge them evil.

It would seem that a majority of people would be right in this area. The other ten tribes were willing to just deal with these men and go home but the children of Benjamin thought they should defend evil.

We should defend those who are acting according to God’s standard to the death but for those who are sinning we should work with them for restoration if possible. This was not one of those cases. The sin had to be judged quickly or it would spread throughout the nation. If sin is not condemned by the majority then the majority are committing the sin. Then sin becomes normal instead of something against the laws of God.

Today the majority are those who are holding themselves to the laws of God that are found in the Word of God. Every man is doing what is right in their own eyes today like they were doing in the time of the judges.

CHALLENGE: Ask the LORD to give you wisdom to be able to discern what is right in HIS eyes rather than in your own eyes. If the request is genuine, HE will give you that wisdom.

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: 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. (7843 “destroyed” [shachath] means to ruin, annihilate, to behave corruptly, cause trouble, to kill by cutting something down, or spoil)

DEVOTION:  The children of Benjamin had 22,700 men come to defend the city of Gibeah because they didn’t want them judged for their sin. The other ten tribes gathered 400,000 soldier to fight against the children of Benjamin. It didn’t seem like a fair fight. The children of Benjamin where outnumbered. Yet they still would not give up the men of Gibeah that killed the concubine of the Levite.

The battle would not have taken place if the men were willing to let the men pay for their sin. However, we find that the LORD was judging the rest of the tribes because they were not living in right relationship with the LORD. On the first day of battle the children of Benjamin killed 22,000 of the children of Israel.

The LORD had told them to go to battle and what tribe should lead and yet HE allowed them to be defeated. Why? Well it seems that they needed to learn that greater numbers doesn’t mean victory if they are counting on their numbers rather than the LORD. HE proved that with Gideon. HE will prove it with us.

We need to make sure that we put our confidence always on the LORD and not on our own wisdom and power. Too often we think that we can do things without the LORD’S help because we are smart and have some strength on our own.

The LORD wants us to come to HIM in prayer and ask for HIS help but also to not walk away thinking we are doing it on our own. When you face your next battle with sin make sure you remember what happened to the army of Israel against a smaller army.

CHALLENGE:  To do anything in our own power is always wrong. We need to do things in the power of the Holy Spirit, in order to, please the LORD.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 25      And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men, all these drew the sword. (8025 “drew” [shalaph] means to draw out or off, remove, a sword from its sheath, pull out, or to pull out of a container or from under a cover)

DEVOTION:  Ok on the second day the children of Israel had come back from the first day of fighting weeping because they couldn’t understand why they had lost so many men again after they had gone before the LORD and asked HIM again.

They had lost another 18,000 men. So far, they had lost 40,000 men from their army against an army that was much smaller.

Now if we can figure right, we find that the LORD took ten percent of the large army away as a tithe for the sins of the other tribes of Israel. HE wanted them to understand that no matter how many men they had they would not win if HE was not satisfied with their attitude. They were counting on themselves more than on HIM.

After this second day they not only wept but they truly came to worship the LORD and ask for HIS help. They not only prayed but they fasted and prayed. They not only came into HIS presence but offered sacrifices to HIM. They finally got the message the LORD was sending to them.

How much does it take for us to get the message of the LORD?  The children of Benjamin were strong enemies that could fight well and win battles. They were not an easy group to beat without the help of the LORD.

The rest of Israel went out in their own power without really looking to the LORD for guidance.

We go to battle thinking that it wouldn’t take too much effort to defeat a small group that was being disobedient to the commands of the LORD. We would think that because we had a righteous cause that we would not even have to pray about it.

However, the LORD wants HIS people to be repentant of their sins before they go out to defeat others who are sinners. HE wants those who think that are more righteous to confess these thoughts and realize that they are not more righteous but sinners as well.

Once this is done then the LORD can work with repentant sinners who know HIM and ask HIM for council before going out to defeat some who are unrepentant and not willing to come to him in confession.

CHALLENGE: Are we thinking of ourselves as more righteous than those we are trying to correct or are we realizing that we are sinners who need forgiveness for our sins and looking to the LORD for guidance?

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: 26      Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. (6684 “fasted” [tsuwm] means to cover over, to abstain from food in a time of penitence or mourning, the condition of voluntarily abstaining from food, voluntarily abstaining form food as a religious disciple, or the condition of voluntarily abstaining from food as an act of mourning for another person as a part of the burial event)

DEVOTION:  One group in a nation can corrupt a nation. One group in a church can corrupt a church. One group in a home can corrupt a home. One bad apple in a barrel will cause all the apples to go bad over time.

The nation as a whole was going to fight with one tribe because they wanted to correct what had happened to the wife of the Levite. The LORD told them to go to war with Benjamin.

However, the LORD allowed the children of Benjamin to defeat Israel in their first two battles. The children of Benjamin had defeated the nation of Israel for two days straight. The LORD had told the nation to go to war but had not given them victory.

 In fact, in the first two days of battle the nation had lost forty thousand men. Why did the LORD send them to battle? There were 400,000 men of war with the nation of Israel. There were 26,700 men of war with the children of Benjamin. The nation outnumbered the tribe of Benjamin 15 to 1.

The LORD knew that if the nation won the battle on the first day, they would depend on their own strength. So, after the second day of lost the nation came to the LORD and fasted and prayed. They were at the point of totally depending on the LORD for victory.

On the third day of battle the LORD promised a victory. The fasting and prayer had showed the LORD that they were dependant on HIM. With the right attitude, the nation defeated the tribe of Benjamin.

Too often we think that we can win the victory against our enemy in our own strength. We have to daily realize that our strength comes from our relationship with Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that we can do ALL THINGS through Christ who gives us strength.

Jesus instructed the disciples that power from God comes through pray and fasting. Paul told the church that couples should have times of prayer and fasting when they are making major decision. Individual Christians need to go before the LORD when they have major decisions or are seeking direction for their lives in regard to service for the LORD or any other future events.

Are we depending on HIS strength or our own? Do we know that fasting and prayer is for today? Are we practicing it?

CHALLENGE: Total obedience means that we realize that we need to be totally dependent on the LORD for every victory. After a victory we need to give glory to the LORD. Prayer and fasting are disciplines that need to be practiced by ALL Christians.

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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY 

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking) 

                       Children of Israel fasted                                          verse 26 

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone) 

SOUL 

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God) 

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level) 

Asked counsel of the LORD                                    verse 18, 23

Wept before the LORD                                             verse 23, 26

Inquired of the LORD                                               verse 27

Prayer                                                                           verse 28 

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group) 

Levite                                                                            verse 4

            Husband of woman that was slain

            Lodge with wife in Gibeah

            Cut up dead wife

            Asked advice and council of Israel

House of God                                                             verse 18, 26, 31

            Wept over loses in two days

            Fasted

            Offered burnt offerings

            Peace offering

Ask council of God                                                   verse 18

Ark of the Covenant of God                                   verse 27

Phinehas – son of Eleazar – son of Aaron          verse 28 

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

God the Father (First person of the Godhead) 

LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)  verse 1, 18, 23, 26-

                                                                                                28, 35

God – Elohim (Creator)                                           verse 2, 18,                                                                                                                  26,  27

People of God                                                             verse 2

House of God                                                             verse 18, 26

Counsel of the LORD                                               verse 18

Inquired of the LORD                                              verse 27

Covenant of God                                                       verse 27

LORD promises deliverance                                 verse 28

Smote Benjamin                                                       verse 35 

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)     

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels) 

Wickedness                                                                verse 3, 12

Kill visitor                                                                  verse 5

Lewdness                                                                   verse 6

Folly                                                                             verse 6, 10

Children of Belial                                                    verse 13

Evil                                                                              verse 13, 34, 41 

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Inheritance                                                               verse 6

Counsel of God                                                         verse 18

Encouragement                                                       verse 22

Fasting                                                                       verse 26

Offer offerings                                                        verse 26

Prayer                                                                        verse 28

Deliverance                                                              verse 28 

Israel (Old Testament people of God) 

Children of Israel                                                    verse 1, 3, 7,                                                                                                13,  14, 18,                                                                                                 19,  26, 27, 30-                                                                                            33

            Inquired of the LORD

            Third day

            Draws Benjaminites out of city

            Liers in wait

Dan to Beer-sheba                                                       verse 1

LORD in Mizpeh                                                           verse 1, 3

Tribes of Israel                                                            verse 2, 10, 12

People of God                                                               verse 2

Children of Benjamin                                               verse 3, 12-                                                                                                  15, 18, 28,                                                                                                 30- 36, 44, 46

            26, 000 men of war

            Killed thirty men

            Out of the city

            25,100 killed

            18,000 killed

            Total killed

Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin                           verse 4, 9,                                                                                                       19-  21

Men of Gibeah                                                             verse 5, 15

            Forced wife of Levite

            Killed wife of Levite

            700 men of war

Israel                                                                            verse 6, 29

Men of Israel                                                             verse 11, 20-                                                                                                22, 29, 36- 48

            22,000 killed the first day

            18,000 killed second day

            Liers in wait

            Trusted in liers in wait

                        Burned city

            All the cities of Benjamin burned

Seven hundred chosen men left-handed             verse 16

Judah go up first                                                        verse 18

Baal-tamar                                                                  verse 33

Rock of Rimmon                                                       verse 45- 47

            600 Benjamin hiding there         

 Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events) 

Concubine dead                                                        verse 5 

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DONATIONS:

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QUOTES regarding passage

The Lord instructed them to attack, but each time the Israelites suffered numerous casualties. This was God’s way of punishing Israel for its immorality to bring out repentance and true worship. In the third battle God gave them victory. The whole tribe of Benjamin was destroyed except for six hundred survivors. (Mathews, K. A. (1998). The Historical Books. In D. S. Dockery (Ed.), Holman concise Bible commentary (p. 102). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)

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20:13 the sons of Benjamin would not listen. They hardened their hearts against the justice and decency of turning over the criminals. Even greatly outnumbered in war, they would not yield to what was right (cf. vv. 15–17). So civil war resulted. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Jdg 20:13). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

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20:12–13. The tribe of Benjamin rejected the request of the other tribes to surrender those wicked men of Gibeah for execution in order to purge the evil (of blood guiltiness) from Israel. Therefore, Israel took the final step and attacked Gibeah.  (Lindsey, F. D. (1985). Judges. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 412). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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When God’s people refuse to obey God’s Word, the results are always tragic. The spiritual life of a church is crippled and eventually destroyed when the congregation shuts its eyes to sin and will not discipline offenders. There can never be unity among the people of God as long as some of them cover up sin and allow it to infect the body. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1994). Be available (p. 144). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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20:13 the sons of Benjamin would not listen. They hardened their hearts against the justice and decency of turning over the criminals. Even greatly outnumbered in war, they would not yield to what was right (cf. vv. 15–17). So civil war resulted. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Jdg 20:13). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

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Ver. 13. Now, therefore, deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, &c.] Those wicked men that were the authors of that abominable wickedness there committed: that we may put them to death; as they deserved, since they were guilty both of adultery and murder; their meaning is, that they in conjunction with the tribe of Benjamin might adjudge them to death, and punish them with it, as their crime deserved: and put away evil from Israel; prevent both the spread of such a sinful evil in the nation, encouraged by such examples, and the evil of punishment coming upon them from God, should they let such wickedness pass with impunity: but the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel; they refused to give up the men of Gibeah, that had been guilty of such great wickedness; reckoning it a reproach, as Josephus says, to obey the commands of others, for fear of war, and unwilling to yield to any in arms, neither on account of multitude nor courage. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 382). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

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FROM MY READING: 

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

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THE NAMES OF THE DEVIL

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
Ephesians 2:2
What does the Bible tell us about the devil? First of all, let us consider some of the names that are applied to him in the Scriptures. He is referred to as “Satan,” and the word Satan means “adversary.” He is also referred to as “the devil,” and devil means “slanderer.” He is also described as “Beelzebub,” which means that he is the prince of the devils. He is described as “Apollyon” and as “the angel of the bottomless pit.” He is called “the prince of this world” and “the god of this world.” He is described as “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). He is referred to as “the dragon,” as a lion, as “Lucifer, that old serpent,” and, perhaps one of the most significant names of all, as “the evil one.”
Now you will often find in the New Testament that whereas in the King James Version the word “evil” is sometimes used, it is probably true to say that it should be “the evil one.” Sometimes you will find “wicked” when it should be “the wicked one.” There are those who say that when we pray, “deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13), it should be, “deliver us from the evil one.” And when John, in the last chapter of his first epistle, says that the “whole world lieth in wickedness,” he is undoubtedly saying that the whole world lies in “the wicked one” (1 John 5:19).
In the same way in John 17 when our Lord prays in His high priestly prayer, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil,” it should be translated “from the evil one” (verse 15). It is a most important term–the evil one.
A Thought to Ponder: The devil is referred to as “Satan,” and the word Satan means “adversary.” (From God the Father, God the Son, pp. 116-117. By Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

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Exodus 5
Israel’s affliction increases
INSIGHT
When troubles come upon us, instinctively the first question we ask is: “Why?” “Why me, why this, why now?” That is what Moses asked in verse 22. Yet, in retrospect, we see that the question was premature. We now know why — since hindsight is better than foresight.
How long will it take the Lord to deliver us from our troubles? Usually just a little longer than we thought we could tolerate. We must remember the example of Moses when we are tempted to ask the Lord, “Why?”(Quiet Walk)

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Wearing Our Courage

If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven.

2 Kings 1:10

THE IN-FILLING OF THE SPIRIT

Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18
The in-filling of the Spirit is essential to true Christian quality in our life. That is why we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit. It is a command to every single Christian: “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” We are exhorted to be filled with the Spirit. And this is commanded in order that our graces may grow, in order that the fruit of the Spirit may develop in us and may be evident to all. It is as we are filled with this life that the fruit and the graces of this life will be manifest. Indeed, the filling of the Spirit is essential to a true act of worship. Did you notice how Paul uses that commandment of his in that very connection? He says, “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit”—and then goes on at once—“speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and our Father in the n ame of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
So the way to test whether we are filled with the Spirit is to ask, Are we full of thankfulness? Are we full of the spirit of praise, of thanksgiving, of worship and adoration?
What is a revival? It is God pouring out His Spirit. It is this tremendous filling that happens to numbers of people at the same time. You need not wait for a revival to get it; each of us is individually commanded to seek it and to have it and indeed to make sure it is there. But at times of revival God, as it were, fills a number of people together; they almost describe it as the Spirit falling upon them. That is a revival, and that is the greatest need of the Church today.
A Thought to Ponder: “Be filled with the Spirit” is a command to every single Christian.  (From God the Holy Spirit, pp. 242-243 by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

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Treasure in Heaven
“Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.” (Luke 12:33)
The Lord Jesus frequently warned us against trying to accumulate wealth here on Earth. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,” He said. Rather, “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-20). In our text above, He even says to sell what we have and give it away. To the rich young ruler, He said: “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven” (Matthew 19:21).
God’s Word cannot contradict itself, however, so this teaching must also be balanced against a man’s responsibility to “provide…for his own, and specially for those of his own house” (1 Timothy 5:8). Similarly, “the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children” (2 Corinthians 12:14).
We are also encouraged to “give to him that needeth” (Ephesians 4:28) and to sow “bountifully” as “a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7). Such instructions imply that by faithful labor in the vocations God has given us, we shall have the wherewithal to do such things. Ananias and Sapphira were punished not for retaining part of their possessions for their own needs, but rather because they lied about it (Acts 5:1-10). Our giving should be done “with simplicity”—that is, with “singleness” of heart (Romans 12:8).
All we have is of the Lord and should be used in ways that honor Him, in accord with His Word and His providential leading. We should provide judiciously for the needs of those dependent on us, but our own personal needs and wants should be kept minimal so that more can be used in His service and to meet the needs of others.

                     (HMM, by The Institute for Creation Research)

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Pastor Michael N (NY): We are witnessing a deterioration of the Western code. This standard of living has given the world hope for hundreds of years and brought advances and hope to countless peoples including hopefuls that immigrated to the USA. The deterioration is more than political. It is also cultural. It is a trend that has been going on for decades. The Western code has been hijacked and abused by some over the years but in its rightful place it brought hope to many. I know of no other code of ethics that can compare. If we continue to see its demise, we will enter an age of spiritual darkness that will be years if ever recoverable. May be a foreshadowing of the Great Tribulation (Daniel 12; Revelation). I don’t know. But I do know this. We must turn around and recoup the standards and lifestyle we were endowed with by our Creator and begin again to trust Him and live His lifestyle. That is the only way to a happier and healthier future.

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Ellen quoted (NY): I know I shouldn’t have done this, but I am 83 years old and I was in the McDonald’s drive-through this morning and the young lady behind me leaned on her horn and started mouthing something because I was taking too long to place my order. So when I got to the first window I paid for her order along with my own. The cashier must have told her what I’d done, because as we moved up, she leaned out her window and waved to me and mouthed “Thank you.”, obviously embarrassed that I had repaid her rudeness with kindness. When I got to the second window, I showed them both receipts and took her food too. Now she has to go back to the end of the queue and start all over again. Don’t blow your horn at old people, they have been around a long time.

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NEW

We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.

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