Judges Chapter 21
The people of Israel had created a problem for themselves; they had all but annihilated the tribe of Benjamin with their civil war. They had used excessive force in taking care of the sin problem at Gibeah. Furthering the problem in the first verse we find that Israel pronounced a curse on any household who allowed their daughters to marry the few remaining survivors of the tribe of Benjamin. This was not something that God had instructed them to do.
As you will see, rather than just confess the mistake of making such an oath, the men of Israel will go to some extremes to figure out ways to help repopulate the tribe of Benjamin. It is interesting to note that the first king of Israel, King Saul, came from the tribe of Benjamin.
Let's Reflect
1. After almost annihilating the tribe of Benjamin in their efforts to punish its city of Gilead, the men of Israel cried out to God. What was their prayer to God?
2. The men of Israel had made an oath or a curse that no one would allow their daughters to marry the surviving men of the tribe of Benjamin. Then they asked each other this question that is found in verse 7. What was the question?
3. There was a city that had refused to join in the civil war. That city was Jabesh-gilead. The men of Israel thought they would resolve the problem they created by taking virgins from the city of Jabesh-gilead. What extreme plan did they come up with to obtain those virgins for the surviving men of Benjamin?
4. Their plan backfired because there were not enough women to give to the men of Benjamin. So, they needed another plan. It would have been easier to just confess they had been wrong to create the oath from the start. Instead, they killed a whole city of Israel to cover their sin. How many virgins did they obtain from that city? And can you imagine how scared those young ladies were?
5. The next plan they put into place is rather comical. The elders of the congregation instructed the men of Benjamin to hide in the bushes at a feast at Shiloh. The Benjaminite men were instructed, in a sense, to “kidnap” the young women from this feast and they would become their wives. The “kidnapping” excused them from giving official permission for the daughters of Israel to marry the men of Benjamin. What were the virgin daughters doing when they were “caught” by the men of Benjamin?
6. The elders promised the men of Benjamin that they would cover for them when the fathers of these young ladies got upset about their daughters being snatched. What did the elders say they would tell the fathers on their behalf?
7. The story seems to have a happy ending. Except there is still one major problem throughout the promised land. What is that problem according to the last verse?
