Saturday, June 02, 2007

22,000 killed when God directs his people to fight each other

Judges 20:17-21 Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand swordsmen, all of them fighting men.

The Israelites went up to Bethel and inquired of God. They said, "Who of us shall go first to fight against the Benjamites?"
The LORD replied, "Judah shall go first."

The next morning the Israelites got up and pitched camp near Gibeah. The men of Israel went out to fight the Benjamites and took up battle positions against them at Gibeah. The Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down twenty-two thousand Israelites on the battlefield that day.


PERSONAL COMMENTARY


Who are the good guys here?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

God is the good guy.

It is important to remember when reading the Bible, that God is the main protagonist; not Israel or even Moses.

That being said, the Benjamites had turned their back on everything they shouldn't have an indulged in the depravity of Sodom and Gomorrah. The narrative shows God telling Israel to fight with Benjamin. This would put the rest of Israel on God's side in this event.