Tricked into Surrender
June 3, 2021
Commentary
Unfortunately, in the beginning chapters of this book gross immorality had taken place and had set tribe against tribe and class against class. It led to political anarchy. First there was religious apostasy in the temple, then moral awfulness in the home, and finally political anarchy in the state. These are the steps that any nation takes that goes down. These verses supplement the previous account by giving detail of the ambush and aftermath of this major battle (vv. 36-48). The small tribe of Benjamin could withstand this great power of the multitude for a brief period but finally the size of the Israelite Army was too much for them.
The Israelites pretended to be wounded and retreating along two separate roads. The Benjamites ran out to finish off the Israelites as they pretended to retreat, only to find themselves trapped. The battle was fierce, but the Benjamites were not aware of the events already in motion which were to seal their doom. Twenty-five thousand men were killed, the cities of Benjamin were burned to the ground, and most of the people including women and children were destroyed (v. 46). Only six hundred Benjamites were known to have survived this final battle (v. 47). The Israelites apparently made no attempt to pursue the surviving 600 Benjamites who escaped to the rock of Rimmon which is thought to be about 4 miles east of Bethel. To prevent unresolved problems from turning into major conflicts, firm action must be taken quickly, wisely, and forcefully before the situation gets out of hand like this did.
Application
I cannot live in past victories. Just because I have experienced great accomplishments during my Christian life does not guarantee the same in the future. I must walk close to the Lord and in the light of His Word each day. I know this will take time and discipline in the days, months, and years to come. This is why my Quiet time each morning is so important.
Judges 20:36– 48 (NET)
36 Then the Benjaminites saw they were defeated.
37 The men hiding in ambush made a mad dash to Gibeah. They attacked and put the sword to the entire city. 38 The Israelites and the men hiding in ambush had arranged a signal. When the men hiding in ambush sent up a smoke signal from the city, 39 the Israelites counterattacked. Benjamin had begun to strike down the Israelites; they struck down about thirty men. They said, “There’s no doubt about it! They are totally defeated as in the earlier battle.” 40 But when the signal, a pillar of smoke, began to rise up from the city, the Benjaminites turned around and saw the whole city going up in a cloud of smoke that rose high into the sky. 41 When the Israelites turned around, the Benjaminites panicked because they could see that disaster was on their doorstep. 42 They retreated before the Israelites, taking the road to the wilderness. But the battle overtook them as men from the surrounding cities struck them down. 43 They surrounded the Benjaminites, chased them from Nohah, and annihilated them all the way to a spot east of Geba. 44 So 18,000 Benjaminites, all of them capable warriors, fell dead. 45 The rest turned and ran toward the wilderness, heading toward the cliff of Rimmon. But the Israelites caught 5,000 of them on the main roads. They stayed right on their heels all the way to Gidom and struck down 2,000 more. 46 That day 25,000 sword-wielding Benjaminites fell in battle, all of them capable warriors. 47 But 600 survivors turned and ran away to the wilderness, to the cliff of Rimmon. They stayed there four months. 48 The Israelites returned to the Benjaminite towns and put the sword to them. They wiped out the cities, the animals, and everything they could find. They set fire to every city in their path.
Illustration: Lord Byron Spent his life in a mad search for pleasure
Lord Byron, a brilliant poet, spent his life in a mad search for pleasure. Toward the end of his days he wrote, “The thorns which I have reaped are of the tree I planted; they have torn me, and I bleed. I should have known what fruit would spring from such a seed.” (Child Harold’s Pilgrimage, Canto W. Stanza 10).