Of course, there are other reasons for skipping some of these items. Depending on the class, not everyone may be interested in hearing about Ehud assassinating Eglon, the overweight king of Moab. (Judges 3:15-30) There may be some people who would rather skip over the story of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite nailing the head of Sisera to her tent floor. On the other hand, these stories are some of the most entertaining in all of the Bible.
Perhaps one of the more difficult stories to present is that of the tragedy of Gibeah.
There was a Levite, whose concubine had cheated on him, and in her shame returned to her home in Bethlehem. The Levite went after his wife. He spoke kindly to her, and they were reconciled. (Judges 19:1-4)
Eventually, the Levite took his wife and his belongings, and traveled north. After traveling for some time, the servant of the Levite asked that they stop in Canaanite-controlled Jerusalem. The Levite desired to travel further, hoping to stay in land controlled by the Israelites. Eventually, they came to the city of Gibeah, a possession of the tribe of Benjamin. (Judges 19:10-14)
This makes sense, because the Levites were meant to be supported in their spiritual roles by other tribes that received a land inheritance. The Benjamites should have felt an obligation to help this Levite, but when he tried to find lodging, but the men of Benjamin would not help him. At last, a man of Ephraim saw him, and offered him lodging and shelter.
I suspect that we do not have the entire account regarding what happened next, but we know the following details:
- Some of the men of Benjamin wanted to assault the Levite
- Though they did not take hold of the Levite, they did get the Levite's concubine
- They brutally assaulted this woman to death
The Levite was so horrified by the behavior that he took the body of his concubine and cut it into twelve pieces, then distributed the pieces of her body with an account of what had happened to the elders of Israel throughout the land, pleading for justice against this horrific crime. (Judges 19:29)
The Israelites were so shocked by the depravity of the men of Gibeah that they came to Benjamin and demanded that the guilty men be produced so that justice could be meted out. To their surprise, the tribe of Benjamin thought to protect the guilty. (Judges 20:11-14)
The men of Benjamin numbered about 26,000, and the armies of the other tribes number 400,000. (Judges 20:15-17)
The Israelites were not eager to have a civil war, and so they consulted the Lord and received a confirmation that Benjamin would pay for this crime. (Judges 20:23)
The fighting lasted multiple days, but ultimately, the armies of Israel prevailed and destroyed all of the tribe of Benjamin except for 600 men. (Judges 20:47-48)
The tribe of Benjamin never really recovered. Certainly they were given something of an opportunity when Samuel anointed Saul the son of Kish from Benjamin to become King of Israel, but Saul and his sons lost the kingdom, and the tribe of Benjamin ended up little more than a family of aids for the tribe of Judah.
It is easy to look at this sort of story and wonder why God did not prevent this tragedy. The Levite and his wife might have been safer in Jerusalem. The father of the concubine was willing to provide for the Levite longer. They might have been guided a different way.
Instead, God allowed these awful men to take hold of this woman and brutalize her... why?
While the question is speculative, it cannot be said that God did not care about this nameless concubine, or that the woman brought it upon herself through her sins... God loved the woman, and he has forgiven people who were guilty of her mistakes. Additionally, God went to great lengths to win justice for the crimes perpetrated against this woman.
Generations later, the other ten tribes would be lost in the conquests of the Assyrians, and Judah would be put in exile in Babylon with the triumph of Nebuchadnezzar... but the tragedy of Gibeah really represents the first tribe to be lost... and not just lost, but sacrificed, by God, to get justice for a the concubine of a travelling Levite.
We don't know all the circumstances surrounding this event... we don't even know the name of the Levite or of his concubine... but we know that in the end, good triumphed over evil, justice prevailed over injustice, and tens of thousands who fought against the outcome were slain. I think this is a profound thought... If God was willing to sacrifice (basically) an entire tribe of Israel for a nameless concubine, will he not equally value the welfare of our neighbors, our colleagues, and our children?
I believe God pays very close attention to how we treat one another. In the end, justice will be a very personal thing for the Lord. Jesus himself taught, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 45:40)
I suppose one of the most compelling reasons for studying the tragedy of Gibeah, is so that we do not repeat it. Every man and woman should be vigilant, and if the tendency to be cruel or to be selfish appears in us, it is on that individual to go to Christ..."denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;" (Titus 2:12)
