In Judges 19, there was a depraved incident where a mob of homosexual Benjamites wanted to have sexual relations with a Levite man who was spending the night at Gibeah. In response, the Levite offered his accompanying concubine to be gang-raped by the perverted mob, and eventually she was killed. This depraved incident then sparked a civil war in Judges 20, between the other eleven tribes of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, which ended in the near extermination of the tribe of Benjamin.  

As I read about the civil war in this chapter, three things stand out to me, which made me reflect on my attitude towards dealing with sin: the eleven tribes’ persistence, Benjamin’s complacence, and God’s activeness. 

The eleven tribes’ persistence in relying on God 

It is remarkable how the eleven tribes persisted in inquiring of God despite being defeated by the Benjamites twice (Judges 20:21-28). Although they were grieved and disappointed about their losses, they did not blame God for ‘misguiding’ them, nor did they give up on inquiring of God before battling again. 

Similarly, today, getting rid of sin requires persistence. While we may not succeed at our first try, like the eleven tribes, we ought to persist in relying on God to defeat our sinful thoughts and habits.  

When our battle with sin feels like a losing one, remember that God has already promised to make a way of escape for us out of every temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13) – meaning, so long as we rely on God, our victory over sin is guaranteed. Furthermore, God has given us the Holy Spirit that can empower us to put to death our sinful deeds (Romans 8:13). 

What sins am I struggling to get rid of, that need more of my persistence along with God’s power? Commit these to prayer today.   

Benjamin’s complacency about their sins 

While fighting the other tribes, the Benjamites repeated a statement that showed their smugness over their earlier victories: “They are defeated before us, as at first.” (Judges 20:32, 39) Ironically, they said this during the final battle which ended in their defeat. 

Sometimes when we sin, our life continues to be smooth, with nothing bad happening to us. No one calls out our faults; perhaps because no one even knows about them. God may even appear silent towards our sins. However, from the bible and various testimonies, we know God’s silence does not mean He is unaware or will not punish our sins. Our God is all-knowing (Proverbs 15:3), and a righteous Judge who will bring all our works into judgement, including every secret thing, whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:14).   

Am I at risk of becoming like the Benjamites – complacent about my sins, because God has yet to punish me? If yes, let us pray for God to tenderise our hearts so that we can feel the sting of sin and come to our spiritual senses.     

God’s activeness in removing sins 

Although God would have been displeased with His people’s disunity, He still always answered the eleven tribes’ inquiries whenever they asked for His direction during the battle. Moreover, twice, God told the eleven tribes to continue fighting against Benjamin despite their defeat and emotional hesitance as they started calling Benjamin “my brother” (Judges 20:23, 28).

While it may seem cruel of God to nearly exterminate the Benjamites in this way, we know that God chastens and scourges those whom He loves and calls His sons, so that they can be holy like their heavenly Father (Hebrews 12:6, 10). Furthermore, the bible repeatedly highlights how God is exceedingly zealous about purifying His people, such that they single-mindedly love Him, like a devoted wife towards her husband (Zechariah 1:14; James 4:5; Hosea 2:19-20). 

How can I respond better to God’s active and zealous efforts (e.g. chastening, trials) to remove my sins?