Judges 19-21

The last three chapter depict a sad time in the history of ancient Israel. The story clearly displays the fragility of our faith, our tendency to violently defend the sins of those closest to us, and our willingness to seek our right regardless of the cost to unity of the body. (Even in the time of Israel the unity of God's children was an expression of their common faith). There is a powerful lesson in the response of the 10 tribes at the decimation of the people of Benjamin: they mourned. They cried for those who died in their sins, who had defended those sinners, and those executed by association. They were also sorrowful because a part of God's people had been wiped out. Israel had not won the day: sin had!  Rightness had been defeated that day by evil. It was no time for joy and celebration; death had conquered the army of the LORD of hosts. I think the sorrow in the people was a reflection of God's heart as well. His people had rejected truth and had fought with weapons of the world along the lines of allegiances of the world; family rather than faith. The book of Judges ends with a statement that is a paradox. From a worldly perspective Israel had no king; so the statement was true. But from an eternal perspective God was established as their king; Israel's rejection of his rule led to the conflict, the consequences, and the crying.
Stuart