Judges 20:19-28 - Go up against them

20:19-23

The battle did not start well for Israel. The Benjaminites killed twenty two thousand Israelites on the first day. However, the Israelites encouraged one another, they were not disheartened by the scale of the loss. They also wept before the Lord and inquired of Him. They asked the Lord whether or not they should go and fight against the Benjaminites. Now we know all too well from Judges that their hearts were far from perfect, but we see here some good points. They reacted to the loss in the right way. They did not give up in despair, but prayed to the Lord and asked of Him. They also seem to have been concerned that they were fighting against their “fellow Israelites”, realising that this was far from an ideal situation, yet the sin of Benjamin was great. God tells them to continue the fight.

20:24-28

They fight again, but the result is little better. This time another eighteen thousand men were killed by the Benjaminites. The Israelites continue to react in the right way. They go up to Bethel to seek the Lord, this time with the addition of fasting and burnt offerings. Again they inquire of the Lord, and He tells them to go up to do battle again, but this time promises that He will give them into their hands. So we see once again that the outcome of the battle is in the Lord’s hands. There is the question of why God allowed the two days of great losses. Perhaps it was to make the people inquire of Him.