Little Benjamin defeats all the other tribes? Obviously the 11 had some hard lessons to learn, too!
“So all the children of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, as well as from the land of Gilead” (Jdg 20:1), and gathered at Mizpah. There “the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered” (v 4), recounts the shocking story. He doesn’t even mention how inhospitable they were, leaving him outdoors until a visitor invited them in. Nor does he mention the sexual perversion of the men, but what he says is more than enough. The men are guilty of conspiracy, gang-rape, and murder. Immediately the nation vows to resolve the matter before “any turn back to his house” (v 8). But first—and this is encouraging—they sent word to the Benjamites. “What is this wickedness that has occurred among you? Now therefore, deliver up the men, the perverted men who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and remove the evil from Israel!” (vv 12-13). But Benjamin closes rank and refuses. This means war! Selecting 10% of their fighting men, 400,000 “who drew the sword” (v 17), they arrayed themselves against 26,700 from Benjamin. Then, belatedly, Israel decided they should check in with God. Who should lead, they asked? They should have known the answer: “Judah first!” (v 18). But it didn’t work out well! Once, then twice, they attacked and, all told, Israel lost 40,000 men! They “went up and wept before the Lord until evening” (v 23), but the Lord insisted they attack again. Using the tactics from the second battle of Ai, they ambushed Benjamin, and this time they broke. “And the children of Israel destroyed that day twenty-five thousand one hundred Benjamites; all these drew the sword” (v 35). Just 1,200 Benjamite soldiers left! Sin is expensive, but being unwilling to deal with it runs the tab up so much higher!