Lots of good stuff in the reading this morning. There's the military tactics and the fact that the LORD lets so many of the other tribes be slaughtered before they actually win the battle. As I read this chapter though and about the thousands upon thousands that died in this 3 day battle, I thought about why they died, why they went to war in the first place. Some very perverse men in Gibeah decide they want to have their way with the Levite. The Levite gives them his concubine in his place and then when she dies, not acknowledging his own cowardice and guilt in giving her, incites Israel to take vengeange for her life. He incites them against an entire clan because of a few men's actions and thousands upon thousands men on both sides die.
How many wars have been started similarly? Thousands upon thousands die to find and put to death a minority that commit atrocities against humankind. Countries allow rulers to persecute, torture and murder innocent men, women and children for political purposes and then... Then, when it gets so huge that the world cannot help but acknowledge the atrocities, the rest of the world decides they should help the innocent. The problem is, at this late date, even more innocent will die in order to stop those barbaric rulers.
So this morning, I wonder why the people of Gibeah allowed men to live in such a way that would eventually stir up all of Israel against them. I wonder too, about this Levite, this priest, who gave a woman to suffer for him and then, not acknowledging his own cowardice, stirred up a battle where so many of his own people died - in a sense defending his honor - honor that he did not have in the first place.
How many wars have been started similarly? Thousands upon thousands die to find and put to death a minority that commit atrocities against humankind. Countries allow rulers to persecute, torture and murder innocent men, women and children for political purposes and then... Then, when it gets so huge that the world cannot help but acknowledge the atrocities, the rest of the world decides they should help the innocent. The problem is, at this late date, even more innocent will die in order to stop those barbaric rulers.
So this morning, I wonder why the people of Gibeah allowed men to live in such a way that would eventually stir up all of Israel against them. I wonder too, about this Levite, this priest, who gave a woman to suffer for him and then, not acknowledging his own cowardice, stirred up a battle where so many of his own people died - in a sense defending his honor - honor that he did not have in the first place.
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