Author: John Tillman

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Judges 21 Listen: (3:47) Read: Hebrews 8 Listen: (2:22)

Scripture Focus: Judges 21.2-7

1 The men of Israel had taken an oath at Mizpah: “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.” 2 The people went to Bethel, where they sat before God until evening, raising their voices and weeping bitterly. 3 “Lord, God of Israel,” they cried, “why has this happened to Israel? Why should one tribe be missing from Israel today?” 4 Early the next day the people built an altar and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. 5 Then the Israelites asked, “Who from all the tribes of Israel has failed to assemble before the Lord?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to assemble before the Lord at Mizpah was to be put to death. 6 Now the Israelites grieved for the tribe of Benjamin, their fellow Israelites. “Today one tribe is cut off from Israel,” they said. 7 “How can we provide wives for those who are left, since we have taken an oath by the Lord not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?”

“War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good.” — Jimmy Carter

Reflection: War Machines Have No Brakes

By John Tillman

Just reasons to fight a war don’t always translate to fighting a just war.

The brutal civil war against the tribe of Benjamin began for morally just reasons. The death of the Levite’s concubine was a wake-up call to wickedness that had become normal. Israel did not leap to war—they began reluctantly. They wanted justice, not war. Benjamin’s tribalistic protection of the wrongdoers forced a war.

However, once at war, they didn’t stop until it was almost too late. The “just war” became a massacre and the massacre a near genocide. Israel realized in victory that they had lost, even though they won.

War should always be entered reluctantly, with good moral reasons, and a clear end in mind. However, once war begins, everyone goes too far—yes, everyone. (In biblical and world history, I see no real exceptions to this.) In the Bible, war is personified as “the sword” and is not a passive tool but a corrupting influence. When we live by the sword, we will die by it, but before we die by it, we will think like it. (Matthew 26.52)

Among the frequent casualties of war are principles and moral character. The longer we stay in a warlike mode, the likelier it is we will conduct that conflict in increasingly sinful ways. The machine of war has no brakes. Even if you step on the gas for good reason, unintended casualties are guaranteed. The old saying about sin could be paraphrased about war: War will take you farther than you want to go, last longer than you have to give, and cost more than you can afford to lose.

Most of us will never choose whether our nation goes to war, even if we chose the leader who does. However, shooting wars are not the only kind. A corrupted, warlike mindset often pops up on the news, in social media comments, in political speeches, and even in some pulpits.

War-related metaphors in scripture about “the armor of God” and “tearing down strongholds” are metaphors. Beware when someone starts implying we should consider them more than that. Beware calls to war.

Be careful in your advocacy and teaching. It is good to call for justice, to oppose evil, to demand and speak the truth. Silence is not an option in the face of evil. (Judges 19.30) However, guard your heart and don’t set out for or be sent to war.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting

Be exalted, O Lord, in your might; we will sing and praise your power. — Psalm 21.14

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summer
by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: Of Pride and The Sword

In scripture the sword is not inanimate. The sword is hungry, with an appetite to devour…

Read more: The Sword Versus The Cross

The only way back is to repent and take up the cross instead of the sword.

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Judges 19  Listen: (4:52) Read: Hebrews 6 Listen: (2:58)

Scripture Focus: Judges 19.20b, 27-30

20b “Only don’t spend the night in the square.”

27 When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. 28 He said to her, “Get up; let’s go.” But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home. 29 When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel. 30 Everyone who saw it was saying to one another, “Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Just imagine! We must do something! So speak up!”

Reflection: Facing Ugly Truths

By John Tillman

The final chapters of Judges are intended to shock readers. They succeed.

Like a character in the first reel of a horror film, the old man says, “Only don’t spend the night in the square.” This ominous foreshadowing is also connected to the past.

The only prophet in Judges is Deborah, however, the writers have a prophetic narrative voice. They expect readers to notice nearly word-for-word parallels between Sodom and Gibeah. Like Lot in Sodom, the old man in Gibeah insisted the travelers stay at his home. (Genesis 19.2-3) Why? Both men knew spending the night in the square was unsafe. Wickedness wasn’t a surprise—it was a normality.

The writers assume readers will notice the distance between what God commanded and what the people and leaders regularly did. This is true with judges, like Jephthah, who went from heroes to villains and it is especially true in the final chapters which have no judges at all—just people doing “as they saw fit.” (Judges 21.25)

If we look for heroes here, we won’t find them. Everyone is compromised and corrupted. Even the Levite (perhaps especially the Levite) turns our stomach. He sends his concubine out to rapists to spare himself, then goes to sleep in safety. The next morning, he expects her to get up and go with him, but she is dead on the doorstep. In the New Bible Commentary, Barry Webb says, “In retrospect we can understand very well why his concubine found it impossible to live with him.” Reconciling with this man led directly to her death.

The mutilation of the woman’s body, cut up and sent as evidence, offends many readers, yet is the least unjust thing done to her. The evidence of her abuse was an ugly, undeniable, inconvenient truth shoved in Israel’s face. There was no way to claim “fake news,” blame the data, or blame the victim. Confronted with the concubine’s story, Israel rightly said, “We must do something! So speak up!” (Judges 19.30)

When ugly truths that should shock us come to light today, how do we face them? Do we do something? Say something? Or do we deny the brutal evidence? Protect our own? Are we more offended at being shocked than inspired toward justice?

Further chapters reveal that Israel’s response was also a moral tragedy. May we respond with more wisdom, but may we always speak and act to bring justice to the vulnerable.

From John: This post is not specifically about sexual abuse. Any wickedness can be normalized and should be opposed. However, many survivors of sexual abuse and other forms of abuse have, through their repeated testimonies, had their bodies metaphorically cut into parts and sent out as evidence of their suffering. Too many times, tribes have not responded as Israel did. Too many times such evidence is denied or used against the victims, despite the emotional sacrifices and pain of sharing it. If you know someone who has experienced sexual abuse or are a victim and need assistance with counseling or reporting what has happened, contact RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network). RAINN is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800.656.HOPE. There may also be excellent local organizations in your city or state.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Morning Psalm

Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
Their delight is in the law of the Lord, and they meditate on his law day and night.
They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; everything they do shall prosper.
It is not so with the wicked; they are like the chaff which the wind blows away.
Therefore, the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed.

— Psalm 1

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summer
by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: Ancient #MeToo Story

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Read more: Woe to Abusers and Victimizers

Habakkuk describes the host of a party who betrays his neighbors by getting them drunk and then taking sexual advantage of them.

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Judges 18 Listen: (4:39) Read: Hebrews 5 Listen: (1:57)

Scripture Focus: Judges 18.23-25

23 As they shouted after them, the Danites turned and said to Micah, “What’s the matter with you that you called out your men to fight?” 24 He replied, “You took the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you ask, ‘What’s the matter with you?’ ” 25 The Danites answered, “Don’t argue with us, or some of the men may get angry and attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.”

Reflection: Resist Weaponizing Spiritual Things

By John Tillman

In The Book of Eli, Denzel Washington (Eli) carries a Bible he has sworn to protect across a violent, post-apocalyptic United States.

A brutal, book-obsessed warlord named Carnegie (played by Gary Oldman and not-so-subtly named to reference Andrew Carnegie, famous for building libraries) demands Eli give it to him.

After many fighters die trying to take the Bible, Carnegie’s lieutenant questions whether “a book” is worth the spilled blood and spent resources. Carnegie responds, “It’s not a book. It’s a weapon. A weapon aimed right at the hearts and minds of the weak and the desperate.”

The final chapters of Judges share a similar apocalyptic brutality with the film. When everyone did “as they saw fit,” (Judges 21.25) wicked hearts were exposed and chaos and violence reigned.

Levites were intended to live in their own towns and serve all the tribes at the Tabernacle. However, Micah hired a Levite to serve at his private shrine of “household gods.” Seemingly ignorant of all the laws they were violating, Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me…” (Judges 17.13)

When warriors from the tribe of Dan made the Levite a better offer, he left with them. Micah pursued, crying, “You took my gods and my priest! What else do I have?”

Micah’s cry, “What else do I have?” is partially correct. It is good to recognize, “Whom have I in heaven but you?” However, we mustn’t forget the second line: “And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” (Psalm 73.25)

Micah, the Danite warriors, and the fictional Carnegie had mercenary attitudes about God, worship, and his ministers. They valued the things of God as personal weapons and tools to enrich and comfort themselves.

Beware of developing mercenary attitudes toward God, ministers, or the Bible. The Bible isn’t a weapon for winning earthly arguments. Ministers should serve everyone, not one political tribe. God doesn’t owe us blessings in exchange for worship, especially when our worship is often polluted with false “household gods,” like political and cultural ideologies.

God won’t be anyone’s mercenary and he looks unkindly on weaponizing the Bible for earthly purposes. Don’t surrender spiritual things to those who want to weaponize them to obtain earthly things.

No spoilers, however, in the film Carnegie can’t use the Bible even after winning it in battle and Eli still guards it even after it is taken from him. So may it be with us.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Morning Psalm

The Lord is King; let the people tremble; he is enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth shake.
The Lord is great in Zion; he is high above all peoples.
Let them confess his Name, which is great and awesome; he is the Holy One.
O mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. — Psalm 99.1-4

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summer
by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: Keep Drinking the Milk of the Word

In Hebrews chapter 5, the author wishes to discuss complicated topics…But…the readers are not ready for such theological complexity…

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