Judges 20: A Woman Dismembered; A Nation Divided

The Rev. Dustin Beck, pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Warda, TX, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study the Judges 20.

In response to the horrific crimes committed by some Benjaminite men in Gibeah against his concubine, a Levite sends parts of her body to the twelve tribes of Israel calling for retribution and justice. The tribe of Benjamin refuses to hand over those responsible. This sparks a civil war where all sides suffer heavy casualties. During the third round of battle, the Benjaminites are defeated and only 600 men escape the fight. Will the other Israelites live to regret their near extermination of their fellow kinsmen?

The Book of Judges tells the story of Israel's descent into chaos and idolatry, and the subsequent rise of a series of judges, or redeemers, who deliver them from their enemies. The judges are flawed heroes, but they are also instruments of God's deliverance. The book ends with the Israelites in a state of moral and spiritual decay, but it also offers hope for a better future.