The Bottom of the Barrel
We recognize that, even though we like to think we’re all unique, there’s a lot of truth to the statement,
“Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
That’s why we’re studying the book of Judges: this series explores the very human pattern that emerges when we confront challenging times in our lives. We’ve seen that pattern play out in Judges through the lives of both Gideon and Jephthah. (Remember: the Judges are heroes, champions that God raised up to save Israel – don’t think Wapner, Judy or Joe Brown!)
We saw Gideon doubt God and Jephthah confused God with the culture surrounding him. Neither of them took the opportunities they had to break out of Israel’s downward spiral of disobedience.
This week, we’re going to look at what happens if we don’t choose to break free. What happens when we run out of people to blame. This week, we reach the bottom of the barrel.
We’re going to look at the tragic, horrible and shocking end to the book of Judges – the Benjaminite War in Judges 19-21. Read the story (and brace yourself!).
What shocks me is that the Israelites become the very thing they hate. They set out to avenge rape but in the end authorize the rape of over 500 girls. How could that happen? And how can we learn from this history so that we too do not become the very thing we hate?
