23rd.: “Hand them over!”; “No!!”
Does God judge sin?
In Judges 19:1-30 we see that
The town of Gibeah had developed sins similar to Sodom and Gomorrah.
The other tribes heard that the men of Gibeah had abused one lady so much that she died.
These tribes came en-mass to Gibeah.
They demanded justice.
The guilty parties had to be punish.
But the tribe of Benjamin said, ‘No!’ (Judg. 20:1-13).
The eleven tribes of Israel mobilized. They asked the Lord,
“… went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, ‘Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin?’
And the Lord said, ‘Judah first.’” (Judg. 20:18).
Unfortunately, the eleven tribes lost the first battle.
The eleven tribes again, “ ... asked counsel of the Lord, saying,
‘Shall I go up against the children of Benjamin my brother?’ And the Lord said, ‘Go up against him.’” (Judg. 20:23).
The tribe of Benjamin won the second battle as well.
“And the children of Israel inquired of the Lord … ‘Shall I yet again go out against the children of Benjamin,
… or shall I cease’ And the Lord said, ‘Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into thine hands.’” (Judg. 20:27-28).
With this battle, the tribe of Benjamin was almost totally destroyed.
When asking the Lord, it is good, if possible, to get His assurances
of what He will do, in addition to what we are supposed to do.