Today I read Judges 21, in which the Israelites war against the tribe of Benjamin caused an issue concerning wives for the Benjamites. Today I considered that we need to keep some type of leadership structure in place for the safety of the innocent.
Killing and Kidnaping to Obtain Wives
Israelites turned to killing and kidnaping to obtain wives for the Benjamites (Judges 21:1-25). The men of Israel realized they created a problem by swearing not to allow their daughters to marry men in the tribe of Benjamin. The Benjamite wives were killed during the war and the warriors that escaped had no wives. All the tribes went before the Lord in Mizpeh except Jabesh-gilead. They sent 12,000 men to kill everyone in Jabesh-gilead except the young virgin women so they could be brides for the Benjamites. There were not enough women for the warriors so they told the Benjamites to steal daughters of Shiloh. The daughters of Shiloh came to dance in dances for the feast of the Lord in Shiloh. The Benjamites kidnapped wives from Shiloh. There was still no king of the land so people did whatever they thought was right.
Questions and Thoughts for Today
Many people believe we would be better off if we started over in the world without leadership. They are unsatisfied with how things are, but what would happen to the innocent people. The Bible shows us that an entire group of innocent women and children were killed to obtain innocent women as wives, and more women were stolen and kidnapped to be wives. This is not a scenario I want to happen. If leadership changes, we need better leadership to take their place.
What do you think about the world needing leaders?