Israel Destroys Benjamin For That Awful Business Back In Chapter 19
- All of Israel (except the Benjamites) gathers to discuss this horrific affair.
- The Levite husband tells his story, and Israel decides to kill the men of Gibeah who did the deed.
- They demand that the tribe of Benjamin give up the guilty men in Gibeah, but Benjamin refuses.
- This means war.
- Israel gathers a huge posse, including 700 left-handed soldiers who could sling stones with devastating accuracy. If Judges teaches us anything, it's don't mess with lefties.
- But Benjamin defeats Israel in their first huge battle.
- Israel's worried, so they ask the Lord if they should continue the war.
- The Lord promises that tomorrow he'll deliver Benjamin into Israel's hands.
- In the next battle, Israel hides part of their army around Gibeah.
- Other soldiers draw Benjamin's army out of the city, and Benjamin chases them into the highways and fields outside the city.
- Meanwhile, the hidden warriors around Gibeah come out and ransack the city.
- When the Benjamites catch up to the Israelites, they fight hard, but get driven back by Israel.
- The Israelites in Gibeah start a huge fire to signal to their army that they've taken the city.
- The Benjamites realize that they've been duped, and try to run into the wilderness, but the Israelites slaughter them.
- Only 600 Benjamites escape into the wilderness to a place called the rock of Rimmon.
- Israel's army continues its war against Benjamin, killing every man and beast and burning every Benjamite city.