[Heather95]

Re: Series of the greatest smitings in the Bible.

Today's story comes from Judges 19-21. It's not really the smiting that is so important, but the cause and after effects. I'm going to do this one in three parts.

You might want to put the kids to bed for this one. It is truly a story of epic betrayal and smiting on so many levels.

The Background

It all begins with our anti-hero a Levite priest. He is unnamed in this story. We only know him as the Levite.

Our main character has taken a concubine of Bethlehemjudah. A nice Jewish girl.

Judges 19:1 And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.

This woman cheats on him and then runs off to her father's house.

2And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months.

Being the gutless fellow he is, he runs after her to her father's to try to talk some sense into her instead of kicking her to the curb.

And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her

Total beta move. The father of the unnamed woman comes to greet him. They go through this ritual every day of the Levite trying to leave with his woman and the father asking him to stay to eat and drink another night. Finally after the sixth day the Levite would tarry no longer. He has to split. I think this may have angered God. The man sitting idly around eating and drinking for 6 days.

The man, his servant and his concubine come to a Jebusite town. The servant wants them to stay there for the night, but the Levite says no.
He wants to travel on further to a town that the Benjamites that his fellow Jewish cousins own.

12 We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.
14And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.

The Levite comes to Gibeah that his fellow Jewish cousins own and there he meets an old man. The two get to talking and it is decided that the Levite and his family will stay there. Everything is working out splendidly.

18 there is no man that receiveth me to house.
19Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.
20And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.
21So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.

Then suddenly there comes a knock at the door. A mob has formed at the old man's house wanting to rape the Levite.

Judges 19:22 Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.

Hmmm, sounds familiar to some other story I might have read. In the other story, God punishes the offenders more quickly. This event must be completely unrelated.

The old man the master of the house walks outside and talks to them offering his virgin daughter (Only one this time) and the Levite's concubine.

24Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.

The men would not listen, so the Levite took his concubine and threw her out to the crowd where they commenced to rape her all night long.

25But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.

After the mob had raped her all night long, the Levite found his concubine dead on the steps of his host's house.

27And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.

The man proceeds to cut his concubine to into 12 pieces to send a piece to each of the tribes of Israel.

The smiting can proceed against the Benjamites now.

Hmm... Dont get me wrong, I love all of the word of God, but this smiting tends to just make me shrug and grin... I like the ones that make me rub my hands together in amusment

[Pastor William Nathaniel Sampson]

Re: Series of the greatest smitings in the Bible.

Hmm... Dont get me wrong, I love all of the word of God, but this smiting tends to just make me shrug and grin... I like the ones that make me rub my hands together in amusment

Opening part, grasshopper. It's a three parter. You could always read ahead in the source material if you are so excited to see what happens.

[Pastor William Nathaniel Sampson]

Re: Series of the greatest smitings in the Bible.

Part 2 The council and the civil war.

This section comes from Judges 20. The tribes, having received their piece of concubine flesh, call a council at Gilead at a place specifically called the Mizpah loosely translated as watchtower.

At this council 400,000 armed men have gathered to hear the tale of the chopped up concubine. The Levite recounts the story and the tribes of Israel agree that their cousins the Benjamites are responsible for the act.

The tribes march to Gibeah the place where the rape had occurred and demand the lives of the men responsible for this. The Benjamites refuse their kinsman's request for justice.

Not only do they refuse the request, but they had heard back in verse 3 that the children of Israel were gathering this council. I suppose they took the time to prepare for war, because as soon as the tribes of Israel ask for the murderous sodomite rapists, the people of the tribes of Benjamin go on the offensive.

The order of Battle

On the Benjamite side Judges 20 tells us that they had 26,000 men. The city where the rape took place, Gibeah also sent 700 men to the battle. Among the Benjamites were 700 specialized left handers that could throw a stone at something no larger than a hair and not miss.

I'm sure that if Major League Baseball had existed at the time, they would have been salivating at the prospect.

On the Israeli side they have 400,000 men with sword.

It should be no contest. The Benjamites are in the wrong. God Himself has spoken on the matter and tells them that the men of Judah should be the first to attack (verse 18.)

I guess God told them to send Judah first to test the resolve of Israel, because the tribes go for it head on and get their butts kicked.

Day one: 22,000 good guys smitten

21And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.

Discouraged by their route at the hand of 25,000 men of Benjamin vs. 400,000 of Israel. The tribes of Israel try again with the same battle array and same game plan. They charge at Gibeah again, but this time before they do, they ask God again, "Should we do this?" God says, verse 23 "Go up against him."

God said it they do it and the result?

Day two: 18,000 good guys smitten.

Judges 20:25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.

Satan must have a tight grip on the Benjamites or the children of God just don't have enough faith because they have lost 40,000 men against the Benjamites 25,000 or so total soldiers.

Day three the Israelites are beside themselves. They go to the house of the LORD, fast and burn offerings.

27And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,


I mean, I'm sure they didn't really think the ark of the covenant actually contained Yahweh or anything, but they make their contrition just the same.

28And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.

Do you remember Phinehas? He was the righteous priest who killed the Israelite and Moabite woman for miscegenation staving off Yahweh's righteous anger from destroying all of Israel.

Day three: This time God guarantees victory!

This time the Israelites send out men into the field to set an ambush.
On the third day the Israelites line up and march into the field of battle looking exactly like the same army that had been routed the previous two days. The battle begins in the same way looking like another clear victory for the Benjamites. Then the Israeli army does a feigned retreat to draw the men of Benjamin from the city.

The Benjamites are confident that they can finish it and have a clear victory over the Israelis.

32And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.

Now, it's time to spring the trap. The men that were in ambush are behind the enemies lines. They make a run for the supplies and sleeping places in Gibeah while the Benjamite army is away pursuing the Israelites.

The men in ambush destroy the enemy camp at Gibeah and then the Benjamite army is stuck between 10,000 soldiers at their rear and a few hundred thousand at their front.

46So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.



So evil was finally punished that day at a very high cost in life.

65,000 dead

Up next: the aftermath of the civil war. The oath against the Benjamites and the Jews sympathy for their cousins in the face of their oath.

[Pastor William Nathaniel Sampson]

Re: Series of the greatest smitings in the Bible.

Alright. I'm finally getting around to this. Sorry for the delay.

I finally present to you...

Part 3 The aftermath of the civil war.

This section comes from Judges 21. Before the Benjamite vs. Israel civil war the rest of Israel swore that they would never allow the Benjamites to marry their daughters.

Judges 21:1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.

This causes God to feel sorry by the lack of one of His tribes marital prospects.

Judges 21:3 And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?

Surprisingly enough, the people of Israel agree with God. They hold a council to decide what should be done. Is is decided that anyone who didn't show up to kill the Benjamites will have to give wives to them. So that's exactly what they do.

Judges 21:8 And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabeshgilead to the assembly.

So they are going to send people to purchase and negotiate for wives for their cousins the Benjamites, right?

Um, not quite. They have a completely different idea.

Judges 21:10-11 And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.
And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.

This sounds rather familiar. I think I may have read something similar in Numbers 31. Of course this is an equally good cause, like hiring Balaam to curse Israel. This is a punishment for not helping kill the Benjamites, by giving all their virginal women to the the tribe of Benjamin. Makes sense..

Judges 21:12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.


The Benjamites carry off their captives.

400 virgins. That's quite a score! The matter is closed, right?

Er, not quite.

Judges 21:14 And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead: and yet so they sufficed them not.

We need more virgins!

The elders of Israel speak again lamenting that God has caused a breech in one of the tribes and without more wives the tribe of Benjamin will die out.
They still can't marry their daughters to them, so they come up with another elegant solution.

They tell the Benjamites about a festival held at Shiloh.

19Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
20Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
21And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

They are going to wait in the bushes until the women come and dance. I'm sure they just want to talk to them and ask them on dates, right? Right?


23And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.

Praise God. Another great smiting. He is great!

[DDM1985]

Re: Series of the greatest smitings in the Bible.

Part 3: The escape.


Lot attempts to gather his sons-in-law, but they mock him.

Still in Genesis 19 14And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.

I thought his daughters were virgins. Maybe it was other daughters.

It's time to go. Your Sunday school teacher might have made is sound like they made a run for it once the angels blinded the men of the city, but that's not the case. Those whom were blinded have had all night to run around screaming in darkness. Lot doesn't leave until the next morning.

15And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
17And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

The plan is to go to a small city called Zoar.

20Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
22Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
23The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.

Now that Lot has finally entered the city of Zoar, God can begin His work.

24Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;

As we all know Lot's wife looked back and was made a pillar of salt, which must have been the original will of the LORD. He was paving the way for the final chapter of this epic smiting.

You know what one of my favourites is? The slaughter of the prophets of Ba'al, when Elijah won the contest. He sure taught them to not kill innocent people!
(Of course, the smilies in that image are not innocent; just look at their violent and threatening actions! But, like God smote people who murdered and oppressed others, God could smite those smilies...)

[Rev. Edward Clement]

Re: Series of the greatest smitings in the Bible.

You know what one of my favourites is? The slaughter of the prophets of Ba'al, when Elijah won the contest. He sure taught them to not kill innocent people!

Oh yes, that is an amazing account of the Lord's judgement upon the wicked, through the hands of His Prophets.

The passage you are talking about is this one.

1 Kings 18:22-40

18:22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

18:23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:

18:24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. 18:25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. 18:26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. 18:27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.

Elijah taunts the Heretics by getting them to cut themselves a little deeper. Many of the Heretics died, and went to hell, that day.
18:28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 18:29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

Like the false-prophets that they were, their prophacies were to no avail!
18:30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.

Elijah was a True-Man of God for he repaired what the heathen heretics had torn down.
18:31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: 18:32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. 18:33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. 18:34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. 18:35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

18:36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
18:37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
18:39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God. 18:40And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there

We know that the Lord was very pleased because in the following verse he sent rain to end a long drought.

18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.

This is an example to True-Christians™ that other religions are not to be tolerated, as the libertard false-Christians, claim.

[Pastor William Nathaniel Sampson]

Re: Series of the greatest smitings in the Bible.

Oh yes, that is an amazing account of the Lord's judgement upon the wicked, through the hands of His Prophets.

The passage you are talking about is this one.

1 Kings 18:22-40

18:22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

18:23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:

18:24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. 18:25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. 18:26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. 18:27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.

Elijah taunts the Heretics by getting them to cut themselves a little deeper. Many of the Heretics died, and went to hell, that day.
18:28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 18:29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

Like the false-prophets that they were, their prophacies were to no avail!
18:30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.

Elijah was a True-Man of God for he repaired what the heathen heretics had torn down.
18:31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: 18:32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. 18:33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. 18:34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. 18:35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

18:36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
18:37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
18:39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God. 18:40And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there

We know that the Lord was very pleased because in the following verse he sent rain to end a long drought.

18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.

This is an example to True-Christians™ that other religions are not to be tolerated, as the libertard false-Christians, claim.

I just love that one!

[krackrjax]

Re: Series of the greatest smitings in the Bible.

I wonder how many other days God commands us to keep Holy, people fail to do? Not only does God take care of His own, but those who are His, can use the beasts and animals to assist them. I have a dog that can detect evil before it comes near. Pastor, what passage puts the sabbath on Sunday? since He rested on the 7th day, and the week begins on sunday according to the calender i am looking at, would put the sabbath on saturday. What am i dping wrong?

[Pim Pendergast]

Re: Series of the greatest smitings in the Bible.

I wonder how many other days God commands us to keep Holy, people fail to do? Not only does God take care of His own, but those who are His, can use the beasts and animals to assist them. I have a dog that can detect evil before it comes near. Pastor, what passage puts the sabbath on Sunday? since He rested on the 7th day, and the week begins on sunday according to the calender i am looking at, would put the sabbath on saturday. What am i dping wrong?

God indeed rested on Saturday, the seventh day (Gen 2:2-3), and He commanded the children of Israel to observe a Saturday Sabbath (Ex 20:8-10). But you haven't taken Psalm 118 into account.

Ps 118:22-24
22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
23 This is the Lord's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

This is a Messianic prophecy. These verses foretell that the Sabbath would change. The stone that the builders rejected is Jesus. When He rose from the dead, He became the cornerstone.

Acts 4:10-11 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

He rose on the first day of the week, a Sunday.

Mk 16:9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

So according to Psalm 118, this is the day that the Lord has made. All God's people are to rejoice and be glad -- i.e., praise God -- on Sunday, as the early church did.

Acts 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

1 Cor 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

So God expressly commanded that the Sabbath be observed on Saturday.

Ex 20:19-10a Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God:

But the new Testament tells us that Psalm 118 is about Jesus, so we know it's a prophecy, and if we look at the New Testament, we can see that that prophecy was fulfilled. We also know from the New Testament that the early church gathered on Sunday, and if we look at Psalm 118, we can see that this change was foretold.

I don't understand why the Jews can't see this. The whole Old Testament screams Jesus from every page.

[Pastor Ezekiel]

Re: Series of the greatest smitings in the Bible.

What am i dping wrong?

I'd venture a guess that you're smoking too much niggerweed or skinflute.

Or both.

[see_the_light]

Re: Series of the greatest smitings in the Bible.

I always enjoyed when GOD smites slowly, personally, bidding HIS time until the sinner is either purged and back in HIS sweet embrace (properly rodded) or sent to hell.

1 Chronicles 10:13

So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it;


That's the advantage of being GOD, you don't have to worry about killing your unruly child before the proper time, he can only die when HE decides.

PRAISE THE LORD!