TOPIC: GRIEVE FOR THE PERISHING
The men of Israel had taken an oath at Mizpah: "Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.” The people went to Bethel, where they sat before God until evening, raising their voices and weeping bitterly. "Lord, God of Israel,” they cried, "why has this happened to Israel? Why should one tribe be missing from Israel today?” Early the next day the people built an altar and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Israelites asked, "Who from all the tribes of Israel has failed to assemble before the Lord?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to assemble before the Lord at Mizpah was to be put to death.
Now the Israelites grieved for the tribe of Benjamin, their fellow Israelites. "Today one tribe is cut off from Israel,” they said. "How can we provide wives for those who are left, since we have taken an oath by the Lord not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?” Then they asked, "Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to assemble before the Lord at Mizpah?” They discovered that no one from Jabesh Gilead had come to the camp for the assembly. For when they counted the people, they found that none of the people of Jabesh Gilead were there.
So the assembly sent twelve thousand fighting men with instructions to go to Jabesh Gilead and put to the sword those living there, including the women and children. "This is what you are to do,” they said. "Kill every male and every woman who is not a virgin.” They found among the people living in Jabesh Gilead four hundred young women who had never slept with a man, and they took them to the camp at Shiloh in Canaan.”
The tribe of Benjamin became a thorn and traitor to Israel and they were put to sword but the entire Israel community was not happy about their victory. This is a sign of a true love when one of us (Christians) backslides and become a traitor we need to grieve for him/her for the Lord is not happy about the death of a sinner. He wants all men to come to repentance. Even when we are to discipline those who rebel against the authority of the local church we need to do that in the spirit of love and gentleness.
Prayer:-pray for the perishing and all those who are weak in the faith
pray for the increase of your faith in Christ
What to meditate on:
What are signs of backsliding from the faith (reason from the bible)?