I’m still considering, Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer[1] as a description of love rather than as rules to obey. This essay picks up where I left off in the previous essay considering Phinehas’ background and role in events at Gibeah.
Now you have rescued the Israelites from the Lord’s (yehôvâh, יהוה) judgment,[2] Phinehas told the descendents of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh after hearing their defense. It may not be obvious in the NET but it was a very poor choice of words: Now you have delivered (nâtsal, הצלתם) the children of Israel out of the hand (yâd, מיד) of the Lord (yehôvâh).[3] It is not possible according to yehôvâh, Nor is there any who (ʼayin, ואין; literally, nothing) can deliver (nâtsal, מציל) from My hand (yâd).[4] Beyond that, it was yehôvâh who delivered Israel from the hand of their enemies.
O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord (yehôvâh),[5] Jacob prayed. Rescue (nâtsal, הצילני) me, I pray, from the hand (yâd, מיד) of my brother Esau…[6] The Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה) said [to Moses], “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt. I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. I have come down to deliver (nâtsal, להצילו) them from the hand (yâd, מיד) of the Egyptians…”[7] Jethro rejoiced because of all the good that the Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה) had done for Israel, whom he had delivered (nâtsal, הצילו) from the hand (yâd, מיד) of Egypt.[8]
I’m particularly sensitive to this because I believed that Jesus delivered me from the hand of Jehovah (though I probably didn’t think about it in exactly those words). My situation became more acute when I was too old to pray to Jesus but told to pray to “our Father in heaven” instead. I was fairly compliant as a child with things over which I had control. So I prayed to “our Father in heaven.” But I couldn’t draw near to Him, not to Jehovah, the one who wanted to condemn me to hell for failing to keep his law.
Was deliverance from the hand of yehôvâh simply a slip of Phinehas’ tongue? After all even in the New Testament the author of the letter to the Hebrews believed that it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.[9] Or did Phinehas’ word choice accurately reflect his attitude? David’s attitude by contrast, even regarding punishment, was, Please let us fall into the hand (yâd, ביד) of the Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה), for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand (yâd, וביד) of man.[10] Had futility crept into Phinehas’ thoughts, a darkening of his senseless heart (Romans 1:21 NET Table)?
For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened.
These words were penned by a Benjaminite[11] who was extremely zealous for the traditions of [his] ancestors[12] until Jesus showed him a fresh and living way that [Jesus] inaugurated for us,[13] not based on the letter but on the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.[14] I don’t fully understand how the Holy Spirit empowered people in the Old Testament (which is not to say that I fully understand Him in the New).
Samson is perhaps the most confusing example: Samson…grew and the Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה) empowered him. The Lord’s (yehôvâh, יהוה) spirit began to control him in Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol. Samson went down to Timnah, where a Philistine girl caught his eye.[15] Though his parents protested his choice, the text is clear that his father and mother did not realize this was the Lord’s (yehôvâh, מיהוה) doing, because he was looking for an opportunity to stir up trouble with the Philistines.[16] Samson’s choice and great strength are not the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control[17] with which I am more familiar.
I turn to David again: Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.[18] Perhaps Phinehas’ statement—Today we know that the Lord is among us, because you have not disobeyed the Lord in this[19]—is a similar recognition that yehôvâh’s presence, his Holy Spirit, creates the clean heart and steadfast spirit that effected righteousness among the descendants of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh. Still, Moses wished for more for the descendants of Israel: I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them![20]
So I’m not sure whether Phinehas made a poor word choice or was becoming futile in his thoughts (e.g., actually intending to thank or praise the descendants of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh for delivering him from the hand of yehôvâh), whether he was fearing yehôvâh or afraid of yehôvâh, drawing near or fleeing in his heart and mind. But I want to keep it as an open question as I move from the failure to resolve matters at Gibeah as a police function to war: The Benjaminites came from their cities and assembled at Gibeah to make war against the Israelites.[21]
| Vengeance | War in Gibeah | Divided Kingdom |
| The Lord spoke to Moses: “Exact vengeance for the Israelites on the Midianites…
Numbers 31:1, 2a (NET) |
The Israelites went up to Bethel and asked God, “Who should lead the charge against the Benjaminites?” The Lord said, “Judah should lead.”
Judges 20:18 (NET) |
God told Shemaiah the prophet, “Say this to King Rehoboam son of Solomon of Judah, and to all Judah and Benjamin, as well as the rest of the people, ‘The Lord says this: “Do not attack and make war with your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you go home, for I have caused this [Israel’s rebellion against Judah and Benjamin] to happen”’” [Table].
1 Kings 12:22-24a (NET) |
I’ve placed the war in Gibeah between yehôvâh’s vengeance on the Midianites and his prohibition of Judah declaring war on the northern kingdom of Israel. The Israelites assumed they were called to war against Benjamin and asked yehôvâh which tribe should lead. The war was neither initiated nor forbidden by yehôvâh. Judah should lead, He said.
| Vengeance | War in Gibeah | Divided Kingdom |
| So Moses sent them to the war… They fought against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed every male. They killed the kings of Midian in addition to those slain – Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba – five Midianite kings. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.
Numbers 31:6-8 (NET) |
The Israelites got up the next morning and moved against Gibeah. The men of Israel marched out to fight Benjamin; they arranged their battle lines against Gibeah.
Judges 20:19, 20 (NET) |
They obeyed the Lord and went home as the Lord had ordered them to do [Table].
1 Kings 12:24b (NET) |
Assuming that Judah actually did lead Israel at Gibeah, yehôvâh was obeyed in all three examples. Since neither Judah nor the northern kingdom of Israel suffered any casualties in a war that didn’t happen I switched to Ai for purposes of comparison below.
| Vengeance | War in Gibeah | Ai |
| Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders over thousands and the commanders over hundreds, approached Moses and said to him, “Your servants have taken a count of the men who were in the battle, who were under our authority, and not one is missing.
Numbers 31:48, 49 (NET) |
The Benjaminites attacked from Gibeah and struck down twenty-two thousand Israelites that day.
Judges 20:21 (NET) |
The Lord was furious with the Israelites. Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai… So about three thousand men went up, but they fled from the men of Ai. The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them…
Joshua 7:1b, 2a, 4, 5a (NET) |
Was yehôvâh over 600 times more furious with Israel at Gibeah than at Ai? Okay, proportionally speaking, was He four and one half times more furious? According to the Zohar, “God was unwilling that other sinners of Israel should be the instruments for punishing them [the descendants of Benjamin], and therefore numbers of them fell time after time until all the sinners in the attacking army had perished, and there were left only those more righteous ones who could more appropriately execute the work.”[22] If I had only the story of the battle at Ai to go on, I might agree with this assessment. But I have more Scripture that the writer(s) of the Zohar rejected (Luke 13:1-5 NET):
Now there were some present on that occasion who told [Jesus] about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. He answered them, “Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered these things? No, I tell you! But unless you repent, you will all perish as well! Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them, do you think they were worse offenders than all the others who live in Jerusalem? No, I tell you! But unless you repent you will all perish as well!”
So apart from an explicit statement of Scripture (as in the case of Achan[23]) I assume that the opinion in the Zohar is unwarranted. The reason given in the text has nothing to do with yehôvâh, rather there were seven hundred specially-trained left-handed soldiers among the Benjaminites. Each one could sling a stone and hit even the smallest target.[24]
| War in Gibeah | Ai |
| The Israelite army took heart (châzaq, ויתחזק) and once more arranged their battle lines, in the same place where they had taken their positions the day before.
Judges 20:22 (NET) |
… and chased them from in front of the city gate all the way to the fissures and defeated them on the steep slope. The people’s courage melted away like water.
Joshua 7:5b (NET) |
| The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening.
Judges 20:23a (NET) |
Joshua tore his clothes; he and the leaders of Israel lay face down on the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening and threw dirt on their heads.
Joshua 7:6 (NET) |
At Gibeah the Israelites suffered 22,000 casualties, grabbed or persuaded themselves and reformed their battle lines while the Israelites at Ai suffered 36 casualties and were routed. The reason is given in the text: The men of Israel (not counting Benjamin) had mustered four hundred thousand sword-wielding soldiers, every one an experienced warrior.[25]
At Ai Joshua prayed, O, Master (ʼădônây, אדני), Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה)! Why did you bring these people across the Jordan to hand us over to the Amorites…[26] What will you do to protect your great reputation?[27] Israel has sinned,[28] yehôvâh responded. The Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they retreat because they have become subject to annihilation.[29] The “trial” and execution of Achan[30] (along with his family) followed this. In Gibeah (Judges 20:23b-25 NET):
They asked the Lord, “Should we again march out to fight the Benjaminites, our brothers?” The Lord said, “Attack them!” So the Israelites marched toward the Benjaminites the next day. The Benjaminites again attacked them from Gibeah and struck down eighteen thousand sword-wielding Israelite soldiers.
Israel was no longer yehôvâh’s weapon of judgment: The Lord was furious with Israel. He said, “This nation has violated the terms of the agreement I made with their ancestors by disobeying me. So I will no longer remove before them any of the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died.[31] Then I consider the trajectory from weapon of judgment to objects of mercy[32] (Matthew 5:38-42 NET):
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. But whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well [Table]. And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic, give him your coat also. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to the one who asks you, and do not reject the one who wants to borrow from you [Table].”
Jesus spoke to objects (KJV: vessels) of mercy under occupation of a very effective Roman government. In those days Israel had no king,[33] the story of the Levite and his concubine began, addressing not merely the lack of a hereditary monarchy but the fact that Israel had rejected[34] yehôvâh as their king. I think what is witnessed at the battle of Gibeah is two well-trained armies fighting in their own strength, without yehôvâh’s aid or interference.[35] The outcome is a foregone conclusion as long as the larger army continues to fight. But at first the Israelites fought for principle while the Benjaminites fought for their lives.[36] Apart from miraculous intervention Phinehas’ role was reduced to providing encouragement and officiating at sacrifices.[37] He is virtually nonexistent in the text.
Admittedly, I’m threading the eye of a subtle needle here. I recognize that the Israelites intended to go to war by the throw of the dice. But I accept yehôvâh’s acquiescence (at a minimum) because the Scripture reads: The Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה) said, “Judah should lead”[38] and, The Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה) said, “Attack them!”[39] At the same time I’m hearing, The Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה) said, “Attack, for tomorrow I will hand (yâd, בידך) them over to you”[40] and, The Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה) annihilated Benjamin before Israel,[41] as Phinehas’ manner of speaking, expressing yehôvâh’s foreknowledge and it’s fulfillment, and not necessarily yehôvâh’s direct involvement as when Israel was his weapon of judgment.
If I were able to interview all the survivors, I take it for granted that I’d hear many battlefield stories of individual and small group salvations credited to yehôvâh’s intercession. I don’t doubt that many of those stories would be true examples of yehôvâh’s intercession. Nor do I doubt that I would hear true salvation stories from both opposing armies. But I doubt that Israel was yehôvâh’s weapon of judgment against Benjamin as they were against Midian.
The next day Israel followed the same tactic[42] against Benjamin that Joshua commanded at Ai.[43] I don’t know if this came from Joshua’s writing, Phinehas’ memory or is evidence of the development of a professional military command structure with an institutional memory. The Benjaminites apparently did not read Joshua, did not have Phinehas as an advisor or did not have a professional military command structure with an institutional memory and fell for the ruse. The Israelites struck down that day 25,100 sword-wielding Benjaminites.[44] Counting the 600 survivors they had only killed 1,000 in the previous two days of fighting while they suffered 40,000 casualties.
Israel apparently left the survivors alone for four months. The Israelites regretted what had happened to their brother Benjamin.[45] Why, O Lord God of Israel, has this happened in Israel? they prayed. An entire tribe has disappeared from Israel today![46]
[11] Romans 11:1, Philippians 3:5 (NET)
[13] Hebrews 10:20a (NET)
[17] Galatians 5:22, 23a (NET)
[18] Psalm 51:10, 11 (NKJV) Table1 Table2
[22] http://jbq.jewishbible.org/assets/Uploads/412/jbq_41_2_idolofmicah.pdf
[23] In fact, no one would say that the 36 who died at Ai were worse sinners than the other 2,964 soldiers because as yehôvâh’s weapon of judgment all Israel was guilty and subject to annihilation because one man sinned.
[28] Joshua 7:11a (NET) Table
[29] Joshua 7:12a (NET) Table
[30] Joshua 7:16-26 (NET)
[32] Romans 9:21-24 Darby related this directly to Romans 11:30-32 in his translation: For as indeed *ye* [also] once have not believed in God, but now have been objects of mercy through the unbelief of *these*; so these also have now not believed in your mercy, in order that *they* also may be objects of mercy. For God hath shut up together all in unbelief, in order that he might shew mercy to all.
[34] 1 Samuel 8:6-9 (NET)
[35] Judges 7:9-14 (NET)
[36] Deuteronomy 13:12-18 (NET)
[43] Joshua 8:3-8 (NET)