How does Judges 21:15 illustrate God's compassion despite Israel's disobedience? Setting the Scene “ The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a gap in the tribes of Israel.” Judges 21:15 What’s Happening Here? • Israel has just disciplined Benjamin for its horrific sin (Judges 19–20). • Only 600 Benjamite men survive; the tribe teeters on extinction. • Though judgment fell, grief now floods Israel’s heart, revealing God-given compassion. Seeing God’s Compassion in the Verse • God stirs sorrow: He moves His covenant people to “grieve for Benjamin,” softening hearts once ablaze with wrath (cf. Judges 2:18). • Preservation through judgment: The “gap” God allowed was not total annihilation. By sparing 600 men, He kept His promise of twelve tribes intact (Genesis 49:28). • Opportunity for restoration: Their sorrow propels Israel to find wives for the survivors (Judges 21:16-24), rebuilding what sin almost destroyed. • Divine grief mirrored: Israel’s mourning reflects the Lord’s own heart, “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion” (Psalm 103:8). Key Observations • Compassion follows correction. God’s holiness demands justice, yet His nature delights to restore (Hosea 11:8-9). • Covenant faithfulness overrides total ruin. Even rebellious Benjamin is still a son of Jacob; God guards that covenant lineage. • God works through flawed people. Israel’s solutions are imperfect, yet the Lord’s larger purpose—preserving a tribe—stands unthwarted. Echoes Elsewhere in Scripture • Deuteronomy 32:36 — “The LORD will…have compassion on His servants when He sees their strength is gone.” • Lamentations 3:32 — “Though He brings grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion.” • Jeremiah 31:20 — “Is not Ephraim a precious son to Me?…My heart yearns for him; I will surely have compassion on him, declares the LORD.” These verses mirror Judges 21:15: divine discipline is never devoid of mercy. Takeaways for Today • Sin carries consequences, but God’s heart is to heal the breach. • No personal failure places us beyond the reach of His compassionate plan. • When God corrects us, He simultaneously provides a path to restoration—just as He did for Benjamin. |
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