How does Judges 21:3 connect to God's covenant promises in the Old Testament? The anguished plea in Judges 21:3 “‘Why, O LORD, God of Israel,’ they cried, ‘has this happened to Israel? Why should one tribe be missing from Israel today?’” Why this cry matters - The elders realize that Benjamin’s near-extinction threatens more than family ties; it threatens the structure God Himself ordained. - Israel is grappling with how their own sin (Judges 20) collides with God’s larger purposes. The covenant frame: twelve tribes on purpose - Genesis 35:10-12 – God renames Jacob “Israel” and promises that “a nation and a community of nations will come from you.” Twelve sons = twelve tribal allotments. - Exodus 28:21 – Twelve stones on the high priest’s breastpiece, “one for each of the names of the sons of Israel,” a perpetual memorial before the LORD. - Numbers 34:13 – The land is to be divided “as an inheritance … according to the twelve tribes.” The plea in Judges 21:3 shows Israel instinctively protecting what God built: a complete covenant people. Echoes of the Abrahamic covenant - Genesis 12:2 – “I will make you into a great nation.” A missing tribe threatens the “great nation” concept. - Genesis 15:5 – Offspring as countless as stars assumes continuity of every family line. Israel’s lament shows faith that God’s original promise is still binding—even in chaos. The Mosaic covenant and corporate responsibility - Deuteronomy 29:10-13 – All Israel stands together “to enter into the covenant.” The nation’s solidarity is covenantal, not optional. - Deuteronomy 25:5-10 – Leveraging laws to preserve family lines signals God’s concern that no name disappear from Israel. Judges 21 mirrors that impulse on a tribal scale. By asking “Why should one tribe be missing?” they affirm the Mosaic call to guard each brother’s inheritance. God’s faithfulness through a remnant - Judges 21:15-17 – Solutions are pursued so that “a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out.” - 2 Kings 19:30-31; Isaiah 10:20-22 – God consistently keeps a remnant when judgment falls. Even in self-inflicted disaster, God moves hearts to protect covenant continuity. Forward glance to covenant fulfillment - Ezekiel 37:19-22 – Future reunification of divided tribes under one King foreshadows ultimate restoration. - Revelation 7:4-8 – The sealing of 144,000 explicitly lists twelve tribes, signaling that God loses none He has promised. Judges 21:3’s concern for completeness anticipates the final scene where every promised slot is filled. Key takeaways • The verse reveals Israel’s covenant consciousness: they know God’s promises hinge on a whole people. • Their lament, though born of failure, aligns with God’s steadfast intent to preserve His nation. • The episode encourages confidence that despite human sin, God’s covenant purposes stand unbreakable, ultimately realized in Christ who gathers “all Israel” (Romans 11:26). |
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