What is the meaning of Judges 20:24? On the second day • The phrase marks a literal 24-hour progression from the first battle (Judges 20:19–23). • Israel had already sought the LORD and wept over their earlier loss, yet God directed them to “Go up against them” (Judges 20:23). • Scripture often shows God’s people needing more than one attempt before victory—think of Joshua’s initial defeat at Ai (Joshua 7:4–6) or Elijah’s sevenfold prayer for rain (1 Kings 18:43). • The timing reminds us that perseverance is a mark of faith (Galatians 6:9). the Israelites • These are the covenant people called to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). • Though united in ancestry, they had gathered “400,000 men” (Judges 20:2) to stand for righteousness after the atrocity at Gibeah. • Their unity here contrasts with earlier tribal disunity (Judges 5:15–17) and anticipates the New Testament call for one body contending together for truth (Philippians 1:27). advanced • “Advanced” shows deliberate movement—Israel did not wait passively; they obeyed God’s directive. • Obedient action follows prayer (Judges 20:23). Faith without works is dead (James 2:17). • The advance also tests motives. Israel would suffer another setback (Judges 20:25), underscoring that obedience does not guarantee instant success but does honor God (Proverbs 3:5–6). against • Sad reality: this was brother against brother. Internal discipline sometimes becomes necessary to uphold holiness (Deuteronomy 13:12–18; 1 Corinthians 5:11–13). • The word signals a measured, God-authorized confrontation—not vengeance but justice (Romans 13:4). • It foreshadows Christ’s call to confront sin within the family of faith (Matthew 18:15-17). the Benjamites • Benjamin, once called “beloved of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 33:12), had sheltered unrepentant wickedness (Judges 19:22-30). • Their refusal to surrender the guilty men (Judges 20:13) placed the entire tribe under judgment, illustrating corporate responsibility (Joshua 7:11). • Hosea later alludes to this moment: “You have sinned… O Israel, there they have remained” (Hosea 10:9), showing the long memory of sin when repentance is withheld. summary Judges 20:24 records a literal next step in a painful but necessary confrontation. Israel, God’s covenant people, persisted in obedience, advancing at His command even after initial defeat. Their movement against Benjamin highlights the seriousness with which God regards sin inside His own family and the perseverance He expects from those who seek His justice. |
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