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 A Bible Teaching Ministry of Galyn Wiemers
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March 22 - Morning
"The people grieved for Benjamin, because the Lord had made a gap in the tribes of Israel. And the elders of the assembly said, ‘With the women of Benjamin destroyed, how shall we provide wives for the men who are left? The Benjamite survivors must have heirs,’ they said, ‘so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out. We can’t give them our daughters as wives, since we Israelites have taken this oath: “Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to a Benjamite.” But look, there is the annual festival of the Lord in Shiloh, which lies north of Bethel, east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.’
So they instructed the Benjamites, saying, ‘Go and hide in the vineyards and watch. When the young women of Shiloh come out to join in the dancing, rush from the vineyards and each of you seize one of them to be your wife. Then return to the land of Benjamin. When their fathers or brothers complain to us, we will say to them, “Do us the favor of helping them, because we did not get wives for them during the war. You will not be guilty of breaking your oath because you did not give your daughters to them.” ’
So that is what the Benjamites did. While the young women were dancing, each man caught one and carried her off to be his wife. Then they returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the towns and settled in them.”
- Judges 21:15-23 |
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| Literally, Picking a Girl Up at the Dance |
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In Israel’s desperate attempt to seek vengeance on evil they did not fight the Canaanites, but instead untied to fight against one of their own tribes. The tribe of Benjamin was determined to stand alone and defend their right to be immoral and to protect the actions of their perverted men. In the process Israel killed everyone but the last 600 men in the tribe of Benjamin. This “holy war” almost destroyed one of the tribes the Lord had given to Israel and which was included in the promises and the future of Israel. The problem was complicated when the men of Israel took a rash vow before the Lord (typical ridiculous behavior by Israelite men in the book of Judges). They vowed never to let any of their woman marry a man from the tribe of Benjamin. So, now with only 600 men left from the tribe of Benjamin and all the woman and children of Benjamin dead, Benjamin’s elimination from the plans and future of God is sealed. Four hundred virgins where spared when Israel went up to Jabesh Gilead to kill the men who did not show up to fight Benjamin. These 400 virgins were brought back and given to 400 of the 600 surviving men of Benjamin. But, Israel was still short 200 woman for the other 200 men.
This problem was resolved when it was decided that the last 200 men of Benjamin will “seize” one of the girls of Shiloh when the girls come out to dance during an annual festival. Since this festival is not one of the Mosaic festivals that Israel was to celebrate each year, it appears it is part of the Canaanite cultural influence in Israel. If this is a celebration of one of the three annual feasts (Passover/Unleavened Bread, Feast of Weeks and Firstfruits) defined in Exodus 23 and Deuteronomy 16, the ignorance of the people and the neglect of the Levites and priests has allowed it to deteriorate into something that neither we nor the author could recognize.
As planned, the 600 men left from the tribe of Benjamin hide in the vineyards and when the girls come out to dance they leaped out, chased one of the girls down and caught her. Each man then “carried her off” in this government approved kidnapping to treat the captured girl from Israel as his wife.
Problem solved!
The book of Judges ends with the last 600 men from a tribe decimated in a war fought to defend perverted sexual deviance being given state approval to kidnap young woman who are then forced to repopulate the tribe trying to avoid extinction! |
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"If you want to follow Jesus because He'll fix your marriage, if you want to follow Jesus because He'll give you a better life, that's idolatry. Follow Christ for the sake of Christ; He is worthy!"
- Paul Washer |
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The Ministries of Christ
After His Ascension
1. Head of his Body, the church - Eph. 1:20-24
(Christ formed the church -
1 Cor.12:13; Rm. 6:4-5…
Cares for Church - Ep.5:26; Ep.5:29; Ep. 6:4…
Equips and Gifts Church -Ep.4:7-8…
Empowers Church -
John 15:1-10; John 14:17)
2. Priest for Believers
before God –
Heb.2:18;
Heb.4:14-16; Heb.7:25
3. Prepares a Place
for Believers –
John 14:1-3 |
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Improved understanding of love |
Deliverance |
Local mayors and city officials |
Burkina Faso |
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| Reps & Sets is a daily Bible devotional for Christians from Generation Word Bible Teaching used each morning and evening. |
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