Wars of Israel: The Wars of Samson, Dan and the War of all Israel Against Benjamin Over the Brutal Death of the concubine

and Their Meaning

Samson's Victory Over the Philistines: Judges 15

The Lord's People & Leaders	Samson, the Judge of Israel The Children of Israel: although Samson fights alone
The Enemy's People & Leaders	Philistines, and peripherally, the Men of Judah they ruled over
Object	This skirmish follows the betrayal of Samson by his Philistine father-in-law. Samson returns to get his bride, and finds his father has given her to another. In retribution, Samson ties firebrands to the tails of foxes and sets them loose in the field of the Philistines. The field is burned and the crops ruined. This event foreshadows the oncoming conflict. In retribution, after inquiry, the philistines burn the father and daughter who betrayed Samson. Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire. Jg 15:6 Even though the philistines punished their own to put away the betrayal, Samson still declares war on them, stating he will stop only when the war is over. (Jg 15:7)
Strategies	Samson 'smites them hip and thigh with a great slaughter' (8). The assault is direct and with announcement. The Philistines, after having been beat down by Samson, go to Judah and Lehi, and implore Judah to help them against Samson. They are able to do this because at the time, the philistines have rule there. The men of Judah go up to the Rock of Etam in order to bind Samson and deliver him to the Philistines. Samson requires of the men of Judah, that while they may bind him to deliver him to the Philistines, that they should not kill him. (13) They agree, presenting a shadow of the binding of Christ by Israel in the Great Akedah, for delivery to the philistine-like Romans, but not actually doing the imprisonment or killing. Bound, Samson is brought before the mocking Philistines, but his strength returns and his bonds break; this is the point of the Holy Spirit filling and the 'jawbone of an ass' with which the Judge Samson strikes against the enemies of God.
Location	Near the Rock at Etam ; also in Judah and near Lehi where the Philistines camp. (9) Lehi is renamed "Ramathlehi" after Samson's victory.
Outcome	Samson is at first bound but then escapes 1000 Philistines are killed by Samson; he declares And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men. Jg 15:16 The taking of Lehi the establishment of Enhakkore 20 years of rule for Samson
Spoils * Reward	Revenge for Samson Peace for Israel/Judah Manifestation of the miracle of the water from ass's jawbone
Spiritual Implications	While it is somewhat vague, even in this "schwartzenegger-like" judge there is an act of the Holy Spirit which points in type and shadow to future Messiah. He first is overcome and enraged at the giving of his bride to another, he is bound, but filled with Holy Spirit power, he overcomes the enemy and wins the victory; he is bound by the men of Judah, but the philistines intend to do the actual killing; he bursts his bonds and takes the victory. The reward is living water from from his weapon which replenishes him.
Implications for Faith	The most eminent lesson here is that a person's usefulness to God may depend less on how perfect they are in character, than on how willing they are to obey and have faith. Samson was violent, given to rage, and even clever in his destructiveness: this part of his character caused many to turn against him and really in the beginning. caused his father-in-law to give away his bride. Because of his faith, though, he was singlehandedly able to take on an army of Philistines, to burst bonds when captured
Cross-references & Other Critical Facts	xxxxxxxxxx

The Lord's People & Leaders
Leader: Not specifically mentioned, but Jonathan son of Gershon, son of Manasseh and Sons were Priests
Danites : 5 spies of Eshtaol and Zorah, and 600 men of war

The Enemy's People & Leaders
While not directly 'leaders' [scripture mentions there were no Magistrates], Micah and his hired Levite play centrally.
People of the City of Laish

Object of the Battle
to obtain the land Dan inherited among the tribes but was not alloted to them
to take the City of Laish while it was unarmed and at peace

Strategies of the Battle
Five spies from Dan spy out Laish and note it is at ease without a Magistrate
The spies return ot Eshtaol and Zorah and tell of the land

"a place where there is no want of anything that is on the earth"...vs.18:9

600 Men of War go out from Dan Jg 18:7
Encamp at Kirjathjearim and take the House of Micah and his idols
Call the hired Levite in the house of Micah to repentance

And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: [is it] better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? Jg 18:19

The hired Levite takes out the ephod and teraphim from Micah's house.
Men from the houses near Micah go out and encounter the Danites, and make a plea. [v 24-26]
Danites come to Laish [vs 27] with the idols from the house, take the gate and come among the people.
The Danites smite Laish with the sword, and burn the city with fire.

Place of the Battle
Mt Ephraim: the house of Micah is where the spies lodge
Kirjathjearim, and behind it, a place called Mahanedan, named by the 600 Danites.
After a return to Eshtaol and Zorah, they pass to Mt. Ephraim and Micah's house, &
Battle at Laish in the valley of Bethrehob.

Intelligence
Five men of Dan from Zorah and Eshtaol
They seek cousel of the hired Levite in vs 5,6---who prophesies their way successful
The spies leave and go to spy out Laish, returning to Eshtaol with information [see Strategies, above Jg 18:9]

Results of the Battle
Laish utterly destroyed and burnt vs27
New City built over/near site of Laish, called Dan
Idols of Micah taken
Hired Levite restored to Israel's service
Name of city changed to Dan.
Children of Dan set up the graven image in the rebuilt city

"And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh. "Jdg 18:30-31

Reward
Idols of Micah: the ephod and teraphim
City of Laish rebuilt as Dan
Restoration of the inheritance of Dan among the tribes Jg 18:1, 29

"In those days [there was] no King in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day [all their] inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel. Jg 18:1
And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city [was] Laish at the first."Jg 18:29

Spiritual Implications
Dan has a right to the land it is about to take, even though the city is attacked unprovoked, it was the area promised to Dan among the tribes.

"[And] the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families. And the coast of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Irshemesh, And Shaalabbin, and Ajalon, and Jethlah, And Elon, and Thimnathah, and Ekron, And Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath, And Jehud, and Beneberak, and Gathrimmon, And Mejarkon, and Rakkon, with the border before Japho. And the coast of the children of Dan went out [too little] for them: therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father. This [is] the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages Josh 19:40-48 "

-While the tribe of Dan uses clandestine maneuvers, they do two things profitable: 1) they restore a Levite who had been hired by an idol worshipper to the service of Israel, and 2) they remove the idols from Micah's house. The devilish thing they do though, mentioned several times later in scripture, is to set up the idols in the new city of Dan. -The complete destruction of Laish is typical of the wars of the day, wherein Israel had an order from God to completely erase the brutal idol-worshipping people from the land promised to Israel. If they had not, the people or their children would have risen up against Israel to torment and destroy it, ruining and thwarting the plan of God. In a few cases, Israel did not obey, such as when the Gibeonites falsely make a covenant acting as weary strangers, and in Dan where though the inhabitants are killed and the city burned, their idols re-emerge. In such cases, the curses of the mixture become a thorn in Israel's side.

Implications for Faith
One of the greatest critiques that secular people without much of an acquaintance with scripture make about the Bible is that Ancient Israel was brutal and constantly warring and took the land by force. What they fail to realize, is that the Land was the covenant with Israel since the beginning and God was giving it to His chosen people so that His plan could be worked out in the World: Israel has never fought an unnecessary war: Except for the wars to enter and take Canaan which God commanded, the wars Israel has fought since have been almost entirely wars of defense. They have still today a strong and intelligent army, but they are not the aggressor. The wars of Israel have been primarily commanded by God, or defensive, and they are always with a purpose. The wars of Israel reflect the Meta-War, the spiritual battle that goes on in the heavenlies. This war of Dan against Laish who is at peace may seem unwaranted, but the land had already been given to Dan and was on the border of Benjamin: the idol worshippers there actually were there illegally. The implication is that God assigns ownership: one must not always look in terms of the world. What God has given to a particular one in church, will only cause division and problems when others claim it worldly claims.
The ridding of idols here is a constant theme throughout the history of the wars, but here it is contradictory: the men from Dan remove the Idols from Micah's house and restore a Levite, but instead of destroying the idols, they set them up in the new city of Dan. Once we get rid of enslaving idols in our lives, their re-establishment in our lives later can create havoc.
Prophesy for hire is always a sin: the Levite hired to attend idols was in sin.

Cross-references & Other Critical Facts ¹Eshtaol: "entreaty" [BLB] Josh 15:33,19:40-8 A City of Dan in Judah; Zorah:"hornet" [BLB] Birthplace of Samson, home of Manoah his father. The cities of Eshtaol and Zorah were on the Border of Benjamin and appear to have been located their originally. [Jg 2 Chr 11:10] Kirjathjearim: "City of Forests" the Ark rested their for 20 years: they turned from Ashtoreth worship to service only to God. Mahanedan--means "tents of judgment" [BLB]; Dan means 'he that judges' coming from Jacob's blessing/prophesy that the tribe of Dan would judge his people. The tribe of Dan is the last to establish and take their territory: Laish, also called Leshem is taken from the Sidonians, and Dan establishes the northern most border of Israel: for the rest of scripture, the breadth of Israel is described as extending from "dan to Beersheba". For further notes on Dan, see BLB: Notes on Tribe of Dan

Benjamin vs the Other 11 Tribes of Israel

Wars Index
Wars of Israel-Main

The Lord's People & Leaders

Leader: Levite, husband of the murdered wife-concubine (vs 20:4)
People:Israelites:11 tribes: 400,000 men of war from all the tribes except Benjamin

The Enemy's People & Leaders
Leader: not directly mentioned, Head of the Benjamites
People: Men who murdered the Levite's concubine; Tribe of Benjamin after the Brutal incident 26,000 of the tribe of Benjamin; 700 men of Gibeah; 700 lefthanders, experts at the sling 20:16.

Object of the Battle
Vengeance/punishment of Tribe of Benjamin. To requite the death of the Levite's wife who was raped and murdered at Gibeah.
To rid Israel of the 'abominable lewdness' of a gang rape and murder by members of the tribe of Benjamin in Gibeah.
To chastise the tribe of Benjamin for refusing to hand over the guilty men, even when made aware of it.

Strategies of the Battle
First Day

The Levite husband appeals to the rest of Israel through a horrible and graphic demonstration¹
Men of Israel agree to war immediately against Benjamin;
-they do not return to their tents or house (20:8)
-they go up to Gibeah by lot
-All men of Israel allied (v11) as 'one man'

So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.

-Ten percent of the troops appointed to provide provision (victuals). vs 10
-Inquiry (vs 12) is made into whether Benjamites will turn over the murderers to be put to death^{note in implications}

After Benjamin refuses, men of Israel seek God at the house of God 20:18
They inquire who should go up first against Benjamin, LORD replies, 'Judah'.
After Prayer, the tribes of Israel arise in the morning and encamps at Gibeah. (18-19)
The first and second day, they set themselves in an 'array' for battle.
After heavy losses, a second supplication to the LORD. vs 23

Jdg 20:23 (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)
Second day

Another frontal battle against Gibeah; men of Benjamin win killing 18,000. Israel again seeks the LORD. Concern is with whether or not it is in the LORD's will because it is a tribe: made more clear the third day.
Third Day

On Israel's part: prayer, fasting, burnt offerings and peace offerings.
After fasting, Israel inquires of Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, if they should fight against Benjamin at all or one more time. God responds to them on the third day, after two bloody battles that He will deliver Benjamin into the hands of his brothers, the other tribes. God's order is set of Judah going first.
3rd Day : liers in wait set around Gibeah
Benjamin goes out on the third day, and Israel leads them away from the city, and then further away by feigning flight. The Liers in Wait around Gibeah then take Gibeah and 'smite with the sword'

Jdg 20:31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, [and] were drawn away from the city---the deceived men of Gibeah chase Israel to Baaltamar; and the men of Israel began to smite of the people, [and] kill, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.

They are first killed in the highway between Gibeah and the House of God, but also in the meadow of Gibeah. There is a sign between the Liers in Wait and Israel: when Israel sees the smoke of the city go up they proceed to take the men of Gibeah. As flame rises,and is seen at Baaltamar, Benjamin turns their backs to Israel and Israel takes them in battle as they retreat. Some attempt to flee back to the city which is taken, others flee to the Wilderness and the Rock of Rimmon. 25,100 killed; 600 escape. All men of Gibeah outside the City are destroyed. Benjamin is "trode down all night".

Intelligence or Prophetic Utterance
Early, before the wars begin, when inquiry is made of Benjamin, men of Israel go through the ranks of Benjamin at Gibeah :

Jdg 20:12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness [is] this that is done among you?

God through Phinehas, the High Priest and Grandson of Israel directs Israel into battle and tells them He will give them [Benjamites] into their hands on the third day.

Location of the Battle Starts at Gibeah, then to Mizpeh, then Gibeah; Finally at Baal-tamar

Spoil of the Battle
Peace for Israel and putting away of the 'lewdness'
Punishment of Benjamin
Taking of the City of Gibeah

Results of the Battle
First day of battle: Benjamin comes out of Gibeah to kill 22,000 soldiers of Israel 20:21.
2nd Day: Benjamites of Gibeah kill 18,000 in a second battle.
3rd Battle,day: 25,100 Benjamites killed: by Israel after seeking the LORD fervently
Liers in Wait set around Gibeah take Gibeah and smite with the sword.
verse 31, 3rd Day, another 30 men killed
3rd Day: Survivors of battle at Gibeah flee to wilderness and Rock of Rimmon, where 5000 more are slain.
At Gidom 2000 slain: the total Benjaminites slain are 25,000 the third day.
600 survivors from Gibeah flee to Rock of Rimmon from the battle and hide/abide for four months.
Jdg 20:48 And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of [every] city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.

Spiritual Implications
1-A question arises of why Benjamin would not turn over the rapists and murderers for judgment. Often in scripture, when the sin or crime of one individual threatened a whole city, it was punished by the death or betrayal of that one. This was done for more than one reason: it got the opposing force away from the threatened city, ; it got the offending party out of the city; it kept abominable acts and crimes from 'infecting' Israel and brought about justice. Here however, it was not done. Of the tribes of Israel, Benjamin was one of the more 'self-sufficient': it is one of the earliest tribes referred to in secular history. One of the blessings of the tribes stated, "Gen 49:27 Benjamin shall ravin [as] a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil. " The tribe produced Saul, Mordecai, and Paul. In this instance however Benjamin refuses to put away from them the abominable lewdness and infection of rape and murder of an innocent, even to their brothers in the other tribes, perhaps wishing to maintain autonomy or perhaps having become decadent themselves: in those days wives and concubines were property of their husbands, so it may have been viewed more as a property crime. Their decision started a bloody civil war.
An interesting metaphor is seen in the rising smoke and flame as a sign coming from the City. Flame and smoke, while here completely natural, are also a sign of the Appearance/countenance of the Glory of God. To Israel, fighting a righteous war, it is a sign of victory and freedom; for Benjamin, under the wrath of God for allowing the murderers and rapists to go free; it is a sign of horror, terror and chastisement: even though all tribes are of the 12.
The most important lesson of this war is the devilish and enormous cost of a civil war among brothers: tribe among tribes. The war starts with a minor incident: tragic, but not the only murder in Israel. What was notable about it was that the Benjamites had gotten to the point where they would allow violent sodomites to have a place in Benjamin, commit a horrible crime against an innocent and let it go unpunished. The rest of Israel at this point was still not so spiritually reprobate in the years before captivity that they failed to see the enormous consequence of allowing such behavior to go unpunished: allowing such behavior and crime to become acceptable would have meant the ruin and defilement of Israel, destined to be the cradle of Messiah. Gibeah's arrogance and unconcern that there were those in its midst capable of such abomination, spoke to the moral decay of this one tribe. The other tribes demand and end to the abominable behavior and unconcern, even as violent as the atmosphere was at the time with warring tribes and nations. In most wars that Israel won, they sought God intensely, received His answer and assurance and went to battle and won. In this war, the 11 tribes seek God twice and experience bloody defeats in the thousands; but on a third time seeking with fasting, God's order and prayer, and a willingness to obey; they proceed to victory on the 3rd day and 3rd battle. Even the 11 tribes, enraged by Benjamin's conduct, weren't really sure they should engage in battle against brothers: in this case though, the brothers in question threatened the moral thread and even survival of Israel.

Implications for Faith
The unique strategy of Israel on the third day shows the power of God in taking a defeated army and giving them victory. They attack frontally, the enemy comes forth from the city, Israel pretends to flee, drawing the enemies outside safe bounds, then out in the open, liers in wait from behind take the city and raze it, and as the men run back into the city, Israel takes them: a total victory. In this battle we can see that Israel while making two perfunctory attempts at seeking God, and suffering horrible losses, makes a third, intensive effort with fasting and prayer and listening to the High Priest, upon which victory is wrought. God is in all of life and can be sought for all things: we sometimes forget this: He is as adept at military strategy as at fixing a machine or writing a song, or any task we are faced with: he can be sought for help.
The greatest issue for the believer from this war is the most terrible: unity is so holy and such a critical point to God; that when brother goes to war against brother the battles are deadly and bloody. This is as true in the Church as it is on the meadows of Gibeah: there were necessary wars in the defense of Israel, even holy wars which required bloodshed to keep the enemies of Israel from overtaking the Plan of God, but division was ALWAYS punished, even when God gave victory to the righteous side and cause. Want to go to war against a fellow church member because they want blue carpet and you want red? Drop it. Want the position of choir director and didn't get it? Drop it and pray for God's will. Have an urge to start a gossip war against the Pastor because he was unfriendly to you? Drop it, and fast. You cannot imagine the horrible cost in a church when things get out of hand, or for how long: sometimes years. Recently a church member in Milwaukee even walked in on his congregation and opened fire, killing the pastor, his son and others and wounding several: that's how far it can go. Intolerable situation? either find another church or seek amicable solutions, forgive, open discussions, pray, and SURRENDER YOUR OWN WILL to God's. The unity of the Church is critical : disunity not only grieves the Holy Spirit but may cause Him to forsake the congregation. The only time critical is when there is open sin, or blatantly false doctrine, or perhaps dangerous situations, but when unity is disrupted, even in a righteous cause and brother and sister war against brother and sister, it will be a bloodbath even for the righteous side.

Cross-references & Other Critical Facts ¹In the previous Chapter, after the Levite's wife is murdered, he cuts her up in pieces, sending one to each tribe. The incident while atrocious is meant to show the abominable nature of the act committed against the woman, which in Israel's collective conscience they would be guilty of if they did nothing about.

Israel's Defeat by Philistines

Wars Index
Wars of Israel-Main

The Lord's People & Leaders
Leader: Eli, High Priest and mentor of Samuel
Hophni and Phinehas, the wicked sons of Eli, who in Shiloh attended the Ark of the Covenant
People: Children/Armies of Israel

The Enemy's People & Leaders The Philistine Army

Object of the Battle

-for Israel, self-defense

-for the Philistines: to kill the Israelites, and
to not be taken slave to the Hebrews

Strategies of the Battle
Philistines put selves in array against Israel (4:2)
Face to face combat, Israel is smitten, and 4000 Israelites killed by Philistines in first combat
Israel returns to camp after battle and questions the downfall (4:3)
Israel inquires location of the Ark: they fetch it from Shiloh to keep among them to save them. I Sam 4:3
When the Ark of the Covenant arrives in camp, all Israel shouts--- so loud "the earth rang again". vs3. Philistines hear and ponder, and know the Ark is back among the Israelites. I Sam 4:6
Philistines have fear wrought in them because of past battles:

"woe unto us for there hath not been such a thing heretofore" I Sam 4:7

They also note the knowledge and fear of the God (they call God's') of Israel: noting victory against the Egyptians.

Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these [are] the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness

Philistines call to arms. vs 9
Israel and Philistines fight again; Israel loses again with 30,000 dead because of fear and force by Philistines: brute force because of fear of Israel and her God.

Place of the Battle
Israel pitches beside Ebenezer I Sam 4:1
Philistines pitch beside Aphek I Sam 4:1
Ark is sent for from Shiloh

Intelligence & Prophetic Utterance None directly reported, both armies know the location of the other. Israel after the initial defeat, does inquire as to the reason for the defeat and sends to Shiloh for the Ark of the Covenant

Results of the Battle
Ark of Covenant captured by the Philistines
Hophni and Phinehas slain (4:11)
Death of Eli at 96 years according to prophecy. He feared for the Ark, more than his sons, and dies in a fall from a broken neck when he hears the Ark is taken and sons dead.
End of the 40 year reign of Eli, beginning of reign of the Prophet Samuel
Phinehas' wife because of tidings of death of her husband goes into premature labor. She dies but a son is born. vs 4:19-21 . Child is named "Ichabod".

And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard [it]. And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. 1Sa 4:20-21

Reward/Spoil Philistines gain possession of the Ark of the Covenant. It becomes a curse to them instead of a blessing.

Spiritual Implications This is one of the few, very few defeats for Israel against the Philistines. While there is inquiry by Israel briefly, they seem to rely almost entirely upon the physical Ark for victory and the presence of God. There is certainly some truth there: Israel won her battles with the Ark among her troops and people: the Ark representing the Glory of God belonged in the midst of Israel: the Shekinah Glory, Emmanuel, God-With-Us. Even the Philistines identified the reason of her usual victories: the God (in their parlance 'gods') who conquered Egypt, the great nation of its day, the ensign of whom was the Ark of the covenant. In this battle however, the Israelites lose, and it is the only time in recollection that they lose or have great losses with

Implications for Faith ........

Cross-references & Other Critical Facts ¹.......

Israel Defeats Philistines

Wars Index
Wars of Israel-Main

The Lord's People & Leaders

The Enemy's People & Leaders City of Laish

Object of the Battle
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www.warsofisrael.com

and Their Meaning

Samson's Victory Over the Philistines: Judges 15

Dan Defeats Laish: Judges 18

Benjamin vs the Other 11 Tribes of Israel

Israel's Defeat by Philistines