Judges 19 & 20: I Will Deliver
Verse of the Day: (20:28) And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.

1. Divide (19:1-30)
And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel. (19:29)

Israel rebelled against God, that even a Levite had a concubine who left him for other men, and then returned to her own home. He went after her and persuaded her to return to him, and she finally agreed. They were on their way home passing by Gibeah when they stayed at an old man’s house for the night. Then there came a group of wicked men who demanded the old man to turn his male guest to them so that they would commit immorality with him. He refused, but instead offered his daughter and the Levite’s concubine to them. They took the concubine and abused her and eventually she died. The Levites was devastated with her death, that he divided her into 12 pieces and sent them with messages to all Israel, telling them that the people of Gibeah had violated and killed his concubine. Indeed, our hearts are desperately wicked without God. (Jeremiah 17:9-10)
    
2. Death (20:1-25)
Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel: (20:13)

Israel prayed to God, and He answered them, and commanded them to fight against the wicked people of Gibeah who were actually with the tribe of Benjamin. However the Benjamites refused to hand them over to Israel, and hence the civil war began. Israel lost to the mighty Benjamites, and they prayed to God, and He commanded them to fight again. Finally, God gave them victory over the Benjamites. Indeed, the wages of sins is death, but God’s gift is eternal life with Him when we trust and obey Him. (Romans 6:23)

3. Deliver (20:26-48)
And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword. (20:35)

Though Israel kept sinning against God, yet when they called upon Him, He delivered them. Indeed, our God shall always deliver us when we call upon Him. (Psalms 50:15)

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You for delivering me as I call upon You in the day of trouble.