When the text says that the Israelites inquired of the Lord, they were probably using the Urim and Thummim, which scholars believe were something like die that they used for the purpose of receiving a judgment from the Lord (ref. Numbers 27:21). This was a method given to them by God for getting an answer from Him. How does that method of communicating with His people, given at a time when He was speaking face-to-face with Moses on a regular basis, impact your ideas of how you might seek an answer from God when you ask for His guidance?
God could doubtless be in the outcome of the roll of the Urim and Thummim, just as He could direct the results of a lottery; however, it was presumptuous of the people to think that He would give them an answer just because they asked for one. They didn’t know God or His word enough to understand that as long as they were hostile to Him, He would be hostile to them (Leviticus 26:23-24). The only way they could change that would be to confess their sins humbly and submit to God. It’s a reasonable guess that the sin throughout Israel had become so great that the wickedness in Gibeah was no greater than the sin of the entire nation. That would have made the aggression of these tribes in the name of “removing this wickedness from Israel” hypocritical. What made them think that God was in favor of their attacking their fellow Israelites? Doubtless, what had happened to the Levite and his wife in Gibeah was horrible, but hypocritical outrage was not the response God desired. Check out Leviticus 26:40-42 to see what a more appropriate response would have been in God’s eyes. What do you think would be a proper Christian response to the sin of our nation today?
Or perhaps God was willing to answer them, and He was using their attacks to judge the wickedness of the entire nation as well as Benjamin’s.
Again we see man’s flawed ways making a mess of justice. What a contrast man’s flawed ways are to God’s good ways. And yet those good ways don’t seem good enough to please God’s Old Testament people. Are His New Testament people any different?
A theme of the book of Judges is in the final verse of the book: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” As if the problem with their behavior was lack of a king instead of sin and their failure to serve and know God. Their not having a king was a lame excuse that kept them from having to admit what the real problem was and address it. It was also justification for their wanting what God didn’t want them to have. If they weren’t careful, God would give them what they were wanting, and they would find out that it wasn’t what they were expecting it to be.
Thus we finish reading Judges – doesn’t if seem like we’re moving quickly? We’ll soon be reading about how God gave Israel their desired king, and then the people settled down contentedly in the Promised Land and fulfilled God’s purpose for them of knowing Him and enjoying intimate fellowship with Him under the servant leadership of their God-honoring king…. Or not. Actually, we will see more proof of man’s need for a Savior.