Gospel Reflections #903: The Necessity to Hate what is Evil

Judges 20:11,12 "So all the Israelites gathered together as one man against the city. The tribes of Israel sent messengers to all the Benjaminites, saying, 'What is this outrage that has been committed among you?'"

This depicts the tense scene where the tribes of Israel unite to pass judgment on the heinous crime committed in Gibeah.

Following the incident where the Levite's concubine was raped and murdered in the Benjaminite town of Gibeah, all the tribes of Israel gathered at Mizpah. 

They resolved not to let this "shameful act unheard of in Israel" go unpunished and to uphold justice. "So all the men of Israel gathered together as one man against the city (Gibeah)."

This emphasizes how the tribes, who were often divided, became united "as one man" through their passion for hating sin.

This was a rare moment when the Israelite community united beyond personal and tribal interests for the common purpose of removing evil.

Moreover, before commencing battle, the tribes of Israel sent messengers to all the clans of Benjamin, demanding, "What is this evil deed that has occurred among you?"

 Rather than attacking immediately, the united Israelite forces first gave the tribe of Benjamin an opportunity to recognize their "sin within their own ranks" and hand over the perpetrator. This served as both a legal procedure to preserve the purity of the entire community and a loving warning.

Can we, like Israel, handle matters calmly and according to principle?

We inevitably let our emotions run ahead of our reason.

Israel's unity stemmed not from their own victory, but from a passion to hate sin. These things come not from human thoughts, but from God's work.

The Israelites hated sin, yet showed humility toward the tribe of Benjamin.

We too should practice hating sin while loving the sinner.

Furthermore, we should always look up to God and entrust ourselves to Him.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.