Here are just some of the verses i am talking about:
First of all, this is Before Christ, this is the Jewish way, and life was very hard back then.
I grasp that it is hard to grasp what life was like in these times, when we have a Starbucks on every street corner, and a McD's on each block.
So I will apologize in advance if what I am about to say, will not make any sense to you today in your current culture.
(Judges 21:10-24 NLT)
So they sent twelve thousand warriors to Jabesh-gilead with orders to kill everyone there, including women and children. "This is what you are to do," they said. "Completely destroy all the males and every woman who is not a virgin." Among the residents of Jabesh-gilead they found four hundred young virgins who had never slept with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
The Israelite assembly sent a peace delegation to the little remnant of Benjamin who were living at the rock of Rimmon. Then the men of Benjamin returned to their homes, and the four hundred women of Jabesh-gilead who were spared were given to them as wives.
First off, we see that this was not done to "Claim the Land" or take over the place, as all was given to God, this was not done for personal gain. That is a very big issue back then, because, no "power" was gained from this attack.
Secondly the woman that were taken, were taken as wives, not sex slaves, they were not "Used and Abused then Thrown Away" these ladies were treated with respect and accepted into the People, as Wives.
The alternative was either kill them, or let someone else plunder them for sex while they starved.
But there were not enough women for all of them. The people felt sorry for Benjamin because the LORD had left this gap in the tribes of Israel. So the Israelite leaders asked, "How can we find wives for the few who remain, since all the women of the tribe of Benjamin are dead? There must be heirs for the survivors so that an entire tribe of Israel will not be lost forever. But we cannot give them our own daughters in marriage because we have sworn with a solemn oath that anyone who does this will fall under God's curse."
This is also a good part, these woman were to become the pride of that Tribe, not cast aways, but woman of respect, gifted with what their husbands could provide.
As for the city, not a single coin, or food was taken, not was there any means to continue control of the land, so greed was not motive.
Then they thought of the annual festival of the LORD held in Shiloh, between Lebonah and Bethel, along the east side of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem. They told the men of Benjamin who still needed wives, "Go and hide in the vineyards. When the women of Shiloh come out for their dances, rush out from the vineyards, and each of you can take one of them home to be your wife! And when their fathers and brothers come to us in protest, we will tell them, 'Please be understanding. Let them have your daughters, for we didn't find enough wives for them when we destroyed Jabesh-gilead. And you are not guilty of breaking the vow since you did not give your daughters in marriage to them.'" So the men of Benjamin did as they were told. They kidnapped the women who took part in the celebration and carried them off to the land of their own inheritance. Then they rebuilt their towns and lived in them. So the assembly of Israel departed by tribes and families, and they returned to their own homes.
Another part, This is funny, because you need to grasp that they were looking (All of them) were looking for a way around this "Oath" this was not a "Grab and Rape" idea, they knew what was going on, and this was a means to save face, as well not destroy a tribe.
They attacked Midian just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed all the men. All five of the Midianite kings Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba died in the battle. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. Then the Israelite army captured the Midianite women and children and seized their cattle and flocks and all their wealth as plunder. They burned all the towns and villages where the Midianites had lived. After they had gathered the plunder and captives, both people and animals, they brought them all to Moses and Eleazar the priest, and to the whole community of Israel, which was camped on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho.
Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the people went to meet them outside the camp. But Moses was furious with all the military commanders who had returned from the battle. "Why have you let all the women live?" he demanded. "These are the very ones who followed Balaam's advice and caused the people of Israel to rebel against the LORD at Mount Peor. They are the ones who caused the plague to strike the LORD's people. Now kill all the boys and all the women who have slept with a man. Only the young girls who are virgins may live; you may keep them for yourselves.
Fair enough, but you need to grasp they lost slaves, this was not something just to be given up. Unlike today, such a loss is a great loss.
However, you also need to grasp that to the victor goes the plunder, and what they did, was what was done in those times. However, today with all this PC junk, life and even war has changed.
(Deuteronomy 20:10-14)
As you approach a town to attack it, first offer its people terms for peace.
This is a rare display of benevolences.
If they accept your terms and open the gates to you, then all the people inside will serve you in forced labor. But if they refuse to make peace and prepare to fight, you must attack the town. When the LORD your God hands it over to you, kill every man in the town. But you may keep for yourselves all the women, children, livestock, and other plunder. You may enjoy the spoils of your enemies that the LORD your God has given you.
This was "Tuesday" in the life and times that they lived in. This was the norm.
(2 Samuel 12:11-14 NAB)
Thus says the Lord: 'I will bring evil upon you out of your own house. I will take your wives [plural] while you live to see it, and will give them to your neighbor. He shall lie with your wives in broad daylight. You have done this deed in secret, but I will bring it about in the presence of all Israel, and with the sun looking down.'
Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan answered David: "The Lord on his part has forgiven your sin: you shall not die. But since you have utterly spurned the Lord by this deed, the child born to you must surely die." [The child dies seven days later.]
Such is life, this was not an evil act, anymore then God letting you breath today is a promise that you will see tomorrow. Each day you live is a gift from God, not a promise. Such, as with any life, it is Gods to give, and Gods to take away.
(Deuteronomy 21:10-14 NAB)
"When you go out to war against your enemies and the LORD, your God, delivers them into your hand, so that you take captives, if you see a comely woman among the captives and become so enamored of her that you wish to have her as wife, you may take her home to your house. But before she may live there, she must shave her head and pare her nails and lay aside her captive's garb. After she has mourned her father and mother for a full month, you may have relations with her, and you shall be her husband and she shall be your wife. However, if later on you lose your liking for her, you shall give her her freedom, if she wishes it; but you shall not sell her or enslave her, since she was married to you under compulsion."
Another great display of benevolence by the Jewish people, to even allow mourning, and freedom. This was truly mercy and respect of the highest order in this time and life way.
They must be dividing the spoils they took: there must be a damsel or two for each man, Spoils of dyed cloth as Sisera's spoil, an ornate shawl or two for me in the spoil.
Some of you have mentioned that God killings are just because the people were evil.
I'd like to know what acts of evil new born babies and young children have done.
The child has bore the burden of the sins of the father.
Where's God's forgiving nature here?
In Freedom.
In Wifehood.
In Life at all.
In a great many ways, God has shown Mercy, where none was ever given.
Imagine if today a preacher said he heard God tell him that the christians in his town must murder everyone in the next town....
All of this again, is Before Christ came into the Picture.
If you have something that targets Christianity directly, then please show it, if all you have is Jewish history, then I strongly suggest that you bring this up with the Jewish people.
God Bless
Key.
