Alright, let us delve into Judges, Chapter 20. After reading this chapter, you may find it a rather lamentable and chaotic saga. The underlying theme here is: Greater Calamities Arise from Not Seeking God.

Did the Israelites Seek God?

It may seem that the Israelites sought God, but did they truly? In reality, they did not. How, then, did they purport to seek Him? Each tribe of Israel received pieces of a corpse—human flesh. Some received the chest, others the legs, and still others the head. Quite gruesome, indeed. Mind you, they had no refrigerators, so each piece would rot and decay.

Subsequently, all the Israelites journeyed to Gilead. From Dan to Beersheba, and all those dwelling in Gilead, came out as one to assemble before the Lord at Mizpah. Was this truly before the Lord? The leaders of Israel, the commanders of the divisions, stood in the assembly of God's people. There were 400,000 swordsmen. Then the Israelites gathered before God to question the Levite.

This Levite was quite influential; he was a grandson of Moses. The priest at that time was a grandson of Aaron. One a grandson of Moses, the other of Aaron. But, truth be told, things were already in such a state during the time of Moses and Aaron. So, what could be expected of the grandsons of Moses and Aaron? Not much. The writers even bothered not to record much about Moses’ grandson.

Then the husband of the murdered woman answered, inciting the mustering of 400,000 troops to wage war. The Israelites sought not God, but the grandson of Moses, who, in his own right, was quite something. He presented only half his story.

And the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered and said, I came to Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, with my concubine to spend the night. Then the men of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house at night. They intended to kill me, and they raped my concubine, so that she died. So I took my concubine and cut her into pieces and sent her throughout the whole territory of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed an outrage and an act of folly in Israel. (Judges 20:4-6)

The Israelites did not pause to consider what had transpired that led to this calamity. God makes no mistakes, nor do demons. The one making mistakes was this grandson of Moses, who presumed himself to be significant merely because he was Moses’ grandson. During my ministry, some have asked me, “Pastor, if something like this befell you, what would you do?” I say, “It would not befall me, for I would have repented before it ever came to that.” I am not like you, stiff-necked till this day, deceived, in debt, and creating one mess after another.

Would someone with the presence of God create such a mess? Surely not. The concoctions of Moses’ grandson were taken by the Israelites as plans to deliberate and consult. As a result, all the people rose as one. Unified? Yes, unified. But not unified with God. The people were unified in seeking to exact justice. Yet, nowhere in the Bible are you told to seek justice. Consequently, not even one returned to their tent or house, but all went to attack the people of Gibeah. This clearly demonstrates a decision already made, with no intention of seeking God.

Someone once asked me, “Pastor, is it alright for me to do this?” Guess what I said? I certainly said, “Yes.” Many people inquire: Pastor, may I marry him? Or, Pastor, may I marry her? Pastor, may I engage in this business? Pastor, may I do this? My answer is always “Yes.” Why is it always “Yes”? Because you have already made up your mind, so do as you please.

Have you learned to be discerning now? The Israelites are now set on exacting justice for Moses’ grandson. None can stop them. If the Israelites were to inquire: a promiscuous concubine returning to her father's house, her husband fashioning an idol of Micah, becoming a priest for the tribe of Dan in Micah’s household, then going to retrieve this adulterous concubine, with Moses’ grandson’s father-in-law insisting he stay. And so, as evening approached, he departed and encountered this situation in Gibeah. If it were me, serve him right.

But, thank God, things are quite well among us; to this day, nothing like this has occurred. I hope you all understand and forever remember one phrase: many things are deserved. If the Israelites had sought God even a little, had paused to consider what truly happened—this Levite, the grandson of Moses, wasn’t he in Bethlehem, Judah? What was he doing there? Ah, he was quarreling at home, unhappy, and he took his whole family away, running to the house of Micah in Ephraim to become a priest for the tribe of Dan.

So, I ask you: Was there a need to raise 400,000 troops? No, there wasn’t. One “serves him right” would have sufficed. Was it necessary to be so foolish as to raise 400,000 troops? We must understand what the demons are doing. The demons deceived Moses’ grandson, then deceived Micah. After that, calamity befell the Israelites, who did not care to know the cause, and the calamity only grew larger. Had you sought God diligently at any stage, the result would not have been what it was. The one that needed to be put to death was Moses’ grandson. The concubine’s death was a natural consequence.

We must understand that the pitiable often have hateful aspects. One who trusts in God lacks no good thing. One who trusts in God needs not 400,000 troops. Did you all get a taste of what I am saying as you read along with me? Do not get excited. Some, upon hearing me say this, are triggered. Oh my goodness, so inhumane, so unjust. In fact, being excessively righteous can lead to death. So, why did the Israelites not seek God? Because they trusted in man.

The Israelites Trusted in Man

To attack the tribe of Benjamin, 400,000 troops acted as one, while the tribe of Benjamin had a little over 20,000 men. At this point, you must be cautious. If you interpret this as God uniting them, that could be quite perilous. In my recent examination of this passage, I found various interpretations, none of which satisfied me. However, today, around 2 PM, I finally understood it. For 400,000 troops to wipe out tiny Benjamin—that is simple. In the end, the Israelites trusted in man, the soldiers wielding swords, some with bows and arrows, looking every bit the warriors.

The Benjamites were even more formidable, their reliance on man was ingrained. Their martial skills were among the highest in all the tribes of Israel. Their army was professionally trained, and among them were 700 left-handed men who could sling stones with a sling and not miss, hitting exactly where they aimed. Humans are far larger than sparrows. They aimed and killed each time; a formidable force indeed, what we now call snipers.

If you led such a formidable army, would you surrender? Certainly not. By then, men were already inflamed, sovereignty was not negotiable. The Benjamites thought: You send 400,000 soldiers, but I fear you not. I may have only 20,000, but my 700 are more formidable than Gideon’s 300. But in the end, they ruined everything. Not just the 700, but over 20,000 died. So, trusting in oneself is a tragedy.

Oftentimes, people do not seek God. They make the decision first and then seek God. Either they make the decision and expect God to be responsible, or they do not seek at all. What do I need God for? I have a left hand that can sling stones. This is the logic of the strong. No one trusted/relied on God. The state recorded in Judges is that each did what was right in his own eyes; few trusted God.

How different are today's Christians? Some come running to me, “Pastor, you are powerful in prayer; pray for my child. I will give you $100,000.” I wonder, am I only worth $100,000? I will not do that, “the debt has its master, the disaster has its source (债有主，祸有头), repent first. Without repentance, even if I brought Jesus with me, it would be useless. I fear those who worship masters most.

Therefore, I often say, look at me. I do not look like Andy Lau, nor do I have Jackie Chan's moves, plain in appearance, coarse in speech, often scolding you and calling you brainless. After I say it, you still get hurt, then you see me and your illusions are shattered. You listen online and think I am so great, but what am I? I am just like that. We trust in God. If God wants to release you, that is surely for the best. If God does not want to release you, it is because you do not repent, because people just love to trust in man.

Chinese Mingding Doctrine is a learning theology. You must constantly learn to know God, constantly learn to understand your evil deeds, to know how you encountered so many calamities, how you became the victim of these calamities. How many of the things done by these 400,000 Israelite soldiers have we done? How many of the things done by the people of Gibeah have we done? It is all very感慨.

What the Israelites wanted was to have the criminals turned over. Turning over the criminals should not have been so difficult. How much money did it cost to send 400,000 soldiers? The Israelites stopped working, selected ten out of a hundred, one hundred out of ten thousand, one hundred out of a thousand, one thousand out of ten thousand, to deliver food for the people. Wasting manpower and money cannot produce blessings, and will only bring the disaster of more than 60,000 deaths. Not seeking God, not knowing God, is a great tragedy. But people always feel that they are not wrong and should not suffer these disasters.

The Questions the Israelites Asked God Were Problematic

Someone says, “Pastor, no, they sought God.” But the questions the Israelites asked God were themselves problematic. They said, “God, who should go up first? But God never let them go. Do you question it? As a result, God also quipped, “Judah should go up first. In God’s eyes, this question was like asking who should go to die first? Then Judah should go to die first. Isn’t Judah the strongest tribe among you? Could the strongest win if they went up? No. If the strongest cannot win by going up, then the ones below must be even worse, and cannot win.

In fact, many brothers and sisters will also come to me with such questions, saying: Teacher, can I invest in this? You have already decided, so it is okay. Some people come up and ask me, saying: Which one should I invest in? Give me ABCD to choose one, then I will close my eyes and choose A. If I don’t like A, then B, if I don’t like B, then C, close my eyes and take a guess. God didn’t promise you to go, and then you ask who will go up first? God closed His eyes and said Judah will go up first, but in fact, he just made a random statement. We must learn a lesson deeply from here, never ask God like this.

Why did the Israelites ask who should go up first? Because no one wanted to be the first to go. There was a lot of pushing and shoving, and few wanted to be the first. That's why they asked God, and then God said Judah should go first. Judah thought, Since God has spoken, there's no way out. As a result, 22,000 died. We are still very confused as to why 22,000 died as soon as they went up? Because that was how God had arranged it.

The Israelites’ attitude in asking God was very wicked. They asked God, Who can go up first? Look, none of us want to go up first, so who should go first? God even humorously cooperated, saying Judah should go first. The voice was probably a bit stuttering, Ju-Ju-Judah should go first, meaning it was the same whoever went first.

Judah received the birthright and was very proud in the tribe. The most boastful was Judah. They probably shouted loudly to seek justice for Moses' grandson. But that was not trusting God, nor was it asking God. As a result, 22,000 people died as soon as they went up, and the Israelites were shocked when they returned. Many brothers and sisters are like this, saying, Teacher, should I marry him? As a result, after marrying, it became a disaster, and she still couldn't understand why this happened. Actually, it's because there was no repentance!

The signal given by God was already very clear. Moses' grandson made an idol, and no one cared. The first to be destroyed should have been him. But no one cared, and he even became a priest of the tribe of Dan. A lewd concubine died, and that's how they acted. The next day, the Israelites encouraged each other and set up their battle lines again in the same place as the first day. Before setting up the battle lines, the Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening, asking the Lord, Shall we go again to battle against Benjamin our brother?

The Lord said, Go up, go up, go up. Can everyone hear the tone? If one day you ask me, Teacher, can I marry him? My answer will also be like this: Can, can, can. The Israelites didn't hear it, so they deserved what they got. As a result, another 18,000 died. How could these people not hear the tone of God's voice?

There are also many Christians who come to God crying and howling. Do you think God likes these crocodile tears? Actually, God doesn't like them very much. We must always remember that God will not make mistakes, even the devils will not make mistakes, the mistakes are made by us earthlings. When disaster comes upon people, it must be because of what was sown before, so they slowly reap it. If there is no fear of God, then it will definitely be a tragedy. They don't know what it means to seek God, what it means to ask God, and they don't know what it means to trust God. If people don't create some tragedies, can they be called human? They don't even know how to ask questions, so in the end, crying is useless.

The Israelites asked God for the third time, with a little humility

Then all the Israelites went up to Bethel, and there they sat before the Lord, and wept bitterly. They fasted that day until evening and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord. (Judges 20:26)

The Israelites asked God for the third time, and finally had a little humility. At that time, when 400,000 people gathered, people were full of hope for this 400,000-strong army, but now there is no hope at all.

In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there, with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, ministering before it. The Israelites asked the Lord, “Shall we go up again to fight against Benjamin our brother, or shall we stop?” The Lord responded, “Go, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hands.” (Judges 20:27-28)

Earlier it was said that all the Israelites went up to Bethel, sat before the Lord and wept, fasted until evening, and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. Finally, they remembered to offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and finally they were a little humble, burning away their arrogance and pride along with the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Are we in this situation today? When we encounter a small disaster, we still have confidence.

Actually, that confidence is not called faith, it's called confidence. Faith is having faith in God, faith is having faith in God, looking to God. Confidence is looking to oneself, having confidence in oneself. Believing in God and believing in oneself are completely different things.

The Israelites finally had a little humility, and when God saw it, He quickly gave them some mercy, Tomorrow I will deliver them into your hands. God is actually quite tired too, He can't stand seeing such a group of people. On the third day, another thirty people died, because the stones flung so far landed on their heads, and they were sure to die. God said, Even if I agree to deliver the Benjamites into your hands, you must also know that this matter is not from Me. When did I let you raise an army of 400,000 to attack the Benjamites?

God will not make mistakes about the thirty people who died, nor will the devils make mistakes, nor will the stones from the slingshots make mistakes, the mistakes are made by the people themselves, and these thirty people deserved it. Because they were thinking in their hearts, It shouldn't be me, the stone shouldn't be that accurate, right? Trusting in God, what can that thing do?

The Israelites asked God for the third time, and many people were crying, and some were still not convinced, I don't believe I can't destroy these Benjamites. As a result, what happened? They were also destroyed by the Benjamites, and these thirty were also destroyed. This time they used a little trick, first ambushing the soldiers, and then using a small team of Israeli troops to lure the Benjamites out of the city. The Benjamites were very arrogant at this time, full of confidence, Our science and technology are first-class, and our human skills and martial arts are first-class! Ignoring everything.

The Benjamites won a battle, killing 22,000 people, and then won another battle, killing 18,000 people. This time, at least there should be 16,000, right? When they saw a large group of 10,000 elite Israeli soldiers coming again, the Benjamites thought, Only 10,000 are coming, this number doesn't add up, I thought there would be 16,000. As a result, they forgot that they were human, and were full of confidence.

That's how we hear novels, riding the Red Hare, holding the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, taking the head of the enemy general is like taking something out of a pocket. As a result, did they take something out of a pocket? They became the pocket themselves. As a result, this time, the Israelites rushed into the Benjamite city of Gibeah, and when the Benjamites saw the column of smoke rising from it. The Israelites turned back, and the Benjamites were very frightened because they saw disaster coming upon themselves. This is like not shedding tears until they see the coffin, arrogance and self-importance will definitely bring disaster.

So people must not be arrogant easily, and don't be arrogant even when you are qualified to be arrogant. What are people? Nothing. You can't even decide when you can poop, so what can you decide? You still have to know that you are a human being, don't be arrogant. Some people finally achieved a small goal of 100 million, is 100 million still a small goal now? It's difficult to earn 100 million now, you have to sell a lot of plazas to raise money. We must know that a penny can stump a hero.

Some people want to build a trillion-dollar empire, and they are also arrogant. They walk differently, with their own wind. Raising their hands is like a great leader, imitating very well. As a result, the trillion-dollar empire collapsed as soon as it said it would, and the person was gone. Although the company is still there, the founder is gone. I advise you on a most basic piece of common sense, which is that you have to know that you are a human being. If you still don't know that you are a human being, then it's bad. We humans need God. Have we lived out the image of God now? No, it's still a long way off, so we are even more unqualified to be arrogant.

It's good to know that you are a dog or a pig. The most important thing in a person's life is to be humble before God, to know that you are a human being and need God, and never be arrogant. Someone spent 200,000 to celebrate a birthday, and four months later they will never have to celebrate a birthday again, because they died of cancer. It's always good for a person to have a little humility. Some people don't even have 100 million in their hands, they have a million, and they walk differently.

People are like this, without depth, they don't know that they are human, and they don't know that money is trash. Now everyone think about it, if you have God, you have everything, but if you don't have God, whatever you have is useless, no amount of money is enough for you to spend.

This disaster killed 65,000 people

Because of a concubine, because Moses' grandson became a priest of the tribe of Dan, and the priest of the tribe of Dan, because there was an Ephraimite named Micah, made an idol. Why did he make this idol? Because his mother cursed his son, and to break a curse, he entered into one disaster after another.

If you have experienced one disaster after another, you can think with your heels and know what happened. I really thank God that He allowed me to know Him and seek Him when I was young. Let me know that I am a human being, and let me know that I have no other way but to rely on God and live out the image of God. If disaster can awaken people, that would be great, but they still haven't awakened.

The number of days that God's temple and God's ark of the covenant were in Shiloh, the number of days that Micah's idol was in the tribe of Dan. No amount of disaster can awaken this tribe of Dan, no amount of disaster can awaken the tribes of Israel, even if the tribe of Benjamin is almost destroyed, with only 600 people left, it cannot awaken the Israelites' heart to trust God, so the history of Israel is a disaster.

After reading it, what can we learn from this history? We learned not to pass the blame for disaster to God. This blame is always in our hands, always on our heads. To find problems, we often look for problems in ourselves. Don't think that you are a Job, even Job submitted himself to God and repented. There must be a reason for Job's disaster. Job repented after the disaster, but many people still do not repent after the disaster.

May God bless everyone, and may we brothers and sisters wake up after listening to this. In this life, let us remember the Lord who created us, and let us always know that we have not done it right. I thank God! I am a rare, not stubborn person, when I see that I have not done it right, I quickly repent, when I see a problem, I quickly repent. Repentance is the best battle. Asking God, seeking God, and living in God's will is always the best choice.

The reason why everyone receives this grace among us is very simple, because Chinese Mingding Doctrine is to transmit a message of repentance, that is, we have not done it right! Whatever we do, we must do it according to God's will, Amen!

May God bless everyone!