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12 And they went up, and pitched in Kirjath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan unto this day behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim.

13 And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.

14 Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have

to do.

15 And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and 'saluted him.

16 And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.

17 And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.

18 And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?

19 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?

20 And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.

21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.

22 ¶ And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.

23 And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?

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24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?

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26 And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.

27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.

28 And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.

29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.

30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

31 And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

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THE history of Micah and his false gods is carried on in this chapter, with other circumstances connected therewith; and the extensive impiety to which this private idolatry ultimately led, is also stated.

In those days, it is said, there was no king in Israel: every man and every tribe seems to have done as they liked. There being no good government, there could be no established order in the land. Let us observe, then, the blessing of good government. Authority must be vested somewhere: without it there can be no security for property or person: all kinds of cruelty and injustice must prevail, where there is no ruling authority. Government is just as needful for the welfare of communities, as grace is necessary for the conversion of the heart; and, as there is no remedy for healing the moral evils of our fallen nature but that which is revealed in the gospel, so neither is there any effectual

remedy for the evils of our social condition, but the principles revealed in the sacred volume. God's word must be the guide of nations, if they would prosper and be blessed; and of our souls, also, if we desire to be saved. The Danites went to seek for an inheritance; for, until that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them. Then how slack and backward must they have been in taking possession of their appointed lot! Are there not many like them? Are there not many who are negligent in their soul's concerns? While there is a glorious inheritance put before them, are they not so taken up with other things, or so satisfied with their present state, or so fearful of encountering difficulties and hardships, as to make but little, if any, exertion for the attainment of the heavenly possession? May we not expostulate with such characters about their negligence and their loss? What do they mean? Do they intend to give it up altogether? Is not the prize worth seeking? What will they think when it is gone for ever from their view?

We may judge of the lawless state of these people, from what they did on this occasion. Passing by the house of Micah, they recognised the Levite, and when they found how he was situated, they felt no scruple in asking his advice, which was readily granted according to their wishes; and then they afterwards robbed the house of the idols that were in it. They seem to have been little better than a horde of thieves and freebooters. What was the cause of this? The absence of rule and the fear of the Lord. Good government would have restrained such actions; and the fear of God would have taught them better. When men think they may lay their hands on what they please, it is clear they neither fear God, nor regard man. But, mark the Levite. Suppose an answer were given to his inquiry, could it have come from God? Could the Lord sanction by an act of favour, in answer to prayer, the idolatry he forbad and condemned? Either it was a pretended answer to please the man, or the great liar furnished him with the falsehood to deceive and destroy. In either case the thing was wicked and abominable, and shews the depths of Satan as the deceiver and destroyer of souls.

Let us not forget to notice the misery of Micah on this occasion. When he found his idols were gone, he was greatly distressed; and he tried, though in vain, to recover them. The attempt might have cost him his life, and he prudently forbore. Are there not many like him? When their darling idols, pleasures or sins, are gone, they are wretched and miserable. And when they are asked, What aileth them? they are ready to reply, They have lost their gods, and what have they more! Their pleasures and enjoyments are gone, and they have nothing left to supply the loss. Such is the misery of the wicked; such is the misery of those who have not the Lord for the portion of their soul. (Lam. iii. 24.)

But, observe the issue. These idols and this idolatry were set up and maintained in the tribe of Dan, until the day of the captivity of the land. The wickedness of one wicked man became the sin of a whole tribe

for many years. How needful is it to pray to be kept from all evil, and preserved in the fear of the Lord! (v. 30, 31.)

CHAPTER XIX.

1 A Levite goeth to Beth-lehem to fetch home his wife. 16 An old man entertaineth him at Gibeah. 22 The Gibeonites abuse his concubine to death. 29 He divideth her into twelve pieces, to send them to the twelve tribes.

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ND it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him 'a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah.

2 And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there 23 four whole months.

3 And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak 'friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father's house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.

4 And his father in law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged

there.

5 ¶ And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel's father said unto his son in law, "Comfort thine heart

with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.

6 And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for the damsel's father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry.

7 And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him: therefore he lodged there again.

8 And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel's father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.

9 And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the damsel's father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, "the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go ' home.

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10 But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him.

11 And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.

12 And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.

13 And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.

14 And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.

15 And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging.

16 And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites.

17 And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?

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18 And he said unto him, We are passing

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from Beth-lehem-judah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I and I went to Beth-lehem-judah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man that "receiveth me to house.

19 Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.

20 And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.

21 So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.

22¶ Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.

23 And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly.

24 Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.

25 But the men would not hearken to him so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.

26 Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light.

27 And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.

28 And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place.

29 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.

30 And it was so, that all that saw it said,

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WE were furnished in the last chapter with a sad specimen of the lawless and unprincipled state of the people in the absence of good government and the fear of God; and, in this chapter, we have another instance of the same kind, though of a much deeper hue. In the one case, we found the issue in the exercise of lawless depredation: in the other, we behold the consequences breaking out in the most daring and vile abominations. Picture to yourselves such a state of society as is here recorded; every one passing by thinking himself at liberty to steal from your house, or take from your property what he pleased; and if you ventured to expostulate for so doing, or resisted the theft, meeting with nothing but derision and peril for your pains. Such a condition of things could be safe for no one, and would be greatly to be deplored on every account: and the only remedy, humanly speaking, would be the enactment and enforcement of wise and wholesome laws, in the fear of God.

The events recorded in this chapter are of too wicked and revolting a character to be particularised beyond the facts narrated. In every point of view it is a horrible record of complicated sin and detestable crime. Plainly does it teach us, what any people would soon come to, where the Word of God is unknown or forgotten; and where there are no laws to protect the innocent and punish the guilty. The lesson is here written as with a sunbeam, that man, left to himself, is not capable of order and self-regulation. The vilest persons would soon get the mastery, and the most abominable deeds would soon abound. Ought we not, then, to be thankful to God for the order and blessings of good government? Again it is asked, is not authority for the ruling of nations, as

founded upon the same fact; namely, that man universally is a fallen, guilty, depraved, and polluted sinner? And what would soon be the state of our villages, towns, cities, countries, and kingdoms, were there no law, or no law enforced, to repress violence and crime?

But let it not be forgotten, that true religion must go hand in hand with equitable law. Let the magistrate use the sword of justice; let the minister wield the word of life. No office, however sacred, can in the least avail, unless the word and grace of life possess the heart. View the character and conduct of this Levite. Was it not plain that he knew little or nothing of the word of God? or if he did, is it not clear that it had no influence on his heart or ways? View the spirit and conduct of these men of Belial. How horribly wicked were their doings! The whole place seems to have been another Sodom, a nest of the vilest abominations! Then, view the action that ensued, the cutting up the dead body, and sending the several pieces throughout the tribes of Israel, to stir up the flames of war, bloodshed, and revenge! And where did these things occur? Among the savage hordes of the barbarous nations around? No; but among the professed Israel of God. Lord, what is man!

Now, while you hate and abhor these cruel and odious deeds, are you not taught to be humble? Let any one look into his own heart, and see what lurks there; and then say, If God were to suffer you, without restraint, to work out all the abominations that lodge within, where would you stand? Perhaps not very far from these men of Gibeah. You shudder at their crimes; how do you feel respecting your own uncommitted corruptions? No one ever rightly feels on this subject, till he abhors himself, and repents in dust and ashes. (Job xlii. 6.)

CHAPTER XX.

1 The Levite in a general assembly declareth his wrong. 8 The decree of the assembly. 12 The Benjamites, being cited, make head against the Israelites. 18 The Israelites in two battles lose forty thousand. 26 They destroy by a stratagem all the Benjamites, except six hundred. HEN children of Israel went

needful as grace for the salvation of souls? Tout, and the congregation was gathered

Is not this truth, in its twofold aspect,

together as one man, from Dan even to Beer

sheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.

2 And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.

3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?

4 And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.

5 And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead.

6 And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel. 7 Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.

8¶ And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house.

9 But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it;

10 And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.

11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.

12 And the tribes. of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?

13 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:

14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.

15 And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen

men.

16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.

17 And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.

18 ¶ And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.

19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.

20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.

21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.

22 And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.

23 (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)

24 And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.

25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.

26¶Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

27 And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

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.

29 And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.

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