Judges 21:1-12: a reflection

1Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.” 2The people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely. 3They said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?” 4On the next day, the people rose early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. 5The children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up in the assembly to the LORD?” For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn’t come up to the LORD to Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.” 6The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “There is one tribe cut off from Israel today. 7How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?” 8They said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up to the LORD to Mizpah?” Behold, no one came from Jabesh Gilead to the camp to the assembly. 9For when the people were counted, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead there. 10The congregation sent twelve thousand of the most valiant men there, and commanded them, saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones. 11This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain with a man.” 12They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

In the sad aftermath of Israel's civil war against Benjamin, the people find themselves trapped by a rash oath they had sworn: not to give their daughters as wives to Benjamin. Now, grieving that a tribe of Israel is nearly cut off, they are bound by their own rash vow, and cannot simply provide wives; and their attempt to work around the oath leads them into further wrong. A rash oath, hastily sworn, has trapped them, and in trying to escape its consequences they are drawn into more harm.

Notice the tangle the rash oath created. The oath had been sworn hastily, in the heat of the moment; and now it bound them, creating an intractable problem they had not foreseen. Rather than freeing them, their own rash vow trapped them, and their efforts to work around it led them into further wrong. A hasty oath, sworn without counting its consequences, became a snare, entangling them in harm. The rashness of the vow, made without thought for where it would lead, created a tangle from which they could not easily escape.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too can bind ourselves by rash commitments made without counting their consequences. We can make hasty vows, promises, or commitments in the heat of a moment, without thinking where they will lead; and then find ourselves trapped by them, entangled in problems we did not foresee, even drawn into further wrong trying to escape them. Do not make rash commitments or vows hastily, without counting their consequences; a hasty oath, like Israel's, can become a snare that traps you and leads to further harm. Weigh your commitments before you make them, considering where they may lead, rather than binding yourself by rash vows that may entangle you, as Israel's rash oath left them trapped and drew them into further wrong; be slow and thoughtful in the commitments you make, lest a rash one become a snare.

Lord, in the sad aftermath of Israel's civil war against Benjamin, the people find themselves trapped by a rash oath they had sworn: not to give their daughters as wives to Benjamin. Now, grieving that a tribe is nearly cut off, they are bound by their own rash vow; and their attempt to work around the oath leads them into further wrong. A rash oath, hastily sworn, has trapped them. Show me the tangle the rash oath created. The oath had been sworn hastily, in the heat of the moment; and now it bound them, creating an intractable problem they had not foreseen. Rather than freeing them, their own rash vow trapped them, and their efforts to work around it led them into further wrong. A hasty oath, sworn without counting its consequences, became a snare. Take that to my heart, for I too can bind myself by rash commitments made without counting their consequences. I can make hasty vows, promises, or commitments in the heat of a moment, without thinking where they will lead; and then find myself trapped by them, even drawn into further wrong trying to escape them. Keep me from making rash commitments or vows hastily, without counting their consequences; a hasty oath, like Israel's, can become a snare. Help me weigh my commitments before I make them, Lord, considering where they may lead, rather than binding myself by rash vows. Help me be slow and thoughtful in the commitments I make.