Leaving Out One Thing

To read the Bible in a year, read Judges 20 and 21.

A Levite told the rest of Israel what a horrible thing a city in the tribe in Benjamin had attempted to do to him and had done to his concubine. Israel was outraged and made plans to do something about it. Judges 20:8 says, "So all the people arose as one man, saying, 'None of us will go to his tent, nor will any turn back to his house,'" until they had removed the evil from their nation.

Later they consulted God, but they should have done that right away and they should have established exactly what happened by sending men to the city to investigate, because one witness is not sufficient to condemn anyone. Both Deuteronomy 17 and 19 explain that two or three witnesses are needed.

Whenever you hear something evil, do not accept it simply because one person told you, but if it is necessary to take action against someone, consult God and investigate more, because God knows who did what and what you should or should not do. Finding out from others who were involved will keep you from taking action that perhaps you never should have taken.