Judges 20:30
And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.
The closing chapters of Judges, chapters 17 through 21, record events from the early part of the period of the judges although they stand near the end of the book. This third-day advance against Benjamin at Gibeah belongs to those last chapters that show the low state into which Israel had fallen before the call of Samuel the prophet. Those chapters record Israel's backsliding and the disgrace and punishment that followed.
Its setting is the crime at Gibeah, where the Levite's concubine was murdered. The whole tribe of Benjamin identified itself with that outrage. It was an outrage that nearly led to the extinction of Benjamin.
The verse records Israel going up for a third time against the children of Benjamin after earlier defeats, putting themselves in array against Gibeah as at other times. Sent by the Lord again, they went this time under different circumstances and conquered. Israel's eventual victory after two humiliating defeats assures that present distress and apparent failure can be followed by success, and that a cause may be oppressed for a time yet ultimately triumph.
Through the events of Judges 20, Benjamin had become the least and nearly extinct tribe. God in wisdom chose Israel's king from this tribe to remove all grounds of jealousy among the other tribes. The disgrace and punishment in these closing chapters show that sin is never excused.
The going up against Benjamin at Gibeah stands in mighty contrast to the miracles, teaching, and compassion of Jesus recorded in Luke. Yet both histories speak of the goodness and mercy of God.