Throughout Judges we have seen the terrible results of syncretism – of Israel moving away from its exclusive Jewish monotheism toward a more mixed religious expression influenced by pagan, Canaanite, and polytheistic practices. The terrible spectacle of Israelite tribes virtually destroying another Israelite tribe is awful to consider. It is a climactic family tragedy, but one that could have been avoided if the tribe of Benjamin had simply turned over the original offenders. Their unwillingness to do so perhaps speaks to Israel’s repeated unwillingness to cleanse itself of pagan impurities. “The Benjamites, our brothers” (20:23) and “why should one tribe be missing?” (21:3) make clear the pain of this inter-tribal battle.

The story arc from the beginning of chapter 19, “In those days Israel had no king”, to the end of chapter 21, “everyone did as he saw fit” (21:25), summarizes the entirety of the book of Judges. Instead of following God’s directives (something King Saul later also failed to do), the Israelites instead followed their own desires. They accommodated pagan culture around them, and in some cases accepted it and incorporated it into Israelite life. But they had been chosen by God for a holy and important purpose – to participate in God’s revelation and redemption of the world. Israel would next look to an earthly king for leadership. God would bless these leaders, David above all, but because of the corruption of human beings, even the monarchy would eventually fail.

The key questions for us are:  How are we syncretistic today; how are we accommodating, accepting, and incorporating elements of our culture that run counter to our faith? What dangers might we experience as a result?

casparks4 wrote:

from Beth: Our society is leaving God in the past, so we can do new things without rules. If "pagan" means "godless," then that's the direction we're heading. Who needs prayer or the 10 commandments, which might make us feel guilty or bad? I'm distressed at the cursing that seems to be accepted now. People say "Oh my God," without being conscious that they are taking God's name in vain. Pop music in church serves to entertain us. We need to remember our history so we don't repeat mistakes. We need to remember our Holy Bible so we don't forget God. Judges says, "Everyone did as he saw fit." In doing that same thing, we are making gods of ourselves. If we keep moving away from God, how will we remember how to find our way back to God?