Solving a Spiritual Problem with Sinful Logic | Judges 21:16-20

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Our text today is Judges 21:16-20.

Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?” And they said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel. Yet we cannot give them wives from our daughters.” For the people of Israel had sworn, “Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin.” So they said, “Behold, there is the yearly feast of the Lord at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.” And they commanded the people of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in ambush in the vineyards and watch. — Judges 21:16-20

Israel is trapped in a cycle of compromise. They made one foolish vow, then another plan to fix the fallout, and now they’re crafting another workaround to solve the mess they created. They’re solving a spiritual problem with sinful logic.

It’s a dangerous pattern: one bad decision leads to another. And instead of repenting, Israel rationalizes. They think their cleverness will fix what only God’s grace can heal.

We’ve all done this. Maybe it’s a bad business decision that we try to cover with another risky one—hoping to fix our losses instead of facing our mistakes. Or maybe it’s a spiritual shortcut: compromising truth to keep peace, lying to protect reputation, or bending God’s Word to justify our behavior. The deeper we dig, the more we sink.

This is the danger of human reasoning apart from divine guidance. When we try to solve sin with sin, we multiply destruction. The Israelites thought they were preserving the nation, but they were only proving how far they’d drifted from God.

This passage reminds us why we need a Righteous Judge. Because left to ourselves, we’ll always judge wrongly. We justify what God condemns and condemn what God forgives. But there is One who judges rightly—Jesus Christ. He alone can make sense of our chaos and turn our regret into redemption.

You can face His judgment now—through repentance and faith—or later—by your own unrighteousness. The choice is yours.

Today, if you’ve been living on your own logic, lay it down. Ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. Let His righteousness cover your wrongs and guide your next decision.

ASK THIS:

Where have I tried to fix a spiritual problem with human reasoning?
What’s one area where I need to stop rationalizing and start repenting?
How can I invite Jesus into my decision-making today?
Do I trust His righteousness more than my logic?
DO THIS:
Identify one area where you’ve been solving problems without God’s guidance.
If you’ve never surrendered your life to Jesus, do it today.
PRAY THIS:
Lord, forgive me for trying to fix spiritual problems with sinful logic. Help me to stop leaning on my understanding and start trusting Your wisdom. I surrender to Your righteous judgment and receive the grace You offer through Jesus Christ. Amen.

PLAY THIS:
“Jesus, Have It All.”