Before Jumping In With Both Feet

O. T. #551  "Before Jumping In With Both Feet"
July 3, 2015
Judges 19-Part 3
...consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.  Judges 19:30b

LET IT GLOW

Consider a matter before jumping in with both feet to take a particular stand. Seek the Lord's will. Back off from the situation before asking others their opinion. Get the facts. Chew on it for a while. Get a clear head. Listen to both sides. Do all this before speaking my mind. If only I could take my own advice all the time.

We left the Levite who returned home with his dead concubine, who had been violently abused by the men of the city of Gibeah, located in the territory of the Benjamin. I'm sure you recall the drastic measures he went to in order to call his brethren for revenge. (Cut her up into 12 pieces, sending each tribe a part.) The Levite must have loved this woman. Why else would he have gone to her father's house to bring her back home?

Then the last part of verse 30, all that saw such a thing, as part of their answer, they said, Consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible states:
We have here the three great rules by which they that sit in council ought to go in every arduous affair.

1. Let every man retire into himself, and weigh the matter impartially and fully in his own thoughts, and seriously and calmly consider it, without prejudice on either side, before he speaks of it.
2. Let them freely talk it over, and every man take advice of his friend, know his opinion, with his reasons, and weigh them.
3. Then let every man speak his mind, and give his vote according to his conscience. In the multitude of such counselors there is safety.

When a matter comes up, I think we should think about it, ask the Lord about it, listen to His direction, search His Word, instead of getting the opinion of others, then we will have the right direction to go, whether it is a decision, a view on a matter, or a solution for a problem.
Commonly, don't we run to others for their advice instead of the Lord? He knows best for us, so why don't we seek His wisdom?

LET IT GROW

Consider, take, speak.

The verbs which close the chapter are perfects of consequence, expressing the results which the Levite expected from this action.  (Falwell)

Looking into the next chapter, we see 400,000 footmen respond to this challenge. During this time, the tribes still rallied for each other's defense. Mizpeh was the central assembly point of the tribes, located only 8 miles north of Jerusalem.

The severe nature of such an atrocity, in a nation that considered itself to be a theocracy, would have brought the greatest possible response at this point. Every man who was capable of holding a sword arrived in angry retaliation for the hideous nature of the deed that had been done. (Falwell)

Do we lovingly want to help others when in need? Or just jump on the band wagon?

LET IT GO

Let the past be passed, having my presence in the present.

Consider a matter according to God's Word and Spirit.