For Single Guys Only

Subtitle: How the Benjamites Got Their Wives
I had a very interesting Bible reading last night in Judges 21 - a whole chapter being devoted to a tribe who ran out of prospective wives for their men.

The account chronicles how the rest of the Israelites made an oath never to give their daughters in marriage to Benjamites. An awful crime was committed - gang rape which resulted to death on a Levite's concubine by men of Gibeah in Benjamin. When the Israelites confronted the Benjamites of the crime, their hearts were hardened and refused to listen - which resulted to war.

The Israelites won the battle, but they grieved for their Benjamite brothers. One time during an assembly when one tribe failed to show up, they devised a plan to give the virgins to the Benjamites as a peace offering.But still the women were not enough. The solution: in a festival in a tribe called Shiloh, they instructed the men to go and hide in the vineyards, watching the girls as they come out to dance. Then the men are to rush from their hiding place and seize a wife. v21 Should the girls' fathers and brothers complain, they will be assured of their innocence, since the girls are practically snatched from them.

Thus the issue was resolved - each man caught and carried off for himself a girl to be his wife, returned, rebuilt and settled in their inheritance.

Wouldn't it be nice to have the whole nation's support in the men's quest for a wife? And wouldn't it make things easier for men and women?

Here are some points that I learned out of that account:
**men chased women (this will get me in trouble hahaha)
**when they do, they have marriage in mind (I'm reminded of the sms that says: while waiting for the right person, play around with the wrong ones)
**the wives leave their parents/homes to be with their husbands to start a family

I don't know why I am writing for men, when it is my women friends who are more open about relationship issues. Truthfully, I don't know how God will do it - all I know is I am standing in faith with my friends who are believing God for a mate!

When I was back home, a common complaint among women is the shortage of men. I thought it was just a geography issue. Four months into a new country where I recently relocated, I discovered that the women are saying the same things - unless one will consider moving to the farms or the mining areas (mind you, there's plenty of money there hehe!)

Hmmm..how did I get here? I was just fascinated at how the Benjamites found their wives during a season of drought of the opposite sex. But then again, maybe I am half hoping that this will rouse the men into stepping up, maybe even learning from the Benjamites' example.