Judges 19-21; Acts 2

The last three chapters of the book of Judges depict the horror of moral decline in which Israel found itself approximately three hundred years after they entered the Promised Land. The tabernacle stood in Shiloh, where priests conducted services. However, the majority of the people not only descended into pagan idolatry but also became morally equivalent to the pagans. The inhabitants of Gibeah of Benjamin were as depraved as the people of Sodom (Judges 19:22).

This leads to God allowing a civil war between the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of Israel, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths. It is the reality of the lives of people who had everything—the perfect law of God, the covenant God made with them, the Promised Land with its beautiful conditions—yet had hardened, unbelieving hearts.

The history of the book of Judges shows that without Christ and the New Covenant, which changes the heart of man, salvation and a prosperous life for people are impossible.

Some important observations from Acts 2:

- The Holy Spirit, descending upon the disciples, gave them the supernatural ability to speak in the languages of the peoples who were present in Jerusalem at that time (Acts 2:5-11).
- They preached specific truths about Christ that people could understand (Acts 2:8-11).
- The prophecy of Joel, to which Peter refers, was partially fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost, with the second half to be fulfilled at the time of Christ's second coming (Acts 2:17-21).
- Peter, in his sermon, cites evidence of Christ's resurrection from Psalms 16 and 110. By this time, because Jesus "opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures" (Luke 24), they began to understand the true meaning of the prophecies about Christ.
- The conversion of three thousand people on the Day of Pentecost was a supernatural action of the Holy Spirit, against which neither the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees and scribes, nor the Roman authorities could resist.
- The foundations of the life of the early church were the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread (remembrance of the Gospel), and prayer (Acts 2:42), as well as mutual love and service to one another (Acts 2:44-47).