Judges 19:1-4 - In
those days Israel had no king. Now a Levite who lived in a remote area in the
hill country of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. But she was unfaithful to
him. She left him and went back to her father's house in Bethlehem, Judah.
After she had been there four months, her husband went to her to persuade her to
return. He had with him his servant and two donkeys. She took him into her
father's house, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him. His father-in-law, the girl's father,
prevailed upon him to stay; so he remained with him three days, eating and
drinking, and sleeping there
Israel still had no king or judge…and many of the people had
become quite perverse. The story that
unfolded in this chapter was unsettling to my soul…maybe because it was so inhumane…or
maybe because it resembled the state this great land I live has become. The man took to himself a concubine…an extra
wife…which was very common to the culture of the Israelites. But this man’s
concubine left him…and went back to her father. The man decided to go try and
convince her to return…and with great success he began the journey home.
It was when they stopped for the night…that a kind man gave
them lodging for the night. But during the
night a band of very immoral men came to beg the man to give them the male
traveler …to do with as they pleased. It is unthinkable to me that the man offered
them his own daughter and concubine…and even more perplexing is the fact that
this traveler…who had worked so hard to retrieve his own concubine…threw her
out to the men…who had their way with her all night…to the point that she died…as
she was crawling back to the doorstep where she was supposed to find shelter
for the night.
This story is a graphic reminder of what happens when we
separate ourselves from the laws of God.
The absence of God allows pure evil to seep into the world around us. It is a reminder to me how very much the
world resembles the sad state of the Israelites. The news is filled with story
after story that rival the evil in this story….and I believe with all my heart
that God has allowed it for a season…to remind us that we must find a way to
convince the people around us to return to the way God planned for us to live.
I have pondered just what God is saying to me with this
story... maybe it is just a reminder to pray for my world. I can’t argue that immorality has become way
too tolerable in many of the people of the world. What we need is a great worldwide revival…one
that sets a fire of passion in every soul that belongs to God…to preach his
pure true word…and change the hearts of those that engage in the kind of
immorality that brought such a tragic end to the life of this young concubine. Maybe if we all call out to God together….the
cry will bring about his great compassion…and he will see fit to cleanse the
immorality from the hearts of so many unbelievers and then use them to change
even more.
Father…I thank you for this story….for even though it was
hard to read…I needed the reminder today to pray for the world. I ask you this morning to place a burden on
the heart of every believer…to pray …to call out to you to rid the world we
live in of the thoughts that convince so many it is okay to participate is such
horrible deeds …that cause such pain and injury to the souls of the
victims. Show me how to tell the ones
that live near me about your great love that can wash the evil out of their
hearts…and make them new creatures in you. Amen.
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