Judges 19

I've asked Dave to provide some follow-up from the sermons that he'll be delivering over the next few weeks. He's graciously obliged, and it's well worth the read. His thoughts follow.

-- Paul

Judges 19 begins on an ominous note. It states that there was no king in Israel and reminds us of the phrase that is elsewhere repeated: In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. Certainly this independence from God that the Israelites developed produced horrible atrocities. Not only was there no human king, but the people were not submitting to the kingship of Yahweh their God. This is the setting of our story.

As you read through the story in Judges 19 there are a number of things to keep in mind. First of all the characters are not given names, indicating that they are not the focus of the story. The narrative is about God’s people and the depravity which they find themselves in. Secondly, the Levite and the concubine are most likely not at fault for what happens. A concubine in the strict sense of the word is a wife that comes without a dowry. Therefore it should not be assumed that she is a secondary wife or an illegitimate wife; it actually makes sense that a Levite would not receive a dowry because Levites were given their allotment from the tithes and sacrifices of the people. They did not acquire land and goods in the same way as most people did. Further, the NIV states that the concubine was ‘unfaithful.’ The Hebrew word also means to “feel repugnance,” and context supports translating this way, as do many other translations. It makes the most sense to think that this newly married couple ran into marital difficulties, so the Levite goes to her father’s house to speak tenderly to her and bring her home.

The hospitality that the Levite finds there is a stark contrast to the horrific scene that comes later. The Levite and all those with him finally depart. They cannot stop in Jebus as suggested by the servant because that is a place where the Israelites failed to follow God’s command and drive out the people who lived there (Joshua 15). As a result they travel on to Gibeah, a religious center where logically, it would be easy to find hospitable, God fearing Jews. Unfortunately we find the opposite of hospitality and the horrible crimes that are committed are reminiscent of the atrocities at Sodom and Gomorrah. After finding his wife dead, the Levite cuts her into pieces and sends her to the clans of Israel. This is a perplexing act from our perspective but has precedent in the ancient world. In 1 Samuel 11 Saul calls the Israelites to war by cutting up his oxen and sending them out with the message to the people, that if they did not respond and fight with him, this would be the fate of their oxen. This is what is happening in Judges; the Levite is calling his brethren to war with the warning of this fate if something is not done.

The closing chapters of Judges show that the Israelites come and war against the perpetrators (the Benjamites). Such a story makes us uncomfortable, disgusted and repulsed. This is the intended function. The story is not about hospitality or homosexuality; it is not an example of how to solve marital disputes or deal with the murder of a family member. It is a story about how offensive sin is to God and how offended His people should also be. It is the story of a people who have chosen to live outside of the kingship of Yahweh.

Reread the story in Judges 19 with these points in mind. Here are some things to think about as you meditate on God’s word:
- Where does this story fit in to the biblical plan of redemption? (Think about the book of Nehemiah and God’s desire to restore and renew his people. Reread the story of the exiles coming back and rebuilding God’s city.)
- How do we as Christians respond to sin today? How should we?
- Why do you think a story like this would be included in the Bible?
- How is it that Israel ended up so far from God’s plan for them?
- How does this story of human depravity shed light on God and his relationship to humanity? How will you respond to what you’ve heard from God through this story?

Finally, always remember that there is an answer to human depravity. We serve a living King who has conquered sin and death on the cross. Despite humanity’s odious sin, God has always been working to redeem and restore His creation. We serve a just and loving God. Let us echo the words of Paul in Romans 7:24-25: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Blessing in Christ,
Dave Stimers.