Journal FroMan's Journal: Judges 14

Judges is a number of rather sad stories about the downward spiral of Israel from the time of settling in the land to the first king. Iteratively we have a generation that knows God and follows his statutes, and then the next generation falls from the knowledge of God and sins, God brings judgement on the people who, finally God raises a judge among the people to free them and return their knowledge of God, and the next iteration starts again (infact, much of the King/Chronicles is this fashion also).

In the last few weeks I think it has become increasingly evident that there is has been a huge moral decay in our country. The foundations of our nation were from Christian roots, only the most deluded could think otherwise. The origins of our laws are biblical in nature, based on the moral code found therein.

The specific passage that has touched me in the last couple weeks in Judges is the story of the Levite's Concubine (as is the heading in my version), which can be found in chapters 19 - 21. There is so much stuff to be found in this chapter that relate to the last couple weeks.

Look at the relationship of the levite and the concubine. As far as I can tell from reading, he is considered her husband, but it is odd indeed. She has 'played the harlot' against him, and has fled to her father's house. Then he decides four months later to seek her and woo her back (see Hosea). Later on we find another facet of his relationship with his concubine as he tosses her to the dogs basically in Gibeah to save his own skin. Finally, when he finds her dead on the threshold of the door he first tells her to get up and get ready to go, but then realizes his error, and instead of anything what I could consider rational, he cuts apart her body and sends it with a message to all the tribes of Israel! A very odd relationship indeed.

The depths of immorality is amazing in this passage. Consider all the acts that must be so abhorrent to God. A levite who instead of a wife, takes a concubine. She then fools around on him. However, as we see in the relationship there are serious issues, instead of sacraficing love for his wife, he allows the men of Gibeah to ravish her and thereby killing her. The men of Gibeah were not interested in her at first, but indeed the levite! The man's whose house he stays at even offers his own daughter that they might not take the levite. The tribe of Benjamin refuses to see the evil that was done in Gibeah and defend the men of Gibeah.

The response of the tribes of Israel is the outworking of the hand of God upon Benjamin. We know this through the description of how each day the tribes before battle would seek God's will for whether they should go to battle. God declares victory on the third day before the battle and sure enough they are victorious. The outrage of all the tribes other than Benjamin is righteous in this passage, and is purifying to Israel (that is not to say the rest of Israel was necessarily righteous). However, there is a great cost to Israel in that they nearly lost one of their tribes and they even understand that this also is evil.

Today the tribe of Benjamin is alive and well within our country. Some are willing to perform great evil to simpley deny God's hand. Other are willing to tolerate and harbor evil to attempt to bring good works to no fruit. Many leaders who sit in judgement refuse to properly judge. There are large numbers of people who look the other way when great injustice is done. If we as a nation do not stand for what is right, for justice, then there will be judgement. As we see from the later kingdom and the time of exile, God's judgement does not imply that it will be from a righteous nation, but possibley from far worse.

Besides the Judges passage, I would also suggest Psalm 58, for a reminder that judgement will happen and it will be rigtheous. Psalm 82 which is a call for justice which our nation so clearly needs, perhaps make it your prayer tonight.