How Far Can Sin Go?

Dei Break

Judges 19:1 - 20:48

We saw a similar story in Genesis when Lot tried to protect the angels in his home offering his virgin daughters to a mob. It is incomprehensible to us that Lot would have made such an offer as it is that the Levite in this story would have shoved his concubine (called his wife in 20:4), out to the worthless mob of Gibeah (this was about five miles north of Jerusalem) to be raped and murdered. However, this practice of placing the welfare of a male guest above the safety of any women was NOT a part of God's plan for society. It was a custom of men who created their own rules and values.

How can we know this? Because God so often demonstrated His love and grace to women. He rescued Sarah from Pharaoh, and later Rebekah. He protected Hagar when Abraham shunned her; He chose Deborah to serve as the people's leader; He granted grace and blessing to Eve even after she introduced rebellion to the world. Jesus treated the Samaritan woman at the well with a respect and friendship that confounded the disciples. And we could go on….

After the terrible deed to the concubine was done, by Israelites to Israelites, the Levite dismembered her body to be sent to the other tribes. Why? Perhaps to wake up a nation that had become complacent in its attitude toward sin. Was the graphic message sent by the Levite the one thing that finally awoke Israel and led them to fight together against the evil in their midst? In thinking about our own culture, are we also complacent about sin? Do we react differently when finally confronted by the visual evidence of evil?

The tribes gathered and consulted God (20:18), perhaps for the first time in a long time. God directed the battle of brother against brother. The people of Benjamin had been given the opportunity to deal justice against the criminals, but they chose not to do so (20:13). For this sin they paid dearly.

Next Time: Benjamin Survives