Today we'll be completing the book of Judges. ***This is certainly not an episode you would want children to listen to. We'll be looking at Judges 18 through 21, including one of the most horrifying stories in all of Scripture. It's graphic and heartbreaking, and if it were a movie, most of us would probably want to change the channel. In these four chapters of the Bible, it feels discouraging and sickening because you just want to see someone doing what is right in the Lord's eyes, and not in their own eyes, but if we look to Christ, hope remains.

Today's Reading: Judges 18-21

Scripture Read or Referenced:

Judges 19:1-30

Ephesians 5:25-29

Would you like to know more about how you can guide your child in righteous dating relationships? Entrusted with a Child's Heart will do that! This quick episode explains how this biblical parenting study can guide moms, bless your church, and actually help the leaders! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-again-podcast-for-christian-moms-encouragement-in/id1700555502

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary

This is the Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries.

2

I'm Stephanie Hickox, today we'll

be completing the book of Judges.

3

This is certainly not an episode you

would want children to listen to,

4

Today we'll be looking at chapters

18 through 21, one of the most

5

horrifying stories in all of scripture.

6

It's graphic and heartbreaking.

7

and if it were a movie, most of us

would probably wanna change the channel.

8

in these four chapters of the Bible,

it feels discouraging and sickening

9

Because you just want

to see someone doing.

10

What is right in the Lord's

eyes, and not in their own eyes,

11

Speaker 18: Yesterday we talked

a little bit about Micah Oli,

12

who was serving as a priest in a

house with household gods and idols.

13

And in chapter 18, 600 dite all armed

with weapons and ready for battle.

14

Show up at his door and take the idols.

15

It's important to understand that this

book isn't in chronological order and

16

that some of it happens concurrently, and

that's evident here because we find out

17

that even Moses's grandson continued some

of these idolatrous priestly practices.

18

And then we come to chapter 19.

19

And as I warned you, it's traumatic, but

it reveals how much the nation had fallen.

20

Speaker 16: In those days when there

was no king in Israel, a certain Levite

21

was sojourning in the remote parts of

the hill country of Eam, who took to

22

himself a concubine from Bethlehem Adah,

and his concubine was unfaithful to

23

him, and she went away from him to her

father's house at Bethlehem and Judah.

24

And was there some four months.

25

Then her husband arose and went after her

to speak kindly to her and bring her back.

26

He had with him his servant and a

couple of donkeys, and she brought

27

him into her father's house.

28

And when the girl's father saw

him, he came with joy to meet

29

him and his father-in-law.

30

The girl's father made him stay and

he remained with him three days.

31

So they ate and drank and

spent the night there.

32

And on the fourth day, they arose early

in the morning and he prepared to go.

33

But the girl's father said to

his son-in-law, strengthen your

34

heart with a morsel of bread.

35

And after that, you may go.

36

Said the two of them sat

and ate and drank together.

37

And the girl's father said to

the man, be pleased to spend the

38

night and let your heart be merry.

39

And when the man rose up to go,

his father-in-law pressed him.

40

Til he spent the night there again,

and on the fifth day, he arose early

41

in the morning to depart and the

girl's father said, strengthen your

42

heart and wait until the day declines.

43

So they ate both of them.

44

And when the man in his concubine

and his servant rose up to depart

45

his father-in-law, the girl's

father said to him, behold, now

46

the day has waned toward evening.

47

Please spend the night.

48

Behold the day draws to its clothes

lodge here and let your heart be merry.

49

And tomorrow you shall arise early in

the morning for your journey and go home.

50

But the man would not spend the night.

51

He rose up and departed

and arrived opposite Jais.

52

That is Jerusalem.

53

He had with him a couple of saddle

donkeys and his concubine was

54

with him when they were near jbi.

55

The day was nearly over and the servant

said to his master, come now let us

56

turn aside to the city of the debut

sites and spend the night in it.

57

And his master said to him, we will not

turn aside into the city of foreigners

58

who do not belong to the people of

Israel, but we will pass on to Gabba.

59

and he said to his young man, come and

let us draw near to one of these places

60

and spend the night at Gia or at Rama.

61

So they passed on and went their way

and the sun went down on them near

62

Gibbon, which belongs to Benjamin,

and they turned aside there to go

63

in and spend the night at Gibbon.

64

And he went in and sat down in the

open square of the city for no one,

65

took them into his house to spend

the night, and behold, an old man was

66

coming from his work in the field.

67

At evening, the man was from

the hill country of Ephraim,

68

and he was Sojourning and Gia.

69

The men of the place

were Benjamin Knights.

70

And he lifted up his eyes and saw the

traveler in the open square of the city

71

and the old man said, where are you going?

72

And where do you come from?

73

and he said to him, we are

passing from Bethlehem and Judah.

74

To the remote parts of the hill

country of Ephraim, from which I come.

75

I went to Bethlehem Ajuah, and I'm

going to the house of the Lord, but

76

no one has taken me into his house.

77

We have straw and feed for our

donkeys with bread and wine for

78

me and your female servant and

the young man with your servants.

79

There is no lack of anything, and

the old man said, peace be to you.

80

I will care for all your wants.

81

Only do not spend the night in the square.

82

So we brought him into his house

and gave the donkeys feed and they

83

washed their feet and ate and drank as

they were making their hearts marry.

84

Behold, the men of the city, worthless

fellows, surrounded the house beating

85

on the door, and they said to the

old man, the master of the house,

86

bring out the man who came into

your house that we may know him.

87

And the man, the master of the house,

went out to them and said to them.

88

No, my brothers do not act.

89

So wickedly, since this man has come

into my house, do not do this vile thing.

90

Behold, here are my virgin

daughter and his concubine.

91

Let me bring them out Now, violate

them and do with them what seems

92

good to you, but against this man.

93

Do not do this outrageous thing.

94

But the men would not listen to him.

95

So the man seized his concubine

and made her go out to them.

96

And they knew her and abused

her all night until the morning.

97

And as the dawn began to

break, they let her go.

98

And as morning appeared, the

woman came and fell down at the

99

door of the man's house where her

master was until it was light.

100

And her master rose up in the morning,

and when he opened the doors of the house

101

and went out to go on his way, behold.

102

There was his concubine lying

at the door of the house with

103

her hands on the threshold.

104

He said to her, get up, let us be

going, but there was no answer.

105

then he put her on the donkey and the

man rose up and went away to his home.

106

And when he entered his house, he

took a knife and taking hold of his

107

concubine, he divided her limb by

limb into 12 pieces and sent her

108

throughout all the territory of Israel.

109

And all who saw it said such a thing

has never happened or been seen from

110

this day that the people of Israel

came up out of the land of Egypt.

111

Until this day, consider it.

112

Take counsel and speak.

113

Speaker 20: God's word is not condoning.

114

this Behavior, but

recording that it happened.

115

First, let's clarify what a concubine was.

116

They were often used to continue a

family line having less rights than a

117

wife and being treated like servants.

118

When it says that she played the harlett.

119

If you go back to the Hebrew, it's

quite possible that she was actually

120

just angry or hated her husband and

went back home to be with her father.

121

Scripture spends, quite a bit of time

explaining how this dotting father

122

just didn't want them to leave.

123

My dad and I were very close, and

sadly he passed away about 15 years

124

ago, but I can remember how every

time I would come home from college.

125

And then try to head back.

126

He would convince me to stay

just a little bit longer.

127

I can't imagine the heartbreak of

this father when he found out what

128

actually happened to his daughter

the night she left his home.

129

If this story sounds reminiscent

of Genesis 19 and Sodom

130

and Gomorrah, you're right.

131

That chapter helped us understand

why God's judgment was so

132

righteous and necessary, and

this chapter does that as well.

133

It is the only time that homosexuality

is hinted at within the nation of Israel

134

and it points to how far they

head strayed from God's law.

135

We can be sickened once

again that just like lot.

136

This man was willing to offer

his own virgin daughter to the

137

wicked mites leading the town.

138

And doesn't your heart break for this

young woman that her own husband, after

139

going and getting her back to take her

home in order to protect himself, that

140

he would sacrifice his own wife life?

141

Speaker 19: I appreciate how the

MacArthur commentary condemns the husband.

142

He writes, this is unthinkable,

weakness and cowardice for any

143

man, especially a priest of God.

144

Apparently he even slept through

the night or stayed in bed at fear

145

since he didn't see her again until

he awakened and prepared to leave.

146

And while I consider these absolutely

horrific acts of trauma that the

147

woman experienced, I have to choose to

think about Jesus Christ, and how he

148

sacrificed his own life for his bride.

149

We don't have to wonder

the depth of his love.

150

Or wonder if the God of the Bible is

horrified at this husband's behavior?

151

He is, and he calls us

to something higher.

152

Ephesians five tells us husbands love your

wives as Christ loved the church and gave

153

himself up for her, that he might sanctify

her, having cleansed her by the washing

154

of water with the word so that he might

present the church to himself in splendor.

155

Without spot or wrinkle or

any such thing that she might

156

be holy and without blemish.

157

In the same way, husbands should

love their wives as their own bodies.

158

He who loves his wife, loves himself

for no one ever hated his own

159

flesh, but nourishes and cherishes

it just as Christ does the church.

160

The other tribes of Israel rise

up and they are horrified at the

161

despicable behavior that has happened.

162

But unfortunately, as they attempt to

avenge this, there are a lot of missteps

163

because the tribe of

Benjamin will not renounce.

164

The town of GIAs sin, the other

tribes are forced to enter

165

into a civil war against them.

166

There will be dramatic loss on both

sides until eventually the tribe of

167

Benjamin will only have 600 men remaining.

168

As we close the page on this very

bleak chapter in Israel's history, we

169

understand that they're longing for

a king to rule them, but we can know

170

that the only king really capable.

171

Of setting these injustices,

right, is the Lord Jesus Christ,

172

and one day he will, let's pray.

173

Speaker 21: Lord, we thank you

that you are a sacrificial husband.

174

We praise you for the depth of your

love, for how high, how wide, how

175

deep, and how long it is that we can't

even fathom how much you care for us.

176

I pray for healing for those

women that have experienced the

177

trauma of abuse in any form.

178

I ask for you to heal any

lingering effects that she battles.

179

We pray against these atrocities

for our children as well.

180

Give us wisdom in how to protect them.

181

and how to advocate for others

182

who have been abused.

183

And Lord, we also ask for our marriages

that you will give our husbands

184

the courage, the wisdom, and the

understanding of how you've called

185

them to sacrifice for their brides.

186

may the women who listen, feel cherished

and cared for by the men that you've

187

chosen to represent you on this earth.

188

Jesus, we thank you for

your love that satisfies.

189

And Heal.

190

It's in your name we pray.

191

Amen.