Three whole nauseating chapters that can be summed up with “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
We’re talking about Judges 19-21. Rather than delving into a lengthy commentary (believe it or not, this could be even longer!), we’re just going to look at what went wrong:
1. First up, the Levite doesn’t take his father-in-laws invitation to stay the night before heading home with the young woman. “Behold, now the day has waned toward evening. Please, spend the night…But the man would not spend the night.” First lesson, don’t stay out after dark. Okay, I had to fit some levity in here since everything else is so depressing.
2. Second, the cringe-worthy response of the old man to the “men of the city” who desired to rape his male guest. “No, my brothers, do not act so wickedly…do not do this vile thing. Behold, here are my virgin daughter and his concubine…Violate them and do with them what seems good to you, but against this man do not do this outrageous thing.” A tragedy of moral confusion and complete degradation of women.
3. The men of the city didn’t even take him up on his offer, so the Levite saves himself by seizing his concubine and making her go out to them. The Levite is only concerned with himself, even at the horrific expense and abuse of others.
4. The men of the city abused her all night until the morning. There is no one willing to help.
5. In fact, her master sleeps soundly, wakes, gets ready and only when he’s going out the door does he see her lying at the door of the house and callously says, “Get up, let us be going.” He is deprived of compassion for the weak and abused.
6. He then takes her home after no response and cuts her up into 12 pieces and sends them out to the tribes of Israel. Was the Levite outraged because his ‘wife’ was violated? What an equally brutal way to respond. More likely, he seems yet again, concerned with himself and his honor.
7. Next, he embellishes the story in front of the assembly, making himself sound like an innocent victim. “…They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine, and she is dead…” I don’t know which theme is more prevalent at this point: the degradation of women, or concern with self.
8. And they take him at his word and unite against Benjamin. No investigation, no consulting God. Now begins the rash decisions.
9. They rashly take an oath that “No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin.” (21:1) Hasty, emotion-driven decisions.
10. To add to it all, the Benjamites refuse to offer up the guilty men. They protect the wicked.
11. They kind of consult God, except rather than asking if they should nearly wipe out a whole tribe or not, they simply ask who should fight first. God is treated as a secondary advisor, not as a leader.
12. …they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly. And they said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that today there should be one tribe lacking in Israel?” Maybe this doesn’t belong on a list of wrongdoings, but it’s certainly note-worthy. It’s Israel’s entire departure from seeking God and more directly, their own recent decisions apart from God that landed them in this situation. They are blind to their weaknesses.
13. Panicked that Benjamin might cease to exist, but their hands tied by the oath, they come up with the totally legit idea to destroy whichever city didn’t come to the meeting at Mizpah, but save their virgins and gift them to the Benjamite men. Maybe two wrongs do make a right?
14. Unfortunately, there are still 200 men without wives, so the congregation has to get creative again. So, they come up with a manipulative plan to kidnap the daughters of Shiloh during the feast of the Lord. Corruption breeds corruption.
Indeed, in those days there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in his own eyes. In their quest for justice for one raped and murdered woman, the Israelites managed to nearly wipe out a tribe, murder a whole city and abduct and rape girls of two Israelite towns.
Things can escalate quickly and chaotically when we forget God, when we consult our own feelings and selves for decisions. And the longer we stay in corruption, the more callous we’ll become. And the further we get from the gospel and from abiding in Christ, the more we’ll fall into traps of oppression and degradation of those who are weaker or different. The more we’ll justify our behaviors. The more we’ll lose our compassion. The more destruction we’ll create. And the blinder we’ll become. Judges as a whole demonstrates these truths through Israel’s dark history.
Truthfully, Israel did have a king. But they weren’t content to recognize Him.
We have the same King, and He is one who abhors oppression, protects the weak, empowers women, guides mankind, provides for His children, punishes the predatory, exposes the wicked, comforts the abused, promises us rest, bears our burdens, enables each of us to grow, frees us from sin, teaches us to love and serve and live for Him and for others.
Will we center ourselves, our actions, our lives, our beliefs around that King?
Pursue Righteousness 