Little wonder the opening words are that there was no king in Israel as the usual implications of that were lack of leadership, so everyone did as they pleased. No control, neither external nor self-control.
A Levite, I presume another one, different to the one in the previous two chapters, although there seemed to be more than one hitch-hiking around, took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. A concubine was a secondary wife. Lamech, the great, great, great grandson of Enoch who walked with God, appears to be the first man to take two wives. Later Abraham, planning with Sarah to give God a helping hand when He promised them descendants but appeared to be failing to come up with the goods, as it were, had a son by Hagar the servant, a son named Ishmael.
Abraham’s brother Nahor (Genesis 22:24) also had a concubine who bore children. Whether this was common practice in the land from which Abraham was called and left behind, I’m not sure but it may well have been. The practice passed on and Jacob had children with both Rachel and Leah’s handmaids (Genesis 30). Esau’s son Eliphaz carried on the practice of his father who had four wives (Genesis 36:12). It is interesting to note where Esau got his wives from – Canaan, the Hittites, the Hivites (both descendants of Canaan) and Ishmael – the father of the Arabs. In Judges 8 Gideon also had one and as we mentioned there, there always seemed to be trouble when there was more than one wife – which Jesus said it was God’s plan from the beginning to have only one.
Down through the years it was evident that this was a source of trouble, but they didn’t learn by their own or their fore-father’s mistakes. Not that we are any different – How often do we fail to learn despite warnings of danger. We think we can do as we like, we think we can handle the situation and won’t fall into sin as others have done. But we do fall and often are so ready to push the blame onto someone else, sometimes, even on to God!
We must be very careful in our relationships. This concubine was unfaithful to him (v2) – she played the harlot and went home to her father in Bethlehem. According to law in Leviticus 20:10 she should have been put to death. After four months her husband went to look for her to persuade her to return. He even took ‘the Rolls’ (an extra donkey) with him to bring her back. The servant would have to walk! She was evidently returning with him, but her father who was so pleased to see him urged him to stay for up to five days feasting with him. Eventually he would be detained no longer, and they left together, along with the servant (v10).
It got quite late, (v11) but the man refused to stay off in Jerusalem, occupied by heathen Jebusites. Judah had not been able to drive out the Jebusites (Joshua 15:63) who came into their territory and the children of Benjamin did not drive them out of Jerusalem, in fact it appears that they didn’t even try. (Judges 1:21)
In some matters this was a wise man (v12) in that he refused to go into an alien city and stay with people who were not God’s people. Not like the five spies who called in Micah’s house each time they passed, probably lured by idols, they seemed to be drawn like a magnet.
Eager to try and reach common ground further north (v13) they managed to reach Gibeah and were invited in by an old man after spending some time out in the town square. This was a common custom for travellers arriving late with no particular place to go to, someone usually invited them in. A similar situation can be seen in Genesis 18 by Abraham, sadly with similar consequences to Genesis 19 where Lot invited the strangers into his house in Sodom. Times had not changed – wickedness is evident as in every generation.
The disgraceful outrage (v22) is similar to that of Genesis 19. The actions of these wicked men who came pounding at the door of the old man’s house, but not only that, the old man offered his virgin daughter and his concubine – “…. Do to them whatever you wish”, and further the Levite sent out his concubine to be raped and abused throughout the night. The actions of all these displays a depraved state of morality which appeared to be incredible. Both men ought to have protected the women in the house even at the cost of their own lives, or thrown themselves upon God’s mercy, protection and providence.
Verses 16-30 do not make pleasant reading! This passage is one of the historical references in Scripture to homosexuality. Whilst the Bible doesn’t discuss the subject in great detail, it does state quite clearly that it is sin. References are made in Genesis 18:21 that this sin was very grievous; Leviticus 18:22, it is an abomination. Romans 1:26,27 Paul tells us why it is wrong – a civilisation turned its back on God and exchanging what is ‘natural’ for ‘unnatural’ ‘vile affections’. As a result, God gave them up to uncleanness …. To dishonour their own bodies; unseemly, receiving recompense of their error; gave them over to a reprobate mind. There’s no way that we can really say that those things are good. The late Dr Una Kroll once said that ‘homosexuality is God-given’ even though she was once ordained by the Church of England but later became a Roman Catholic. How can it be when we read the scriptures?
The Apostle Paul makes some striking statements in 1 Corinthians 6:9,10 about sexual immorality in the church, but Praise God he ends by saying that “…. such were some of you, but you were washed, sanctified and justified in the Name of The LORD Jesus Christ by The Spirit of God”.
It is clear that God will forgive all sin upon repentance. We can all be changed by the power of God. No sin is too bad for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross to deal with. The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son cleanses us from ALL sin. Praise God, there is hope for all of us!
Paul writing to the Colossians said that we should put to death whatever belongs to our earthly nature…. Sexual immorality, lust, evil desires, greed…. You used to walk in these ways …. But have put on the new self. (Colossians 3:5) He wrote in similar vein in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; as did Peter (1 Peter 4:1-6 and Jude (v7). All these make it abundantly clear that such behaviour is sin.
Sad to say homosexuality is rife today and it has, by many, including church leaders, ministers etc been given a cloak of respectability. Those who support these things have much to answer for. The Gay Christian Movement is abhorrent in that it uses the name of Christ. In November 1987 it was said by Rev Richard Kirker who was secretary of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement that he was calling on ‘gay’ men, including twenty or so men of ‘the cloth’ with AIDS to picket a church in London and boycott a local hospice because the vicar and a trustee of the hospice Rev Eddy Stride made a comment to the effect that AIDS was the wrath of God.
It is interesting to note that by the 8th century BC Isaiah spoke out against the leaders of Israel just before their captivity, warning that they had incurred the wrath of God because they not only practised the sin of Sodom but did not hide it. (Isaiah 3:8,9) He continued, “Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, For the reward of his hands shall be given him.As for My people, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err and destroy the way of your paths.” (v11,12)
The Hebrew word for ‘women’ in those verses is ‘women-like men’ or ‘effeminate’; others translate it ‘men who act like women’.
Judah under Hezekiah repented and were spared the captivity which befell the ten tribes, but less than 150 years later relapsed into the same sins and was destroyed and led into Babylonian captivity themselves.
Homosexuality, by whatever name, is condemned by God until it is confessed and repented of and therefore, forgiven, and that person will be changed by the Power of God through the working of His Spirit.
It doesn’t take a prophet to foresee that we are in the last days which Jesus said would be compared to the days of Sodom and the time just prior to the flood- ‘As it was in the days of Noah…. As it was in the days of Lot…. (Luke 17:26-30). Absolute surrender of life to Jesus Christ is essential.
Back to Judges 19 – the Levite finds his wife dead on the doorstep after the men of Gibeah have had their pleasure. He took her on his donkey (and the rest does not make pleasant reading) he cut her into 12 pieces and sent a piece to each territory of Israel to show them the wicked deed which had been done. This was a method of making the message known and arousing the indignation of the Israelites. They said, “We’ve never seen anything like it since we came out of Egypt (v30) what shall we do?”
The chapter ends with a question? It often takes a shock to shake us into action!
