Judges 19:1–30

The closing verse of Judges reads, "In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." When Moses taught the people how to live once they had taken the Land, he said plainly, "You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes" (Deut. 12:8). Three hundred years after that warning the people are in the Land. But the closing chapters of Judges show them in a low moral condition, marked by gross corruption and violence. Two causes lie behind this low condition. First, they had cast off the authority of God as their King. Second, as a result, every man asserted his own independence, doing what was right in his own eyes.

Words which also describe the whole history of Christendom, perhaps the cause of every evil division is just that — the lack of truly owning the Lordship and authority of Christ, in the fear of the Lord. Where this is not, every man is sure to do what is right in his own eyes — his own will.

The history of Micah and the Danites (chapters 17 and 18) shows the spiritual corruption — idolatry — into which Israel sank so soon after coming into their land. Chapters 19-21 stress the moral corruption of the people. Idolatry is the worse of the two, for it is against God. Yet Israel raised no opposition against idolatry, though they were furious about the moral corruption. How sad it is that we generally think more of the people's rights than of God's rights!

Samson, the last of the judges, still called on Jehovah at certain memorable moments of his life. The Levite of Judah only called on Him over the head of his images and idols. The Levite of Ephraim, whose history we are about to consider, did not, sadly, call on Him at all. For him it was as if Jehovah no longer existed. Yet this man belonged to a group set apart for the service of Jehovah, the priesthood, and the house of God.

Verse 1 reminds us that there was no king in Israel. Even so, the Word of God should have kept a Levite from evil. More than once in the book of Numbers God insisted, "the Levites shall be mine" (Num. 3:12, 45). God claimed them in place of the firstborn in Israel (Num. 3:41). Therefore they ought to have been examples to the rest of the people.

Here is a Levite whose calling was the blessed work of knitting the people together and holding them so. Instead, he is pulling them apart. In a telling way, he is a man who, instead of serving others, was served by them, with his own corrupt desires in control of him. Trace the whole history, and what marks it is self-indulgence and a life never ready for service. All the way through, a careless, unguarded state of soul is what makes the awful crime possible.

This Levite took a concubine. "Let marriage be held in honor among all" (Heb. 13:4), but living together apart from marriage is dishonorable. Often the man does this because he does not want the responsibilities of marriage. In the Old Testament various believers took concubines, but it was never with God's approval, though God bore with it at the time.

He went after her, following the bent of his own heart. He joined himself to this degraded woman, doing just what pleased himself... His guide was his own conscience instead of God. So he gave way to the influence of others, missed his opportunity, and fell into evil.

The fact that comes out first is that Gibeah of Benjamin was scarcely better than Sodom or Gomorrah, on which Jehovah rained fire and brimstone for their uncleanness.

The chapters that follow (Judges 17-21) are not part of the historical order of this book. They lift the veil to show scenes from the inner life of this people, whom God's patience bore with so long... Had they been obedient when the Lord was their King, their prosperity would have been secure. Self-willed as they were, the absence of restraint — when they had no king — gave room to all kinds of licence.

This Levite took a concubine. "Let marriage be held in honor among all" (Heb. 13:4), but living together apart from marriage is dishonorable. Often a man does this because he does not want the responsibilities of marriage. In the Old Testament various believers took concubines. God never approved it, though He bore with it at the time.

First of all, the Levite was a man set apart from his brothers for the service of God. He was a teacher and an example to the people, responsible to perfect holiness in the fear of God. Yet not one conscience among the people seems to question the Levite's unholy alliance with a concubine. What shall we say of this indifferent state of the people? Can it be that such an example pleased them? And what shall we say of the questionable alliances of our own day? — not, perhaps, with the low, gross forms of evil, but with what is respectable enough in the world's eyes, yet compromises holiness and shows a heart not fully faithful to "one husband" — our own faithful Lord and Savior?

If they had been properly married, the woman might not have been guilty of sexual relations with other men. She may have felt herself more or less free because she was not married. Yet this was sad confusion. However, it seems she did not give herself to prostitution. Instead she went back to her father's house and stayed there four months (v. 2).

The Levite and his concubine are clearly meant to show us the general laxity. The woman is hardly less guilty than the man.

However, the concubine adds much to the confusion by her sinful conduct (Judges 19:2). Do we not discern here how our own careless ways may embolden another to stoop to more serious evil still? We may indeed lament it too, but how thoroughly do we judge ourselves concerning it? Would we dare to disclaim all responsibility in such matters? Such cool complacency is the sure forerunner of more solemn disclosures.

He went after her, following the bent of his own heart. He united himself to this degraded woman, doing just what pleased himself. This satisfied the woman's father, who saw in it the reinstatement of his daughter. Sadly, without knowing it, he was also justifying the evil and giving approval to the defilement. This was all the more serious, because his act carried the weight of his sacred position.

Not that we should object to grace, but where is the salt that should season it? Where is the holiness needed to search the poor woman's soul and restore her heart to the Lord, through her own true self-judgment? This, sad to say, is painfully lacking. And how could the Levite do such vital work, when he clearly had not judged himself?

Evil had been allowed to creep in unchallenged, and their senses had grown dull to it. Then, by a sudden and shocking exposure, we learn what always comes of the laxity that leaves the roots of evil unjudged.

The chapters that follow (Judges 17-21) are not part of the historical order of this book. They lift the veil to show some incidents of the inner life of this people whom the patience of God bore with so long... If they had obeyed while Jehovah was their King, their prosperity would have been secure. Self-willed as they were, the absence of restraint — when they had no king — gave room to every kind of licence.

Samson, the last of the Judges, still called on Jehovah at certain memorable moments of his life. The Levite of Judah only called on Him over the head of his images and seraphim. The Levite of Ephraim, whose history we are about to consider, did not, sadly, call on Him at all. As far as he was concerned, it seemed as if Jehovah no longer existed. Yet this man belonged to a class set apart for the service of Jehovah, for the priesthood, and for the house of God.

He went after her, led by his own desires, and joined himself to this degraded woman, doing just what pleased himself. This satisfied the woman's father, who saw in it the restoring of his daughter's position. Sadly, without realising it, he was also justifying the evil and approving the defilement. This was all the more serious, because it carried the weight of his sacred position.

If he had decided to forgive her, why did he not then offer to marry her? The woman's father was glad to meet the Levite, but even he did not suggest they should be married. How like the laxity of our times!

Notice also the merely friendly, gracious spirit in which the Levite takes his concubine back (v. 3). Not that we should object to grace, but where is the salt that should season it? Where is the holiness so needed to search the poor woman's soul, and to restore her heart to the Lord through her own true self-judgment? Sad to say, that is painfully lacking. How could the Levite do such vital work when he plainly was not a self-judged man?

The father kept his son-in-law there, because the longer he stayed, the more public and obvious his daughter's restored position became. The world shows us kindness in proportion as we serve its interests. It does not object to an alliance with the family of God. The Levite let himself be delayed on his way. He had only his conscience, instead of God, as his guide. So he gave in to the influence of others, missed his opportunity, and fell into evil.

He goes to get her, and gives himself up to wild feasting, and passes day after day in eating and drinking. Then, as the evening shadows begin to fall, he leaves suddenly, as if on a whim. He returns to his place, probably his place of service... Surely it was evening indeed — for her, for him, and for the nation too. Evening was closing in.

Here you see a Levite who should be doing the blessed work of knitting and holding the people together. Instead, he is working to pull them apart. At the very least, the picture is telling. Instead of ministering to others, he was the one being served, and his own corrupt desires controlled him. Trace the whole history, and what marks it is self-indulgence and a life never braced for service. All the way through, a careless, unguarded soul makes room for the occasion that leads to the awful crime.

The chapters that follow (Judges 17-21) do not belong to the historical order of this book. They lift the veil and show us scenes from the inner life of this people, whom God bore with so patiently for so long... They did as they pleased, and with no king there was nothing to hold them back, so every kind of loose behaviour had room to grow.

The Levite of Ephraim, whose history we are about to consider, did not call on Him at all. As far as he was concerned it was as if the LORD no longer existed, and yet this man belonged to a class set apart for the service of the LORD, for the priesthood and the house of God... He let himself be delayed on his journey. Having only his conscience, instead of God, as his guide, he gave in to the influence of others, missed his opportunity, and fell into evil.

This satisfied the woman's father, who saw in it the reinstatement of his daughter... So the father kept his son-in-law there. The longer he stayed, the more public and open his daughter's restored standing became. The world shows us kindness in proportion as we serve its interests; it does not object to an alliance with the family of God.

There is not a shadow of encouragement in the attitude of the girl's father. In such circumstances the only fitting thing was a broken and contrite spirit before God, and a deeply humble and quiet soul. Instead he is quite indifferent to the shame of it all, and covers it over with merry-making and false fellowship. The Levite too gives himself fully to this mere social vanity, until he could stand it no longer (vv. 4-10).

The young woman had agreed to return with the Levite to his home, but her father kept him there for three days of social enjoyment (v. 4). When Abraham's servant went to find a wife for Isaac (Gen. 24:55-56), he would not consent to being detained, but this Levite remained for the three days and planned to leave early the fourth day. But the woman's father urged him to stay another day (v. 7) and he gave in to this. Then on the fifth day, instead of leaving early, he gave in to the urging of remaining till afternoon!... This wavering indecision is a sad comment on the character of the Levite, one who had the place of the Lord's servant!

He was following what he considered a natural social courtesy... Compare the indecision of the Levite in Judges 19:5-10 and the sad consequences... Social courtesy can rob us of much valuable time in the Lord's service.

Here you see a Levite pulling the people apart, when his blessed work was to knit them together and hold them. In a very telling way, he is a man who should have served others, and instead had others serving him, ruled by his own corrupt desires. Trace the whole history, and you find that what marks it is self-indulgence and a slack, unready life. All the way through, a careless, unguarded state of soul makes room for the occasion that gives rise to the awful crime.

The chapters that follow (Judges 17-21) do not stand in the historical order of this book. They lift the veil to show us scenes from the inner life of this people, whom the patience of God bore with for so long... If they had been obedient while Jehovah was their King, their prosperity would have been secure. But they were self-willed, and the lack of restraint — when they had no king — gave room to every kind of loose living.

There is not a shadow of encouragement in the attitude of the girl's father. He shows no broken and sorrowful spirit before God, and none of the humble, quiet soul that alone would have suited such a moment. He does not care about the shame of it all, and smugly covers it over with merry-making and false fellowship. The Levite too goes along fully with this empty social show, until he can stand it no longer (vv. 4-10). May we never get used to indulging in such idle social pleasure — and how much more disgusting it is when the occasion is this serious!

The father kept his son-in-law there, because the longer he stayed, the more public and obvious his daughter's restoration became. The world shows us kindness in the measure that we serve its interests; it has no objection to a partnership with the family of God. The Levite let himself be delayed on his journey. With only his conscience, and not God, as his guide, he gave in to the influence of others, missed his opportunity, and fell into evil.

The young woman had agreed to go back with the Levite to his home, but her father kept him there for three days of social enjoyment (v. 4). When Abraham's servant went to find a wife for Isaac (Gen. 24:55-56), he refused to be held back; but this Levite stayed the three days and planned to leave early on the fourth. Then the woman's father urged him to stay one more day (v. 7), and he gave in. On the fifth day, instead of leaving early, he gave in again and stayed till the afternoon!... This wavering indecision says something sad about the character of the Levite, a man who held the place of the Lord's servant!

The five days of eating and drinking at Bethlehem have their moral meaning: then the departure, made too late; then the mention of Jerusalem as a Jebusite city... It is now a city of foreigners; but no more foreign than Gibeah of Benjamin, with its unsettling lack of ordinary hospitality.

Here you see a Levite who, instead of doing the blessed work of knitting the people together and holding them, is pulling them apart. At the very least, in a way that tells us much, he is a man who was not serving others but being served, with his own corrupt desires in control of him. Trace the whole history, and you find that what marks it is self-indulgence and no readiness for service. All the way through, a careless, unguarded state of soul opens the door to the occasion that gives rise to the awful crime.

The chapters that follow (Judges 17-21) are not part of the historical order of this book. They pull back the curtain and show some scenes from the inner life of this people, whom God patiently bore with for so long... They were set on their own will, and with no restraint — they had no king — there was room for loose living of every sort.

The young woman had agreed to return with the Levite to his home. But her father kept him there for three days of social enjoyment (v. 4). When Abraham's servant went to find a wife for Isaac (Gen. 24:55-56), he would not let them keep him back. But this Levite stayed the three days and planned to leave early on the fourth day. Then the woman's father urged him to stay another day (v. 7) and he gave in. Then on the fifth day, instead of leaving early, he gave in to the urging to remain till afternoon! Again the woman's father urged him to stay overnight and go the next morning (v. 9)... This wavering indecision is a sad comment on the character of the Levite. He held the place of the Lord's servant!

The father kept his son-in-law there. The longer he stayed, the more public and obvious his daughter's restoration became. The world shows us kindness to the degree that we serve its interests; it does not object to an alliance with the family of God. The Levite let others hold him up on his journey. His guide was only his conscience, not God. So he gave way to the influence of others, missed his opportunity, and fell into evil.

There is not a shadow of encouragement in the attitude of the girl's father. Such circumstances called for one thing only: a broken and contrite spirit before God, and a deeply humble and quiet state of soul. He shows none of it. He is quite indifferent to the shame of it all, and covers it over, untroubled, with merry-making and false fellowship. The Levite too gives himself wholly to this mere social vanity until he could stand it no longer (vv. 4-10)... how much more disgusting when the occasion is so serious!

He goes to get her, and gives himself up to carousing, and passes day after day in eating and drinking. Then, as the evening shadows begin to fall, he leaves all at once, as if on a whim. He is going back to his place — his place of service, we assume. Despite all the father-in-law's requests to stay another day, he goes off with the shadows already falling. It was evening indeed — for her, for him, and for the nation too. Evening was closing in.

The young woman had agreed to return with the Levite to his home, but her father kept him back for three days of social enjoyment (v. 4). When Abraham's servant went to find a wife for Isaac (Gen. 24:55-56), he refused to be kept back, but this Levite stayed the three days and planned to leave early on the fourth day. But the woman's father urged him to stay another day (v. 7) and he gave in to this. Then on the fifth day, instead of leaving early, he gave in to the urging to remain till afternoon! Again the woman's father urged him to stay overnight and go the next morning (v. 9). But he clearly felt that he had given in too much already, and they started their journey late in the day (v. 10). This wavering indecision is a sad comment on the character of the Levite, one who had the place of the Lord's servant!

The father kept his son-in-law back, for the longer he remained, the more public and obvious his daughter's reinstatement became. The world shows us kindness in proportion as we serve its interests. It has no objection to an alliance with the family of God. The Levite let himself be held up on his journey. His guide was only his conscience and not God, so he yielded to the influence of others, missed his opportunity, and fell into evil.

Nor is there a shadow of encouragement in the attitude of the girl's father. He should have shown a broken and contrite spirit before God. In such circumstances only a deeply humble and quiet state of soul was fitting. Instead he is quite indifferent to the shame of it all, and with a self-satisfied air he covers it over with merry-making and false fellowship. The Levite too gives in completely to this empty social vanity, until he could stand it no longer (vv. 4-10). God forbid that we should ever get used to such idle social pleasure. It is far more distasteful at a time of serious importance! Yet this is not an uncommon thing.

The Levite and his concubine are clearly meant to convey to us the general laxity. The woman is hardly lighter than the man. The five days of eating and drinking at Bethlehem have their moral significance: then the departure, when too late.

Here you see a Levite pulling the people apart. His blessed work was to knit them together and hold them together. In a very telling way, he is a man who was served by others instead of serving them, and his own corrupt desires had control of him. Trace the whole history, and what marks it is self-indulgence and a man never ready for action. All the way through, a careless, unguarded soul opens the door to the occasion that gives rise to the awful crime.

Then, as the evening shadows begin to fall, he leaves all at once, as if on a whim. He is going back to his own place again — his place of service, it seems. The father-in-law asks him again and again to stay another day, but he goes off with the shadows already falling. Surely it was evening indeed, for her, for him, and for the nation too. Evening was closing in.

Here you see a Levite. His blessed work was to knit the people together and keep them united. Instead, he is pulling them apart. At the very least, the picture is telling: a man who should have served others is the one being served, with his own corrupt desires in control of him. Trace the whole history, and what marks it is self-indulgence and a life left slack instead of ready for service. All the way through, a careless, unguarded soul makes room for the occasion that gives rise to the awful crime.

There is not a shadow of encouragement in the attitude of the girl's father. In such circumstances the only fitting thing was a broken and contrite spirit before God, with a humble and quiet soul that took the matter seriously. Instead, he is completely unbothered by the shame of it all, and smugly covers it over with merry-making and false fellowship. The Levite too gives in fully to this mere social vanity, until he could stand it no longer. God forbid that we should ever get used to indulging in such idle social pleasure; but how much more disgusting on an occasion of serious importance!

This satisfied the woman's father, who saw in it his daughter's position restored. Yet the act, though he did not realise it, also justified the evil and gave approval to the defilement — all the more serious because of the weight of this man's sacred position. So the father kept his son-in-law there. The longer he stayed, the more public and open his daughter's restored position became. The world shows us kindness in proportion as we serve its interests. It has no objection to being linked with the family of God. The Levite allowed himself to be delayed on his way. Having only his conscience, instead of God, as his guide, he yielded to the influence of others, missed his opportunity, and fell into evil.

The young woman had agreed to return with the Levite to his home. But her father kept him there for three days of social enjoyment. When Abraham's servant went to find a wife for Isaac, he refused to be held back. This Levite stayed the three days and planned to leave early on the fourth day. But the woman's father urged him to stay another day and he gave in to this. Then on the fifth day, instead of leaving early, he gave in to the urging to remain till afternoon! Again the woman's father urged him to stay overnight and go the next morning. It seems he felt he had given in too much already, and they started their journey late in the day. This wavering indecision says something sad about the Levite — a man who held the place of the Lord's servant!

Then, as the evening shadows begin to fall, he leaves suddenly, as if on a whim, to return to his place again — his place of service, we may suppose. Despite all the father-in-law's appeals to stay another day, he goes off with the shadows already falling. It was evening indeed — for her, for him, and for the nation too. Evening was closing in.

The chapters that follow are not included in the historical order of this book. They lift the veil on some scenes from the inner life of this people, whom God in His patience bore with so long... Self-willed as they were, the absence of restraint — when they had no king — gave room to all kinds of licence. The last event in this book shows how high disorder had risen in Israel, and how they fell away from God at once.

When Abraham's servant went to find a wife for Isaac (Gen. 24:55-56), he refused to be held back. But this Levite stayed the three days, and planned to leave early on the fourth day. Then the woman's father urged him to stay another day (v. 7), and he gave in. Then on the fifth day, instead of leaving early, he gave in to the urging to remain till afternoon! Again the woman's father urged him to stay overnight and go the next morning (v. 9). But he felt, evidently, that he had given in too much already, and they started their journey late in the day (v. 10). This wavering indecision is a sad comment on the character of the Levite, one who had the place of the Lord's servant!

The Levite let himself be delayed on his journey. Having only his conscience, instead of God, as his guide, he yielded to the influence of others, missed his opportunity, and fell into evil.

Samson, the last of the Judges, still called on Jehovah at certain memorable moments of his life. The Levite of Judah only called on Him over the head of his images and household gods. The Levite of Ephraim, whose history we are about to consider, did not, alas, call on Him at all. As far as he was concerned, it was as if Jehovah no longer existed. And yet this man belonged to a class set apart for the service of Jehovah, for the priesthood, and for the house of God.

The Levite and his concubine are clearly meant to show us the general laxity. The woman is hardly lighter than the man. The five days of eating and drinking at Bethlehem have their moral significance. Then came the departure, when it was too late. Then the notice of Jerusalem as a Jebusite city… It is now a city of the stranger, but no more strange than Gibeah of Benjamin, with its ominous lack of ordinary hospitality.

But though Judah had clearly weakened, Benjamin was already weaker still. Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem, so they remained among Benjamin in the same city (Judges 1:21). In fact, it seems clear that the Jebusites controlled the city until David and his men drove them out years later (2 Sam. 5:5-9).

But note carefully the matters that led up to the awful event. These are the things that show the careless, unprofitable state of soul that marked the whole nation… Evil had been allowed to creep in gradually, unchallenged, and senses had become dulled to it. Then came a sudden, shocking exposure, and we learn the real results of the laxity that leaves the roots of evil unjudged.

The young woman had agreed to return with the Levite to his home, but her father kept him there for three days of social enjoyment. When Abraham's servant went to find a wife for Isaac, he would not let anyone delay him. But this Levite stayed the three days and planned to leave early on the fourth. Then his father-in-law urged him to stay another day, and he gave in. On the fifth day, instead of leaving early, he gave in again and stayed until the afternoon! ... He seems to have felt he had already given in too much, and they set out late in the day. This wavering indecision is a sad comment on the Levite. He held the place of the Lord's servant!

The Levite let himself be delayed on his way. Having only his conscience, instead of God, as his guide, he gave way to the influence of others, missed his opportunity, and fell into evil.

His concubine leaves him and goes back to her father's house. He goes to get her, and gives himself up to feasting, day after day eating and drinking. Then, as the evening shadows begin to fall, he leaves suddenly, as if on a whim, to return to his own place — his place of service, it seems. It was evening indeed — for her, for him, and for the nation too. Evening was closing in.

He comes to Jebus. Why is it not Jerusalem, a city of Israel, in the possession of God's people? Benjamin had failed. It was a Benjamite city. As we saw in the early part of the book, Benjamin never took possession of it. And yet Jerusalem was to be the very centre from which all government was to radiate. Benjamin was also the tribe that would later represent Christ in His kingly rule over the people, and over the nations too. Government has failed, and Benjamin pictures that. Christ's authority has not been acknowledged. In the place where Benjamin should have been supreme, you have the wretched Gentile in control. The Jebusites, the tramplers down, were there trampling down everything of God and man. But sadly, the Jebusites were in Benjamin too, and their trampling was worse than anything in this city.

This man, who had joined himself to a prostitute, would not turn in to the Jebusites. It is sometimes like this with Christians. They shrink from open association with the world, while at the same time the hidden springs of their own lives are impure. It is possible to be very strict about your public walk and yet very lax about personal holiness... The Levite was more attached to his people than to Jehovah — or rather, he did not take Jehovah into account at all. He avoided the Jebusites out of national pride rather than piety, and seemed to suggest that whatever came from Israel must be all right, when Israel had already outrageously abandoned Jehovah.

Jerusalem is mentioned here as a Jebusite city. Israel seems to have held it twice and lost it again, with Judeans and Benjamites driven out of their partial hold on it. It is now a city of strangers — but no more strange than Gibeah of Benjamin, with its ominous lack of ordinary hospitality. The one who finally takes them in is an Ephraimite, touched perhaps by recognising someone from his own district. The traveller is afraid, as well he might be, of the Canaanite city.

He comes to Jebus. Why is it not Jerusalem, a city of Israel, in the possession of God's people? Benjamin had failed. It was a Benjamite city. He had failed, as we saw earlier in the book, to take possession of it. And yet Jerusalem was to be the very centre from which all government would spread out. Benjamin was the tribe that pictured Christ in His kingly rule and government over the people, and over the nations too... Government has failed, and Benjamin speaks of that. Men have failed to own Christ's authority, and in the place where Benjamin should have been supreme you have the wretched foreigner in control. The Jebusites — the tramplers — were there, trampling down everything of God and man. But sadly, the Jebusites were in Benjamin too, and their trampling was worse than anything in this city.

The tribe did not drive out the Jebusites. They let them live with them in Jerusalem (Judges 1:21). This may have led to their idolatry... It may also have led to the dreadful deed which resulted in the destruction of nearly the whole tribe. Judges 19 - 21.

This man, who had allied himself to a prostitute, would not turn in to the Jebusites. It is sometimes like this with Christians. They avoid any open link with the world, while the hidden springs of their own lives are impure. It is possible to be very strict about one's public walk and yet very lax about personal holiness.

The Levite was more attached to his people than to Jehovah, or rather, he did not take Him into consideration at all. He avoided the Jebusites out of national pride, not out of reverence for God. He seemed to assume that whatever came from Israel must be all right — yet Israel had already abandoned Jehovah in the most shameful way. These principles have not changed... People boast about every group in Christendom over against the nations that do not know God. Yet Christendom itself has become the haunt of every kind of corruption, moral and religious.

It is now a city of foreigners. But it is no stranger than Gibeah of Benjamin, with its ominous lack of ordinary hospitality. The one who receives them at last is an Ephraimite... The traveller does not seem to have his own place as a Levite in mind — though he is afraid of the Canaanite city, and with good reason.

Such was the coldness of Israelites toward Israelites at the time. They might have fared better in the Jebusite city!

But let us note carefully the matters that led up to this awful event. These are the things that show the careless, unprofitable state of soul that marked the whole nation... They had allowed evil to creep in little by little, unchallenged, and their senses had grown dull to it. Then a sudden, shocking exposure showed what laxity produces when it leaves the roots of evil unjudged.

He goes to get her, and gives himself up to carousal, and passes day after day in eating and drinking. Then, as the evening shadows begin to fall, he leaves suddenly, as if on a whim. He goes back to his place again, his place of service presumably. Despite all the father-in-law's requests to stay another day, he goes off, the shadows already falling. Surely it was evening indeed — for her, for him, and for the nation too. Evening was closing in.

The father kept his son-in-law there, because the longer he stayed, the more public and obvious his daughter's restored position became. The world shows us kindness in proportion as we serve its interests; it does not object to an alliance with the family of God. The Levite allowed himself to be delayed on his way. He had only his conscience, instead of God, as his guide. So he yielded to the influence of others, missed his opportunity, and fell into evil.

He comes to Jebus. Why is it not Jerusalem, a city of Israel, in the possession of God's people? Benjamin had failed. It was a Benjamite city. He had failed, as we saw in the early part of the book, to take possession of it. Yet Jerusalem was to be the very centre from which all government was to radiate. And Benjamin was the tribe that later was to represent Christ in His kingly rule and government… Government has failed, and Benjamin pictures that. Christ's authority has not been acknowledged, and in the place where Benjamin should have been supreme, you have the wretched foreigner in control. The Jebusites, tramplers down, were there trampling down everything of God and man. But sadly, the Jebusites were in Benjamin too, and we find a worse trampling down on their part than even in this city.

This man, who had allied himself to a prostitute, would not turn in to the Jebusites. It is sometimes like this with Christians. They shrink from open association with the world, while the hidden springs of their own lives are impure. It is possible to be very strict about your public walk and yet very lax about personal holiness… The Levite was more attached to his people than to Jehovah. Or rather, he did not take Jehovah into account at all. He avoided the Jebusites out of national pride, not out of piety. He seemed to imply that whatever came from Israel must be all right. Yet Israel had already outrageously abandoned Jehovah.

It is now a city of the stranger; but no more strange than Gibeah of Benjamin, with its ominous lack of common hospitality.

They evidently asked in Gibeah whether they could find lodging, but no one was willing to take them in, so they sat in the town square (v. 15). Such was the coldness of Israelites toward Israelites at the time. They might have fared better in the Jebusite city!

Evil had been allowed to creep in unchallenged, and senses had grown dull to it. Then, by a sudden and shocking exposure, we learn the real results of the laxity that leaves the roots of evil unjudged.

The chapters that follow (Judges 17-21) are not part of the historical order of this book. They lift the veil to disclose some incidents of the inner life of this people whom the patience of God bore with so long... Had they been obedient when Jehovah was their King, their prosperity would have been secure. Self-willed as they were, the absence of restraint — when they had no king — gave room to every kind of licence.

Throughout the book, the darkness deepens. At the beginning, there is a crying to God, confession of sin, and recovery in His mercy. But the work of deliverance grows more and more shallow. The deliverers themselves are less and less men of faith, until the last deliverer, Samson himself, dies in captivity. The rest of the book holds shameful accounts of turning away from God to idols, and the corruption of man that goes with it. It also holds the bloody civil war that almost wiped out an entire tribe... the tendency of everything is downward and away from the light.

The kindness of the world is shown to us in proportion as we serve its interests; it does not object to alliance with the family of God. The Levite allowed himself to be delayed on his way. Having only his conscience, instead of God, as his guide, he yielded to the influence of others, missed his opportunity, and fell into evil.

This man, who had joined himself to a prostitute, would not turn in to the Jebusites. It is sometimes like this with Christians. They shrink from open ties with the world, while the hidden springs of their own lives stay impure... The Levite was more attached to his people than to Jehovah, or rather, he did not take the latter into consideration at all. He avoided the Jebusites out of national pride, not out of piety. He seemed to say that whatever came from Israel must be all right. Yet Israel had already abandoned Jehovah outrageously.

Jerusalem is noted here as a Jebusite city. It seems to have been taken twice out of the hands of the Israelites, and Judeans and Benjamites were driven out from their partial hold on it. It is now a city of the stranger; but no more strange than Gibeah of Benjamin, with its ominous lack of ordinary hospitality. The one who receives them at last is an Ephraimite; and touched, perhaps, by recognising someone from his own district.

The Levite soon saw that he was not received among a people whom God had expressly commanded not to forsake the Levite (Deuteronomy 12:19). A corrupted religious profession did not offer shelter to the servant of Jehovah.

It was a memorable time in the records of the nation — a dark day. The prophet Hosea recalled it 600 years later for its lesson about man's deep moral depravity: "They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah" (Hosea 9:9; 10:9). From that dark day of lust, terrible vengeance and slaughter, down to the time of Samuel, the "ark of God's testimony" is never mentioned. It is as if God hid Himself after that deed of darkness, done by the people called by His name. He stayed hidden until His people might return to Him.

They must have asked in Gibeah if they could find lodging. No one was willing to take them in, so they sat in the town square (v. 15). Such was the coldness of Israelites toward Israelites at the time. They might have fared better in the Jebusite city!

Jerusalem is now a foreigners' city. But it is no stranger than Gibeah of Benjamin, with its ominous lack of ordinary hospitality.

The Levite soon saw that he was not welcome. Yet God had commanded this very people never to forsake the Levite (Deuteronomy 12:19). A corrupted profession offered no shelter to the servant of Jehovah. We see in verse 18 what such treatment produced in his heart: "I am now going to the house of Jehovah; and there is no man who receives me into his house."

This man, who had allied himself to a prostitute, would not turn in to the Jebusites. It is sometimes like this with Christians. They shrink from open association with the world, while at the same time the hidden springs of their own lives are impure. It is possible to be very strict about your public walk and yet very lax about personal holiness... He avoided the Jebusites out of national pride rather than piety, as if whatever came from Israel must be all right — when Israel had already outrageously abandoned Jehovah.

The five days of eating and drinking at Bethlehem have their moral meaning. Then came the departure, when it was already too late.

The Levite allowed himself to be delayed on his way. Having only his conscience, instead of God, as his guide, he yielded to the influence of others, missed his opportunity, and fell into evil.

They lift the veil and show us scenes from the inner life of this people, whom the patience of God bore with so long... Had they been obedient when Jehovah was their King, their prosperity would have been secure. Self-willed as they were, the absence of restraint — when they had no king — gave room to every kind of licence.

But let us note carefully what led up to the awful event. These are the things that show the careless, unprofitable state of soul that marked the whole nation... They had let evil creep in slowly, unchallenged, and their senses had grown dull to it. Then, by a sudden and shocking exposure, we learn the real results of the laxity that leaves the roots of evil unjudged.

The impure passions of men who bore the name of Jehovah matched in horror those of the accursed city. Such things, happening in Israel, were worse than the history of Lot. As dead flies make the ointment stink, so the corruption of the people of God is the worst of all.

An old man came in just then from working in his field. He was not a Benjamite, but came also from the mountains of Ephraim (v. 16), and he was concerned to see people in the open without lodging.

This man, who had allied himself to a prostitute, would not turn in to the Jebusites. It is sometimes like this with Christians. They shrink from open association with the world, while at the same time the hidden springs of their own lives are impure. It is possible to be very strict about your public walk and yet very lax about personal holiness.

It is now a city of the stranger; but no more strange than Gibeah of Benjamin, with its ominous lack of common hospitality. The one who receives them at last is an Ephraimite; and touched, perhaps, by the recognition of one from his own locality.

The Levite soon saw that this people gave him no welcome — the very people God had plainly commanded never to forsake the Levite (Deut. 12:19). A corrupted profession of faith offered no shelter to the servant of Jehovah. (I do not speak here of the moral character of this man.)

A lone stranger, living among the corruption of Gibeah, took the traveller into his house. Like Lot in Sodom, he was aware of it, for he said, "Only do not spend the night in the square" (v. 20). A dreadful thing followed. The impure passions of men who bore the name of Jehovah matched in horror those of that cursed city.

Now determined wickedness raises its head. Notice how this old man, who has settled down in the evil city, can think of only one way to meet the evil: making peace with it. He is ready to sacrifice his own daughter, so copying the faithless folly of Lot (vv. 22-24). But this was not within his rights. Nor is it within our rights to make any compromise whatever with evil.

The chapters that follow (Judges 17-21) are not part of the historical order of this book. They lift the veil to show some events of the inner life of this people whom the patience of God bore with so long... Self-willed as they were, the absence of restraint — when they had no king — gave room to every kind of loose living.

The men of Gibeah practised the foul habits of the men of Sodom. A bloody tribal war followed. The children of Benjamin, that fierce, wolf-like tribe (Genesis 49:27), defended the vile lusts of the men of Gibeah. Tens of thousands died in battle, and the tribe of little Benjamin was almost wiped out. Scripture regards this shocking incident as a starting point of national wickedness in Israel. In the later days of the monarchy, the prophet Hosea reminded the nation, "From the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, O Israel" (Hosea 10:9).

They had cast off the authority of God as their King; and as a result, every man was doing what was right in his own eyes. Two things marked them: they cast off divine authority, and they asserted human independence.

It seems they asked in Gibeah for a place to stay, but no one was willing to take them in, so they sat in the town square. Such was the coldness of Israelites toward Israelites at the time. They might have fared better in the Jebusite city!

Jerusalem is now a city of foreigners, but no more strange than Gibeah of Benjamin, with its ominous lack of common hospitality. The one who receives them at last is an Ephraimite, touched perhaps by recognising someone from his own district. The traveller does not seem to have his own standing as a Levite in mind — though he is afraid, as well he might be, of the Canaanite city.

The Levite soon saw that he was not received among a people whom God had specifically commanded not to forsake the Levite (Deuteronomy 12:19). Corrupted profession did not offer shelter to the servant of the Lord. We see in verse 18 the feelings that such treatment produced in his heart: "I am now going to the house of the Lord, and there is no man who takes me into his house."

This man, who had joined himself to a prostitute, would not turn in to the Jebusites. It is sometimes like this with Christians. They shrink from open association with the world, while the hidden springs of their own lives are impure. You can be very strict about how you behave in public and yet very careless about personal holiness... He avoided the Jebusites out of national pride, not out of piety. He seemed to imply that whatever came from Israel must be all right — yet Israel had already abandoned the Lord in the most shocking way.

Consider how this old man, who has settled down in the evil city, can only think of appeasing the evil as a way of meeting it. He is ready to sacrifice his own daughter, imitating the faithless folly of Lot. But this was not within his rights. Nor is it within our rights to make any compromise whatever with evil. Still, if we are linked with it, it makes cruel demands on us, requiring that we surrender what really belongs to God.

This shocking incident is regarded in Scripture as a starting point of national wickedness in Israel. In the later days of the monarchy, the prophet Hosea reminded the nation, "From the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, O Israel."

The chapters that follow (Judges 17-21) do not belong to the historical order of this book. They pull back the curtain on some incidents in the inner life of this people, whom God in His patience bore with so long... If they had been obedient while Jehovah was their King, their prosperity would have been secure. They were self-willed, and the lack of restraint — when they had no king — gave room to every kind of loose living.

It is now a city of the stranger; but no more strange than Gibeah of Benjamin, with its ominous lack of common hospitality.

They evidently asked in Gibeah if they could find lodging, but no one was willing to take them in, so they sat in the town square (v. 15). Such was the coldness of Israelites toward Israelites at the time. They might have fared better in the Jebusite city!

The Levite soon saw that he was not welcomed among a people whom God had plainly commanded never to forsake the Levite (Deut. 12:19). A corrupt profession of faith gave no shelter to the servant of Jehovah. I am not speaking here about this man's own moral character. Verse 18 shows what such treatment produced in his heart: "I am going to the house of the LORD, but no one has taken me into his house."

This man, who had joined himself to a prostitute, would not turn in to the Jebusites. He avoided them out of national pride rather than piety, as if anything Israelite must be right — when Israel had already abandoned Jehovah. It is sometimes like this with Christians. They shrink from open association with the world, while the hidden springs of their own lives are impure. It is possible to be very strict about your public walk and yet very lax about personal holiness.

He was not a Benjamite, but came also from the mountains of Ephraim (v. 16)... He asked the Levite where they had come from and where they were going. He found they belonged in Ephraim too, but could find no lodging in Gibeah (vv. 18-19). The old man invited them to his house, giving food for both themselves and their donkeys. He knew the danger of spending the night in the open (v. 21).

This old man, who had settled down in the evil city, could only think of conciliation as a way to meet the evil. He was ready to sacrifice his own daughter (vv. 22-24). But this was not within his rights. Nor is it within our rights to make any compromise whatever with evil. Still, if we are linked with it, it makes cruel demands on us, requiring that we surrender what really belongs to God... How can we dare consent to the slightest evil to avoid (as we hope) a greater evil? Are we so foolish as to suppose that we can subdue evil by allowing evil?

It has been the commission of evil that has awakened them, and they gather together as one man, for what purpose? To take vengeance upon the evil... Ah, beloved, evil will never serve as a tie to hold the people of God together.

They evidently asked in Gibeah if they could find lodging, but no one was willing to take them in, so they sat in the town square (v. 15). Such was the coldness of Israelites toward Israelites at the time. They might have fared better in the Jebusite city!

The Levite soon realised that no one there welcomed him. Yet God had directly commanded this people not to forsake the Levite (Deut. 12:19). Corrupted profession offered no shelter to the servant of the LORD.

However, it happened that an old man came in just then from working in his field. He was not a Benjaminite. He came also from the mountains of Ephraim (v. 16), and it troubled him to see people in the open without lodging. The old man kindly invited them to his house, giving food for both themselves and their donkeys. He knew the danger of spending the night in the open (v. 21).

A lonely stranger lived among the corruption of Gibeah. Like Lot in Sodom, he knew what it was, for he said, "Only, do not spend the night in the square" (v. 20). He took the traveller into his house. A dreadful thing followed. The impure passions of men who bore the name of the LORD matched in horror those of the accursed city. Such things happening in Israel were worse than the story of Lot. Dead flies make the ointment stink, and in the same way the corruption of the people of God is the worst of all. What is more, no angels stepped in here to deliver the righteous. Like Lot, the host speaks at the door, accepting one evil to avoid a worse. This is always the principle believers act on when they go on with the world.

This man, who had allied himself with a prostitute, would not turn in to the Jebusites. It is sometimes like this with Christians. They shrink from open association with the world, while at the same time the hidden springs of their own lives are impure. It is possible to be very strict about one's public walk and yet very lax about personal holiness.

And we saw in that awful corruption at Gibeah, and in the way it was afterwards dealt with, how when God is forsaken, when man has set Christ aside as the Image and Representative of God, he sets aside his fellow man too. He despises him and treats him as the people of Sodom treated one another, with all their wretched abominations.

The early Christians valued this virtue highly. Paul lists it among the qualifications required of an overseer: "Given to hospitality" — pursuing hospitality. In Titus it is "a lover of hospitality." We are not only to practise it, but to look for opportunities of showing our love this way. And not only to those we know and love, but to strangers, believers coming from a distance. "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:2).

They evidently asked in Gibeah if they could find lodging, but no one was willing to take them in, so they sat in the town square (v. 15). Such was the coldness of Israelites toward Israelites at the time. They might have fared better in the Jebusite city!

Jerusalem is now a foreigner's city — but no more foreign than Gibeah of Benjamin, with its ominous lack of ordinary hospitality. The one who receives them at last is an Ephraimite, touched perhaps by recognising a man from his own home region.

The Levite soon realised that he was not received among a people whom God had expressly commanded not to forsake the Levite (Deut. 12:19). Corrupted profession did not offer shelter to the servant of the Lord. (I am not speaking here of the moral character of this man.)

An old man came in just then from working in his field, and he was concerned to see people in the open without lodging. He kindly invited them to his house, giving food for both themselves and their donkeys. He knew the danger of spending the night in the open (v. 21).

The overseer was called to be hospitable, with no thought of an invitation or repayment in return. Other scriptures show that he was not to do this the way men do it, but according to faith. So the letter to the Hebrews calls believers in general not to neglect hospitality, because through it some have welcomed angels without knowing it. It is clear, then, that this had nothing to do with knowing the guest beforehand, or with being of the same social class.

This is the general rule. But 2 John 8-11 is an important exception. Anyone who comes spreading teaching that dishonours the Person of Christ must be refused all hospitality. He is not even given the courtesy of an ordinary greeting.

A lone stranger, living among the corruption of Gibeah and aware of it like Lot in Sodom, took the traveller into his house.

The first fact to come out is that Gibeah of Benjamin was hardly better than Sodom or Gomorrah. The Lord rained fire and brimstone on those cities for their uncleanness.

The Hebrew word means "worthless, lawless." It is not a proper name. It personifies evil, so we have "son of Belial," "daughter of Belial," and so on: Deuteronomy 13:13; Judges 19:22; 1 Samuel 1:16; 1 Samuel 25:17, 25; and others. The New Testament sets it in contrast to Christ, as if it meant Satan (2 Corinthians 6:15). There the word is Beliar.

A second account of terrible moral atrocity follows. It begins in Judges 19 with words much like the opening of Judges 18. The first fact that comes out is that Gibeah of Benjamin was hardly better than Sodom or Gomorrah, on which the LORD rained fire and sulphur for their uncleanness.

A frightful thing followed. The impure passions of men who bore the name of the LORD matched in horror those of the accursed city. Such things happening in Israel were worse than the history of Lot. As dead flies make the ointment stink, so the corruption of the people of God is the worst of all. What is more, we see no intervention of angels to deliver the righteous.

Moses taught the people how to behave once they had taken the land. He said plainly, "You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes" (Deuteronomy 12:8). Three hundred years after this warning we find the people in the land. But the closing chapters of Judges record a low moral condition, marked by gross corruption and violence. Two causes lie behind it. First, they had thrown off the authority of God as their King. Second, and as a result, every man was doing what was right in his own eyes.

Determined wickedness raises its head. This old man has settled down in the evil city. Notice how he can only think of appeasement as a way to meet the evil. He is ready to sacrifice his own daughter, copying the faithless folly of Lot (vv. 22-24). But this was not his right to do. Nor is it our right to make any compromise whatever with evil. Still, if we tie ourselves to it, it makes cruel demands on us, and requires us to surrender what really belongs to God... How can we dare to agree to the smallest evil to avoid (as we hope) a greater one? Are we so foolish as to think we can subdue evil by allowing evil?

However, the faithless, cowardly Levite sacrifices his concubine to save his own neck. The evil shows itself in all its horror. It breaks out in cruel violence and moral corruption. In Sodom the angels had held such things back, but in Israel nothing stops it reaching its dreadful extreme of iniquity.

The Levite gave up his wife to dishonour. An appeal to God could have prevented this, remembering His protection in earlier days. Could He not have struck the people with blindness, as He did before? But no cry of anguish went up to Him. From the heart of the Levite to the LORD, the way was barred.

God allowed the evil to run its full course. But, as the following chapters tell us, out of this frightful evil He brought glory to Himself.

The impure passions of men who bore the name of Jehovah equalled in horror those of the accursed city. Such things happening in Israel were worse than the story of Lot. Dead flies make perfume stink; in the same way, the corruption of the people of God is the worst corruption of all. Moreover, we do not see any intervention of angels to deliver the just.

In Gibeah no one would show them hospitality. At last an old man took them in — himself a stranger there, from the hill country of Ephraim. How much like the wicked city of Sodom this city of Israel had become!

Lot goes out to plead for his guests, to reason with his fellow townsmen (sadly, he calls them "brothers"), and offers his two daughters. For he has lost the simplicity of faith. The scene is full of difficulty, danger, and wickedness on every side, yet he does not look only to the Lord. He uses worldly wisdom instead, and picks what he thought was the lesser of two evils.

When determined wickedness raises its head, look at this old man. He has settled down in the evil city, and the only way he can think of to meet the evil is to make peace with it. He is ready to sacrifice his own daughter, copying the faithless folly of Lot. But this was not within his rights. Nor is it within our rights to make any compromise whatever with evil. Still, if we are linked with it, it makes cruel demands on us, requiring that we surrender what really belongs to God.

How can we dare consent to the slightest evil in order to avoid (as we hope) a greater evil?... Where is our faith in the living God, whose power alone is able to meet the challenge of sin?

Like Lot, the man who took the Levite in speaks at the door. He accepts one evil to avoid a worse one. This is bound to be how believers act when they go on with the world... The Levite gave up his wife to dishonour. An appeal to God might have prevented all this, remembering how He had protected them in earlier days.

Note that what drew out their unanimous condemnation was not an outrage done to God's name. Where was the just horror at the idolatry of Micah?... Men then, as now, feel nothing for a lie or a libel against God; they are sensitive when their own rights are touched. But He knows how to wake them up from such disgraceful insensibility.

God allowed the evil to run its full course. But, as the following chapters tell us, out of this dreadful evil He brought glory to Himself.

Then comes the horrible outbreak. It makes the Levite realise that the Israelite city is as bad as any Canaanite one. The whole thing repeats the outrage at Sodom, but without the angels who kept things safe there. The old man, their host, repeats Lot's offer.

A frightful thing followed. The impure passions of men who bore the name of Jehovah matched in horror those of the accursed city. Such things happening in Israel were worse than what happened in Lot's day. As dead flies make the ointment stink, so the corruption of the people of God is the worst of all. What is more, we see no angels stepping in to rescue the righteous.

When determined wickedness raises its head, notice this old man. He has settled down in the evil city, and the only way he can think of meeting the evil is to appease it. He is ready to sacrifice his own daughter, copying the faithless folly of Lot (vv. 22-24). But this was not within his rights. Nor is it within our rights to make any compromise whatever with evil. Still, if we tie ourselves to evil, it makes cruel demands on us and requires us to surrender what really belongs to God. "O you who love the LORD, hate evil!" is the divine decree (Ps. 97:10)... How can we dare consent to the slightest evil to avoid, as we hope, a greater evil? Are we so foolish as to suppose that we can subdue evil by allowing evil?

God kept this man from seeing his house defiled by these vile men, but he could see no other way out. The Levite gave up his wife to dishonour. A cry to God, remembering His protection in earlier days, might have prevented it all.

The Levite, for the sake of his own safety, abandons his concubine to the insane fury of the crowd. The morning finds her dead, her hands stretched out over the violated threshold, pleading and in vain.

Three hundred years after Moses warned them, we find the people in the Land. But the closing chapters of Judges record a low moral state, marked by gross corruption and violence. That low state came from two causes. First, they had cast off the authority of God as their King. Second, and as a result, every man was doing what was right in his own eyes.

Notice that what drew out their unanimous condemnation was not an outrage done to God's name. Where was the right horror at the idolatry of Micah? On the contrary, it was courted and continued down to the captivity. Men then, as now, feel nothing for a lie or a slander against God; they are sensitive when their own rights are touched. But He knows how to wake them up from such disgraceful insensitivity.

God allowed the evil to run its full course. But as the following chapters tell us, He brought glory to Himself out of this frightful evil.

A frightful thing followed. The impure passions of men who bore the name of Jehovah equalled in horror those of the accursed city. Such things, happening in Israel, were worse than the history of Lot. As dead flies make the ointment stink, so the corruption of the people of God is the worst of all. Moreover, we do not see any intervention of angels to deliver the just.

The old man, their host, repeats Lot's offer. The Levite, for his own safety's sake, abandons his concubine to the insane fury of the crowd. The morning finds her dead. Her hands are stretched out over the violated threshold, pleading in vain.

He is ready to sacrifice his own daughter, imitating the faithless folly of Lot (vv. 22-24). But this was not within his rights. Nor is it within our rights to make any compromise whatever with evil. Still, if we are linked with it, it makes cruel demands on us. It demands that we hand over what really belongs to God… How can we dare agree to the slightest evil to avoid (as we hope) a greater evil? Are we so foolish as to suppose that we can subdue evil by allowing evil?

This outcome might have been avoided by an appeal to God, remembering His protection in earlier days. Could He not, as He had before, have struck the people with blindness? But no cry of anguish went up to Him. From the heart of the Levite to Jehovah, the passage was barred.

This wretched woman had been reclaimed from her earlier life of prostitution, but without repentance or any exercise of conscience. She died from the dreadful results of what she had once craved. God allowed the evil to run its full course. But as the following chapters tell us, out of this frightful evil He brought glory to Himself.

Three hundred years after Moses gave his warning, we find the people in the Land. But the records of the closing chapters of Judges show them in a low moral condition, marked by gross corruption and violence. This low condition came from two causes. First, they had cast off the authority of God as their King. Second, as a result, every man was doing what was right in his own eyes.

Note that what drew out their unanimous condemnation was not an outrage done to God's name. Where was the just horror at the idolatry of Micah?… Men then, as now, feel nothing for a lie or a slander against God. They are sensitive when their own rights are touched.

We may regard this as an unchanging principle: every such shocking exposure among the people of God should bring us all to our knees in sober, real self-judgment. That must come before we ever take part in judging the evil… The sin was Israel's sin, and it showed a corrupt internal state that also required judgment.

The chapters that follow (Judges 17-21) are not part of the historical order of this book. They lift the veil to disclose some incidents of the inner life of this people whom God's patience bore with so long... Self-willed as they were, the absence of restraint — when they had no king — gave room to every kind of licence.

The old man pleaded with them, but they would not listen. They were given, not the Levite, but his concubine. They abused her sexually all night, then let her go (vv. 24-25). She was able only to get back to the door of the house before collapsing and dying (v. 26).

The Levite, for the sake of his own safety, abandons his concubine to the insane fury of the crowd. The morning finds her dead, with her hands stretched out, pleading and in vain, over the violated threshold.

The faithless, cowardly Levite sacrifices his concubine to save his own neck. The evil then shows itself in all its horror. It breaks out in cruel violence and moral corruption. In Sodom the angels had held such evil back, but in Israel it is allowed to run to its awful extent of iniquity.

How could the Levite's conscience be clear before God in giving up the woman to this horrible violence? But we have seen earlier steps of disobedience to God and spiritual degradation. God allowed this to progress to this terrible point.

Like Lot, the Levite's host speaks at the door. He accepts one evil to avoid a worse one. This is always how believers act when they go on with the world. God preserved this man from seeing his house defiled by these shameless men, but for him there was no other way in sight.

Such things, happening in Israel, were worse than the history of Lot. As dead flies make ointment stink, so the corruption of the people of God is the worst of all. What is more, we see no intervention of angels to deliver the righteous.

The Levite gave up his wife to dishonour. An appeal to God could have prevented this, if he had remembered His protection in earlier days. Could He not have struck the people with blindness, as He did before? But no cry of anguish went up to Him. The way from the Levite's heart to God was blocked.

The wretched woman was recovered from her earlier course of prostitution, but without repentance or exercise of conscience. She died from the dreadful consequences of what she had once craved. God allowed the evil to run its full course, but, as the following chapters will tell us, out of this frightful evil He brought glory to Himself.

Scripture treats this shocking incident as a starting point of national wickedness in Israel. In the later days of the monarchy, the prophet Hosea reminded the nation, "From the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, O Israel" (Hosea 10:9).

The morning finds her dead. Her hands are stretched out over the violated threshold, begging in vain.

How could the Levite's conscience be clear before God in giving up the woman to this horrible violence? But we have seen the earlier steps of disobedience to God and of spiritual decline. God allowed this to run on to this terrible point.

The Levite should have been humbled to the dust before God. Instead, when he found the poor woman on the ground at the door, he said to her, "Get up, let us be going" (v. 28). He did not realize she was dead, but if she had not been dead, he was still being heartlessly inconsiderate.

First of all, the Levite was a man set apart from his brothers for the service of God. He was a teacher and an example to the people, responsible to live in complete holiness in the fear of God. Yet not one conscience among the people seems to raise any question about his unholy alliance with a concubine… What shall we say about the questionable alliances of our own day? Perhaps not with gross forms of evil, but with what is respectable enough in the world's eyes, and yet compromises holiness.

The Levite was more attached to his people than to the Lord. Or rather, he did not take the Lord into account at all… He seemed to say that whatever came from Israel must be all right, when Israel had already abandoned the Lord in the most outrageous way… The whole thing might have been avoided by an appeal to God, remembering how He had protected His people in the past. But no cry of anguish went up to Him. From the heart of the Levite to the Lord, the way was barred.

The impure passions of men who carried the name of the Lord were as horrible as those of the accursed city. Such things happening in Israel were worse than the story of Lot. As dead flies make the ointment stink, so the corruption of the people of God is the worst of all.

It is not within our rights to make any compromise whatever with evil. Still, if we have links with it, it makes cruel demands on us. It asks us to hand over what really belongs to God… Are we so foolish as to think we can defeat evil by allowing evil?

The wretched woman had been reclaimed from her earlier life of prostitution, but without repentance or any exercise of conscience. She died from the dreadful consequences of the very thing she had once craved. God allowed the evil to run its full course. But, as the following chapters tell us, out of this frightful evil He brought glory to Himself.

Every such shocking exposure among the people of God should bring us all to our knees in sober, real self-judgment, before we ever take part in judging the evil… The sin was Israel's sin. It showed a corrupt inner state that also needed judgment.

But let us look closely at the things that led up to this awful event. They show the careless, unprofitable state of soul that marked the nation as a whole. They let evil creep in little by little, unchallenged, and their senses grew dull to it. Then a sudden, shocking exposure taught us the results of the laxity that leaves the roots of evil unjudged.

Here you see a Levite who should have been doing the blessed work of knitting the people together and holding them together. Instead, he was pulling them apart. He did not serve others; others served him, and his own corrupt desires controlled him. Trace the whole history, and what marks it is self-indulgence and a lack of readiness for service. All the way through, a careless, unguarded state of soul makes possible the occasion that leads to the awful crime.

Surely the Levite ought to have been humbled to the dust before God. Instead, finding the poor woman on the ground at the door, he said to her, "Get up, let us be going" (v.28). He did not realise she was dead, but if she had not been dead, he was still being heartlessly inconsiderate.

The morning finds her dead, with her hands stretched out, pleading and in vain, over the violated threshold.

When determined wickedness raises its head, consider this old man. He has settled down in the evil city, and he can think of no way to meet the evil except to appease it. He is ready to sacrifice his own daughter, copying the faithless folly of Lot. But he had no right to do that. And we have no right to make any compromise at all with evil. Still, if we are linked with it, evil makes cruel demands on us. It requires us to surrender what really belongs to God… How can we dare consent to the slightest evil to avoid (as we hope) a greater evil? Are we so foolish as to suppose that we can subdue evil by allowing evil?

The impure passions of men who bore the name of the Lord matched in horror those of the accursed city. Such things, happening in Israel, were worse than the story of Lot. Just as dead flies make the ointment stink, so the corruption of the people of God is the worst of all. What is more, we see no angels stepping in to deliver the righteous.

Note that what drew out their unanimous condemnation was not an outrage done to God's name. Where was the right horror at the idolatry of Micah? On the contrary, it was courted and continued down to the captivity. Men then, as now, feel nothing for a lie or a libel against God; they are sensitive when their own rights are touched.

The Levite had taken the wretched woman back from her earlier life of prostitution, but with no repentance and no exercise of conscience. She died from the dreadful consequences of what she had once wanted. God allowed the evil to run its full course, but, as the following chapters tell us, out of this frightful evil He brought glory to Himself.

Moses warned Israel not to let every man do whatever seemed right to him. Three hundred years after that warning, we find the people in the land. But the closing chapters of Judges record them in a low moral state, marked by gross corruption and violence. Two things caused this low state. First, they had cast off the authority of God as their King. Second, as a result, every man did what was right in his own eyes. So two things marked them: they threw off God's authority, and they claimed independence for themselves.

He took her dead body back to his home. But instead of stopping to think about his own criminal responsibility in this whole matter, he decided to make a public outcry against Gibeah. The means he took was gruesome. He cut the woman's body into 12 pieces and sent them to the 12 tribes of Israel, evidently with a report of what had happened (v. 29). The Levite wanted revenge on a national scale, but we see no sign of self-judgment on his own part.

The case should have been handled closer to home, and settled in the courts, without becoming a national scandal. But where were the local authorities to appeal to? This shows the great weakness of Israel at that time.

Then comes the call for judgment — brutal in itself, and effective because it is brutal. The body, dishonoured twice over, makes its own horrifying appeal, and all Israel must give its answer.

Notice what drew out their united condemnation. It was not an outrage done to God's name. Where was the rightful horror at the idol worship of Micah? On the contrary, people welcomed it and kept it up until the captivity. Men then, as now, feel nothing for a lie or a slander against God. They are sensitive when their own rights are touched.

I want you to notice what has awakened them. The committing of evil has awakened them, and they gather together as one man. For what purpose? To take vengeance upon the evil. It is evil that has awakened; it is evil that brings them together; it is the execution of judgment upon evil that nerves their arm and unites their hearts. Dear friends, evil will never serve as a tie to hold the people of God together... You may hold your protest meetings against evil. But holding protest meetings against evil is not the way God would draw His people together.

Scripture treats this shocking event as a starting point of national wickedness in Israel. In the later days of the monarchy, the prophet Hosea reminded the nation, "From the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, O Israel" (Hosea 10:9).

Judges 19-21 lets us see the terrible moral collapse of those days. It shows the disasters that collapse brought on Israel, when Benjamin was almost wiped out as a tribe. How wonderful is the grace that turned their shame into gain — both in self-judgment that came from God, and in the recovery of brotherly affection! Who but He could or would have lifted the veil off His people like this, for good?

Then comes the call for judgment — itself brutal, and effective in its brutality. The body, dishonoured twice over, makes its own horrible appeal. It calls all Israel to give an answer.

The first fact that comes out is this. Gibeah of Benjamin was hardly better than Sodom or Gomorrah, the cities on which the Lord rained fire and burning sulfur for their uncleanness. I need not dwell on the sad details. It is enough to say that even in such a state, the common conscience of Israel felt it at once. A terrible appeal had gone out to the twelve tribes, it is true. But the answer could only be that no such deed had been done since the day the people of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt.

Notice that what drew out their unanimous condemnation was not an outrage done to God's name. Where was the just horror at the idolatry of Micah? On the contrary, they welcomed it and kept it up right down to the captivity. Men then, as now, feel nothing for a lie or a slander against God; they are sensitive when their own rights are touched. But He knows how to wake them from such disgraceful insensitivity.

God uses the sin of Gibeah… to lay bare their moral condition, to humble them, and to awaken in them a sense of what is due to God. Yet they are angry at the wrong done to themselves. The wrong done to God they completely overlook. They speak of the folly Gibeah committed in Israel. They speak of the wickedness done among the tribe of Benjamin. But they say not a word about the dishonour brought on the Lord's name.

There was provision in the book of Deuteronomy for tracing an evil to its source, and for dealing with it. They were to do everything carefully and quietly, after real thought, and above all, in the presence of God. They were to act in a spirit of subjection to Him. These people take a short cut. They have not been used to the presence of God, they have not been in the habit of living in that holy Presence.

We may in fact treat this as an unchanging principle. Every such shocking exposure among the people of God should bring us all to our knees in sober, real self-judgment, before we ever take part in judging the evil… The sin was Israel's sin, and it showed a corrupt internal state that also needed judgment. The whole nation had to feel it as the nation's guilt, not just the guilt of a few men. In the same way, in the church of God, such an occasion calls for the self-judgment of the whole church — of everyone who knows about it or is connected with it.

Year after year God had been quietly inviting them to come up and keep the feast. He invited them to enjoy the holy fellowship of His things. But they had preferred to live among the pagan nations… Only when this unspeakable corruption shocks them out of their sleep do they flow together. What draws them is not grace, not the attraction of love and goodness and the fullness of blessing… but an evil that someone has done. For the time being it stirs them into remarkable faithfulness to God.