Judges Chapter 19 is probably one of the strangest stories in all the chapters of scriptures in our bibles.
Today we will review the facts found in this chapter.
Next week we will try to discern what they should mean to us. This one will need at least a whole week to let the facts of this story soak into our brains! There is so much to think about here.
It is hard to know where to start.
EVERY MAN TO HIS OWN WAY
Last week we heard of how the tribe of Dan set up false worship in the city that was once called Laish.
It seems that every man was still operating under his own rules in Israel.
A LEVITE TAKES A CONCUBINE
Judges 19 starts by telling us that a Levite man was sojourning on the side of Mount Ephraim. He took himself a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.
The concubine escaped from him. She went out and committed adultery with many all along the way.
The young girl aimlessly wondered the streets for four months.
Eventually she made her way back home. She then began to live again in her father’s house.
VISITING THE FATHER’S HOUSE
The husband came seeking after the concubine.
He spoke friendly to her in front of his servant. She invited him into her father’s house.
The father of the girl seemed glad to see her husband again. He invited him to stay at his house for three days. They ate and drank and lodged happily together, enjoying the company of one another.
THE STAY IS PROLONGED
On the fourth day the husband rose to depart for home.
The father-in-law insisted that he be fed first. They began to talk and eat and eat and talk. Eventually it was late and the father-in-law said there was no need for the man to depart yet. He begged him to stay another night. So the Levite decided to stay.
On the fifth day the father-in-law insisted on feeding him again. They ate and drank until afternoon soon arrived.
Finally, the man rose up, gathered his concubine, his servant and made ready to depart.
Again; the father-in-law begged him not to leave so early. It was nearly evening. He could depart tomorrow morning after some rest.
But the man chose not to stay this time.
JERUSALEM
He departed and went to Jerusalem, taking two asses, his servant and his concubine with him.
At that time the Jebusites inhabited Jerusalem. The servant turned to his master and suggested that they stay there for the night.
The man (a Levite) only wanted to stay in a city inhabited by the Children of Israel; and Jerusalem was not yet so during that time and in those days. The Levite suggested that they pass on to Gibeah or Ramah.
GIBEAH
By the time the sun went down they had reached the Benjamite city of Gibeah. They looked for lodging there, but could find none.
An old man came walking by. He spoke to them and asked them where they were from and where they were going.
This old man turned out to be from the area of Mount Ephraim, just like them. He had lodged in Gibeah for a short time and knew of a place in this city of Benjamites where they could stay. There would be straw for the animals and bread and wine for the travelers. They would not want for anything.
Also; this old man did inform them that this area was not a place to be found lodging in the streets. So, he brought them to his house, fed their animals and washed their feet. Then they all shared a meal together.
TROUBLE IN GIBEAH
They were enjoying their wine together when suddenly they heard a loud knock on the door.
The men lurking outside told the servant to tell the master of the house to bring the man from the streets outside to them so that they could have sex with him.
On hearing this shocking news, the old man went outside to try to calm the crowd. He offered them his daughter and the concubine of the man inside if they would leave and not disturb them with their wickedness.
THE WICKED MOB
They would not listen.
So the man took his concubine and brought her to them. They had sex with her and abused her all night long. At the first sign of dawn they let her go.
The injured woman was able to make it to the door of the man’s house where her husband was staying. She arrived just as the sun rose in the sky. Then she fainted on the doorsteps.
In the morning when her husband opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way, there was the concubine at the door with her hands upon the threshold. He spoke to her; but she did not answer.
She was dead.
A STRANGE MESSAGE TO ALL OF ISRAEL
The man took the dead concubine upon one of his donkeys and went home.
When he arrived home he took a knife, cut the concubine into twelve pieces, and sent one of her body pieces out unto all the coasts of Israel.
All who saw the evidence of this deed said “There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.
CONSIDER, TAKE ADVICE, SPEAK YOUR MIND
Is this not the strangest story you have ever heard?
It did remind me very much of the story of Lot in Sodom.
What messages are hiding here for us to learn from? Next week we will discuss this story further and discover what happened to Israel during the final days of the Judges.