An all-time low

I’ve never read the final three chapters of Judges before. Gang rape, dismemberment, idolatry, immorality and sodomy are not preached from the pulpit very often. These verses record the ultimate in depravity – the depths that Israel has sunk to with no leader, no king, no judge.

This really has been a slippery slope for God’s chosen nation. Standards slipped, little by little compromises were made and now there is no justice within communities, no safety within the home, no healthy relationships. How have they fallen so far?

Here are the gory details – not to be read over breakfast!

A Levite has a concubine (mistress). She is unfaithful to him. She returns to her father. After 4 months, the Levite goes after her, begging her to return. He can’t live without her. He’s ready to forgive and forget (this shouldn’t happen under the law). The father plies him with food and drink to make him stay longer. Eventually they leave and as they journey, they refuse to stay at Jebus for the night (where there are no Israelites) and travel on instead to Gibeah in Benjamin. The irony is that –

They went and sat in the city square, but no one took them in for the night.  Judges 19:15

Which is not good because hospitality is a key element of the Israelites’ faith.

An old man from the hill country eventually takes pity on them and invites then into his home. A group of wicked men come pounding at the door demanding to have sex with the Levite.

The owner of the house went outside and said to them, “No, my friends, don’t be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don’t do this outrageous thing. Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But as for this man, don’t do such an outrageous thing.”  Judges 19;24-25

Wow! Really? Wasn’t expecting that. How is handing your daughter and the Levite’s concubine over to be gang-raped any less outrageous?

The concubine is repeatedly raped and abused and left for dead on the steps of the house. The Levite loves her and cares for her and shows her mercy. NOT.

“Get up; let’s go.” But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.  Judges 19:28

It gets worse. When they arrive home, the Levite cuts up the girl into twelve pieces (dead or alive is unsure….) to send to each of the twelve tribes of Israel. This provokes a reaction – are we actually now going to see a response to all this depravity? Is this heinous act going to prompt the Israelites to get their act together?

Everyone who saw it was saying to one another, “Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Just imagine! We must do something! So speak up!”  Judges 19:30

All the leaders of all the tribes (apart from Benjamin) meet to hear the Levite’s account of what has happened. They decide to assemble an army and take revenge –

Then, when the army arrives at Gibeah in Benjamin, it can give them what they deserve for this outrageous act done in Israel.  Judges 20:10

The Benjamites will not hand over the wicked men who perpetrated the act and gather to fight back.

The gathered Israelites ask God is they should fight. He says yes. And they lose. Twice.

On the third day, they draw the Benjamites away from the city and ambush them. The city is attacked and the Benjamite army flee for the wilderness. The tribe of Benjamin is in danger of extinction. All the tribes have vowed they will not let any of their daughters marry a Benjamite.

The tribes are beginning to realise the sorry state they have fallen into. Israel has been torn apart by civil war and one of the twelve tribes is doomed for extinction. They come to realise that the people of Jabesh Gilead (descended from Joseph) did not help to punish the Benjamites. They will be punished.

The city is destroyed and the search for young virgins is on – they find 400 and offer them to the Benjamites so that the tribe will not die out. This is not enough and the Benjamites are encourage to capture young women while they are celebrating the festival of the Lord at Shiloh. They can take them off to be their wives and everyone will look the other way – what is important is that the tribe does not die out.

What kind of immoral solution is this for God’s people? How has it come to this? There is no wisdom, morality, integrity or restraint.

The last verse of the chapter – of the whole book – sums up the situation. We’ve heard it before. It’s how much of this depravity has been explained.

 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.  Judges 21:25

This feels like an all-time low for the people of Israel. Surely now God will intervene and set things right. Surely now the people of God will repent and return to God and cry out to Him. And surely God will hear them and respond to them and deliver them.

Maybe. Maybe we will have to wait a while for that. We’ll have to wait until the beginning of April to see where our journey is taking us next.

Thank goodness that’s over. Maybe we can move on to something a bit more cheery and less depraved.

This is the context. What will be the story?