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The Wickedness of the Benjamite Tribe - The Book of Judges · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Behold, here is my daughter, a maiden, and his concubine.
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  Speaker 1: Them I will bring out now, and humble ye them,
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  Speaker 1: and do with them what seemeth good unto you. But
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  Speaker 1: unto this man do not so vile a thing. Judges
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  Speaker 1: 19.24 Lord, I can't thank you enough for the spirit
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  Speaker 1: of discernment. Like the Levite, give me the intuition and
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  Speaker 1: instincts necessary to know when to stay at a place,
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  Speaker 1: and when to leave the company of people who would
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  Speaker 1: seek to distract me from my mission or cause me
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  Speaker 1: harm in any way. From this moment on, I have
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  Speaker 1: decided to follow your blueprint for my life, Lord, and
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  Speaker 1: not deviate from the layout or directions that you have
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  Speaker 1: given me. Help me to realize that when I try
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  Speaker 1: to forge my own path like the Levite, I'll end
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  Speaker 1: up killing the very thing that I've sacrificed time, effort,
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  Speaker 1: and energy to obtain. Therefore, I declare that my ears
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  Speaker 1: are open to hear your voice, Lord. I declare that
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  Speaker 1: my feet are firmly planted on your path, God. And
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  Speaker 1: when others try to come and pry my promise from
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  Speaker 1: my hands, I will stand boldly. and confront my opponents,
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  Speaker 1: knowing that you will give me strength to stand and fight.
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  Speaker 1: Quicken my feet, Heavenly Father, when I stray, so that
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  Speaker 1: I can make it back to the place where the
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  Speaker 1: wings of your grace can comfort and protect me. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Listening to these daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God.
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  Speaker 1: Continue hearing from the Lord. The Wickedness of the Benjamite
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  Speaker 1: Tribe In our last story, we learned about the tribe
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  Speaker 1: of Dan stealing idols from the house of Micah and
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  Speaker 1: their violent siege over an innocent village.
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  Speaker 2: The tribe of Dan found a home at the expense
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  Speaker 2: of others, and Israel continued to sin before God. Now
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  Speaker 2: we learn about the journey of a young Levite and
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  Speaker 2: his concubine. As they seek their own path away from God,
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  Speaker 2: they fall victim to all sorts of dark evils, as
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  Speaker 2: inspired by the book of Judges.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, this is Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of
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  Speaker 3: the Bible in a Year podcast. In our last episode,
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  Speaker 3: we heard the story of Micah's spiritual confusion and how
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  Speaker 3: the tribe of Dan stole idols from the house of
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  Speaker 3: Micah to place in their own places of worship in
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  Speaker 3: a city they stole from innocent people. It was a
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  Speaker 3: sign of Israel's moral bankruptcy in a time when each
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  Speaker 3: person did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. Yet
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  Speaker 3: as God's people continued to drift further away from him,
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  Speaker 3: God continued to wait for a time to rescue his children. Today,
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  Speaker 3: we'll see that Israel continues its descent into wickedness. And
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  Speaker 3: we'll hear another story of a man straying from God
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  Speaker 3: to seek his own path. A Levite who will leave
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  Speaker 3: his wife and journey with his concubine into dangerous territory,
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  Speaker 3: both physically and spiritually. It's a story that's destined to
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  Speaker 3: end in tragedy, of course. But let us not miss
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  Speaker 3: the lesson that there is for all who will listen
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  Speaker 3: and learn. So, let's hear today's reading.
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  Speaker 2: Israel continued its fall from the favor of God. The
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  Speaker 2: days of parted seas and manna falling from heaven were
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  Speaker 2: long forgotten, and even the holiest of people did what
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  Speaker 2: was right in their own eyes. Pursuing peace, blessing, and
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  Speaker 2: kindness was a There was a certain Levite who was
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  Speaker 2: sojourning in the wilderness of Ephraim. This Levite, called to
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  Speaker 2: be a man who serves the people of God, left
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  Speaker 2: his wife and took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem.
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  Speaker 2: Together they traveled, but the woman was unfaithful to him
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  Speaker 2: and traveled back to Bethlehem. Heartbroken and lovesick, the Levite
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  Speaker 2: traveled back to Bethlehem to win back his concubine's affection.
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  Speaker 2: He brought gifts and wrote poems, and outside her father's
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  Speaker 2: house he sought to serenade her. Her father opened the door,
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  Speaker 2: overjoyed to see that the Levite returned for his daughter.
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  Speaker 2: He invited the Levite to stay with him for three days.
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  Speaker 2: The Levite gladly accepted the invitation, yet there was a
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  Speaker 2: strangeness in the father's smile. A lingering wickedness that was
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  Speaker 2: too subtle to spot clearly hovered over the house. The
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  Speaker 2: Levite ignored it, wanting only to win back his concubine's heart.
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  Speaker 2: So he entered the father's house and stayed for three days.
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  Speaker 2: The two men ate, drank, and exchanged tales of their
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  Speaker 2: travels and exploits. The wine continued to pour, and the
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  Speaker 2: food continued to be cooked. Time moved quickly, and on
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  Speaker 2: the fourth day the Levite and his woman arose to leave.
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  Speaker 2: The father put his hand on the Levite's shoulder and smiled.
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  Speaker 2: Why don't you stay for one last meal before you go,
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  Speaker 2: he said. So the two of them ate together once again.
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  Speaker 2: Their meal and conversation lasted hours, and the morning quickly
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  Speaker 2: turned into dusk. The Levite opened the door to depart
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  Speaker 2: and looked at the horizon. He was surprised to see
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  Speaker 2: that the night had come so quickly. The skies turned
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  Speaker 2: into a deep red as the sun set against the
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  Speaker 2: bare sky. It was an uneasy sunset, and it sent
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  Speaker 2: chills down the Levite's neck. Ah, what do you know,
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  Speaker 2: the father said from behind him. It is already sunset.
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  Speaker 2: You might as well stay one more night. The Levite
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  Speaker 2: was uneasy about spending another night, but the father insisted.
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  Speaker 2: So he stayed another night. On the fifth morning, the
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  Speaker 2: Levite gathered his things, his woman and his servant, and
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  Speaker 2: the three of them prepared to depart from the father's house.
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  Speaker 2: It was still dark, but the girl's father had already
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  Speaker 2: been awake, tending to the fields. He shouted from a distance, saying,
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  Speaker 2: So the three of them remained. Time seemed to move
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  Speaker 2: at a different pace in that dining room. Drinks flowed
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  Speaker 2: like a river into the Levite's cup, and he found
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  Speaker 2: himself lost in a drunken stupor that lasted all day.
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  Speaker 2: Slapping himself awake, the Levite thanked the girl's father. and
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  Speaker 2: finally went off to depart. But the sun had already
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  Speaker 2: begun its descent, and day was almost over. Well, there's
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  Speaker 2: no harm in spending the night again, the father said
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  Speaker 2: with a jolly grin. His rotted teeth could barely be
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  Speaker 2: spotted underneath his white beard. First thing tomorrow morning you
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  Speaker 2: can all start your journey, he said. The Levite peered
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  Speaker 2: into his eyes. The uneasy chills overcame him again. The
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  Speaker 2: Levite nodded politely. and the woman's father left the room
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  Speaker 2: to go prepare the beds. Then he took his concubine
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  Speaker 2: and servant, and they made a mad dash for the door.
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  Speaker 2: They saddled their donkeys and rode off. He would not
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  Speaker 2: spend the night again, for he feared that it could
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  Speaker 2: very well be his last if he did. The trio
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  Speaker 2: traveled to Jebus, which is now Jerusalem. The day was
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  Speaker 2: nearly over, and the sun was halfway below the horizon.
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  Speaker 2: The Levite's servant said to him, Let us descend into
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  Speaker 2: the city of the Jebusites and spend the night. It
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  Speaker 2: may become dangerous soon. The Levite looked uneasy. He had
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  Speaker 2: heard rumors of the Jebusites and was not sure if
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  Speaker 2: he wanted to stay in their city. So they turned
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  Speaker 2: away to Gibeah as the sun set behind them. Gibeah
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  Speaker 2: belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, and the Levite was
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  Speaker 2: sure they could find lodging among God's people. However, they
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  Speaker 2: had no such luck. The three of them knocked on
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  Speaker 2: every door in the city, seeking a place to rest
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  Speaker 2: their heads, yet each one turned them away. So the Levite,
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  Speaker 2: his concubine, and his servant huddled in the courtyard in
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  Speaker 2: the middle of the city. Alone and cold they slept,
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  Speaker 2: without blankets or food to warm them. It was still night,
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  Speaker 2: and the Levite had finally fallen into a deep sleep.
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  Speaker 2: His snores were interrupted by an old man poking at
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  Speaker 2: him and his companions. The Levite jolted awake and rose
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  Speaker 2: to his feet. The old man backed away and gave
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  Speaker 2: a nervous smile. What are you doing out here in
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  Speaker 2: the middle of the night? he said. This place is
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  Speaker 2: dangerous at night. We are traveling back to Ephraim, but
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  Speaker 2: no one has taken us in to spend the night.
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  Speaker 2: We have donkeys in need of straw and water, and
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  Speaker 2: we are in need of food. The Levite responded, hoping
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  Speaker 2: desperately that the man could help them. Of course, the
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  Speaker 2: man said, I can care for all your needs. Just
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  Speaker 2: please do not spend the night out here. There would
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  Speaker 2: be trouble awaiting you. The old man seemed nervous as
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  Speaker 2: he led them back to his home. He was constantly
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  Speaker 2: shining his torch into the alleys and peering over his shoulder.
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  Speaker 2: Another uneasy feeling came over the Levite and the four
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  Speaker 2: of them entered the house safely. The four of them
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  Speaker 2: were warming themselves by the fire, laughing and eating warm food.
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  Speaker 2: The old man's family came out to join them, and
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  Speaker 2: they ate, drank, and laughed with one another. Their laughter
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  Speaker 2: was interrupted by a violent banging on the man's door.
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  Speaker 2: The Levite looked towards the man, and his face turned
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  Speaker 2: ghostly white. The man arose to go answer the door,
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  Speaker 2: and behold, the men from the city surrounded the entire house.
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  Speaker 2: The Levite could catch a small glimpse of the men
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  Speaker 2: through the door. An ancient wickedness could be seen in
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  Speaker 2: their eyes. the same wickedness that tormented the hearts of
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  Speaker 2: Sodom and Gomorrah long ago. One of them stood at
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  Speaker 2: the entrance of the home and pointed straight to the Levite.'
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  Speaker 2: Bring out your petty little Levite, old man,' the word
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  Speaker 2: slithered out of his grinning mouth.' We would like to
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  Speaker 2: have our way with him,' he said. The Levite jumped
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  Speaker 2: to his feet and pressed his back up against the wall.
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  Speaker 2: His eyes widened as he watched the old man squirm
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  Speaker 2: near the door. Please, my brothers, the old man trembled.
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  Speaker 2: Do not do such a wicked thing. These people are
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  Speaker 2: guests in my home. But the men of the city
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  Speaker 2: craved the satisfaction of forcing themselves on a young man.
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  Speaker 2: They had no regard for politeness or honor. They wanted
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  Speaker 2: what they wanted, and they would take it forcibly. For
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  Speaker 2: this was the state of Israel's heart after they turned
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  Speaker 2: away from God. The men began to enter the home,
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  Speaker 2: but the old man stopped them, saying, No, no! Behold,
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  Speaker 2: here is my daughter. She is a virgin. And here
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  Speaker 2: is the Levite's concubine. She is very beautiful. Take them
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  Speaker 2: and spare the Levite. The men seized the concubine and
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  Speaker 2: drug her into the darkness. Violent screams and evil laughs
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  Speaker 2: could be heard from the distance as the men abused
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  Speaker 2: and raped her. It was truly a dark time for Israel.
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  Speaker 2: What began as idle worship slowly transitioned into a corruption
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  Speaker 2: that rivaled the wicked kingdoms of old. Dawn began to break.
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  Speaker 2: The woman crawled out of the alleyway. Her face was
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  Speaker 2: swollen from being beaten and her clothes were torn apart.
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  Speaker 2: Barely alive, she slept on the doorstep of the old man,
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  Speaker 2: waiting for the Levite to come to her. The sun
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  Speaker 2: had fully risen. and the Levite opened the door slowly
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  Speaker 2: to see if the coast was clear. He found the
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  Speaker 2: woman on the floor and said, Quick, let us be
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  Speaker 2: going before they return. The woman was silent and still.
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  Speaker 2: He shook her and said, There is no time for delay.
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  Speaker 2: Get up and let's go. But she still lay there.
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  Speaker 2: So the Levite picked her up and lay her on
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  Speaker 2: his donkey. The Levite had finally made it back to
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  Speaker 2: his home. He came to wake up his concubine, only
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  Speaker 2: to realize that she was dead. There she laid lifeless.
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  Speaker 2: The Levite boiled with anger and blamed the men for
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  Speaker 2: killing her, even though it was not just the men
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  Speaker 2: that slew her. His own cowardice is what killed her.
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  Speaker 2: In a heartbroken and shameful fury, the Levite took a
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  Speaker 2: knife and began tearing the woman's body apart. Limb by limb,
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  Speaker 2: he filleted her and separated her body. He tore her
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  Speaker 2: into twelve pieces and sent her body throughout all the
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  Speaker 2: territory of Israel. Pieces of her body hung for all
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  Speaker 2: of Israel to behold. Her bloodied and hanging limbs represented
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  Speaker 2: the divided and corrupt hearts of Israel. The land trembled
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  Speaker 2: and God wept over their wickedness.
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  Speaker 3: We begin today's reading in the wilderness of Ephraim with
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  Speaker 3: a nameless Levite who is wandering with his concubine. Concubines
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  Speaker 3: were considered legal wives of their husband but were afforded
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  Speaker 3: second-class status, something that will be shown to be true
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  Speaker 3: in a dramatic way in this story. This Levite, a
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  Speaker 3: man meant to be set apart to serve God and
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  Speaker 3: his people, had departed from his wife and from God's
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  Speaker 3: law and was living in darkness. It is a darkness
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  Speaker 3: we see throughout this story. The fact that our main
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  Speaker 3: character is not named seems fitting as he represents in
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  Speaker 3: many ways the wandering nation of Israel who are unrecognizable
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  Speaker 3: as God's chosen people. It's not long before the Levite
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  Speaker 3: has a taste of betrayal himself as his concubine is
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  Speaker 3: unfaithful to him and returns to her father's home. After
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  Speaker 3: he spent some time licking his wounds, the Levite went
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  Speaker 3: to win her back. He succeeds and he and his
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  Speaker 3: father-in-law begin to eat and drink together. For three days
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  Speaker 3: they did nothing but eat and drink and be merry.
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  Speaker 3: His father-in-law kept insisting that he stay, so he did
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  Speaker 3: another two nights. Then on the fifth day he took
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  Speaker 3: his servant and concubine and finally, late in the day, departed.
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  Speaker 3: When it was nearly nighttime, they found themselves near a
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  Speaker 3: city of foreigners, Jebus, which would later become Jerusalem. The
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  Speaker 3: Levite did not want to stay there for fear of
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  Speaker 3: what the foreigners might do to him, so he chose
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  Speaker 3: to go instead to Gibeath, a city of the tribe
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  Speaker 3: of Benjamin. Sadly, the wickedness he found there was even greater.
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  Speaker 3: Unable to find lodging for the evening, his party set
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  Speaker 3: up camp in the center of town. But an elderly
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  Speaker 3: man of the tribe of Ephraim came to their aid,
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  Speaker 3: pleading for them to stay in his home. He knew
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  Speaker 3: the evil that lurked in the streets, and he feared
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  Speaker 3: for their lives. but the evil in the streets soon
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  Speaker 3: came knocking. Judges 19 verse 22 says this, Worthless fellows
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  Speaker 3: surrounded the house, beating on the door. And they said
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  Speaker 3: to the old man, the master of the house, bring
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  Speaker 3: out the man who came into your house, that we
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  Speaker 3: may know him. Worthless fellows for sure. How low could
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  Speaker 3: Israel go as the sin of Sodom ran rampant in
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  Speaker 3: the hearts of these Benjaminite men. Rather than deliver the Levite,
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  Speaker 3: their host offered his virgin daughter and the concubine. The Levite,
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  Speaker 3: fearing for his own safety and caring nothing for that
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  Speaker 3: of the women he had sought out just five days before,
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  Speaker 3: gave over the concubine to be beaten and raped brutally
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  Speaker 3: in the streets. Meanwhile, he slept seemingly without a care
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  Speaker 3: in the world. This story obviously shows us how deceitful
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  Speaker 3: and wicked the human heart is. The Levite and these
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  Speaker 3: townspeople paint a gruesome and awful picture of the evil
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  Speaker 3: that people are capable of. The next morning when the
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  Speaker 3: Levite found the woman dead outside the door, he did
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  Speaker 3: not mourn or offer her a proper burial. He carried
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  Speaker 3: her home, desecrated her body, and sent pieces of her
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  Speaker 3: to each of the twelve tribes. He wanted to rally
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  Speaker 3: the people to deal with the men of Gibeah. Instead,
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  Speaker 3: he would set off a war in Israel. And that's
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  Speaker 3: what we'll hear about the next time. Dear God, we
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  Speaker 3: know that the heart is deceitful above all things and
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  Speaker 3: desperately wicked. That's clear in the scripture and is clear
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  Speaker 3: in experience. Lord, we ask for repentance, that our nation
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  Speaker 3: would repent, that we personally would repent of our sins,
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  Speaker 3: confessing our sins that you might forgive us and pardon us.
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  Speaker 3: We praise you that your son Jesus Christ came to
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  Speaker 3: earth to die on the cross for our sins and
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  Speaker 3: to give us eternal life. May we guard our hearts
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  Speaker 3: that we might not turn back to sin in any way.
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  Speaker 3: In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for listening to today's
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham of Dallas, Texas,
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  Speaker 3: and you can download the Pray.com app and make prayer
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  Speaker 3: the priority of your life. It is our prayer that
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  Speaker 3: you would know Jesus Christ in a personal way. Jesus
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  Speaker 3: and knowing him is the key to understanding the Bibles.
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  Speaker 3: Jesus is on every page in the pathway of Scripture.
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  Speaker 3: So I pray that you would know him and look
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  Speaker 3: to him for eternal life. As we see all of
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  Speaker 3: these stories, some of them very sordid, we realize just
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  Speaker 3: how desperately we all need the Lord. So invite Christ
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  Speaker 3: into your life and receive him as your Lord and Savior.
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  Speaker 3: I would also encourage you to download the Pray.com app
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  Speaker 3: and let others know about this podcast. And if you
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  Speaker 3: want more resources, on how to know God and experience
• 17:47
  Speaker 3: His presence in your life, be sure to visit jackgraham.org.
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  Speaker 3: God bless you.
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  Speaker 1: This episode is sponsored by MediShare, an innovative healthcare solution
• 18:03
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