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The Wickedness of the Benjamite Tribe · 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 by listening to today's Bible
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  Speaker 1: in a Year. Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: The Wickedness of the Benjamite Tribe In our last story,
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  Speaker 2: we learned about the tribe of Dan stealing idols from
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  Speaker 2: the house of Micah and their violent siege over an
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  Speaker 2: innocent village. The tribe of Dan found a home at
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  Speaker 2: the expense of others, and Israel continued to sin before God.
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  Speaker 2: Now we learn about the journey of a young Levite
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  Speaker 2: and his concubine. As they seek their own path away
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  Speaker 2: from God, they fall victim to all sorts of dark evils,
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  Speaker 2: as inspired by the book of Judges.
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  Speaker 3: I'm so glad you joined us on the Bible in
• 2:41
  Speaker 3: a Year podcast today. But before we get to today's episode,
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: I want you to know that I would absolutely love
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: to send you my daily devotional, that will give you
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: fresh encouragement every single morning and day. From the moment
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: we wake up to the moment our head finally hits
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: the pillow, there are thousands of things demanding our attention.
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  Speaker 3: But it's in the midst of all this crush and
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  Speaker 3: hustle and bustle that you and I need peace and
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  Speaker 3: truth in God's Word. That's why I want to help
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: you spend time each day growing in God's life-giving, life-changing Word,
• 3:17
  Speaker 3: by sending you my free daily email devotional, PowerPoint Today.
• 3:23
  Speaker 3: So visit JackGraham.org to sign up for your PowerPoint Today devotional.
• 3:28
  Speaker 3: That's JackGraham.org. JackGraham.org. In our last episode, we heard the
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  Speaker 3: story of Micah's spiritual confusion and how the tribe of
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  Speaker 3: Dan stole idols from the house of Micah to place
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  Speaker 3: in their own places of worship in a city they
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  Speaker 3: stole from innocent people. It was a sign of Israel's
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  Speaker 3: moral bankruptcy in a time when each person did whatever
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  Speaker 3: seemed right in their own eyes. Yet as God's people
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  Speaker 3: continued to drift further away from him, God continued to
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  Speaker 3: wait for a time to rescue his children. Today, we'll
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  Speaker 3: see that Israel continues its descent into wickedness. And we'll
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  Speaker 3: hear another story of a man straying from God to
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  Speaker 3: seek his own path. a Levite who will leave his
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  Speaker 3: wife and journey with his concubine into dangerous territory, both
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  Speaker 3: physically and spiritually. It's a story that's destined to end
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  Speaker 3: in tragedy, of course, but let us not miss the
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  Speaker 3: lesson that there is for all who will listen and learn. So,
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  Speaker 3: 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 distant virtue. Now people wandered the land
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  Speaker 2: without purpose. In those days, there was a certain Levite
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  Speaker 2: who was sojourning in the wilderness of Ephraim. This Levite,
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  Speaker 2: called to be a man who serves the people of God,
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  Speaker 2: left 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 horizons. 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: Strengthen your hearts. Stay, and I will make you breakfast
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  Speaker 2: until the sun arises. So the three of them remained.
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  Speaker 2: Time seemed to move at a different pace in that
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  Speaker 2: dining room. Drinks flowed like a river into the Levite's cup,
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  Speaker 2: and he found himself lost in a drunken stupor that
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  Speaker 2: lasted all day. Slapping himself awake, the Levite thanked the
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  Speaker 2: girl's father and finally went off to depart. But the
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  Speaker 2: sun had already begun its descent, and day was almost over.' Well,
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  Speaker 2: there's no harm in spending the night again,' the father
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  Speaker 2: said with a jolly grin. His rotted teeth could barely
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  Speaker 2: be spotted underneath his white beard.' First thing tomorrow morning
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  Speaker 2: you can all start your journey, he said. The Levite
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  Speaker 2: peered into his eyes. The uneasy chills overcame him again.
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  Speaker 2: The Levite nodded politely, and the woman's father left the
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  Speaker 2: room to go prepare the beds. Then he took his
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  Speaker 2: concubine and servant, and they made a mad dash for
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  Speaker 2: the door. They saddled their donkeys and rode off. He
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  Speaker 2: would not spend the night again, for he feared that
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  Speaker 2: it could very well be his last if he did.
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  Speaker 2: The tree had traveled to Jebus, which is now Jerusalem.
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  Speaker 2: The day was nearly over, and the sun was halfway
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  Speaker 2: below the horizon. The Levite's servant said to him, Let
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  Speaker 2: us descend into the city of the Jebusites and spend
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  Speaker 2: the night. It may become dangerous soon. The Levite looked uneasy.
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  Speaker 2: He had heard rumors of the Jebusites and was not
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  Speaker 2: sure if he wanted to stay in their city. So
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  Speaker 2: they turned away to Gibeah as the sun set behind them.
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  Speaker 2: Gibeah belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, and the Levite
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  Speaker 2: was sure they could find lodging among God's people. However,
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  Speaker 2: they had no such luck. The three of them knocked
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  Speaker 2: on every door in the city, seeking a place to
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  Speaker 2: rest their heads, yet each one turned them away. So
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  Speaker 2: the Levite, his concubine, and his servant huddled in the
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  Speaker 2: courtyard in the middle of the city. Alone and cold
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  Speaker 2: they slept, without blankets or food to warm them. It
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  Speaker 2: was still night, and the Levite had finally fallen into
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  Speaker 2: a deep sleep. His snores were interrupted by an old
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  Speaker 2: man poking at him and his companions. The Levite jolted
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  Speaker 2: awake and rose to his feet. The old man backed
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  Speaker 2: away and gave a nervous smile. What are you doing
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  Speaker 2: out here in the middle of the night? he said.
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  Speaker 2: This place is dangerous at night. We are traveling back
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  Speaker 2: to Ephraim, but no one has taken us in to
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  Speaker 2: spend the night. We have donkeys in need of straw
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  Speaker 2: and water, and we are in need of food. The
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  Speaker 2: Levite responded, hoping desperately that the man could help them.
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  Speaker 2: Of course, the man said. I can care for all
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  Speaker 2: your needs. Just please do not... spend the night out
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  Speaker 2: here there would be trouble awaiting you the old man
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  Speaker 2: seemed nervous as he led them back to his home
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  Speaker 2: he was constantly shining his torch into the alleys and
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  Speaker 2: peering over his shoulder another uneasy feeling came over the
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  Speaker 2: Levite and the four of them entered the house safely
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  Speaker 2: The four of them were warming themselves by the fire,
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  Speaker 2: laughing and eating warm food. The old man's family came
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  Speaker 2: out to join them, and they ate, drank, and laughed
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  Speaker 2: with one another. Their laughter was interrupted by a violent
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  Speaker 2: banging on the man's door. The Levite looked towards the man,
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  Speaker 2: and his face turned ghostly white. The man arose to
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  Speaker 2: go answer the door, and behold, the men from the
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  Speaker 2: city surrounded the entire house. The Levite could catch a
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  Speaker 2: small glimpse of the men through the door. An ancient
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  Speaker 2: wickedness could be seen in their eyes, the same wickedness
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  Speaker 2: that tormented the hearts of Sodom and Gomorrah long ago.
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  Speaker 2: One of them stood at the entrance of the home
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  Speaker 2: and pointed straight to the Levite. Bring out your petty
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  Speaker 2: little Levite, old man, the word slithered out of his
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  Speaker 2: grinning mouth. We would like to have our way with him,
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  Speaker 2: he said. The Levite jumped to his feet and pressed
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  Speaker 2: his back up against the wall. His eyes widened as
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  Speaker 2: he watched the old man squirm near the door. But Please,
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  Speaker 2: my brothers, the old man trembled. Do not do such
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  Speaker 2: a wicked thing. These people are guests in my home.
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  Speaker 2: But the men of the city craved the satisfaction of
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  Speaker 2: forcing themselves on a young man. They had no regard
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  Speaker 2: for politeness or honor. They wanted what they wanted, and
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  Speaker 2: they would take it forcibly. For this was the state
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  Speaker 2: of Israel's heart after they turned away from God. The
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  Speaker 2: men began to enter the home. But the old man
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  Speaker 2: stopped them, saying.
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  Speaker 3: No, no!
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  Speaker 2: Behold, here is my daughter. She is a virgin. And
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  Speaker 2: here is the Levite's concubine. She is very beautiful. Take
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  Speaker 2: them and spare the Levite. The men seized the concubine
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  Speaker 2: and drug her into the darkness. Violent screams and evil
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  Speaker 2: laughs could be heard from the distance as the men
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  Speaker 2: abused and raped her. It was truly a dark time
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  Speaker 2: for Israel. What began as idol worship slowly transitioned into
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  Speaker 2: a corruption that rivaled the wicked kingdoms of old. Dawn
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  Speaker 2: began to break. The woman crawled out of the alleyway.
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  Speaker 2: Her face was swollen from being beaten, and her clothes
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  Speaker 2: were torn apart. Barely alive, she slept on the doorstep
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  Speaker 2: of the old man, waiting for the Levite to come
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  Speaker 2: to her. The sun had fully risen, and the Levite
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  Speaker 2: opened the door slowly to see if the coast was clear.
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  Speaker 2: He found the woman on the floor and said, Quick!
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  Speaker 2: Let us be going before they return. The woman was
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  Speaker 2: silent and still. He shook her and said, There is
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  Speaker 2: no time for delay. Get up and let's go. But
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  Speaker 2: she still lay there. So the Levite picked her up
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  Speaker 2: and lay her on his donkey. The Levite had finally
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  Speaker 2: made it back to his home. He came to wake
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  Speaker 2: up his concubine, only to realize that she was dead.
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  Speaker 2: There she laid lifeless. The Levite boiled with anger and
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  Speaker 2: blamed the men for killing her. Even though it was
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  Speaker 2: not just the men that slew her, his own cowardice
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  Speaker 2: is what killed her. In a heartbroken and shameful fury,
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  Speaker 2: the Levite took a knife and began tearing the woman's
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  Speaker 2: body apart. Limb by limb, he filleted her and separated
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  Speaker 2: her body. He tore her into twelve pieces and sent
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  Speaker 2: her body throughout all the territory of Israel. Pieces of
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  Speaker 2: her body hung for all of Israel to behold. Her
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  Speaker 2: bloodied and hanging limbs represented the divided and corrupt hearts
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  Speaker 2: of Israel. The land trembled, 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 in 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 12 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
• 17:47
  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
• 17:51
  Speaker 3: And before we go, I want you to know that
• 17:53
  Speaker 3: I would love to send you my daily devotional to
• 17:56
  Speaker 3: give you fresh encouragement every single day. So visit jackgraham.org
• 18:01
  Speaker 3: to sign up for your PowerPoint Today devotional. That's jackgraham.org.