Archive for month: August, 2023

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 19:16-30.  Let’s go!

Judges 19:16-30 (NIV)
16  That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was living in Gibeah (the men of the place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the fields.
17  When he looked and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going? Where did you come from?”
18  He answered, “We are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim where I live. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah and now I am going to the house of the LORD. No one has taken me into his house.

On verses 16-30:  Here we read of one of the most shocking and vile crimes ever described in the Bible.  To protect themselves from a sadistic mob, the Levite and his old man host in Gibaeh offer up the Levite’s concubine to a sadistic mob who gang rapes the concubine all night, leaving her for dead.  Then the Levite takes his concubine and cuts her up into 12 pieces and disperses her body parts throughout Israel.  This raises a bunch of questions, not the least of which include:

(1) Which man was it – the old man or the Levite – who gave the concubine over to the sadistic mob in verse 25?  In any event, the fact is that this Levite allowed his concubine to be gang raped this way to protect himself.  Contrast this to Jesus who allowed himself to be abused, tortured and killed to protect us his bride, the church.

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 19:1-15.  Let’s go!

Judges 19:1a (NIV)
1  In those days Israel had no king…

On verse 1:  In chapters 17, 18 and 19 of Judges, this one phrase keeps coming up: “Israel had no king”.  This phrase can be taken in two ways.  First, on a political level, Israel was not yet a monarchy and was not governed by any human king.  Second, on a spiritual level, the phrase “Israel had no king” speaks of how Israel had abandoned the LORD, the very One who was always meant to rule and lead Israel.  Interestingly, in each chapter where Judges says “Israel had no king”, what comes right after or right before that phrase is a story of the Israelites falling deep into spiritual confusion, idolatry and immorality.  When there is an absence of strong, healthy leadership in any family, nation, workplace or other group, the result is confusion, sin and trouble.

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 18:14-31.  Let’s go!

Judges 18:14-20 (NIV)
14  Then the five men who had spied out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Do you know that one of these houses has an ephod, other household gods, a carved image and a cast idol? Now you know what to do.”
15  So they turned in there and went to the house of the young Levite at Micah’s place and greeted him.
16  The six hundred Danites, armed for battle, stood at the entrance to the gate.

On verses 14-20:  Earlier when this priest needed a place to stay, Micah gave him a home and a job.  Now, upon being offered more opportunity and prestige by the Danites, this priest quickly abandons Micah and even takes Micah’s idols with him.  Micah must have felt utterly betrayed and sucker punched by this priest’s lack of loyalty and low EQ, as he did not even discuss the matter with Micah.

What’s the lesson here?

–    Before you decide to make a significant investment in someone as Micah did in this priest, make sure you get a good sense of that person’s character.  Otherwise, you may end up betrayed and sucker-punched the way Micah was by this priest.