Judges 19:1-21
1 Now it came about in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah.
2 But his concubine found him repugnant, and she left him and went to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah, and remained there for a period of four months.
3 Then her husband set out and went after her to speak gently to her in order to bring her back, taking with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. And she brought him into her father’s house, and when the girl’s father saw him, he was glad to meet him.
4 His father-in-law, the girl’s father, prevailed upon him, and he remained with him for three days. So they ate and drank and stayed there.
5 Now on the fourth day they got up early in the morning, and he prepared to go; but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Strengthen yourself with a piece of bread, and afterward you may go.”
6 So both of them sat down and ate and drank together; and the girl’s father said to the man, “Please be so kind as to spend the night, and let your heart be cheerful.”
7 However, the man got up to go; but his father-in-law urged him, and he spent the night there again.
8 Now on the fifth day he got up to go early in the morning, but the girl’s father said, “Please strengthen yourself, and wait until late afternoon”; so both of them ate.
9 When the man got up to go, along with his concubine and servant, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Behold now, the day has drawn to a close; please spend the night. Behold, the day is coming to an end; spend the night here so that your heart may be cheerful. Then tomorrow you may arise early for your journey and go home.”
10 But the man was unwilling to spend the night, so he got up and left, and came to a place opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). And with him was a pair of saddled donkeys; his concubine also was with him.
11 When they were near Jebus, the day was almost gone; and the servant said to his master, “Please come, and let’s turn aside into this city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it.”
12 However, his master said to him, “We will not turn aside into a city of foreigners who are not of the sons of Israel; instead, we will go on as far as Gibeah.”
13 And he said to his servant, “Come, and let’s approach one of these places; and we will spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.”
14 So they passed along and went their way, and the sun set on them near Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin.
15 They turned aside there to enter and spend the night in Gibeah. When they entered, they sat down in the public square of the city, for no one took them into his house to spend the night.
16 Then behold, an old man was coming out of the field from his work at evening. Now the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he was staying in Gibeah, but the men of the place were Benjaminites.
17 And he raised his eyes and saw the traveler in the public square of the city; and the old man said, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?”
18 And he said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, for I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem in Judah. But I am now going to my house, and no one will take me into his house.
19 Yet there is both straw and feed for our donkeys, and also bread and wine for me, and your female slave, and the young man who is with your servants; there is no lack of anything.”
20 Then the old man said, “Peace to you. Only let me take care of all your needs; however, do not spend the night in the public square.”
21 So he took him into his house and fed the donkeys, and they washed their feet and ate and drank.
A Night Stay in Gibeah
The influence of Canaanite culture
The events in Judges chapter 19 to 21 occurred when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was serving as the high priest, which was during the early period of the time of the Judges. The events depicted in these chapters reveal how the lives and values of the Israelites were influenced by Canaanite culture. The moral decay seen here is not just an ancient story but is indeed a story for today as well. Sinners cannot stand before the Lord on the day of judgment. As Christians, we too, must nail our sin nature to the cross, be purified, and prepare ourselves to meet the Lord. (1) It is mentioned, “in those days, when there was no king in Israel” (v 1). The emphasis here is on that there was no authority within Israel to enforce the Lord’s Law and legal order. (2) There was a certain Levite, who did not live in a designated place and was a wanderer, a sojourner. This itself is a violation of the Law. Moreover, he took a woman from Bethlehem as his concubine. (3) This concubine became displeased with her husband and returned to her father’s house. The Levite went to Bethlehem in order to bring her back, but was being detained at her home for a long time before finally departing. (4) The Levite avoided the city of foreigners and intended to spend the night in Gibeah, a Benjamite city.
Similarities with Genesis 19
The events in Gibeah closely resemble the incident of Sodom recorded in Genesis 19. (1) The Levite and his servant entered the city and sat in the open square, but the people of this town were wicked, and no one welcomed these travelers into their homes. This was highly unusual given the customs of the time. (2) Then in the evening, an old man finally welcomed them into his house. This old man was a sojourner and was not tainted by the wicked practices of the city. He knew how dangerous Gibeah was. (3) This old man provided them with utmost hospitality. Just as this old man was a sojourner in the city of Gibeah, we too, are sojourners in this world. Our citizenship is in heaven. Let’s be mindful of maintaining our identity as God’s people, without being influenced by the values and culture of this world.
Today's prayer
Holy God, our mission is to be the "salt of the earth" and the "light of the world" in this world. Please protect me from being entangled in the values of this world. I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.