Judges 19:22-30
22 While they were celebrating, behold, the men of the city, certain worthless men, surrounded the house, pushing one another at the door; and they spoke to the owner of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who entered your house that we may have relations with him.”
23 Then the man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brothers, please do not act so wickedly. Since this man has come into my house, do not commit this vile sin.
24 Here is my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine. Please let me bring them out, then rape them and do to them whatever you wish. But do not commit this act of vile sin against this man.”
25 But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and brought her outside to them; and they raped her and abused her all night until morning, then let her go at the approach of dawn.
26 As the day began to dawn, the woman came and fell down at the doorway of the man’s house where her master was, until full daylight.
27 When her master got up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way, then behold, his concubine was lying at the doorway of the house with her hands on the threshold.
28 And he said to her, “Get up and let’s go,” but there was no answer. Then he put her on the donkey; and the man set out and went to his home.
29 When he entered his house, he took a knife and seized his concubine, and cut her in twelve pieces, limb by limb. Then he sent her throughout the territory of Israel.
30 All who saw it said, “Nothing like this has ever happened or been seen from the day when the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it, make a plan, and speak up!”
Assault in Gibeah
Demand of the wicked men
The events described in today’s passage closely resemble the incident of Sodom in Genesis 19. It’s astonishing to see the same situation appearing among God’s people, Israel. (1) The wicked men of the city persistently pounding the door, demanded for the Levite who had become a guest in the old man’s house. They were consumed by the sin of homosexuality. (2) So, the old man suggested sending out his daughter and the Levite’s concubine to them, saying they can do whatever they want with them. It was a custom of that time to protect the guests in one’s house at any cost, but this old man goes far beyond the limits that the Bible approves. (3) Finally, the Levite himself grabbed his concubine as if he were handling a dog and threw her outside the house. Human dignity is completely disregarded. (4) The people then raped and abused this woman throughout the night. It truly was a living hell for her.
The response of the twelve tribes
(1) It seems that the Levite did not think this woman was dead. When morning came, he called out to her, “Get up and let’s go.” How callous his words are. However, this woman was already dead. (2) The Levite dismembered her body into twelve parts and sent them to all of Israel. In a later time, Saul also does a similar thing (1 Sam. 11:7), but in his case, he divided a pair of oxen into twelve parts. (3) Dividing the body into twelve parts implied that some parts were sent to the tribe of Benjamin as well. The Levite seems to have expected the tribe of Benjamin to share in his outrage, but as we will see later, his expectations are proven wrong. (4) The tribes of Israel were shocked and gathered at Mizpah to resolve this issue. The “time of no king” was also a “time of God’s teachings being forgotten.” If we stray from God, we will fall into degradation. Let’s remember the words of Jesus: “Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me” (John 15:4).
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, may I continue to abide in Jesus today. Please make me a branch that bears abundant fruit. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.