Prayer: Father, may I hate what You hate, and love what You love. May I be outraged by what angers You. Amen.
Reading: Judges 19 key: vs. 22 “While they were making their hearts merry, behold, some worthless men of the town surrounded the house. Pounding the door, they shouted to the owner of the house, “Bring out the man that came into your house,” they said to the old man, “so we may have relations with him. But the man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my fellows, please don’t do this evil. After all, this man has come into my house. Don’t commit this disgraceful deed.” TLV
Attention: If you are familiar with the Old Testament, you are aware of the recorded conversation between Adonai and Abraham (Genesis 18:16-33) and the subsequent destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19: 1-29). The morals of this region had denigrated to the point, the only option left for God was destruction.
We see an almost identical scenario in Gibeah. Sodom and Gomorrah were in the region which Lot chose. The land looked lush and fertile, but his choice did not include the consideration that this region was godless. Gibeah is a town located north of Jerusalem (Jebus) in the land of the Benjaminites. The tribe of Benjamin is one of the twelve tribes of Israel the man. Benjamin, being the biological son of Joseph, was included in the blessing of Israel and given land during the time of Joshua. What they did not accomplish was complete conquering of the land. If they had maintained the Covenant relationship with Adonai, obeyed the Torah, they would not have compromised and become morally depraved, to the point of acting out like a godless society.
The outrage is between God’s covenant nation, which includes the tribe of Benjamin. The man who is betrayed by his own kin sought to “have relations with him.” God had already established in His Torah, that sexual relations were to be between a man and woman. This was God’s design from creation. God has not changed His mind.
This man whose wife was brutalized to the point of death was so outraged, he cut her into twelve pieces and distributed a piece to every tribe. We will see in the next chapter, a united response of their outrage.
As New Testament followers of Christ, we are called to be offended and expose evil. Ephesians 5: 11-12 Take no part in the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them— for it is disgraceful even to mention the things that are done by them in secret.”
As a people, followers of Adonai have been silent. We have been openly shamed if we do take a stand, classified as haters. Please do not allow yourself to be silenced or shamed for being obedient to the Lord.
Please know that the sin exposed in this chapter is not the only example of evil. Evil is far vaster than the deviancy expressed in Judges 19.
Action: Knowing Ephesians 5:11-12, I choose today to stand with God and expose evil.
Yield: I choose today to yield to the demand of scripture and a Holy God.
Engage: I choose today, with the power of the Holy Spirit to engage in exposing evil.
Relationship: I choose today to maintain an intimate relationship with Adonai.
Prayer: Father, I choose today to accept Your declaration to me to expose evil. May I be a voice for You and take a stand against evil. Amen.
Memory Verse: Ephesians 5:11-12 “Take no part in the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them— for it is disgraceful even to mention the things that are done by them in secret.” TLV
Music Video: Josh Baldwin—Evidence https://youtu.be/3lDvD-O9xhg
Remember: “Abide in Yeshua, today!”