September 13 - Judges 19-21 - "As Bad as it Gets"

MPC 13th September 2020.

Dan Wilton

One of the things I love about MPC is that we work through the whole Bible. Each term we systematically make our way - chapter by chapter through a book of the Bible.

And what's so good about that is that we work through God's agenda, rather then simply speaking on our own hobby horses. And that's a fantastic thing - because it can become so easy for us to simply preach on what we want to preach on... and avoid passages we don't feel comfortable with.

But we believe that it's all God's word. And that God speaks through all of it. Even when it's uncomfortable.

And this morning we come to one of those uncomfortable sections of the bible. That we just read.

It's a horrible chapter! It's sickening! Disgusting! As I've been working on this during the week - I've had moments of feeling physically sick thinking through the implications of this chapter. They are dark and heavy chapters.

And look it's wouldn't be my first choice for a passage for a baptism. And yet, we're confident that a passage like this is written in the Bible for our good. And for God's glory!

And that's my prayer this morning - that in the background of such depressing and painful episode, we'll find real hope and healing as God speaks to us. So let's pray that God would do that... [Prayer]

This week marked the anniversary of 9/11.

Nineteen years after those tragic terrorist attacks. That claimed the lives of nearly 3000 people.

It's one of those events that everyone seems to remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news. I was still young enough to be in high school - and I woke up to those images of the towers collapsing.

I'm sure you remember where you were. But can you remember your reaction? The world was full of reactions. The President. Congress. World Leaders. And every news outlet in the world.

What was your reaction? What's your reaction when you hear horrible events in the news?

For the nation of Israel - no one would forget the events that unfold in these last three chapters of Judges.

Everyone would have remembered where they were. And what they were doing. When they heard the news of this dismembered woman being mailed out to the 12 tribes of Israel.

And verse 30 of chapter 19. Cries out for answers!

Everyone who saw it said, 'Such a thing has never been seen or done, since we started as a nation.'

Think about it - consider it. What are we going to do?

Well, what do we make of it? Because that verse is as much a challenge to us as much, as it is to them. Especially since we've come to the end of this book of Judges. And we're being encouraged to make our own assessment of the state of Israel. This nation, God's chosen to be his people. This nation, God's chosen to redeem humanity through. Because that's exactly what Israel was supposed to do... Through Israel, God's going to draw the nations back to God.

Here we are in the timeline. Israel come to the promised land. You can read about it in Joshua - the book just before Judges. And everything is looking peachy.

God's given Israel the promised land. Promised them victory. And then you come to Judges. And this is it! This is supposed to be the high point.

All your life you've bought those raffle tickets into the Boys-town fund-raising charity. Hoping to one day win that 8 bedroom. Mansion. On the beach.

And Israel have arrived in it. At the start of Judges. This is it! This is supposed to be as good as it gets. But of course as we've seen over the last couple of months. It's far from peachy. It's far from the good life!

And we've seen that repeated cycle each week. Of Israel going further and further down into sin. And rebellion. And as a result suffering oppression from the very nations God had promised them victory against.

And as we get to the end of this book. We're so far that luxury beach home as you can get. We're left with complete and utter tragedy. The tragic end to a tragic book. As we see the depth of sin and depravity humanity is capable of. And yet even in the depth of the horror in these chapters. God holds out something better.

So let's get into it. It'll be great to have your bibles open in front of you. Cause it's going to get heavy.

Chapter 19 verse 1. We meet a Levite man - one of the priests of Israel. With his concubine - His live-in lover. His "partner."

Except the girl's been unfaithful to him, and gone back to her dad in Bethlehem.

Although the way it's worded in the original Hebrew, it's not exactly saying she's been unfaithful in seeing someone else. But that she's been unfaithful in leaving him. And gone home.

Well its been 4 months. And the guy - verse 3 - decides it's time to win her back. Or more literally in the Hebrew - speak tenderly to her heart. Woo her back.

Look, this has all the potential of being a sweet love story. The guy goes to win the girl back. Forgiveness. Happily ever after. But as the chapter unfolds it's anything but a fairytale.

So with his servant and his two donkeys and his bunch of flowers, the Levite's off to the father-in-law's house. Who gladly welcomes him. And says, stay a while. Let's party.

So he stays. And the next day, its the same! Groundhog Day.

The father-in-law says stay a while longer. And they party again.

And in the end he's stayed so long, that when on day five he finally takes his concubine and heads for home with the two donkeys and the servant, they only get a bit over half-way.

They're coming near Jebus. Which in the future is going to become the city of Jerusalem. But at this point, it isn't. And the servant says to his master in verse 11, let's stop here. Let's pull in at the city of the Jebusites for the night.

And his master replies in verse 12 - and look this is full of irony here - ... he says, no, we won't go into a foreign city whose people are not Israelites. We'll go on. To Gibeah.

I mean, you wouldn't spend the night with the Jebusites. Because they're not Israelites. And who knows what they might do to you.

And so they stop in at Gibeah. safe territory. Or so it should have been...

And as you did back in those days, they sit in the city square and they wait for someone to invite them home... But nobody does. Until an old man... from the hill country of Ephraim ... who's living in town comes in from the fields. And invites them home. And finally in verse 20 they've found a welcome.

Come with me. Only whatever you do, don't spend the night in the square.

And so he takes them into his house and feeds the donkeys and they wash their feet and settle in for a night of eating and drinking. Another party. This is the good life. Israelite hospitality. In an Israelite town.

Except those words maybe ringing in your ears a little oddly - Whatever you do... don't spend the night in the square. And you soon see why.

Because while the Levite and his servant and his concubine and the old guy are enjoying themselves. Verse 22, some of the wicked men of the city surround the house. And start kicking in the door. And at this point things get ugly.

Because they're pounding on the door and they're shouting to the old man, bring out the guy staying with you. So we can have sex with him.

Now there are some eerie echoes here of another city. Back in Genesis chapter 19. With a story that's almost identical. Point for point.

A city called Sodom. A screaming mob surrounding the house of Lot. Who's entertaining angels. Read it sometime. And see the story of the city that's still synonymous with the worst humanity can offer!

Except in Genesis 19 the sin of the pagan city of Sodom has such a stench to it that God completely destroys it. And now here we are at Gibeah in Israel. And the same story is playing out. With the crowd made up of Benjamites. Israelites. Except this time God's nowhere to be seen. Only silence.

Genesis 19; the angels step in and save the day. And God speaks judgement on Sodom. Judges 19. God's nowhere. Saying nothing. Not a mention in the whole chapter.

And so it gets worse. The owner goes out and he says to the mob, he says, look, verse 24, take my daughter. And take the guy's concubine. Do what you like with them. Only don't touch the man. Which leads to what's got to be the most horrific account in the whole Old Testament.

As the Levite takes his concubine, verse 25, and you can imagine she's screaming; she's begging, she's digging her heels into the carpet as he drags her to the door. And throws her to the wolves.

And they rape her and abuse her through the night; and at dawn let her go.

It's as horrible as the description is sparse. What's described in one line. She endured for an entire night. This is hideous! This should make us feel sick to the core!

The morning breaks. And this woman somehow crawls back to the house and collapses at the door.

And meanwhile, her master has had a few more drinks and he's gone off to bed.

Gets up in the morning and goes out to for the newspaper and there she is. As if he'd forgotten what happened.

In fact, the way it's worded it's almost as if he's about to step over her. As if he'd packed his bag and was just planning to go home without a second thought. And it gets worse.

Because there she is, fallen in the doorway in verse 27 with her hands tantalisingly reaching for the threshold. Almost safe. And then the Levite finally speaks - and get this, this is the first time he's recorded as speaking to his lover since he went to woo her back.

And listen to his words. Because there's no tenderness here. He says to her, get up! let's go.

But there's no answer. And he picks her up and puts her on the donkey and goes home. Where he calmly takes out a knife. And cuts her up, limb by limb, verse 29, into twelve parts and sends them in parcels. To all the areas of Israel.

And suddenly, verse 30, it's as if Israel comes to her senses. And says what's going on? Something's gone wrong. What can we do? Which could be the end of the story - desire for justice.

But it gets worse. Because the snowball of sin is still growing out of control.

Israel's full of righteous indignation. And they've got armies to prove it.

But as chapter 20 and 21 unfold, the mess just gets deeper and deeper.

The other tribes are so shocked by their little packages of concubine and the sanitised version of the story the Levite tells. That they're going to get even with the Benjamites.

And so in chapter 20. There's a brutal civil war. With Israelites tearing each other limb from limb. And Israel's dismembered. The tribe of Benjamin is completely obliterated. Out of the whole tribe only 600 men are left. No women. No children. Just 600 fighting men. Israel have destroyed themselves.

And yet when it's over... there's weeping and wailing.

And in chapter 21. Verse 2, the people go to Bethel, and they sit before God until evening; crying their eyes out. Crying out to God, why has this happened... that one tribe... is missing from Israel today. And they grieve for their brothers the Benjamites. With only 600 of their men left.

And the worse thing is, the rest of Israel's made a vow - that none of them can give their daughters to the few men of Benjamin who are left. The women of Benjamin are dead. So the line's been extinguished forever.

And the people grieve for Benjamin, chapter 21 verse 15... because the Lord had made a gap in the tribes of Israel. And they make it out as if it's all God's fault.

So they take things into their own hand. And come up with a brilliant plan. They've promised they won't give their daughters to the men of Benjamin. But nobody said they couldn't take someone else's daughter.

Which is exactly what they do. Which is apparently okay - by their standards. And the elders of the assembly say, chapter 21 verse 19... they say, look, there's an annual church dance on. At Shiloh to the north of Bethel... That'll be the perfect place to abduct a wife.

And so they instruct the Benjamites - verse 20 - Go and hide in the vineyards and watch. And when the girls come out and join in the dancing... rush in and grab a wife... and go to the land of Benjamin.

Rush in. Kidnap. And rape. And that's exactly what happens. All of this started with the gang rape of a concubine... and it ends with the rape of a whole town full of girls.

The very evil they were trying to purge from Israel. They discover in themselves. This is as bad as it gets.

Israel - morally bankrupt. At every level - husband to wife. Brother to brother. Tribe against tribe.

In their hospitality. Their warfare. Their politics. Israel is a moral failure. A bunch of Idol worshippers. Wife abusers. Rapists. Who are rotten to the core.

And so the book of Judges ends. With a beaten up. Messed up. But unified Israel. Unified, but only after perpetrating some of the worst things any human can do to another.

It's gotta be one of the worst endings to any book I've ever read.

But what's more troubling. Is that despite all the evil they've committed. They are still a people. Worse - they are still God's people! These people become the building block of the nation he continues to bless. That's messed up! That's a distressing thought! Isn't it? What's gone wrong?

Let me tell you, the text makes the answer very clear. In a repeated phrase that I'm sure you've noticed.

All the way through this book of Judges, there was a repeated refrain that run all the way through the first 16 chapters of this book:

'Again, Israel did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord.'

'Again, Israel did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord.'

But at the end of chapter 16, you don't hear that again. And you know why? Because no one cares. About what happens in the eyes of the Lord. It's replaced with, there was no King in Israel. Everyone did what they saw fit. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes! Because no one cares about what God thinks at this stage in Judges.

And it's tragic! Israel - The one nation of all the nations... that was called to be distinct. And separate. Because God was their centre and their King. And no other. A nation set apart to show the world the goodness of God. Meant to be a blessing. Are perpetrators of the worst evils imaginable. Doing whatever's right in their own eyes. Without regard for anyone else.

And look, as dark as these chapters are. That attitude behind all these atrocities - everyone doing what's right in their own eyes. Sounds a little too familiar. Doesn't it?

I want you to take a minute to reflect. Because on a personal level it comes down to exactly the same issue. And Australia 2020 is simply made up of Australians who are doing exactly what we're like. As a culture. As individuals. We're all doing what's right in our own eyes! Aren't we?!

The Red Cross. Or the Red Crescent. Depending where you are in the world. Has as it's slogan - 'the power of humanity.'

This is an international movement. Designed to protect the dignity of humanity. I think the Red Cross is a fantastic organisation. And they do amazing things throughout the world.

But can I say - they've got a flawed view of humanity. Their slogan has a seriously flawed view of humanity. Because if you want to see the power of humanity on display. Have a look at Judges chapters 19, and 20, and 21.

Have a look at the horrendous stuff that happens on the news every day. That's the power of humanity. I'm not trying to be a doom-sayer here. I'm not trying to ruin your Sunday. But it's a real. And uncomfortable view of humanity. A view that the Bible makes very clear. Everyone doing what's right in their own eyes!

We still live in a society where it's dangerous for a woman to walk home from work in the middle of the night without fear of being attacked.

We live in a society where atrocities are committed in the name of justice.

Where we tear down those around us to get ahead.

And this is the point of Judges. Judges paints us a realistic picture of humanity. Judges is a mirror to our hearts. This is what you're like! God's says!

But Judges doesn't just condemn us and leave it there. It leaves us looking for a king. That's the reason why it ends with that verse - verse 25. Looking for a King. Looking for someone who brings an end to the corruption of our hearts.

And that King we meet a 1000 years later. Jesus.

A king who breaks the chain of sin.

A king who didn't just do what's right in his own eyes. But what's right in God's eyes.

A King who offers a whole new way of living for those who follow him.

Have a look at how Paul puts it in Titus 3.

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Judges is a reminder that we don't just need a King. From among us.

We need a Saviour! We need him to be like us in every way. But unlike us in our sin.

Those of us who've borne in our bodies the sins of others. Need to be comforted by the one who knows what it's like to bear in his body the sins of others. We need one who's body was also broken. And given for many.

And we need one. Who unlike the Levite - did not sacrifice his bride to protect himself. But sacrificed himself for his bride. And that's who we have in Jesus.

A king who washes us clean. Offers mercy. Forgiveness. Made new. A King who gives us hope. Undeserved.

So let me ask again. How do you respond to the horrors we see in our world? How do you respond to depth and horrors of your own sin? Where do you turn for answers?

Do you have that Israelite mindset - if we all just pull together. And make a big effort we'll sort it out! If we implement the right program. The right policies. We'll sort it out.

Or do we recognise the only true hope for this world. The only true hope for each one of us is to submit to God's King. To accept his mercy. And to accept that Gospel - that rescue is found completely and only in Him.